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The Capital Circuit

Baidu’s Robotaxis Are Heading to Switzerland: What the PostBus Deal Means for Europe’s Driverless Future

Baidu’s Robotaxis Are Heading to Switzerland: What the PostBus Deal Means for Europe’s Driverless Future The news in a nutshell China’s tech giant Baidu is bringing its autonomous ride‑hailing service Apollo Go to Switzerland through a partnership with PostBus, the country’s national bus operator. The

Why Europe’s Carmakers Are Teaming Up With EV Rivals to Dodge Emissions Fines

Why Europe’s Carmakers Are Teaming Up With EV Rivals to Dodge Emissions Fines

Why Europe’s Carmakers Are Teaming Up With EV Rivals to Dodge Emissions Fines Europe’s auto giants are doing something that sounds like a twist in a heist film: partnering with their electric‑only competitors to sidestep billion‑euro penalties. On October 21, 2025, Reuters reported that legacy carmakers

Oil Prices Slide to a Five‑Month Low: What a “Contango” World Means for Your Wallet

Oil Prices Slide to a Five‑Month Low: What a “Contango” World Means for Your Wallet

Oil Prices Slide to a Five‑Month Low: What a “Contango” World Means for Your Wallet What just happened (and why it matters) Global oil benchmarks fell to their weakest levels since early May, with Brent settling near $61 a barrel and U.S. WTI around $57.50. Traders have

Bank of Japan Keeps Markets Guessing: Why Ueda’s Poker Face Matters for Your Wallet

Bank of Japan Keeps Markets Guessing: Why Ueda’s Poker Face Matters for Your Wallet

Bank of Japan Keeps Markets Guessing: Why Ueda’s Poker Face Matters for Your Wallet What just happened On October 19, 2025, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda signaled that the central bank is still weighing its next move and won’t tip its hand before the October 29–30

France’s Credit Rating Downgrade: Why S&P’s A+ move matters far beyond Paris

France’s Credit Rating Downgrade: Why S&P’s A+ move matters far beyond Paris

France’s Credit Rating Downgrade: Why S&P’s A+ move matters far beyond Paris What just happened (and when) On October 18, 2025, major outlets reported that S&P Global Ratings cut France’s sovereign credit rating one notch to A+ from AA‑, citing heightened political uncertainty

Nvidia’s first U.S.-made Blackwell chip wafer: a small slice that says a lot about the global AI race

Nvidia’s first U.S.-made Blackwell chip wafer: a small slice that says a lot about the global AI race

Nvidia’s first U.S.-made Blackwell chip wafer: a small slice that says a lot about the global AI race One wafer, big signal. On October 17, 2025, Nvidia revealed its first Blackwell-generation chip wafer made in the United States—produced by TSMC at its Arizona fab in Phoenix.

Europe’s Auto Industry Braces for a New Chip Shock as the Nexperia Dispute Escalates

Europe’s Auto Industry Braces for a New Chip Shock as the Nexperia Dispute Escalates

Europe’s Auto Industry Braces for a New Chip Shock as the Nexperia Dispute Escalates What happened: a tiny chip, a big headache On October 16, 2025, Europe’s top carmakers sounded the alarm over a brewing semiconductor squeeze tied to Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA)

Waymo’s Driverless Taxis Are Coming to London in 2026 — What That Really Means for City Streets

Waymo’s Driverless Taxis Are Coming to London in 2026 — What That Really Means for City Streets

Waymo’s Driverless Taxis Are Coming to London in 2026 — What That Really Means for City Streets What just happened On October 15, 2025, Waymo announced it will launch a fully autonomous ride‑hailing service in London in 2026, with supervised testing on public roads starting in the coming weeks.

