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Artist: Tyler, the Creator Real Name: Tyler Gregory Okonma Birth Date /Place: 33 Age: Los Angeles, California on March 6, 1991 Social status (Single / Married): Married Artist Picture: Musical Genres: Hip-Hop/Rap Awards: Grammy Award for Best Rap Album BET Hip Hop Award for Best Album of the Year BET Hip Hop Award for Best Live Performer Top 3 Songs (Names): See You Again A BOY IS A GUN GONE, GONE / THANK YOU Other Information: Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the founding members of the music collective Odd Future. Okonma has won two Grammy Awards, three BET Hip Hop Awards, a BRIT Award, and a MTV Video Music Award
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The European Union must avoid a harmful decoupling of global trade as it mulls tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and other goods, the bloc’s economic chief said Wednesday. “I think that as far as Europe is concerned we need a more mature attitude in our trade, securing our economy ... especially with China,” European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni told CNBC’s Silvia Amaro. Gentiloni said the EU’s ongoing anti-subsidy probes covering the EV market and wind turbines, addressing concerns that China is overwhelming global markets with green energy products. These enquiries are a way to understand whether the subsidies prodvided by the Chinese government to domestic firms are “disrupting any chance for European companies,” Gentiloni said. “But this is not bringing us to a theory of decoupling of global trade, which would be a disaster for both parts of the decoupling,” he said. “The characteristic of the EU economy is to be more open, more influenced by trade, and less by only internal consumption. This is the reason, the economic reason, why it is in the interest of the European Union to keep the doors of trade open.” The U.S. on Tuesday announced hefty tariff hikes on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports, across EVs and the lithium-ion batteries used in them, solar cells, steel and aluminum. China argues that its EV market is growing due to innovation rather than state subsidies, and says the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act — which has also sparked protectionism concerns among EU officials, including Gentolioni — is subsidising U.S. manufacturing. Meanwhile, several EU nations are nervous about potential Chinese retaliatory trade measures hitting important domestic industries, from German automotives to French cognac. That comes as the bloc looks to recover from years of sluggish economic growth and a shallow recession in the latter half of 2023. Gentiloni on Wednesday struck an upbeat tone on the outlook for the year, which he said followed a “very, very difficult 2023” marked by economic stagnation, increased levels of savings and uncertainty from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. “Gradually, activity is accelerating, and the main driver will be private consumption. At the same time, we have two other factors that are very positive,” he told CNBC. “Inflation is indeed declining. And employment is still high, very high, it will continue to increase in the coming months.” https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/15/gentiloni-eu-must-avoid-disaster-of-decoupling-amid-china-tariffs.html
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Sage, a female miniature poodle, was named best in show at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Tuesday night as chosen and announced by judge Rosalind Kramer. Sage's handler, Kaz Hosaka of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, seemed overcome by emotion after the win. He said he has been competing in Westminster for 45 years and had planned for this to be his last time at the show. He apprenticed under champion handler Anne Rogers Clark. "Today's the day — my last show," he said. "I'm proud of this dog." Sage, with black hair styled in a more formal continental cut, emerged victorious from her non-sporting group competition, with Hosaka holding her snout as she stood stoically in a "stack," or pose, for group judging.Hosaka gave Sage a kiss on the snout before she showed off her gait. The dog went up on her hind legs for Hosaka’s attention, but it didn’t seem to detract from her chances. Four-year-old female German shepherd Mercedes was awarded reserve best in show, essentially second place. The Westminster Kennel Club was conceived at a New York City hotel called the Westminster, and members held the first competition in 1877. Only the Kentucky Derby has a longer continuous history among U.S. sporting events. Monday marked the start of the traditional judging that leads to the best in show prize. The new winner was crowned Tuesday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City. The dogs' journey to the best in show competition includes surviving breed judging and group judging. In breed judging, a dog competes to represent its breed, 201 of which are recognized by the American Kennel Club, the event's sanctioning