(India)–Meanwhile, the International Bible Society yesterday released a contemporary language version of the Tamil Bible at a dedication in Sri Lanka. More than 66 million people speak Tamil, mostly in India and Sri Lanka. The New Tamil Bible updates a translation that was completed by British missionaries in 1871. The director of IBS in Sri Lanka said he hopes the translation will help contribute to peace on the war-torn island. IBS released a contemporary translation of the Tamil New Testament in 1981.