Daily Strategic Briefing

IBM Cloud hit by Severity One incident with the same symptoms as other recent SNAFUs

Outages, degraded service, and login troubles hit 10 regions and 27 services IBM Cloud experienced a Severity One outage on Monday that left customers unable to access resources.…

Nvidia gives its tiniest workstation GPUs a Blackwell boost

70W TDP means the new RTX Pro 4000 SFF and RTX Pro 2000 won't blow power budgets Nvidia’s latest Blackwell GPUs are a pair of itty-bitty workstation cards that aim to deliver the highest performance possible for professional visualization and local AI workloads within a 70-watt energy diet.…

Fed cloud contracts up 2x this year after red tape slashing

Biden-era program has reduced FedRAMP processing times to just five weeks from previous year or more The US Government's process for certifying cloud services safe for official use has long been slow, but that's no longer the case. Approvals so far this fiscal year are more than double the total for all of FY 2024.…

Trump seeing green as he weighs deal to allow Nvidia Blackwell GPU sales to China

And shave 15% of the top no doubt. Nerfed versions of Nvidia's Blackwell GPUs could soon join its H20 on the list of AI accelerators approved for sale in China.…

Russia's RomCom among those exploiting a WinRAR 0-day in highly-targeted attacks

A few weeks earlier 'zeroplayer' advertised an $80K WinRAR 0-day exploit Russia-linked attackers found and exploited a high-severity WinRAR vulnerability before the maintainers of the Windows file archiver issued a fix.…

Seoul-based Datumo raises $15.5M to take on Scale AI, backed by Salesforce

Summary:

Datumo began as an AI data labeling company and now wants to help businesses build safer AI with tools and data that enable testing, monitoring, and improving their models — without requiring technical expertise.

Nvidia unveils new Cosmos world models, infra for robotics and physical uses

Summary:

Nvidia on Monday unveiled a set of new world AI models, libraries, and other infrastructure for robotics developers, most notable of which is Cosmos Reason, a 7-billion-parameter “reasoning” vision language model for physical AI applications and robots.

Elon Musk confirms shutdown of Tesla Dojo, ‘an evolutionary dead end’ 

Summary:

“Once it became clear that all paths converged to AI6, I had to shut down Dojo and make some tough personnel choices, as Dojo 2 was now an evolutionary dead end,” Musk posted on X, the social media platform he owns, on Sunday.

Nvidia, AMD may sell high-end AI chips to China if they pay US a cut

Summary:

The global AI chip race narrative used to be about U.S. national security, but apparently now it’s about tariffs: Nvidia and AMD have agreed to pay the U.S. government 15% of the revenue they make from sales of high-end AI chips to China in exchange for licenses to sell those chips in the country, the Financial Times reported, citing anonymous sources.

Apple’s new Siri may allow users to operate apps just using voice

Summary:

Apple is testing a version of Siri that will be able to take actions on your behalf across various apps by following voice commands. The company plans to release a new version of App Intents, its framework gives developers the ability to allow users access to parts of their app via different systems, like search and Shortcuts.

Truemeds raises $85M to target non-metro markets

The Mumbai-based company said the capital will go toward tripling its national reach by adding fulfillment centers in high-demand non-metro markets, hiring top-tier engineering and product talent, and opening a new technology hub in Bengaluru.

TurboHire gets $6M in Series A funding led by IvyCap Ventures

With this funding, Hyderabad-based TurboHire plans to scale its global expansion, enhance its AI-driven recruitment platform, and build deeper integrations within the broader HR tech ecosystem.

Thala approved: MS Dhoni backs House of Biryan to take personalised biryani global

House of Biryan plans to use the capital backing from MS Dhoni to expand globally, targeting 120+ kitchens across global markets with a revenue goal of Rs 450–550 crore over the next three years.

Lab-grown diamond startup Limelight onboards Shilpa Shetty as investor, brand ambassador

Lab-grown diamond startup Limelight operates over 50 stores in India, with plans to expand to 100 more by 2026.

Pronto raises $11M in Series A funding from General Catalyst and Glade Brook Capital

Pronto plans to use funds to fuel its expansion into Mumbai and Bengaluru, onboard 10,000 professionals, and invest in quality assurance technology.