IMF flags rising risk of a “disorderly” market correction — what that means for your money and sanity

IMF flags rising risk of a “disorderly” market correction — what that means for your money and sanity

IMF flags rising risk of a “disorderly” market correction — what that means for your money and sanity On October 14, 2025, the International Monetary Fund used its latest Global Financial Stability Report to deliver a clear warning: asset prices look stretched, government bond markets are under stress, and the plumbing

China’s Antitrust Probe Into Qualcomm’s Autotalks Deal: What It Means for Tech, Trade, and Your Next Car

China’s Antitrust Probe Into Qualcomm’s Autotalks Deal: What It Means for Tech, Trade, and Your Next Car What just happened On October 13, 2025, China’s market regulator said Qualcomm admitted it completed its purchase of Israeli connected‑car chipmaker Autotalks without notifying Beijing, and confirmed a formal

UK’s Bigger “Fiscal Buffer” Plan: Why Rachel Reeves’ Sunday Move Matters Far Beyond Britain

UK’s Bigger “Fiscal Buffer” Plan: Why Rachel Reeves’ Sunday Move Matters Far Beyond Britain The headline everyone missed while making Sunday roast On Sunday, October 12, 2025, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves signaled she will build a larger “fiscal buffer” in next month’s budget—extra headroom to hit the

Modi–Qualcomm Meeting Puts India’s AI Ambitions in the Fast Lane — and Qualcomm on a New Geopolitical Map

Modi–Qualcomm Meeting Puts India’s AI Ambitions in the Fast Lane — and Qualcomm on a New Geopolitical Map The news in a nutshell On October 11, 2025, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon in New Delhi to talk shop on artificial intelligence, semiconductors, skilling,

Tariff Shock: U.S. Threatens 100% Duties on Chinese Imports as Beijing Tightens Rare‑Earth Controls

Tariff Shock: U.S. Threatens 100% Duties on Chinese Imports as Beijing Tightens Rare‑Earth Controls

Tariff Shock: U.S. Threatens 100% Duties on Chinese Imports as Beijing Tightens Rare‑Earth Controls On October 10, 2025, the White House jolted global markets: President Donald Trump threatened an additional 100% tariff on all Chinese imports, starting November 1 “or sooner,” after China expanded export controls on rare‑

Chevy Bolt Is Back: GM bets a sub-$30K electric car can recharge the EV market

Chevy Bolt Is Back: GM bets a sub-$30K electric car can recharge the EV market

Chevy Bolt Is Back: GM bets a sub-$30K electric car can recharge the EV market What happened General Motors has revived the Chevrolet Bolt, unveiling a thoroughly updated, budget‑friendly EV that will launch with a $29,990 LT version and an even cheaper trim to follow. The “new”

AI Boom Meets a Central-Bank Reality Check: Why the Bank of England’s Warning Matters Everywhere

AI Boom Meets a Central-Bank Reality Check: Why the Bank of England’s Warning Matters Everywhere

AI Boom Meets a Central-Bank Reality Check: Why the Bank of England’s Warning Matters Everywhere What just happened On October 8, 2025, the Bank of England sounded a clear alarm: equity markets — especially those turbocharged by the artificial intelligence boom — are vulnerable to a sharp correction if expectations wobble.

Tesla’s “Standard” Play: Cheaper Model Y and Model 3 Arrive as EV Discounts Vanish

Tesla’s “Standard” Play: Cheaper Model Y and Model 3 Arrive as EV Discounts Vanish

Tesla’s “Standard” Play: Cheaper Model Y and Model 3 Arrive as EV Discounts Vanish What just happened Tesla unveiled lower‑priced “Standard” versions of its two best‑sellers—the Model Y and Model 3—on October 7. The sticker shock is gentler but not exactly couch‑cushion money: the

OpenAI’s Giant Chip Deal With AMD: What 6GW of AI Compute Really Means for You

OpenAI’s Giant Chip Deal With AMD: What 6GW of AI Compute Really Means for You

OpenAI’s Giant Chip Deal With AMD: What 6GW of AI Compute Really Means for You What just happened On October 6, 2025, OpenAI and AMD announced a multi‑billion‑dollar partnership that could supply OpenAI with enough AMD AI chips to power roughly 6 gigawatts of computing over several

