Latest news with #SriLanka-born
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Indian American real estate tycoon Anita Verma-Lallian closes $51 million data centre deal in Arizona
Anita Verma-Lallian and Chamath Palihapitiya Arizona Land Consulting (ALC), a data centre investment fund led by Indian American real estate investor Anita Verma-Lallian, has recently closed on a landmark $51 million land deal, strengthening its position as a driving force in Arizona's AI infrastructure race. Well-known Silicon Valley venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya also joined the investment group backing the deal, alongside other prominent tech investors. "Partnering with Chamath [Palihapitiya] represents more than just capital. It's an alignment of vision for America's AI future. When you have Bill Gates building his smart city next door and tech titans choosing Arizona over Silicon Valley, it's clear we're witnessing a historic shift. This $51 million acquisition is a declaration that the future of AI infrastructure will be built on Arizona soil,' Verma-Lallian of real estate firm Arizona Land Consulting (ALC) said about the deal. In a press release, ALC, said that this partnership highlights the growing momentum behind Arizona as America's next epicentre for AI and advanced computing. 'Investing in AI infrastructure is not only critical to solving our economic challenges, it is a matter of national security. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Roar into Style! Leopard Print Slim Fitting Dress! Undo Unleash Your Wild Side: Leopard Print Slim Dress! Undo Level Up Your Look: Men Tracksuit with Hoodie! Undo Get the Look: Rhinestone Juicy Sweatsuit - Shop Modefash! Undo Complete Your Look: Women's 3-Piece Sweatsuit - Undo Chic Comfort! Women's 3-Piece Sweatsuit. Undo Shop Exclusive Deals & Save Big! Undo Modefash: Ultimate Comfort - Men's Tracksuit with Hoodie! Undo Sparkle & Shine: Trending Rhinestone Juicy Sweatsuit! Undo Don't Miss Out! Exclusive Deals at Undo This project can accommodate over 1GW and is ideally situated for us to continue to support America's lead in AI. This data centre project is led by a great team - I'm excited to partner with Anita [Verma-Lallian] and do more of this over time.' The Sri Lanka-born, Canadian American investor and CEO of Social Capital, Palihapitiya, said. The transaction is the second for Verma Lallian's strategic vision to meet surging demand for AI-ready real estate, with the newly acquired land positioned among high-profile neighbours, including Bill Gates, a press release from Arizona Land Consulting stated. According to the press release, key factors driving ALC's acquisition include energy innovation including partnerships in waterless cooling technology for data centres and exploring next-gen power sources like fusion and renewables; a pro-growth environment in the state of Arizona; a prime land asset amid the state's tech boom and a disaster-resistant geography that is ideal for mission-critical data centres. "The AI opportunity can only scale if we have the infrastructure to support it. Suitable land for data centre development is in short supply, and this is the most attractive project I've seen. DYA is partnering with ALC on this because there is going to be a massive shortage of compute for years to come,' Ethan Agarwal, managing partner, DYA Capital, said.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Serious consequences for Australian democracy': Author uses prize speech to warn against censorship
Australian author Michelle de Kretser has described feeling afraid of speaking publicly about the conflict in Gaza and warned against the serious consequences of censorship as she accepted the 2025 Stella Prize for her book Theory & Practice. In her acceptance speech for the prestigious literary award, the Sri Lanka-born author said she believed truthful speech about what the Israeli government is doing in Gaza is being shut down and accused the Australian government of being complicit with 'material and diplomatic support'. 'That complicity has had serious consequences for Australian democracy. We've seen scholars, creatives and journalists silenced, their funding revoked and their contracts cancelled for expressing anti-genocide views ... We've seen our institutions and our media betray the principles they're supposed to uphold,' she said. 'We've seen language suffer Orwellian distortions. We've seen our leaders pander to the anti-Arab racism of that global bully the United States. And all of this damage has been done to prop up Israel: a brazenly cruel foreign power, whose leaders are internationally wanted criminals.' According to the Sydney-based author, the aim of this suppression is to intimidate. 'In Australia today it isn't those applauding mass murder who have cause to be afraid, but those speaking out against it. Principally targeted are Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, First Nations people, people of colour, queers,' she said. 'All the time I was writing these words, a voice in my head whispered, You will be punished. You will be smeared with labels as potent and ugly as they're false.' 'I'm still afraid. But I've just accepted a prize that is not about obedience. It's not about feel-good narratives, it's not about marketing, it's not even about creativity – Stella is about changing the world.'
