Lanka plans $1.6bn in cyclone recovery spending

Sri Lanka's government announced plans for $1.6 billion in extra spending in 2026 to fund the country's recovery from Cyclone Ditwah, which killed more than 640 people. The natural disaster affected 2.3 million people, more than 10 per cent of Sri Lanka's population, and floods and landslides caused by the cyclone left extensive damage throughout the country. The government convened parliament to discuss what President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has described as the most challenging natural disaster to hit the island. - AFP