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• Trump’s Tariffs

• Orange

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Economy & Finance

Trump’s Tariffs

President-elect Donald Trump's pledge to impose tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China has unsettled currency markets and global industries, with the Mexican peso and Canadian dollar falling sharply against the U.S. dollar. His proposed tariffs—25% on Canadian and Mexican goods and an additional 10% on Chinese products—have revived fears of trade wars and sparked uncertainty in global markets. Shares of U.S. and European automakers dropped significantly on concerns that tariffs would disrupt supply chains, increase costs, and damage the industry. Analysts warned that such measures could spell disaster for automakers reliant on cross-border production, though some doubted the practicality of implementing such policies. The U.S. dollar surged against several currencies, including the yuan, while Japan's yen saw safe-haven demand. Economists and officials, including Mexico’s president, have warned of potential economic fallout and retaliatory measures in response to the proposed tariffs.

Technology

Orange

Orange, a leading French telecommunications company, has partnered with OpenAI and Meta to develop AI models designed to better understand African languages, more specifically West African languages. Leveraging OpenAI’s Whisper and Meta’s Llama platforms, the initiative focuses on addressing gaps in current AI systems, which often struggle with less-represented languages. Initial efforts will support Wolof and Pulaar, spoken by millions in Senegal and neighboring regions, with plans to expand across 18 West African nations. These open-source models, offered free for non-commercial uses, aim to enhance services like healthcare and education while supporting local languages in Orange’s customer interactions. The company also emphasizes its commitment to ethical AI use and improving network efficiency through AI-driven insights.

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