Daily Strategic Briefing

Amazon grounds drone deliveries in Arizona after two crashed into a crane

No injuries, but the FAA and NTSB are investigating Amazon has grounded its drone fleet in Arizona after two of the airborne delivery vehicles crashed on Wednesday.…

Salesforce pickin' up good vibrations

Agentforce Vibes is a new AI-assisted IDE for building Salesforce apps and agents Salesforce is bringing "vibe coding" to enterprise customers through a service called Agentforce Vibes - and it may not be as troubling as it sounds.…

Pentagon decrees warfighters don't need 'frequent' cybersecurity training

Beards, body fat, and cyber refreshers now frowned upon Cybersecurity training, beards, and body fat have something in common, according to the Pentagon. They're not helping the US military fight and win wars.…

Ransomware scumbags say they deleted kids' info after other gangs called them out

Honor among thieves - extortion is fine, but no juveniles, please A ransomware crew that posted pictures and addresses of preschool children in an effort to get a payday has now deleted the data, apparently under pressure from other criminals.…

Microsoft CTO says he wants to swap most AMD and Nvidia GPUs for homemade chips

Pivot will hinge on success of next-gen Maia accelerator Microsoft buys a lot of GPUs from both Nvidia and AMD. But moving forward, Redmond's leaders want to shift the majority of its AI workloads from GPUs to its own homegrown accelerators.…

Anthropic hires new CTO with focus on AI infrastructure

Summary:

As part of the change, Anthropic is updating the structure of its core technical group, bringing the company’s product-engineering team into closer contact with the infrastructure and inference teams.

OpenAI’s Sora soars to No. 3 on the US App Store

Summary:

Sora becomes the No. 3 US app after 164K downloads in 2 days, making the AI video app an early hit.

Google’s Jules enters developers’ toolchains as AI coding agent competition heats up

Summary:

Jules is already being used by developers to complete code after experimenting on vibe-coding platforms.

Ex-OpenAI researcher dissects one of ChatGPT’s delusional spirals

Summary:

A former OpenAI researcher looked into how ChatGPT can mislead delusional users about their reality and its own capabilities.

Perplexity’s Comet AI browser now free; Max users get new ‘background assistant’

Summary:

AI search startup Perplexity is making its new Comet browser available to everyone in the world for free as it works to position the product against big browsers and search engines. For certain paid subscribers, the startup has also launched a new ‘background assistant’ to handle multiple tasks via Comet.  

Handpickd raises $15M in Series A round led by Bertelsmann India Investments

The fresh produce delivery startup plans to use the funds to expand to more cities, hire talent, and improve its supply chain technology.

UNLEASH Capital Partners closes maiden fund at Rs 300 Cr

UNLEASH Capital Partners aims to invest in 12 to 15 early-stage startups in India, with investments ranging between Rs 5 crore and Rs 18 crore.

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.

VC funding into Indian startups down 18% in 9 months of 2025

The current VC funding trends reveal that the total amount likely to be raised in 2025 is unlikely to cross the 2024 levels.

Dharana Capital leads Rs 137 Cr funding round in Petpooja

Restaurant management software startup Petpooja will use the capital to bolster its product portfolio, accelerate AI-driven automation, and improve customer support.

Kings Infra Eyes Growth with India-EFTA Deal Boosting Seafood Exports

Kings Infra Ventures to benefit from India-EFTA trade deal effective 2025. Deal to boost seafood exports by 3.5M annually, create 1M coastal jobs. Source: ScoutQuest

APSEZ Sep Cargo Up 11% YoY to 41.6 MMT; H1 Hits Record 244.2 MMT

APSEZ reported 11% YoY growth in Sep'25 port cargo volumes, reaching 41.6 MMT. H1 FY26 port cargo hit a record 244.2 MMT (+11% YoY); logistics rail volume rose 15% YoY. Source: BSE

Adani Ports' Sep Cargo Up 11% YoY

Adani Ports' Sep port cargo volume rose 11% YoY to 41.6 MMT. H1 FY26 saw record 244.2 MMT cargo; container volume up 20% YoY. Source: ScoutQuest

Paras Defence Bags ₹46.2 Cr MoD Order for Drone Jammers

Paras Defence subsidiary secured Rs. 46.2-cr order from Ministry of Defence for Anti Drone Systems. The contract involves supply of Drone Jammers to be executed by March 2026. Source: BSE

Tata Investment Surges 50% in Sept; Valuations Look Stretched

Tata Investment Corp. surged 50% in September, driven by stock split and Tata Capital IPO hype. Valuations now appear stretched, with TICL's mcap-to-assets ratio at 1.5x vs. Berkshire's 1x. Source: Livemint

Palm Oil on Track for Strong Weekly Gains

Country: Commodity, Description: Malaysian palm oil futures were above MYR 4,450 per tonne, extending gains for the third session to reach a two-week peak amid a weaker ringgit and a modest rise in crude oil prices. The bullish momentum is set to deliver the first weekly advance in three, up about 1.9% so far, boosted by higher export signs, with cargo surveyors noting September shipments of Malaysian palm oil products rose 7.3–9.6% from a month earlier. Forecasts of lower year-end stocks of 1.7 million tonnes from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board also lifted risk appetite, amid seasonal production dips and stronger festive demand. In top buyer India, edible oil imports may hit a record 17.1 million tonnes in 2025/26, even after authorities raised base import prices for all vegetable oils to reflect higher global benchmarks. Gains were capped by the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, with speculation it could last at least until next week, and by the Dalian Exchange in China staying closed for Golden Week until October 8.