body. Breed winners compete against dogs of often similar breeds and are divided into seven groups, from herding (example: German shepherd) to non-sporting (French bulldog). Seven group winners compete for best in show and, since the American Kennel Club added it in 2012, reserve best in show. They're judged not against one another but against an ideal for their breed. “You’re judging the dogs against a picture of perfection you have in your mind of the standard," judge and professional handler Elliott B. Weiss said in an American Kennel Club primer on judging. Separate competitions for agility, obedience and junior showmanship (by handlers 9 to 18 years old) are held in the days and hours preceding best in show judging Tuesday. For the first time in the Westminster agility competition's decadelong history, a mixed-breed dog, a border collie-Papillon mix named Nimble, took top honors, organizers announced Tuesday. The AKC designated Nimble as an "all-American dog," which it defines as being among breeds developed in the U.S. Last year's best in show winner was Buddy Holly, a petit basset griffon Vendéen that also won English, Irish and Australian conformation champion titles ahead of its Westminster victory. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/animal-news/westminster-dog-show-photos-2024-rcna151477
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Don’t ruin a good thing. That’s how the saying goes. And for the last 45 years, the G-Wagen has been a very good thing. The monolithic box on wheels has evolved through the decades, but it’s always looked roughly the same. For its American audience, it’s always had a big, powerful internal-combustion engine. Mercedes adding an electric powertrain to its most iconic model has the potential for disaster, especially considering faltering electric car sales and the company’s lackluster EV offerings so far. But after a brief stint behind the wheel of the new electric G-Class and a tortuous off-road test, it’s clear prospective buyers have nothing to worry about. In fact, the G580 with EQ Technology (as it’s so awkwardly named) is the most capable off-roader in the G lineup right now.From many angles, the electric G-Wagen is not unlike other G-Wagens. The shape and proportions are the same. The face may wear a raccoon-like mask, but those big, round headlights are clear identifiers. Out back, the spare tire is replaced with a squared-off box to hold things like charging cords and adapters (the spare tire can be optioned back in place if you so desire, or you can have neither). Walk up and open the doors, and that familiar heavy metallic latch ka-chunk is present and accounted for. By all measures so far, the G580 is a true G-Class.Things continue when you step inside. The electric G shares its cabin with the gas-powered trims, down to the dual-screen dashboard layout, column shifter, and physical climate control array. In fact, the only real difference lies in the center of the dash, where the three differential buttons have been replaced. The center button is now used for Low Range, while the outer two buttons activate two new features exclusive to the G580: G-Turn and G-Steering. G-Turn is Mercedes’ fancy name for a tank turn, where the left- and right-side wheels spin opposite of each other, allowing the electric G-Wagen to rotate in place. Though we suspect most owners will use the feature as a gimmick to go viral on TikTok, it has real potential in the off-road world. If you’ve ever reached a dead end on a tight dirt path in the middle of a snowy forest, you’ll understand just how valuable a G-Turn can be. G-steer effectively cuts the turning circle of the G-Class by dragging the rear inside wheel and over-driving the outside wheels—perfect for making those 180-degree corners on your local mountain pass. https://www.motor1.com/reviews/719118/2025-mercedes-benz-g-class-electric-review/
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LAHORE: Youth Affairs Department Punjab and Pakistan Psychological Association (PPA), organised a seminar on the topic of "Sports Psychology: Nurturing talent and mental health in youth" at the NPSC E-library and Youth Centre on Tuesday. Aiming to raise awareness about role of sports psychologist and the significance of mental health in youth, the seminar was attended by a large number of male and female students from different colleges and universities and top sports figures. Addressing the seminar, Prof Dr Najma Najam highlighted the significance of mental health in youth in the field of sports. She said that behavioral therapy is essential for every athlete at least prior to any sports competition. Prof Dr Ruhi Khalid threw light on the methods of how to control and combat anxiety and depression, emotions and how to improve mental resilience. Olympian Kh Junaid highlighted the significance of database in the performance of a sports team and said that every sports outfit must know about their weaknesses and strengths. Dr Asad Abbas spoke about sports strategy, proper sleep, fear factor and how to decrease anxiety. “There should be an expert sports psychologist with every sports team to carve out encouraging results besides fighting fatigue factor in the field”. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1189127-role-of-sports-psychologist-highlighted
