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Let us all commit to creating a country that protects its environment while advancing the dignity, social equality and economic well-being of every individual – PM
Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya in her World Environment Day message called upon every individual to commit to creating a country that protects its environment.
The full text of the Prime Ministers message:
“Sri Lanka is endowed with an exceptional natural ecosystem, surrounded by a unique maritime zone, enriched by over one hundred major river systems, and fertile soil layers that extend across the country creating habitats to a remarkable degree of biodiversity.
Alongside this rich environmental diversity, our nation has emerged as a distinctive point of interest on the global stage.
However, due to decades of insufficient attention and inadequate protection, we are now witnessing the degradation of our vital water resources, biological assets, and fertile soil.
The growing disconnect between humanity and the environment has led to the alarming depletion of natural resources, a matter of grave concern and deep regret.
As the newly elected government, we recognize our profound responsibility to ensure that such environmental tragedies do not recur. As the National People’s Power, we uphold the vision of a sustainable environment that secures the well-being of all living beings and hold this as a fundamental policy principle to making a significant contribution towards achieving environmental justice and equity.
The theme for this year’s World Environment Day is “Putting an End to Plastic Pollution.” I firmly believe that through the collective efforts of the government and the citizenry in the Clean Sri Lanka initiative, we can effectively halt the destruction of our environment caused by plastic pollution.
The Environment Week, which commenced on May 30th, presents a timely opportunity for all of us to re-evaluate the significance of our natural ecosystems and to take meaningful action to protect them.
“Let it Sprout” is the national theme for this year’s Environment Day. Let us all unite in our dedication to building a nation where Sri Lanka’s name continues to shine on the global stage, a country that nurtures the growth and well-being of its ecosystems, while also safeguarding the humanity, social fabric, and economic livelihoods of every citizen”
US President Donald Trump has filed a $5bn (£3.7bn) lawsuit against the BBC over an edit of his 6 January 2021 speech in a Panorama documentary.
Trump accused the broadcaster of defamation and of violating a trade practices law, according to court documents filed in Florida.
The BBC apologised to Trump last month, but rejected his demands for compensation and disagreed there was any “basis for a defamation claim”.
Trump’s legal team accused the BBC of defaming him by “intentionally, maliciously, and deceptively doctoring his speech”. The BBC has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
Trump said last month that he planned to sue the BBC for the documentary, which aired in the UK ahead of the 2024 US election.
“I think I have to do it,” Trump told reporters of his plans. “They cheated. They changed the words coming out of my mouth.”
In his speech on 6 January 2021, before a riot at the US Capitol, Trump told a crowd: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”
More than 50 minutes later in the speech, he said: “And we fight. We fight like hell.”
In the Panorama programme, a clip showed him as saying: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”
The BBC acknowledged that the edit had given “the mistaken impression” he had “made a direct call for violent action”, but disagreed that there was basis for a defamation claim.
In November, a leaked internal BBC memo criticised how the speech was edited, and led to the resignations of the BBC’s director general, Tim Davie, and its head of news, Deborah Turness.
Before Trump filed the lawsuit, lawyers for the BBC had given a lengthy response to the president’s claims.
They said there was no malice in the edit and that Trump was not harmed by the programme, as he was re-elected shortly after it aired.
They also said the BBC did not have the rights to, and did not, distribute the Panorama programme on its US channels. While the documentary was available on BBC iPlayer, it was restricted to viewers in the UK.
In his lawsuit, Trump cites agreements the BBC had with other distributors to show content, specifically one with a third-party media corporation that allegedly had licensing rights to the documentary outside the UK. The BBC has not responded to these claims, nor has the corporation with the alleged distribution agreement.
The suit also claims that people in Florida may have accessed the programme using a VPN or by using streaming service BritBox.
“The Panorama Documentary’s publicity, coupled with significant increases in VPN usage in Florida since its debut, establishes the immense likelihood that citizens of Florida accessed the Documentary before the BBC had it removed,” the lawsuit said
(BBC)
The Situation Report issued by the Disaster Management Center at 06:00AM on 16th December 2025 shows that 70,297 persons belonging to 22,338 house holds are still being housed at 731 safety centers established by the government.
The number of deaths due to the recent disastrous weather stands at 643 while 183 persons are missing.
Latest News
Bondi Beach gunmen who killed 15 after targeting Jewish celebration were father and son, police say
New South Wales Police say 15 people, including a 10 year old girl were killed in a shooting at Bondi Beach on Sunday – their ages range from 10 to 87
The attack happened while an event was being held to mark the start of Hanukkah – police say they’re treating it as a terror incident
The two gunmen were father and son, police say. The 50-year-old man also died at the scene while the 24-year-old remains in hospital in critical condition
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calls the attack “an act of pure evil” that “deliberately targeted” the Jewish community
(BBC)
Trump files $5bn defamation lawsuit against BBC over Panorama speech edit
UK and South Korea strike trade deal
Rob Reiner’s son Nick arrested for murder after director and wife found dead
70,297 persons still in safety centers
Showers will occur at times in the Northern, North-Central, Eastern, Uva and Central provinces
MEPA to crack down on marine polluters
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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