UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sent a "huge thank you" to British Tamils in a message released to mark Thai Pongal today, stating the community has made an "amazing contribution" to the country.

Marking Thai Pongal, Britain's Leader of the Opposition, alongside numerous other MPs have issued statements celebrating the contribution of British Tamils to life in the UK and reaffirming their commitment to supporting Tamils in their struggle for self-determination, truth, justice and accountability.

His full statement is reproduced below:

To mark Thai Pongal, the Tamil harvest festival, British Labour 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.

In his statement, Kier Starmer, leader of the Labour Party noted that:

Thai Pongal, the secular Tamil festival that gives thanks to the sun and for the harvest, is being celebrated across the North-East today. 

The 18-year-old football player has just penned a two-and-a-half-year contract at Barnsley, making him English football's first ever Tamil professional player. Yoganathan spoke with the Tamil Guardian about the journey so far.

From a small village in North Wales, Vimal has navigated the youth systems up through the academy level and has become the first Tamil footballer to play professionally in English football. He is ecstatic 

“It’s a big day for me and my family, a culmination of all the hard work that has been put in over the last 10 years… It’s just the start of a long career to come and I am proud of this moment”

 A four-year-old playing indoor football at Holywell Leisure Centre to playing at academies at Prestatyn and Liverpool, to now signing his first professional contract at Barnsley, Vimal spoke about the support he has received from his parents. 

“They have been amazing, for the last 10 to 11 years they have had to drive me to training and training centres and have always tried to attend my games”

Captain Miller, the latest Kollywood blockbuster from director Arun Matheswaran with Dhanush in the leading role has generated a worldwide buzz for its powerfully familiar title, named after the LTTE’s first Black Tiger. But who is the real Captain Miller?

Two individuals have been apprehended for reportedly throwing petrol bombs at a Sri Lankan police station in Kayts, Jaffna.

The arrested persons believed to be residents of Mandaitivu, are accused of targetting the police station at the Mandaitivu junction on January 10.

The Sri Lankan police claimed they pursued and apprehended the suspects involved in the attack. The detained individuals are currently under investigation at the Kayts police station, where authorities are examining the circumstances surrounding the assault.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk has slammed the Sri Lankan government’s ongoing anti-drug operation, “Operation Yukthiya”, and urged the government to comply with a human-rights based approach.

In a statement Türk notes that “a staggering 29,000 people have reportedly been arrested on drug related matters since 17 December”. Those detained have allegedly been subject to ill-treatment and torture.

Human Rights Watch’s (HRW’s) 2024 World Report raises alarm over Sri Lanka’s continued repressive policies and details how its economic policies have hit poorest the hardest.

As Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at HRW, stated:

“The current administration is responding with policies that weigh heaviest on those who have the least, while suppressing voices that are essential for accountable, democratic decision-making.”

Landing on the scene with hyper-violent art film 2021’s ‘Rocky,’ Matheswaran swiftly followed it up last year with the equally violent ‘Saani Kaayidham.’ The Keerthy Suresh starrer was a tightly written revenge film with stunning cinematography, performances and score. Matheswaran proved himself to be a highly capable director, and looked to expand his vision and scope with this year’s release ‘Captain Miller.’ Starring Dhanush and scored by GV Prakash, Matheswaran had his eyes set on entering the commercial zone.