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The Class of 2027 worked together to scale the 21-foot (6-meter) obelisk covered in vegetable shortening to replace a plebe “Dixie cup,” a white canvas sailor’s hat with an upturned rim, with the upperclassman’s more formal hat. There are about 1,300 plebes in the class, according to academy spokesperson Elizabeth B. Wrightson. After the climb is complete, they’re called fourth class midshipmen, not plebes.Under rainy skies in Annapolis, Maryland, plebes linked arms around the monument’s base to build a pyramid, clearing grease from the monument’s surface, enduring a constant soaking spray from hoses.ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — It took Naval Academy plebes two hours, 19 minutes and 11 seconds Wednesday to accomplish the ultimate in upward mobility: scaling a greased obelisk and swapping out a cup with a cap, this year with an unusual hitch. The annual grueling, slippery ritual marking the completion of the plebe year ended with 20-year-old Californian Ben Leisegang standing victorious on the shoulders of scores of classmates and placing an upperclassman’s hat atop the Herndon Monument. https://apnews.com/article/naval-academy-herndon-monument-plebes-dac3b10da3c8c8c573797a1954e98873
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Federal Reserve policymakers waiting to see renewed progress on inflation before reducing borrowing costs got some encouraging data on Wednesday with a government report showing inflation eased a bit in April. The 3.4% rise in the consumer price index from a year earlier, and the 0.3% increase from March, shows the Fed still has some distance to go before it achieves its 2% target for inflation. But the report broke a three-month streak of hotter-than-expected readings that had sapped Fed policymaker confidence in a narrative of steadily easing price pressures. An increasing number of them had warned in recent weeks that rates would need to stay high for longer. Particularly heartening in Wednesday’s report, analysts said, was a slight easing in shelter inflation that policymakers have long expected but had been disappointingly slow to show up in the data. Rent prices rose 0.35% from a month earlier, their slowest pace since 2021, the report showed. US Fed’s Powell expects inflation to fall, though not as confident as before Core CPI, which strips out energy and food prices and is seen as a better gauge of underlying price pressures, rose 3.6%, its slowest in three years. Analysts crunching the numbers said the CPI data suggests the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, the personal consumption expenditures price index, likely also eased in April. JP Morgan chief economist Michael Feroli estimated the core PCE gained 2.7% last month from a year earlier, down from 2.8% in March. The inflation readings are “firmer than the Fed’s inflation goals, but at least are moving in the right direction again after the backsliding seen over the prior few months,” Feroli wrote. A separate government report showed previously fast-rising retail sales were unchanged in April compared to March. After the data traders firmed up bets on Fed rate cuts in both September and December, with rate-futures contracts pricing pointing to a year-end policy rate of 4.75%-5%, down from the current range of 5.25%-5.5%. An early start to rate cuts remained a long shot, based on rate-futures contracts, with pricing reflecting only slightly more than a one-in-four chance of a July rate cut. Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday signaled the Fed may need to defer rate cuts until farther into the year to ensure inflation is headed back down to the Fed’s 2% goal, but also said he thinks a rate hike at this point is unlikely. “If there were concerns that they weren’t going to cut at all, this just alleviated some of those concerns,” said Jason Price, chief of investment strategy and research at Glenmede. “What it doesn’t do is put the Fed on a trajectory to begin cutting immediately. They’re going to need a couple more reports to get some confidence.” https://www.brecorder.com/news/40303595/fed-gets-some-good-news-on-inflation-progress
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Artist: Future Real Name: Nayvadius DeMun Cash Birth Date /Place: November 20, 1983 Age: 40 Social status (Single / Married): Married Artist Picture: Musical Genres: Hip Hop Awards: Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance-BET Award for Best Group Top 3 Songs (Names): Mask Off-Perkys Calling-My Collection Other Information: Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn was born on November 20, 1983, in Atlanta, Georgia. He attended Columbia High School in Decatur. Future began using his stage name while performing as one of the members of the musical collective The Dungeon Family, where he was nicknamed "The Future".
