Tamils are protesting across Jaffna today as Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe visits the peninsula for Thai Pongal. 

The rally began at the University of Jaffna, with students joining the Tamil families of the disappeared as they marched towards Nallur Sivan temple where Wickremesinghe was attending a Thai Pongal event. 

Thai Pongal is being celebrated across the Tamil homeland, with festivities taking place amidst the economic crisis. 

Environmental organization, Poovulagin Nanbargal, has raised concerns that the Sethusamudram project will harm the biodiversity of the Gulf of Mannar. 

In a statement the organization stated that the project will do more harm than good.

The project is set to be implemented in the Gulf of Mannar. Poovulagin Nanbargal highlights that "the Gulf of Mannar has been announced as [a] biosphere reserve and [has] 4,223 species [that] thrive in the sea." The group continued "there are endangered sea mammals like dugong and dolphins."

Minister of External Affairs of India, S. Jaishankar, is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka for January 19-20. 

According to officials, the visit will consist of a full review of bilateral ties.

The visit also comes amidst efforts by the Sri Lankan government to secure "written financial assurances" from India and China. The island needs to get these assurances to make progress on a bailout plan with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

A new alliance of Tamil nationalist parties was formed yesterday as local elections are set to take place across the island. 

The five parties - Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), Tamil National Party (TNP), Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and the Crusaders for Democracy - signed a memorandum of understanding, agreeing to jointly contest in the upcoming local elections. 

Nelson's Column, the iconic monument in central London's popular Trafalgar Square, was lit up with a projection celebrating Thai Pongal and Tamil Heritage Month on Saturday.

The projections featured imagery symbolising Thai Pongal, the Tamil geometric art form of Kolam and the karthigaipoo - the national flower of Tamil Eelam.

Tirunelveli market in Jaffna was bustling today as Tamils prepare for Thai Pongal. 

Overall, the core concept of ‘Raangi’ could have made for an enthralling and morally conflicting drama. Instead, Saravanan botches the delivery and presents a sloppy shell of a great film.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak thanked the Tamil community for their service in the National Health Service (NHS) in a video message released this morning to mark Thai Pongal. 

Marking the harvest festival Thai Pongal, British MPs have issued statements expressing gratitude for the contribution of British Tamils to the UK and renewing their commitment to justice and accountability in Sri Lanka.