Amara Raja Q1 FY26 Investor Call on Aug 18, 4 PM

Amara Raja Energy & Mobility schedules Q1 FY26 investor call on Aug 18, 2025 at 4 PM IST. Call details, transcript, and audio will be available on www.amararajaeandm.com post-discussion. Source: BSE

Divis Labs Q1 PAT at ₹545 Cr, Exports 88%

Divis Labs' Q1 FY26 earnings call highlights operational resilience, expansion, and integration. New Kakinada facility boosts production, efficiency; income at ₹2,529 Cr, PAT ₹545 Cr, exports 88%. Source: ScoutQuest

India Ratings Gives JSW Energy's Wind Units 'IND A' Rating

India Ratings assigns IND A (Stable) rating to JSW Energy's three wind units. The rating, indicating good credit quality, was released on 11th August 2025. Source: ScoutQuest

Brightcom OMS Ranked #1 SSP, Adds 169 Publishers

Brightcom Group's OMS ranked #1 Scaling SSP by DataBeat. Added 169 new publisher connections in a month, boosting global influence. Source: ScoutQuest

PTL Q1 EPS Rises 75% YoY; Net Income Up 76%

PTL Enterprises' Q1 2026 EPS rose to ₹0.70 from ₹0.40 YoY; revenue remained flat at ₹161.9m. Net income surged 76% YoY to ₹92.2m; profit margin improved to 57% from 33% last year. Source: Simply Wall Street

US 10-Year Yield Steady Ahead of Inflation Data

Country: United States, Description: The yield on the US 10-year Treasury note held around 4.28% on Tuesday as investors awaited consumer inflation data that could influence the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook. July CPI is expected to rise 0.2%, just below June’s 0.3%, while the annual rate is projected to accelerate for a third consecutive month to 2.8%. Core CPI is also forecast to quicken to 0.3%. Despite persistent inflation pressures, markets are pricing in nearly a 90% chance of a Fed rate cut in September. Traders will also monitor upcoming data on PPI, retail sales, and industrial production for further economic signals. On the trade front, President Donald Trump extended the US-China truce by another 90 days, giving negotiators more time to reach an agreement.

China 10Y Yield Rises on Tariff Truce Extension

Country: China, Description: China’s 10-year government bond yield rose to around 1.73% on Tuesday, as investors shifted toward riskier assets following news that the US and China had agreed to extend their tariff truce by 90 days. The move, signed by President Trump on Monday, delays steep duty hikes until mid-November, keeping US tariffs on Chinese goods at 30% and Chinese tariffs on US goods at 10%, instead of a steep 145% and 125%, respectively—a scenario that could have amounted to a near trade embargo. The delay offers relief to exporters and retailers ahead of the holiday season and preserves lower rates on key imports. Sentiment was further lifted by news that Nvidia and AMD agreed to give up 15% of their China chip revenue to the US government in exchange for restored market access. Elsewhere, traders now await US inflation data later this day for fresh policy cues, as softer-than-expected readings could reinforce expectations of a more dovish Federal Reserve stance.

Hong Kong Stocks Move in the Red

Country: Hong Kong, Description: Hong Kong shares slipped 84 points or 0.3% to around 24,826 in a volatile Tuesday morning session, reversing modest gains in the prior day. Investors were cautious following a negative lead from Wall Street overnight, ahead of key U.S. inflation data, with CPI figures due later today and PPI scheduled for Thursday. Losses were led by tech and consumer names, while property stocks were muted despite Beijing city’s move to lift curbs on suburban home purchases. Further losses were limited by the latest tariff developments, as President Trump signed an executive order extending the truce with China for another 90 days, prompting Beijing to pledge a reciprocal suspension of additional tariffs on U.S. goods. In geopolitics, Trump is expected to meet Russian President Putin in Alaska on Friday to discuss a potential resolution to the war in Ukraine. Early decliners included Innovent Biologics (-3.7%), Pop Mart International (-3.0%), Smoore Holdings (-2.9%), and Kuaishou Technology (-2.1%).

