The president of Sri Lanka released a Thai Pongal message to "Hindus" in Sri Lanka and across the globe declaring it a “special religious” festival exclusively for “Hindu devotees”.

While world leaders and government officials extended their Thai Pongal wishes to Tamils across the world, the Sri Lanka president’s message failed to mention the word “Tamil” once. Historically, Thai Pongal is a Tamil harvest festival celebrated by Tamils of all religions, not only Hindus.

_{MP Francesco Sorbara, MP Majid Jowhari and MP Gary Anandasangaree celebrate Thai Pongal at the Richmond Hill Hindu Temple}

Several Canadian Parliamentarians, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, have released messages wishing Tamil Canadians a Happy Thai Pongal and Tamil Heritage Month. 

Writing in the Daily Mirror in advance of his visit to Colombo, Jaffna and Trincomalee, Britain’s Minister for South Asia, Lord Ahmad, stressed the importance of dealing with Sri Lanka’s past to create a “lasting peace and building an inclusive future”.

His visit comes numerous diplomats are expected to visit the island this month. This includes Hungary’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, Speaker of the National Assembly of Korea, Park Byeong-seug and Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Amidst a surge in food prices and shortages of basic necessities such as medicine and fuel, Sri Lanka recently launched a  luxury inner-city train circling from the tip of the North Jaffna Peninsula, Kankesanthurai, to Colombo’s Mount Lavinia suburb with the assistance of India’s credit line.

Meeting with British Tamils, the BBC provided special coverage of the ancient Tamil harvest festival, Thai Pongal.

In their coverage, they noted the efforts of Tamil Studies UK to have Tamil reintroduced into the curriculum of the South Oriental and African Studies University. The piece further dove into Tamil culture, food and heritage.

Across the UK, British ministers and politicians met with their Tamil constituents to celebrate the Tamil harvest festival, Thai Pongal.

At least two elephants in Amparai were found dead this week, after eating plastic waste in an open landfill site that conservationists have been warning about for years.

Around 20 elephants have died over the last eight years in the region alone after they consumed plastic waste left at the site, according to the latest reports.

Sri Lanka may face a shortage of drugs within two months warned a government official, as a worsening economic crisis threatens to endanger even more livelihoods on the island.

Dr. R. M. Saman Kusumsiri Ratnayake, Secretary to the State Ministry of Drug Production, told the Daily Mirror that a “priority list of drugs” had already been drawn up that needed to be imported “with immediate effect” and called for letters of credit to be opened for drug purchases.

The UK Prime Minister released a video message to mark Thai Pongal this morning, stating it was an opportunity to “celebrate our fantastic Tamil community”.

Boris Johnson said British Tamils have “long been woven into the very fabric of British life and without [them] our country would be so much diminished”.

Thai Pongal was celebrated across the Tamil homeland this morning, with festivities taking place despite concerns about rising food prcies, food shortages and the plight of farmers caused by the coronavirus pandemic.