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Lankan baker wins best baguette in Paris

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A Paris baker of Sri Lankan origin said he “cried” when he heard he had won best baguette in the French capital this week and would be delivering the bread to the presidential palace.

“I cried because we are foreigners and we came here to learn how to make traditional French bread,” Tharshan Selvarajah told AFP on Thursday.

“I am very happy to have won the prize.”

Fifteen baguette connoisseurs on Wednesday selected Selvarajah’s version of the iconic French bread as the best among 175 anonymous contenders.

Members of the jury, including six ordinary Parisians, had to rate dozens of baguette on their taste, crust, crumb, air bubbles, and overall aspect.

“Don’t drink at the start or you won’t be able to make it to the end of the tasting,” Paris official Olivia Polski warned judges before they started.

A video she shared on Twitter shows her then ringing up the baker based in eastern Paris to tell him the good news.

“Noooo,” he can be heard saying on the other end of the line.

Selvarajah told AFP he always makes his long loaves “with love”, while “smiling, laughing and singing”, and the result is well-cooked, delicious and crusty.

He has won 4,000 euros (more than $4,300) and the opportunity to supply baguettes to the presidential palace.

“I’m so happy that the president will taste my bread. Just taking it to the palace is exciting,” he told AFP.

UN cultural body UNESCO awarded the baguette world heritage status in November last year.

Source – AFP

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1st stock of imported coconut milk to undergo clearance, lab testing today

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The first consignment of imported coconut milk under the Government’s raw material importation programme is scheduled to undergo clearance and laboratory testing today (31), as part of a coordinated initiative by the Plantation Industries Ministry.

This initiative, approved by the Cabinet, aims to supply essential raw materials to industries linked to the coconut sector, aiming to reduce domestic coconut prices and support local manufacturers. The consignment currently under clearance includes products equivalent to 200 million coconuts. They are in the forms of frozen coconut milk, coconut milk powder and chunked coconut with testa (non-copra), imported as part of the programme initiated in March 2025. The stock will be used primarily in the coconut milk powder industry, which has been facing raw material shortages. The Plantation Industries Ministry expects this move to reduce the pressure on local coconut supplies and contribute to a drop in retail coconut prices.

(dailynews.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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BoC employees to strike over unpaid incentives

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Employees of all Bank of Ceylon (BoC) branches have decided to walk out of service at 12.30 pm today (May 29).

The decision has been taken over the current management not taking the initiative to provide them with the 06-month incentive package approved by the Board of Directors, according to the Bank Employees’ Union.

Central Committee member of the Bank Employees’ Union – Najith Wijeratne, stated that they will initiate a token strike if this issue is not resolved by June 06.

BoC employees have also held lunchtime protests yesterday (May 28) in front of 22 branches in major cities islandwide.

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Imported salt released to market

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The National Salt Ltd. says that 2,800 MT of salt imported from India have been released to the market.

It says the food-grade salt stock, which arrived on May 23, is being distributed to the market through local salt sales agents for consumer sale.

The Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development states that Lanka Salt Ltd. is importing 10,000 MT of salt, while over 100 importers, including those from Pettah, are bringing in an additional 100,000 MT.

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