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Investors do not expect the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates again, and officials have made it clear that they see further increases as unlikely. But one important takeaway from recent Fed commentary is that unlikely and inconceivable are not the same thing. After the central bank held rates steady at 5.3 percent last week, the Fed’s chair, Jerome H. Powell, delivered a news conference where what he didn’t say mattered. Asked whether officials might raise interest rates again, he said he thought they probably would not — but he also avoided fully ruling out the possibility. And when asked, twice, whether he thought rates were high enough to bring inflation fully under control, he twice tiptoed around the question. “We believe it is restrictive, and we believe over time it will be sufficiently restrictive,” Mr. Powell said, but he tacked on a critical caveat: “That will be a question that the data will have to answer.”Investors do not expect the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates again, and officials have made it clear that they see further increases as unlikely. But one important takeaway from recent Fed commentary is that unlikely and inconceivable are not the same thing. After the central bank held rates steady at 5.3 percent last week, the Fed’s chair, Jerome H. Powell, delivered a news conference where what he didn’t say mattered. Asked whether officials might raise interest rates again, he said he thought they probably would not — but he also avoided fully ruling out the possibility. And when asked, twice, whether he thought rates were high enough to bring inflation fully under control, he twice tiptoed around the question. “We believe it is restrictive, and we believe over time it will be sufficiently restrictive,” Mr. Powell said, but he tacked on a critical caveat: “That will be a question that the data will have to answer.” https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/09/business/economy/federal-reserve-powell-raise-interest-rates.html
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Vienna: Wildlife trafficking has not substantially reduced over the past two decades, despite positive signs in reducing trafficking of iconic species like elephant and rhino, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported in Vienna on Monday. "The global scope and scale of wildlife crime remain substantial with seizures during 2015–2021 indicating an illegal trade in 162 countries and territories affecting around 4,000 plant and animal species," the office's third edition of the World Wildlife Crime Report says. During the six years, around 13 million individual animals and plants had been seized that had been intended for use as food, medication or luxury items. More than 16,000 tons of illicit goods, such as wood, had also been confiscated, it said.The UN office added that beyond the conservation threat to target species, po[CENSORED]tion reductions could trigger ecosystem-level impacts by disturbing interdependencies and undermining functions and processes, "including those important to climate change resilience and mitigation."It noted that some of the species worse affected, including rare orchids, succulents, reptiles, fish, birds and mammals, received little public attention, though wildlife trafficking had played a major role in their local or global extinctions. "Wildlife crime also threatens the socioeconomic benefits people derive from nature, whether as a source of income, employment, food, medicine or other values. It further corrodes good governance and the rule of law through corruption, money-laundering and illicit financial flows," the agency said. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/4-000-animal-and-plant-species-affected-by-smuggling-worldwide-un-5655631
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For about as long as the Porsche 911 has been water-cooled, it’s been the benchmark for premium, high-performance sports cars. But the tire-smoking, 656-horsepower brute that is the 2025 Aston Martin Vantage is proof that we, collectively, have been stupid. Firstly, they fixed it. Almost every gripe was addressed, massaged, or outright improved with new parts. Then Aston Martin went to town adding more, deliberately moving the Vantage upmarket and above the cloudy haze surrounding the mid-$150,000 sports car segment. It now costs a boastful $191,000, which means it’s in a different market segment than the Vantages that came before. Not only has the wick been turned up significantly from a performance perspective, but the Vantage formula has simply been solved. Secondly, it still does things that a 911 can’t do. More critically, it now does those things without the asterisk of previous Vantages. "Well," you might have said previously, "the Vantage is more emotional and unique than buying another GT Silver Carrera GTS.” Your monologue continues. "Yeah, the interior is worse, and it doesn’t drive as good. But it’s cooler!" Throw all of