Factum LK – Page 7

Factum Perspective: The rise of the regional film – A paradigm shift in South Asian cinema

History and CultureFebruary 27, 20232KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Deshani Samaragunarathna “Telugu is the new Hindi.” Ram Gopal Varma Unlike the American cinema, there is no single film hub in the Indian subcontinent. Bollywood has long held the distinction of being India's “national cinema.” With stars such as Priyanka Chopra making forays into Hollywood and artistes like A. R Rahman winning Academy Awards,…

Factum Special Perspective: Safeguarding Sri Lanka

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsFebruary 22, 20232KViews 0Likes 0Comments

Read this article in Tamil: vidiyal.lk/post/--2816 By Vinod Moonesinghe Sri Lanka has, for 75 years, faced many internal and external threats, ranging from civil unrest, through insurgencies and military coup attempts, to overt acts of war or more subtle economic sabotage or sanctions by foreign powers. It has met them with varying degrees of…

Factum Perspective: The Chinese “spy balloon” saga

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsFebruary 19, 20232KViews 0Likes 1Comment

Read this article in Tamil: vidiyal.lk/post/--2821 By Rathindra Kuruwita On February 1, 2023, former editor of Billings Gazette Chase Doak and Billings Gazette photographer Larry Mayer snapped a large flying object over Billings, Montana. Doak had initially thought it was a UFO. The photographs were published in the Gazette, and were soon picked up…

Factum Perspective: Indo-Sri Lankan relations since independence – A checkered history

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy, Health and Economic Cooperation, History and Culture, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsFebruary 13, 20232KViews 0Likes 0Comments

Read this article in Tamil: vidiyal.lk/post/--2812 By P. K. Balachandran India-Sri Lanka relations are undoubtedly at their best now, thanks to India’s timely and generous assistance to its financially-beleaguered southern neighbor. But in the past 75 years or more, bilateral relations have been overwhelmingly troubled. Therefore, the million-dollar question now is: Will India’s help…

Factum Perspective: How Sri Lanka obtained independence

History and CultureFebruary 4, 20232KViews 0Likes 0Comments

Read this article in Tamil: vidiyal.lk/post/--2817 By Chandani Kirinde In 1918, George Wille, a Member of Ceylon’s Legislative Council, cited an interesting metaphor to describe the growing weariness among the Ceylonese about the lack of any political rights, despite being tied to Britain for over a century. Speaking at the second reform conference organized…

Factum Special Perspective: Victoria Nuland in Sri Lanka

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsFebruary 1, 20232KViews 0Likes 0Comments

Read this article in Tamil: vidiyal.lk/post/--2805 By Uditha Devapriya US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland is on a tour in South Asia this week. From January 28 to February 3, she will be travelling to Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka, before flying to Qatar. Each of these visits will center…

Factum Perspective: Robert Clive and the taking of India

History and Culture, Regional GeopoliticsJanuary 30, 20232KViews 1Like 0Comments

By Vinod Moonesinghe A 2002 poll carried out by the BBC, accompanying its TV series “Great Britons”, found that most viewers fancied wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill as the “Greatest Briton”. His sole claim to fame lay in making stirring speeches when the British Empire stood on the threshold of defeat. Yet his pro-US policies…

Factum Perspective: Sumitra Peries – A Sri Lankan woman of the world

History and CultureJanuary 22, 20232KViews 0Likes 0Comments

As Ambassador / Undated / Courtesy of Sumitra Peries Read this article in Tamil: vidiyal.lk/post/--2806 By Uditha Devapriya Sumitra Peries passed away last Thursday, 19 January. One of the last definitive auteurs of the Sri Lankan cinema, Sumitra was also one of the last few international figures from the island nation. Having begun her career…

Factum Perspective: The road ahead for Emerging Markets

Health and Economic Cooperation, International DevelopmentJanuary 16, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Kasun Thilina Kariyawasam “The dollar is our currency, but it's your problem.” John Connally, US Treasury Secretary, 1971 In the post-COVID global economy, Emerging Markets were hit with a double-whammy downward spiral. Even prior to the pandemic, Emerging Markets (EMs) were struggling with high inflation, lack of investment, unemployment, and other issues. Then COVID-19…

Factum Perspective: Elections in Asia – A game-changer in a game-changing region

Regional GeopoliticsJanuary 9, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Dr Ranga Kalansooriya Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev tweeted his predictions for 2023 last month. He noted that “all the largest stock markets and financial activity will leave the US and Europe and move to Asia.” At the outset, such claims may seem overstretched. In fact, however, this was hardly a new prediction.…

Factum Perspective: Scientific literacy – Are we there yet?

Science and TechnologyJanuary 2, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Sachie Panawala In its report in 2018, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) defined scientific literacy as an understanding of how the knowledge of science changes the manner one can interact with the world, and the way it can be used to accomplish broader goals. Kathleen…

Factum Perspective: Peace on Earth, the message of Christmas?

History and Culture, Peace and ConflictDecember 25, 20221KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Vinod Moonesinghe With the expansion of proselytizing Christian empires in the centuries before the second millennium, Christianity became a world religion. As Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta said, "When the missionaries arrived, the Africans had the land and the missionaries had the Bible. They taught us how to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened…