Daily Strategic Briefing

Teens arrested in London preschool ransomware attack

Both men, 17, taken into custody London cops on Tuesday arrested two teenagers on suspicion of computer misuse and blackmail following a ransomware attack on a chain of London preschools.…

Google declares AI bug hunting season open, sets a $30K max reward

Jailbreaks, direct prompt injection not allowed Google on Monday rolled out a new AI Vulnerability Reward Program to encourage researchers to find and report flaws in its AI systems, with rewards of up to $30,000 for a single qualifying report.…

China is building a thriving semi industry off US leftovers, export controls be damned

House Committee on China wants more comprehensive ban on chipmaking equipment exports to Middle Kingdom US export controls have had mixed results in stemming the flow of chipmaking equipment into China, according to a congressional investigation, which found US and allied companies sold $38 billion worth of semiconductor tools in 2024 alone.…

Employees regularly paste company secrets into ChatGPT

Microsoft Copilot, not so much Employees could be opening up to OpenAI in ways that put sensitive data at risk. According to a study by security biz LayerX, a large number of corporate users paste Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or Payment Card Industry (PCI) numbers right into ChatGPT, even if they're using the bot without permission.…

FCC kicks off 'Space Month' with vow to fast-track satellite licensing

Agency aims to replace its default 'no' with default 'yes' while overhauling rules for operators The US Federal Communications Commission has launched "Space Month," with Chairman Brendan Carr saying that "we'll replace a default to no at the agency to a default to yes" for satellite licensing requests.…

You can’t libel the dead. But that doesn’t mean you should deepfake them.

Summary:

“Please, just stop sending me AI videos of Dad,” the late Robin Williams’ daughter Zelda wrote on Instagram.

Wall Street analysts explain how AMD’s own stock will pay for OpenAI’s billions in chip purchases 

Summary:

AMD’s unusual deal to finance OpenAI’s chip purchases could grant the AI model maker up to $100 billion, analyst estimates.

Google launches its AI vibe-coding app Opal in 15 more countries

Summary:

The app, which lets you create mini web apps using text prompts, is now available in Canada, India, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil, Singapore, Colombia, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panamá, Honduras, Argentina, and Pakistan.

How Otter.ai’s CEO is pushing the company to be more than just a meeting scribe

Summary:

Otter is launching a suite of enterprise tools to help companies use its tech to create a central knowledge base.

Anthropic plans to open India office, eyes tie-up with billionaire Ambani

Summary:

Anthropic’s next big bet is India — one of its fastest-growing markets worldwide.

Hyderabad-based fintech Zaggle to raise nearly Rs 60 Cr through warrants

Enterprise fintech company Zaggle had raised Rs 595 crore through a QIP in December 2024, with the state-owned Bank of India emerging as the largest buyer.

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

B2B ecommerce platform JSW One closes Rs 575 Cr funding round, adds SBI to cap table

The JSW Steel-backed JSW One Platforms clocked 2.4x growth in FY25, with a gross merchandise value (GMV) of Rs 12,567 crore. It is currently targeting Rs 8,000 crore in GMV during the first half of FY26.

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.

Hocco secures Rs 115 Cr in funding at Rs 2,000 Cr valuation led by Sauce.VC

Since its launch less than two years ago, Hocco has expanded quickly, gaining traction through product innovation, quality, and a modern approach to distribution.

SBICard Rises 2% on RBI's Credit Risk Draft

SBICard gains nearly 2% after RBI's draft guidelines on credit risk capital. Source: ScoutQuest

Vedanta in Spotlight Ahead of NCLT Demerger Hearing

Vedanta shares under focus before NCLT hearing on proposed demerger. Source: ScoutQuest

IGL Rises 1% on Positive Brokerage Report

IGL gains over 1% after a positive brokerage report. Source: ScoutQuest

Deccan Bearings Open Offer at ₹10/Share

Deccan Bearings announces open offer to acquire 52L shares at Rs.10/share. Independent Directors deem offer price fair; shares at Rs.108.45 under trading restrictions. Source: ScoutQuest

Titan Jumps 3% on Strong Q2 Results

Titan shares surge over 3% after robust Q2 performance. Source: ScoutQuest

Indonesia Stocks Drop from Record Highs

Country: Indonesia, Description: Equities in Indonesia fell 27 points, or 0.3%, to 8,142 in morning trade on Wednesday, as traders took profits after the broader index hit record highs in the previous two sessions. The decline followed fresh data showing that consumer confidence dropped to its lowest level since April. This came on the heels of Tuesday’s report revealing that the country’s foreign exchange reserves had fallen to a 14-month low. Traders are now awaiting the release of August retail sales data. However, losses were capped by the World Bank's decision to raise its 2025 GDP growth forecast for Indonesia to 4.8%, up from 4.7%. The IDX Composite also tracked overnight declines on Wall Street, where indices pulled back from record highs amid concerns over a potential US government shutdown. Utilities and finance sectors led the losses, with notable declines from Gudang Garam (-4.6%), United Tractors (-2.5%), Telkom (-1.7%), BCA (-1.3%), Bayan Resources (-1.1%), and Bank Mandiri (-0.9%).

