**Sri Lanka has agreed a $2.5bn (£1.5bn) loan accord from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to the help it weather the global economic crisis.**The agreement will now go the IMF board for final approval.
Reports suggest that an initial $313m will be made available immediately once the loan is approved.
The Sri Lankan government has said that the money will also be used to pay for post-war reconstruction work in the north and east of the island.