that out of the window.The new Vantage isn’t just an extra 153 horsepower and a new interior—it has been quite thoroughly redone. After a brief video wherein a subtly hostaged Fernando Alonso was almost certainly being told to say nice things by an off-camera Lawrence Stroll, Aston’s new Director of Vehicle Performance, Simon Newton (formerly of a small company called Lotus), outlined a significant number of changes. The Vantage concept was rebuilt around its bonded aluminum chassis. While overall torsional rigidity increased, total rigidity wasn’t the sole development focus. Rather, Newton’s team focused on increasing the local rigidity in suspension-critical areas: A new firewall, complimented by front suspension tower reinforcements, increases the front local rigidity by 100 percent. Rear rigidity increased by 29 percent with the addition of a strut brace. A retuned electronic power steering system takes advantage of the changes. Leveraging gains from that more-rigid structure, the team retuned every facet of the suspension. New kinematics (essentially, the suspension’s geometric behavior under load), new Bilstein DTX adaptive dampers with a 500 percent wider range of stiffness, and retuned springs and sway bars work to improve performance over the previous Vantage. Everything works through a set of Vantage-specific Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tires in the same sizing as the larger DB12.Then there’s the Aston’s nuclear-bomb engine. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 from Mercedes-AMG is not simply a re-tuned, off-the-shelf unit. Not only are the turbochargers larger here, but more-aggressive cams are fitted, the engine’s combustion chambers are CNC ported, and there’s a significantly lowered compression ratio. Each improvement tells the story of a more-heavily boosted engine. Where the previous Vantage used a 10.5:1 compression ratio, the 2025 model uses an 8.6:1 ratio; identical to the 605-horsepower variant AMG installed in the E63 and S63. Yet the Aston nets a colossal 656 horsepower, one of the most powerful variants of the AMG 4.0-liter V-8 ever created. But wait, there’s more. A new nine-stage traction control system allows drivers to precisely control the percentage of wheel slip relative to road speed. While the latest Bosch integrated vehicle controller uses brake vectoring, the electronically controlled limited-slip differential and the Vantage’s adaptive dampers to run the show. The hardware is good, with the E-diff capable of going from fully open to 100 percent locked in 135 milliseconds. But the software is where the real party (at least, engineering-wise) starts. A dizzying array of acronyms dominate the Vantage experience. The 6D-IMU inertial measurement unit tracks the Vantage’s movements in six axes, while the Integrated Brake Slip Control (IBC) program actively manages per-wheel brake force to provide optimal yaw and attitude on corner entry, which is called Brake Slip Vectoring (BSV). The Integrated Traction Control (ITC) combines the brakes, engine output, and E-diff to control wheelslip, while Traction Slip Vectoring (TSV) optimizes wheel slip to achieve the desired yaw angle. Basically, there’s a shitload of vectoring happening to make the Vantage dance. https://www.motor1.com/reviews/719133/2025-aston-martin-vantage-first-drive-review/
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Novak Djokovic's performance was so poor that even the 24-time Grand Slam champion admitted it was concerning. Djokovic put on one of his worst displays at one of his favorite tournaments as he was upset by 29th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo in the third round of the Italian Open.It was Djokovic's first match since accidentally getting knocked on the head by a water bottle while signing autographs after his opening win on Friday. I managed to sleep okay. I had headaches. The next day or yesterday was pretty fine, so I thought it's okay. Maybe it is okay. Maybe it's not, Djokovic said.I mean, the way I felt on the court today was just completely like a different player entered into my shoes. Just no rhythm, no tempo, no balance whatsoever on any shot. It's a bit concerning. Djokovic started off with a double-fault and it didn't get much better for the six-time Rome champion. The top-ranked Djokovic lost his first two service games and went on to lose the match 6-2, 6-3 in just 68 minutes, handing Tabilo the victory when he double-faulted his fifth of the match amid boos at the Foro Italico. I'm trying to soak it all in and wake up right now," Tabilo said after the biggest win of his career. I was just trying to keep my nerves in and keep swinging. Towards the end my arms were getting tired but I was trying not to think about it.It's crazy, I just can't believe what's happened. I can't believe it right now. I don't think anyone can believe it. The third-round loss marked Djokovic's worst performance at the Italian Open. He had lost only once before to an opponent outside the top 10 in Rome, where he had never gone out