Bitcoin Breaks a New All‑Time High Above $125,000 — What Drove the Weekend Surge and Why It Matters

Bitcoin Breaks a New All‑Time High Above $125,000 — What Drove the Weekend Surge and Why It Matters

Bitcoin Breaks a New All‑Time High Above $125,000 — What Drove the Weekend Surge and Why It Matters The headline: Bitcoin scaled a fresh record on Sunday Bitcoin climbed to a new all‑time high over the weekend, briefly topping the $125,000 mark on Sunday, October 5, before

324,000 Evenflo Car Seats Recalled: What Parents Need to Know (and Why This Matters Far Beyond Minivans)

324,000 Evenflo Car Seats Recalled: What Parents Need to Know (and Why This Matters Far Beyond Minivans)

324,000 Evenflo Car Seats Recalled: What Parents Need to Know (and Why This Matters Far Beyond Minivans) The headline, in plain English Evenflo is recalling more than 324,000 Revolve360 Slim child car seats sold in the U.S. and Canada because some children can reach the foam inside

UK hits an EV tipping point: over half of September car sales were electrified

UK hits an EV tipping point: over half of September car sales were electrified

UK hits an EV tipping point: over half of September car sales were electrified Big milestone alert: For the first time, “electrified” cars (battery EVs, plug‑in hybrids, and hybrids) made up more than half of all new car registrations in the UK in September, a month that’s usually

Egypt Just Cut Interest Rates Again — Why a Cairo Move Could Ripple Through Your Wallet

Egypt Just Cut Interest Rates Again — Why a Cairo Move Could Ripple Through Your Wallet

Egypt Just Cut Interest Rates Again — Why a Cairo Move Could Ripple Through Your Wallet The headline: Egypt’s central bank trims rates as inflation cools On October 2, 2025, the Central Bank of Egypt lowered its key interest rates by 100 basis points, taking the overnight deposit rate to

U.S. EV Tax Credit Vanishes: Why Automakers Fear a Sales Slump—and What It Means for the Rest of the World

U.S. EV Tax Credit Vanishes: Why Automakers Fear a Sales Slump—and What It Means for the Rest of the World

U.S. EV Tax Credit Vanishes: Why Automakers Fear a Sales Slump—and What It Means for the Rest of the World What just happened On October 1, 2025, America woke up to a new EV reality: the long‑standing federal incentive of up to $7,500 for electric‑vehicle

Jaguar Land Rover edges back from a month-long cyber hit — why the restart matters beyond Britain

Jaguar Land Rover edges back from a month-long cyber hit — why the restart matters beyond Britain

Jaguar Land Rover edges back from a month-long cyber hit — why the restart matters beyond Britain After nearly four weeks with the lights dimmed, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) says it’s beginning a “controlled, phased restart” of some manufacturing — with its Wolverhampton engine plant tipped as the first back on

Gold Smashes A New Record — What September’s Sparkle Says About the World Right Now

Gold Smashes A New Record — What September’s Sparkle Says About the World Right Now

Gold Smashes A New Record — What September’s Sparkle Says About the World Right Now On September 29, 2025, gold prices blasted to an all‑time high near $3,833 per ounce before settling just below that mark. Investors piled into the metal as a softening U.S. dollar, expectations

Brussels vs Big Tech: Apple’s DMA Backlash Meets a U.S. Diplomatic Nudge

Brussels vs Big Tech: Apple’s DMA Backlash Meets a U.S. Diplomatic Nudge

Brussels vs Big Tech: Apple’s DMA Backlash Meets a U.S. Diplomatic Nudge What happened yesterday In a fresh twist to Europe’s tech rule shake-up, Washington’s envoy to the EU urged Brussels to prove its landmark digital laws don’t unfairly “punish” American tech firms—or fix