Silver Poised for Seventh Weekly Advance

Country: Commodity, Description: Silver slipped below $47 per ounce on Friday but remained on track for a seventh consecutive weekly gain, supported by expectations of further US rate cuts and uncertainty from the government shutdown. Recent US data reinforced bets on more easing, with markets nearly fully pricing in a 25 basis point cut this month and another by December. Politically, the shutdown has so far shown limited direct impact, though it heightened concerns over fiscal policy, inflation risks and labor market weakness. It also triggered a data blackout, forcing the Labor Department to postpone Friday’s September nonfarm payrolls report. Beyond macro drivers, silver found additional support from supply-side pressures, with the Silver Institute projecting a global market deficit for the fifth year in a row in 2025.

Vietnam Projects 19–20% Credit Growth in 2025

Country: Vietnam, Description: Vietnam’s central bank expects credit to grow by 19% to 20% this year and will prioritize economic growth while maintaining stability amid global uncertainties, senior officials said on Friday. Deputy Governor Pham Thanh Ha also stated at a press conference that commercial banks’ lending interest rates were on a downward trend and called for further cuts, Reuters reported. "The global economic and political situation has, so far this year, evolved in an unpredictable manner, with market concerns about the US tariff policy, the risks of a global trade war, and geopolitical conflicts," he added. The State Bank of Vietnam will focus on preventing non-performing loans from rising and said lending to risky sectors would be tightly controlled. Vietnam is targeting gross domestic product growth of 8.3% to 8.5% this year, faster than the 7.09% rate last year. In July, the US and Vietnam signed a trade agreement under which the US will impose a 20% tariff on imports from Vietnam.

Breakthrough Possible in U.S.-China Trade Talks Amid Soy Tensions

Country: United States, Description: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday predicted a “pretty big breakthrough” in upcoming U.S.-China trade talks, even as the Trump administration moves to support American farmers hit by a sharp drop in Chinese soybean purchases. He noted a crucial bilateral meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping set for the late-October summit in South Korea, alongside his fifth round of talks with Vice Premier He Lifeng. Agricultural purchases, especially soybeans, remain a major sticking point, with China leveraging trade and rare earths to press the U.S. on tariffs and export controls. Beijing has yet to buy any soybeans from this year’s U.S. harvest, raising storage concerns. Xi has also called for a “fair and non-discriminatory” investment environment and urged the U.S. to avoid restrictive measures. Bessent said support for U.S. farmers, particularly in soy, will be announced next Tuesday. Talks occur ahead of the Nov. 10 expiration of the tariff truce.

CNY Weakens as Greenback Gains Ground

Country: China, Description: The offshore yuan weakened to around 7.13 per dollar on Friday, following three consecutive sessions of stability, as the greenback gained some ground amid investors largely brushing off concerns about the US government shutdown. Markets drew confidence from historical data suggesting minimal fallout from similar past events. On the evolving US-China trade relations, President Donald Trump recently indicated that he intends to urge Chinese President Xi Jinping to boost US soybean imports during their upcoming meeting, as American farmers continue to suffer from the consequences of his trade disputes. Trump previously announced that he would meet with Xi on the sidelines of the APEC summit, set to take place in South Korea at the end of October. Additionally, he mentioned plans to visit China sometime next year. Despite Friday’s decline, the index remains on track to finish the week flat.

Munich Airport closes after drone sightings ground flights

Summary: The shutdown affected nearly 3,000 passengers and comes amid a surge of drone-related airport closures across Europe., Description: Munich Airport was forced to temporarily suspend all operations Thursday evening after multiple drone sightings in its airspace, becoming the latest European aviation hub to fall victim to unexplained aerial intrusions. The incident grounded 17 flights and affected nearly 3,000 passengers, while 15 incoming flights were diverted to alternative airports across Germany and Austria. German air...

US universities slash budgets as international enrollment drops

Summary: DePaul cut spending after losing 755 international students, while at least 35 other schools announced budget cuts amid visa difficulties., Description: American universities are implementing sweeping budget cuts as international student enrollment plummets this fall, marking one of the most severe financial challenges facing higher education in recent years. DePaul University announced Tuesday it will immediately reduce spending following a 30% decline in international enrollment this fall. The private Catholic university in Chicago lost 755...

Israel detains 400 activists from Gaza aid flotilla

Summary: International operation included Greta Thunberg and sparked diplomatic protests, with Colombia expelling Israeli diplomats and Turkey calling it terrorism., Description: Israeli naval forces intercepted nearly all vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters Wednesday night, detaining over 400 activists in the largest attempt yet to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. The operation, which began approximately 70 nautical miles from Gaza's coast, sparked immediate international condemnation and protests across multiple cities worldwide. The...

Education department staff emails secretly altered to blame Democrats

Summary: Workers discovered their automated out-of-office messages were changed without consent to include partisan language about the government shutdown., Description: Furloughed employees at the Department of Education discovered their automated email replies were secretly altered to blame Democrats for the government shutdown, sparking outrage over forced partisan messaging that legal experts say violates federal law. The altered messages, which employees never consented to, state: "Unfortunately, Democrat Senators are blocking passage of H.R. 5371 in the...

Trump to announce farmer bailout after China soybean boycott

Summary: Treasury Secretary Bessent promises "substantial support" for farmers losing $100 per acre amid China's complete boycott of U.S. agricultural products., Description: President Trump is moving forward with plans for a substantial farmer bailout, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announcing that details of "substantial support" for struggling American farmers will be revealed Tuesday. The move comes as soybean farmers face unprecedented losses while China maintains its boycott of U.S. agricultural products amid the ongoing trade war.