South Korean Won Gains on US-China Tariff Extension

Country: South Korea, Description: The South Korean won rose to around 1,389 per dollar on Tuesday, snapping a two-day decline after President Trump extended reduced tariffs on Chinese goods for another 90 days, easing pressure on Korea’s export-driven economy and averting a return to the peak duties seen in April. The extension keeps current rates at 30% for US tariffs and 10% for China’s, maintaining a more favorable trade environment and reinforcing expectations for steady global demand in key sectors such as semiconductors. South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-Koo said the government will step up APEC engagement to address mounting trade, industry, and security fragmentation, while pushing to diversify supply chains and expand export links with ASEAN and India. The move is part of a broader strategy to mitigate external risks, strengthen economic resilience, and secure market access amid shifting global trade dynamics.

Offshore Yuan Firms After Trade Truce Extended

Country: China, Description: The offshore yuan edged higher around 7.19 per dollar on Tuesday, halting two straight sessions of losses, after the US and China agreed to extend their tariff truce by 90 days. The move, signed by President Trump on Monday, delays steep duty hikes until mid-November, keeping US tariffs on Chinese goods at 30% and Chinese tariffs on US goods at 10%, instead of a steep 145% and 125%, respectively—a scenario that could have amounted to a near trade embargo. The delay offers relief to exporters and retailers ahead of the holiday season and preserves lower rates on key imports. Sentiment was further lifted by news that Nvidia and AMD agreed to give up 15% of their China chip revenue to the US government in exchange for restored market access. Meanwhile, Chinese exporters sold a record $132.5 billion in dollar-yuan options in H1 2025, reflecting strong hedging that helped stabilize the currency. Elsewhere, traders now await US CPI data that could reinforce bets of a more dovish Fed stance.

Trump says gold will be exempt from tariffs

Summary: The announcement ended market confusion that had sent gold prices to record highs after customs officials indicated bars would face duties., Description: President Trump announced Monday that gold imports will be exempt from tariffs, bringing clarity to market confusion that had sent precious metal prices soaring to record highs just days earlier. "Gold will not be Tariffed!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, without providing further details. The proclamation followed several days of market turmoil after U.S. Customs and Border...

Chinese ships collide during South China Sea confrontation

Summary: A coast guard cutter and navy destroyer crashed into each other near Scarborough Shoal, causing substantial damage to the smaller vessel., Description: Two Chinese vessels collided in the South China Sea Monday morning while pursuing a Philippine Coast Guard patrol boat near the contested Scarborough Shoal, marking the latest escalation in the region's mounting maritime tensions. According to Philippine Coast Guard officials, a Chinese Coast Guard cutter and a People's Liberation Army Navy destroyer crashed into each other at high speed,...

Finland charges Russian tanker crew in cable sabotage case

Summary: Three officers face up to 13 years in prison for allegedly severing undersea cables on Christmas Day 2024., Description: Finnish authorities have charged the captain and two senior officers of the Russian-linked oil tanker Eagle S with aggravated criminal mischief and interference with communications, marking the first criminal prosecution by a NATO country for suspected Baltic Sea sabotage. The charges, announced Monday by Finland's Deputy Prosecutor General, stem from an incident on Christmas Day 2024 when the...

Lee and Trump to hold first summit amid alliance shift

Summary: The Aug. 25 meeting comes after South Korea agreed to invest $350 billion in US industries to avoid damaging tariffs., Description: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump will hold their first bilateral summit on August 25 in Washington, marking a pivotal moment for the US-South Korea alliance as both nations navigate rising North Korean nuclear threats and evolving regional security dynamics. The meeting comes just 82 days after Lee took office following a snap election in June, when South...

Princeton offers free tuition to families earning up to $250K

Summary: The Ivy League school's expansion makes it the most generous among elite universities while potentially helping avoid federal endowment taxes., Description: Princeton University announced a major expansion of its financial aid program last week, offering free tuition to most families earning up to $250,000 annually while welcoming a record number of lower-income students for the 2025-26 academic year. The Ivy League institution revealed on August 7 that most families with incomes up to $150,000 will pay nothing for their student to attend...