The Age
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
‘Serious consequences for Australian democracy': Author uses prize speech to warn against censorship
Australian author Michelle de Kretser has described feeling afraid of speaking publicly about the conflict in Gaza and warned against the serious consequences of censorship as she accepted the 2025 Stella Prize for her book Theory & Practice. In her acceptance speech for the prestigious literary award, the Sri Lanka-born author said she believed truthful speech about what the Israeli government is doing in Gaza is being shut down and accused the Australian government of being complicit with 'material and diplomatic support'. 'That complicity has had serious consequences for Australian democracy. We've seen scholars, creatives and journalists silenced, their funding revoked and their contracts cancelled for expressing anti-genocide views ... We've seen our institutions and our media betray the principles they're supposed to uphold,' she said. 'We've seen language suffer Orwellian distortions. We've seen our leaders pander to the anti-Arab racism of that global bully the United States. And all of this damage has been done to prop up Israel: a brazenly cruel foreign power, whose leaders are internationally wanted criminals.' According to the Sydney-based author, the aim of this suppression is to intimidate. 'In Australia today it isn't those applauding mass murder who have cause to be afraid, but those speaking out against it. Principally targeted are Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, First Nations people, people of colour, queers,' she said. 'All the time I was writing these words, a voice in my head whispered, You will be punished. You will be smeared with labels as potent and ugly as they're false.' 'I'm still afraid. But I've just accepted a prize that is not about obedience. It's not about feel-good narratives, it's not about marketing, it's not even about creativity – Stella is about changing the world.'
Japan Times
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Alice Weidel, the unlikely queen of German's far-right AfD
Berlin – As an openly gay politician who lives with her Sri Lanka-born partner in Switzerland, Alice Weidel was an unusual choice to many to lead Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) into Sunday's elections, where it scored its best-ever result. To her legions of political foes, Weidel serves as a "fig leaf" for a party that has railed against asylum seekers, Islam and multiculturalism and some of whose top figures have voiced revisionist views on Germany's Nazi past. On Sunday, the 46-year-old, who says Margaret Thatcher is her political idol, led the Moscow-friendly AfD to a record result of around 20%.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alice Weidel, unlikely queen of German far-right AfD
As an openly gay politician who lives with her Sri Lanka-born partner in Switzerland, Alice Weidel was an unusual choice to many to lead Germany's far-right and anti-immigration AfD into Sunday's elections. To her legions of political foes, Weidel serves as a "fig leaf" for a party that rails against asylum seekers, Islam and multiculturalism and some of whose top figures have voiced revisionist views on Germany's Nazi past. On Sunday the 46-year-old, who says Margaret Thatcher is her political idol, looks set to propel the Moscow-friendly AfD to a record result, with polls predicting it will win second place at around 20 percent. Ahead of the election, Weidel has basked in the vocal support of US President Donald Trump's key allies -- especially the tech billionaire Elon Musk -- as well as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Often sporting a pearl necklace and a trouser suit, she was the first AfD politician to be invited to a pre-election TV debate where she sparred with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his main rival, the conservative Friedrich Merz. All of this has contributed to the "normalisation" of a party, said Der Spiegel magazine, after the AfD was long kept at arm's length by the majority of German voters, and protested against by thousands on the streets. "Under Alice Weidel, the party has lost its horror for many voters, and Weidel's numerous TV appearances have accelerated the normalisation of the AfD," it said. Weidel in January took part in a livestream on X with Musk, who has enthusiastically supported the AfD as the only party that can "save Germany". In the meandering conversation, they railed against "woke" policies before chatting about Musk's plans to settle Mars and Germany's dark history, with Weidel insisting Hitler was a "communist". - 'Uncrowned queen' - In February, Weidel was invited to a private meeting with US Vice President JD Vance on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Vance had boosted the AfD in a blistering speech there in which he called on Germany to drop its long-standing "firewall" that aims to isolate the AfD. Seeking support from foreign right-wing leaders, Weidel also recently made an appearance in Budapest with Orban, who described her as "the future of Germany". "This election campaign has made it clear that (Weidel) is the uncrowned queen of the AfD," said Wolfgang Schroeder, a politics professor at Kassel University. "Her visibility has grown enormously. This has also given her more power within her own party." Weidel was born and educated in western Germany, making her an oddity in the AfD, whose core voter base is in the country's formerly communist east. She later lived in China, working at Bank of China, before moving on to Goldman Sachs. Weidel first joined the AfD in 2013, the year it was founded. Unlike many other early members who quit as it became more overtly xenophobic, she stayed. Weidel represents a wing of the AfD that "aspires to an independent existence to the right of the conservatives, with the possibility of forming a coalition", said Schroeder. As a West German and a gay woman, Weidel has had "some problems connecting with the ideology of her party", said political scientist Anna-Sophie Heinze from Trier University. - 'Remigration' - Der Spiegel said Weidel is "the perfect fig leaf" for the party, which is considered by Germany's domestic security service to be right-wing extremist in parts. "If someone accuses the AfD of being misogynistic, homophobic or racist, they can say they have Weidel, so the AfD cannot be all of those things, even though it is," the magazine said. While Weidel has never hidden her relationship with her partner, with whom she is raising two sons, she has distanced herself from the broader LGBTQ movement. At a party conference in January, she rejected accusations that she has failed to engage with the movement, charging that her critics "have no idea at all about the reality of my life". "And I must honestly say that I will not tolerate any interference in my life or my family," she said. Despite presenting a more moderate face for the far-right party, Weidel has not shied away from some of its most radical positions when firing up party members. At the AfD congress, Weidel vowed that a government that includes the AfD would force the "total closing of Germany's borders" as well as "large-scale repatriations". "I say to you quite honestly, if this must be called remigration, then let it be called remigration." clp-fec/fz/gv
