Former Sri Lankan cricket captain Mahela Jayawardena has warned people about fake AI generated advertisements that misuse his name and photograph.

In a message shared on social media, he said that any real endorsements or brand partnerships will only be announced through his official pages.

He added, “I haven’t shared it as well, so don’t pay attention to these fake ads!”
This warning comes as more AI-made advertisements are appearing online, showing famous people without their permission. Many celebrities around the world have recently spoken out after their names and pictures were used in false ads.

*Questions current government’s dislike for land link with India

Sri Lanka’s former President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday emphasised the critical need for an economic corridor linking Sri Lanka with Indian states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu , and challenged the current government’s dislike for land connectivity with India

Delivering remarks at the fifth Bay of Bengal Conference organized by the Pathfinder organization, he underscored that genuine economic advancement for the region cannot be achieved without enhancing land connectivity between countries and regions. He pointed to India’s anticipated rise as the world’s second-largest economy, with a projected $30 trillion economy by 2050, as a compelling reason for stronger ties.

The conference, held at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, brought together a diverse group of foreign ambassadors, diplomats, civil society representatives, think tanks, government officials, and international organizations.

Discussions surrounding a land bridge between Sri Lanka and India gained traction in 2023, with initial studies indicating mutual interest. However, it has since been announced that the current government is not in favor of the project. This stance prompted Wickremesinghe’s strong emphasis on the necessity of such a link.

Even during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Sri Lanka, despite some comments during bilateral talks, Sri Lanka has reportedly declined to consider a land connectivity project at this time. It’s noteworthy that the concept of a land bridge was first broached during Wickremesinghe’s tenure as Prime Minister in 2002-2004, and was subsequently mentioned in a vision statement when he visited New Delhi as President in 2023.

“Economic corridors are necessary,” Wickremesinghe stated, citing examples like the China-Singapore link, the China-Thailand-Laos rail link, and the India-Myanmar-Thailand economic corridor. “We had taken steps regarding the Sri Lanka-India land link. But the current government has rejected it. But before that, economic, cultural, political and environmental issues should be examined and discussed.”

He concluded by posing crucial questions for the region: “The Bay of Bengal Conference is taking place at a very crucial juncture. US President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on countries. The process of globalization will not change. But the way it is done will definitely change. The European Union seems to be adapting to this change. But what are we going to do? Are we going to come forward as a regional organization? If so, which organization will lead this? Which of the following, BIMSTEC or the Silk Road (BRI) or the ASEAN organization, will lead the way in moving towards this change? Will we act as a region? Questions like this arise before us. How are our Bay of Bengal countries going to move towards the next stage?”

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the third review under the 48-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement, allowing the authorities to draw SDR 254 million (about US$334 million). This brings the total IMF financial support disbursed so far to SDR 1.02 billion (about US$1.34 billion), according to a statement from it.

The EFF arrangement for Sri Lanka was approved by the Executive Board on March 20, 2023 in an amount of SDR 2.286 billion (395 percent of quota or about US$3 billion. The program supports Sri Lanka’s efforts to restore and maintain macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability while protecting the poor and vulnerable, rebuild external buffers, and enhance growth-oriented structural reforms including by strengthening governance.

Following the Executive Board discussion on Sri Lanka, Mr. Kenji Okamura, Deputy Managing Director, issued the following statement:

“Reforms in Sri Lanka are bearing fruit and the economic recovery has been remarkable. Inflation remains low, revenue collection is improving, and reserves continue to accumulate. Economic growth averaged 4.3 percent since growth resumed in the third quarter of 2023. By end-2024, Sri Lanka’s real GDP is estimated to have recovered 40 percent of its loss incurred between 2018 and 2023. The recovery is expected to continue in 2025. As the economy is still vulnerable, it is critical to sustain the reform momentum to ensure macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability, and promote long-term inclusive growth. There is no room for policy errors.

“Program performance has been strong with all quantitative targets met, except for the indicative target on social spending. Most structural benchmarks due by end-January 2025 were either met or implemented with delay.

“Sustained revenue mobilization is crucial to restoring fiscal sustainability and ensuring that the government can continue to provide essential services. Boosting tax compliance and refraining from tax exemptions are key to maintaining support for economic reforms. To ease economic hardship and ensure the poor and vulnerable can participate in Sri Lanka’s recovery it is important to meet social spending targets and continue with reforms of the social safety net. Going forward, social support needs to be well-targeted towards the most disadvantaged so as to promote inclusive growth with limited fiscal space. Restoring cost-recovery electricity pricing without delay is needed to contain fiscal risks from state-owned enterprises. A smoother execution of capital spending within the fiscal envelope would foster medium-term growth.

“The progress to advance the debt restructuring to restore Sri Lanka’s debt sustainability is noteworthy. The recent successful completion of the bond exchange is a major milestone towards restoring debt sustainability. Timely finalization of bilateral agreements with creditors in the Official Creditor Committee and with remaining creditors is a priority now.

“Monetary policy should prioritize maintaining price stability, supported by sustained commitment to prohibit monetary financing and safeguard Central Bank independence. Continued exchange rate flexibility and gradually phasing out the balance of payments measures remain critical to rebuild external buffers and facilitate rebalancing.

“Resolving non-performing loans, strengthening governance and oversight of state-owned banks, and improving the insolvency and resolution frameworks are important priorities to revive credit growth and support the economic recovery.

“Prolonged structural challenges need to be addressed to unlock Sri Lanka’s long-term potential, including steadfast implementation of the governance reforms.”