before the quarterfinals. Djokovic followed Rafael Nadal to an early exit after the record 10-time Rome champion lost his third-round match to Hubert Hurkacz 6-1, 6-3 on Saturday. While Djokovic had said he was fine after the water bottle incident, it was an unusually off-key performance from the Serb as he tries to step up his game on clay before attempting to defend his title at the French Open, which starts on May 26.I was going for kind of easy training yesterday. I didn't feel anything, but I also didn't feel the same, Djokovic said. "Today under high stress, it was quite bad not in terms of pain, but in terms of this balance. Just no coordination. Completely different player from two nights ago ... I don't know. I have to do medical checkups and see what's going on." Djokovic had 12 unforced errors to Tabilo's four and produced 14 winners to his opponent's 22. It was also a rare occasion when he had zero break point chances. He was broken four times in the match, including in the final game, and Djokovic could only shake his head when another unforced error handed Tabilo match point. Djokovic is still without a title this year the first time he's reached May without a trophy since 2018, when he was returning from a right elbow injury. Tabilo next faces 16th-seeded Karen Khachanov, who beat Francisco Cerundolo 6-2, 6-4. Third-seeded Alexander Zverev advanced after the 2017 Rome champion beat Luciano Darderi of Italy 7-6 (3), 6-2. Grigor Dimitrov and Thiago Monteiro also advanced, while Taylor Fritz beat American compatriot Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-4. Another American, Ben Shelton, lost to Zhang Zhizhen. In the women's tournament, second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka eased through to the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Dayana Yastremska. American Sofia Kenin, who won the Australian Open in 2020 and also reached the final at Roland Garros the same year, was upset by Slovakian qualifier Rebecca Sramkova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. American Danielle Collins is safely through after beating Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-3. Also advancing in third-round matches were Maria Sakkari, Irina-Camelia Begu, Jelena Ostapenko, Victoria Azarenka and Elina Svitolina. https://www.business-standard.com/sports/other-sports-news/italian-open-novak-djokovic-follows-nadal-to-early-exit-in-his-first-match-124051300156_1.html
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Risotto has a fussy reputation, but it’s utterly weeknight-friendly and can be made start to finish in just over half an hour. It’s also versatile and adaptable, and a great way to use up ingredients you already have in your kitchen, including frozen vegetables. In this recipe from our book “Cook What You Have,” which draws on pantry staples to assemble easy, weeknight meals, we transform a few basic ingredients into a risotto bursting with bright, bracing flavors. To begin, we sauté onions in butter until soft, then add Arborio rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the grains are translucent at the edges. Hot broth is stirred into the rice a little at a time, until the rice is al dente and loose but not soupy. The rice is done when the grains are tender but retain a slight chew at the center; they should not be evenly soft throughout.Off heat, a little more butter is added for richness, along with savory Parmesan cheese. Thawed frozen peas add a pop of color and sweetness, and a combination of lemon juice and zest brightens and balances the creaminess of the dish while adding a complex floral note. Chopped fresh parsley, basil or mint sprinkled on top just before serving offers vibrant color, flavor and fragrance; use whichever you have. https://apnews.com/article/risotto-recipe-milk-street-04788886adf7b5279b3b8af8d8b94adf
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Today, during Choose France summit, Microsoft announced its largest investment in France in its 41-year history in the country. This broad investment package is designed to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies, increase the country's competitiveness by fostering digital technology made in France and create long-term benefits for the French economy and job market. With these investments, Microsoft is directly contributing to France's National Strategy for AI and aligns with the recent recommendations of the French Commission for Artificial Intelligence, to position France as a leader in the development and use of artificial intelligence.Microsoft's Cloud and AI infrastructure in France will operate under the company's recently published AI Access Principles . These principles aim to foster innovation and healthy competition within the rapidly growing AI economy. They reflect Microsoft's expanding role and responsibility as a leader in AI and commit the company to making investments, forging business partnerships, and creating programs that ensure broad access to its AI technology that empower organizations and