Palm Oil Rallies to 7-Week High

Country: Commodity, Description: Malaysian palm oil futures jumped about 2% to over 4,500 per tonne, reaching a seven-week high and extending gains from the prior session. The spike was supported by stronger soyoil on the Chicago exchange, higher crude oil prices, and a weaker ringgit. Rising exports also bolstered sentiment, with cargo surveyors reporting shipments up 7.3–9.6% from August, while Reuters projected Malaysian stockpiles fell 2.5% to 2.15 million tons last month. Indonesia, the top producer, is pressing ahead with plans to make B50 biodiesel mandatory in 2026 and may introduce 10% bioethanol in gasoline to cut emissions and reduce fuel imports. China, a key buyer, is set to resume market activity soon. Gains were capped by caution ahead of September’s monthly data, alongside weak orders from India, the world’s largest consumer, which fell 15.9% to 833,000 tons last month and may drop further to 600,000 tons in October as festive buying peaks. A prolonged U.S. government shutdown also weighed on markets.

Japan 10Y Bond Yield Hits 17-year High

Country: Japan, Description: Japan 10 Year Government Bond Yield increased to 1.70%, the highest since July 2008. Over the past 4 weeks, Japan 10Y Bond Yield gained 13.31 basis points, and in the last 12 months, it increased 76.43 basis points.

World Bank Lifts China 2025 Growth, Warns of Slower 2026 Pace

Country: China, Description: The World Bank raised its 2025 growth forecast for China to 4.8% from an earlier estimate of 4.0%, but warned that momentum is likely to slow in 2026 due to low consumer and business confidence and weak new export orders. In its biannual East Asia and Pacific economic outlook on Tuesday, the global lender noted, “Growth in China, the region’s largest economy, is projected to decline ... because of an expected slowdown in export growth and a likely reduction in the fiscal stimulus in light of rising public debt, as well as continued structural deceleration.” September data showed China’s factory output and retail sales grew the least in nearly a year, highlighting that the economy remains far from a strong recovery. Analysts expect Beijing may introduce additional stimulus to support its around 5% annual growth target. The World Bank forecast the East Asia and Pacific region to expand 4.4% in 2025, a 0.2 percentage point increase, while maintaining a 4.5% growth projection for 2026.

Dominican Republic Inflation Rate At 4-Month High

Country: Dominican Republic, Description: The annual inflation rate in the Dominican Republic accelerated to 3.76% in September 2025 from 3.71% in the previous month. This marked the highest reading since May, as prices advanced faster for food and non-alcoholic beverages (4.40% vs 3.99% in August), restaurants and hotels (5.56% vs 5.46%), and education (5.83% vs 5.66%). Also, deflation eased for clothing and footwear (-1.39% vs -1.50%). In contrast, price growth slowed for alcoholic beverages and tobacco (6.43% vs 6.78%), housing and utilities (2.54% vs 2.65%), health (4.88% vs 4.97%), and other goods and services (5.55% vs 5.62%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose by 0.34% in September, following a 0.71% increase in August.

Government shutdown triggers air traffic control crisis

Summary: Unpaid controllers call in sick as staffing shortages force ground delays at major airports including Chicago O'Hare and Nashville., Description: The week-long government shutdown has plunged America's aviation system into crisis, with air traffic controllers calling in sick without pay and triggering widespread flight delays across major airports nationwide. Hollywood Burbank Airport was left completely unstaffed for six hours Monday evening, while Chicago O'Hare, Nashville, Newark, and Denver experienced significant disruptions Tuesday...

Senate Republicans confirm 107 Trump nominees in single vote

Summary: The historic party-line confirmation includes Herschel Walker as ambassador to the Bahamas and comes during a weeklong government shutdown., Description: Senate Republicans pushed through a historic confirmation vote Tuesday, approving 107 of President Trump's nominees in a single 51-47 party-line vote amid an ongoing government shutdown that has entered its second week. The massive confirmation represents the largest bloc vote to date and the second time Republicans have utilized new chamber rules to expedite Trump's appointments.

Supreme Court skeptical of Colorado conversion therapy ban

Summary: Conservative justices questioned whether the state's prohibition on therapists attempting to change minors' sexual orientation constitutes viewpoint discrimination and restricts protected speech., Description: The Supreme Court's conservative majority appeared skeptical Tuesday of Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for minors, signaling potential challenges to similar laws in more than 20 states that prohibit licensed therapists from attempting to change a young person's sexual orientation or gender identity. During 90 minutes of oral arguments in *Chiles v. Salazar*, several conservative justices...

Musk says xAI to release Wikipedia rival within two weeks

Summary: The AI-powered encyclopedia will use Grok to analyze sources and verify accuracy, addressing what Musk calls "falsehoods" on existing platforms., Description: Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced Sunday that his artificial intelligence company xAI will release the beta version of "Grokipedia," a Wikipedia competitor, within two weeks. The October 5 announcement positions the AI-powered encyclopedia as a solution to what Musk calls "falsehoods" and "half-truths" plaguing existing information platforms. "Version 0.1 early beta of Grokipedia will be published...

Mike Johnson faces backlash over delay in Grijalva swearing

Summary: Critics say the speaker is stalling to prevent a vote on releasing Jeffrey Epstein files, after swearing in two Republicans hours after their elections., Description: House Speaker Mike Johnson came under intense scrutiny Tuesday after backtracking on his promise to swear in Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva, fueling accusations that Republicans are deliberately stalling to prevent a pivotal vote on releasing Jeffrey Epstein files. Johnson initially told CNN Tuesday he would schedule Grijalva's swearing-in ceremony "as soon as she wants," but his office...