Daily Strategic Briefing

New Zealand’s Institute of IT Professionals collapses

Discovers debt it didn’t fully understand, leaving skilled migrants and students in limbo New Zealand’s Institute of IT Professionals has discovered it is insolvent and advised members it has no alternative but to enter liquidation.…

Meta will listen into AI conversations to personalize ads

Religion, race, health and other dicey topics supposedly exempt Meta, having committed hundreds of billions to AI infrastructure and talent, says it will start using people's conversations and interactions with its AI services to create personalized content and advertising.…

Texas man accidentally shoots cable, brings internet down

And it’s not the first time gunfire has cut Spectrum’s lines A stray bullet cut through a Spectrum fiber line on Friday, knocking an undisclosed number of Texans offline.…

Microsoft declares bring your Copilot to work day, usurping IT authority

Use your home subscription with your work Microsoft 365 account Your job may not support BYOD, but how about BYOC? Microsoft has declared that people can bring their personal Microsoft 365 subscriptions to work to access various Copilot features at companies that fail to provide an AI fix.…

US gov shutdown leaves IT projects hanging, security defenders a skeleton crew

The longer the shutdown, the less likely critical IT overhauls happen, ex federal CISO tells The Register The US government shut down at 1201 ET on October 1, halting non-essential IT modernization and leaving cybersecurity operations to run on skeleton crews.…

OpenAI staff grapples with the company’s social media push

Summary:

Current and former OpenAI researchers seem torn over how the company’s Sora app fits in with its broader mission.

California’s new AI safety law shows regulation and innovation don’t have to clash 

Summary:

“Are bills like SB 53 the thing that will stop us from beating China? No,” said Adam Billen, vice president of public policy at youth-led advocacy group Encode AI. “I think it is just genuinely intellectually dishonest to say that that is the thing that will stop us in the race.”

CharacterAI removes Disney characters after receiving cease-and-desist letter

Summary:

“Character.ai is freeriding off the goodwill of Disney’s famous marks and brands, and blatantly infringing Disney’s copyrights,” a Disney lawyer wrote.

Why California’s new AI safety law succeeded where SB 1047 failed

Summary:

California just made history as the first state to require AI safety transparency from the biggest labs in the industry. Governor Newsom signed SB 53 into law this week, mandating that AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic disclose, and stick to, their safety protocols. The decision is already sparking debate about whether other states will […]

OpenAI’s new social app is filled with terrifying Sam Altman deepfakes

Summary:

OpenAI’s Sora app makes it too easy for people to create misleading AI content.

Simple Energy raises $10M in bridge round to expand offline presence

In May, the EV-maker had told YourStory that it plans to open 150 stores and 200 service centres by the end of 2025.

Peak XV leads YC-backed PostHog’s $75M Series E round at unicorn valuation

The India-based venture capital firm has, in recent months, backed a series of YC-backed startups as it looks to step up investments beyond India.

Kapiva raises $60M in Series D round led by 360 ONE Asset and Vertex Growth

Kapiva, a healthcare brand focused on Ayurveda-based products, has raised $60 million in a Series D funding round. The round included $28 million in primary capital and was led by 360 ONE Asset and Vertex Growth, with participation from existing investors Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India an

Good Capital raises $30M in final close of second fund to back AI-driven startups

The firm will look to write cheques to new-age and technology-first startups with a focus on artificial intelligence-driven firms.

[Weekly funding roundup Sept 20-26] VC inflow slips due to uncertain macro environment

The last week of September saw venture capital funding slipping into the $100 million range, and this has dampened hopes of any quick revival in fund inflow.

Sharda Motor Gets 'Strong' ESG Score of 61 by CRISIL

Sharda Motor Industries received a 'Strong' ESG score of 61 by CRISIL ESG Ratings. The ESG rating was independently assigned using publicly available FY24-25 data. Source: BSE

CarTrade Doubles Wealth on Used Car Surge

CarTrade Tech doubled investor wealth (Oct 2024-Sept 2025) amid stagnant Nifty Auto Index. Growth driven by used car demand, OLX-like scale, and ecosystem expansion despite competition. Source: Livemint

TBO Tek Acquires Classic Vacations for $125M, Targets US Luxury Market

TBO Tek completed the acquisition of Classic Vacations LLC for $125M, marking a major step in its growth strategy. Classic Vacations will operate as a subsidiary, leveraging TBO's tech to expand in the U.S. luxury travel market. Source: BSE

Waaree Energies Plans ₹8,175 Cr Capex for Lithium-Ion, Electrolyser Boost

Waaree Energies approves an ₹8,175 crore capex plan for capacity expansion. The plan includes lithium-ion, electrolyser, and inverter production enhancements. Source: ScoutQuest

Hexaware Hit with $500M Lawsuit, Expects No Major Impact

Hexaware faces USD 500M lawsuit alleging patent infringement, breach of contract. Company deems claims meritless, expects no material financial impact. Source: ScoutQuest

Silver Holds Near 14-Year High

Country: Commodity, Description: Silver traded above $47 per ounce on Thursday, holding close to 14-year highs as investors weighed political and monetary policy uncertainty in the US. Precious metals rallied earlier this week after the government shut down for the first time in nearly seven years, spurring safe-haven demand. The impasse, expected to last at least three days, will delay the release of key economic data including the September nonfarm payrolls report. Meanwhile, ADP reported a surprise drop of 32,000 private-sector jobs in September, compared with forecasts for a 50,000 gain, reinforcing signs of labor market weakness and boosting bets on further Federal Reserve rate cuts. Still, Fed's Goolsbee cautioned that lingering inflation risks make him wary of easing policy too quickly. Silver also drew support from supply concerns, with the Silver Institute projecting a global market deficit for a fifth straight year in 2025, forecasting production at 844 million ounces—roughly 100 million short of demand.

