| | DECEMBER 20248IN FOCUSJay Shah, the newly appointed ICC Chairman, has resigned from his position as President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The ACC has announced Shammi Silva, President of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), as his successor, and Silva has already taken on his new role."It is a great honor to lead the Asian Cricket Council. Cricket is the heartbeat of Asia, and I look forward to working closely with all member nations to elevate the game, provide opportunities for emerging talent, and strengthen the bonds that unite us through this beautiful sport," Silva said according to the official release by ACC.Silva also extended his gratitude to the outgoing president Jay Shah for his contribution to growing cricket in Asia during his tenure. For the unversed, Shah became the ACC president in January 2021 and his term was extended in January earlier this year. "Under Mr. Shah's stewardship, the ACC achieved remarkable milestones, including the successfully achieving highest value for its commercial rights of ACC Asia Cup tournaments for 2024­31, the introduction of a new pathway events structure, and the continued development and growth of cricket across its member nations", the statement from ACC read.Shammi Silva's primary challenge as ACC President will be ensuring that the Asia Cup in India and Pakistan takes place without any controversy. The ICC Champions Trophy is currently set to be held in Pakistan, but with India refusing to travel, a hybrid model has reportedly been finalized after much difficulty. A similar situation may arise for future Asia Cup tournaments, and Silva will need to manage this challenge with care. Nvidia and the Vietnamese government have signed an agreement to collaboratively establish an AI research and development center, along with an AI data center, in the Southeast Asian country.Nvidia also said it has acquired healthcare startup VinBrain, a unit of Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, but didn't provide the value of the deal.Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said during a visit to Hanoi a year ago that the artificial intelligence chipmaker wanted to expand its partnerships with Vietnam's top tech firms and support the country in training talent for developing AI and digital infrastructure.In April, Vietnamese tech firm FPT said it planned to build a $200 million artificial intelligence factory using Nvidia's graphic chip and software.The agreement between Nvidia and the Vietnamese government was signed in Hanoi, with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in attendance. Financial details regarding the planned R&D center and data center were not disclosed.Chinh said AI would boost growth and that Vietnam also wanted to use it to develop clean energy."We want to conquer not only AI but also space and the ocean," Chinh said. "AI will turn the sun, the wind, and the waves into clean energy for us". ASIAN CRICKET COUNCIL NAMES SHAMMI SILVA AS JAY SHAH'S SUCCESSORNVIDIA PARTNERS WITH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO SET UP AI RESEARCH AND DATA CENTERS
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