individuals to develop and use AI in ways that will serve the public good. “In this Year II of generative artificial intelligence, and as it has already entered the age of reason, we are proud to announce today a historic investment in France. Through state-of-the-art cloud and AI infrastructure, a major training plan for the French and renewed support for startups in the hexagon, we are pursuing our commitment to sustainable and inclusive growth.” Corine de Bilbao, Corporate Vice-President, Microsoft FranceFirst, Microsoft will invest €4Bn to expand its next generation Cloud and AI infrastructure in France and bringing up to 25,000 of the most advanced GPUs to the country by end of 2025. Microsoft will expand its datacenter footprint across existing sites in Paris and Marseille regions and will also invest in planning a new datacenter campus in the Grand Est Region, in Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération. “With this major project, the Grand Est region is making Alsace a benchmark region for artificial intelligence in France and Europe. This unique project, benefiting from a technological first, will strengthen the competitiveness of our regions and businesses, while guaranteeing the security of their data. It is also a major project of national and European interest . ” – Franck Leroy, President of the Grand-Est Regional Council. “Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération is delighted with these announcements, which are the fruit of long-standing partnerships built up over more than seven years with the business community, local authorities and the French government. As a nationally-recognized industrial region, m2A works towards the economic development of its conurbation through a process of co-construction, an essential value of its 'Vision 2030' territorial project and its governance. In this way, it has created a collective dynamic around digital innovation and the industry of the future, integrating the challenges of decarbonization and confirming the highly attractive nature of m2A and Southern Alsace on a national, European and global scale. Through these important elements, m2A wishes more than ever to reaffirm its announcement industrial and digital DNA by welcoming major companies such as Microsoft.” – Fabian Jordan, President of Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération. These investments in the country will help to meet the growing demand for efficient, scalable and sustainable AI specific compute power and the needs of private and public organizations, of all sizes, waiting to take advantage of the latest cloud and AI breakthroughs. Microsoft's advanced computational infrastructure and AI platform services will enable organizations to develop, deploy, and use proprietary and open source AI models and applications. It will also make Microsoft's own AI-infused services like Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Dynamics more broadly and locally accessible to French customers. Microsoft will operate its AI services and infrastructure in accordance with industry-leading responsible AI and environmental sustainability practices. The company has adopted a Responsible AI Standard for its own AI platforms and services, and it has established an AI Assurance Program to share best practices and promote responsible AI practices more broadly. “Business France welcomes Microsoft's decision to locate its datacenter in France to strengthen French sovereignty in artificial intelligence. This project is a perfect illustration of the agency's commitment to supporting strategic projects in conjunction with local players. The establishment of this state-of-the-art data center is a major milestone in the construction of an ambitious digital ecosystem” – Laurent Saint Martin, General Manager of Business France. Mindful that the expansion of our business must be done in a manner consistent with protecting the environment, we are coupling our capital investment by investing in renewable energy. In that perspective, Microsoft is pursuing its first renewable energy contracts in France. We have executed our first PPA this month [May] and we expect to have approximately 100 MW of new renewable energy projects online in France by the end of 2024. Microsoft's sustainability commitment involves a 100% renewable energy coverage for the company's operations, including its datacenters, by 2025, water positive by 2030, and zero waste by 2030. These initiatives demonstrate a mutual goal for environmental sustainability and a more resource-efficient future. Microsoft invests in communities where our employees work and live. In France, we will provide local select opportunities around skilling and education, and contribute to local environmental and social projects, aligning with local needs and ambitions whenever possible. https://news.microsoft.com/fr-fr/2024/05/13/microsoft-announces-the-largest-investment-to-date-in-france-to-accelerate-the-adoption-of-ai-skilling-and-innovation/
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