Indonesia to Receive Free 12% Stake in Freeport Amid Grasberg Disruptions

Country: Indonesia, Description: Indonesia is set to finalize a deal with Freeport-McMoRan granting a local partner a 12% stake in PT Freeport Indonesia, the investment minister Rosan Roeslani said Wednesday, though no date was specified. The state mining holding company MIND ID already owns 51% of PT Freeport Indonesia, which operates Grasberg, the world’s largest gold and second-largest copper mine. The 12% stake will be “free of charge,” Roeslani added. Mining Minister Bahlil Lahadalia emphasized the need to extend Freeport’s mining permit to enable exploration of future resources. Last week, Freeport declared force majeure at Grasberg after mudslides killed two workers. The company expects operations may not return to pre-accident levels until at least 2027.

U.S. Considers Stake in Australian Miners to Cut China Reliance

Country: United States, Description: The U.S. government has proposed buying equity in Australian critical minerals companies to boost supply and reduce reliance on China, Reuters reported, citing executives recently returned from Washington. The move aims to create alternative supply chains after China, the top producer of critical minerals, restricted exports of rare earths and permanent magnets in response to U.S. tariffs, affecting U.S. and European automakers. Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earths are vital for clean energy, semiconductors, and defense technologies. Separately, China and Malaysia are in early talks to develop a rare earths processing project, likely involving sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional and a Chinese state-owned firm. If realized, the venture would mark a major shift for China, which has historically barred the export of its processing technology to maintain industry dominance.

USDA Suspends Data Releases During Shutdown

Country: United States, Description: The United States Department of Agriculture confirmed that it will halt all new data and reports during the ongoing government shutdown. “All reports and data releases will cease,” a spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal, adding that Democrats were to blame for the budget impasse. According to the agency’s contingency plan, most USDA employees will be furloughed, with limited exceptions. The shutdown disrupts the release of key publications, including the weekly export sales report due Thursday and the October WASDE report scheduled for next week.

New Zealand Dollar Rises to 1-Week High

Country: New Zealand, Description: The New Zealand dollar rose to $0.582 on Thursday, extending gains for a third straight session to reach a one-week high, as the greenback struggled amid a US government shutdown and weak private payrolls data. The shutdown comes at a precarious time for the US economy, with the ADP report showing the private sector lost 32,000 jobs—a surprising decline that adds to growing concerns about a weakening labor market and led traders to increase bets on Federal Reserve interest rate cuts this year. Domestically, however, the kiwi remains under pressure due to expectations that the Reserve Bank of New Zealand will cut its official cash rate by 25bps to 2.75% at its meeting next week, with markets implying a 35% chance it might even ease by 50bps.

Senate Democrats face blame as shutdown enters second day

Summary: Trump administration threatens permanent federal layoffs while agencies blame Democrats in official communications to furloughed workers., Description: Senate Democrats are facing mounting pressure and blame as a government shutdown that began early Wednesday stretches into its second day, with the Trump administration escalating stakes by threatening permanent federal layoffs and Republican agencies openly blaming Democrats for the crisis. The shutdown commenced at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday after Senate Democrats rejected a Republican-backed...

France boards Russian tanker suspected in Denmark drone attacks

Summary: The Boracay was intercepted after mysterious drones disrupted Danish airports and military installations last week., Description: French military personnel have boarded and detained the oil tanker Boracay, a Russian shadow fleet vessel suspected of launching mysterious drones that disrupted Danish airports and military installations last week. The operation, which resulted in the arrest of two crew members, marks a escalation in European efforts to counter Russia's hybrid warfare tactics. President Emmanuel Macron...

Musk becomes first person to reach $500 billion net worth

Summary: Tesla stock surge drove the milestone, with the CEO's wealth jumping $9.3 billion in a single day Wednesday., Description: Elon Musk has achieved an unprecedented milestone in personal wealth, becoming the first individual in history to reach a net worth of $500 billion on Wednesday afternoon, according to Forbes' Real-Time Billionaires tracker. The Tesla CEO's fortune hit this historic mark at 3:30 PM Eastern time, propelled by a nearly 4% surge in Tesla stock that added approximately $9.3 billion to his wealth in...

Trump offers universities funding deal with strict terms

Summary: Nine schools would get federal grants in exchange for banning race-based admissions and freezing tuition for five years., Description: The Trump administration on Wednesday approached nine prestigious universities with a comprehensive agreement requiring sweeping operational changes in exchange for preferential access to federal funding, marking the latest escalation in the president's campaign to reshape American higher education. The 10-point memorandum, dubbed the "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education," was...

US national parks to stay open with minimal staff

Summary: Nearly two-thirds of park employees face furloughs while visitor centers and guided tours suspend operations during the funding lapse., Description: National parks across the United States remain partially accessible as the federal government shut down Wednesday morning, marking the first funding lapse since 2019. The Trump administration announced it would keep park roads, trails, and open-air memorials open to visitors despite furloughing nearly two-thirds of National Park Service employees. The shutdown began at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday...