PickMe, one of the leading ride-hailing companies, complains: ‘The police are turning a blind eye to the intimidation suffered by our drivers.’ The new services are breaking the monopoly of local groups that imposed exorbitant fares on tourists.But the failure to enforce basic rules, such as the requirement for a taximeter on every three-wheeled vehicle, also weighs heavily.

Cardinal Ranjith and the country's Buddhist leaders marked the New Year, calling on people to overcome ethnic and political divisions to heal the wounds caused by Cyclone Ditwah. More than 270,000 people remain displaced by the natural disaster, which left 643 dead and 183 missing.

Many young doctors avoid psychiatry due to social stigma and family expectations. Cultural myths and fears over marriage prospects discourage especially female students. Meanwhile, suicide and mental health disorders are on the rise in the Northern Province, amid poverty and isolation.

The cyclone reshaped large swathes of the upcountry. The devastation is so great that remapping is necessary. More than half of all landslides occurred in the districts of Badulla, Kandy, and Matale. Experts need high-quality close-up images, with essential assistance from international organisations and agencies.

Civil society groups and activists are echoing a call from various segments of Sri Lankan society to renegotiate the agreement with the International Monetary Fund in light of the damage caused by climate change. The focus is on the Extended Fund Facility programme whose austerity measures are a further obstacle to economic revival. The demand is to put people first in restructuring the economy. Meanwhile, the number of people killed and affected by the cyclone continues to rise.

The flood hit the Free Trade Zone area hard, where textile production for global markets is concentrated. Workers, who often live in dormitories without even being registered, have lost everything. The associations that are taking care of them have appealed to the government in Colombo: “Abandoned by everyone, they need ad hoc interventions.”