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A veterinary surgeon, whose love of cooking is inspired by his Sri Lankan heritage, has been crowned the 20th winner of BBC TV’s Masterchef.Brin Pirathapan, 29, from Chelmsford, impressed judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace to beat 57 others in this year’s amateur contest, British media reported
Pirathapan cooked a winning menu of a seafood starter, a spiced venison main, and a dessert of white chocolate and cardamom and saffron cremeux with a lime and chili sorbet.
“The show is one of the reasons I’m the cook I am today,” he said.
He was working as a veterinary surgeon in Bristol before entering the show, and said he had watched the show since he way a boy.
“The food I grew up with was never boring. Coming from a Tamil, Sri Lankan background, we had nice food on the table and it’s never bland,” he said.
“There was just something about this year where I thought if I didn’t apply I would probably just sit and watch it and regret that I didn’t. I just thought ‘bite the bullet… what’s the worst that could happen?’.”
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The Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) has called for an independent regulatory body to oversee fuel pricing and safeguard fair competition among petroleum suppliers.
The matter came up during a committee meeting chaired by MP Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday at the Parliamentary complex, where members examined disparities in fuel procurement costs between the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and private distributors.
Officials pointed out that while the CPC meets part of the country’s fuel demand through its refinery, private operators depend entirely on imported refined petroleum products. The Committee was informed that the two groups face substantially different landing costs.
However, private distributors are required to base their retail prices on those announced by the CPC, raising questions about whether the existing arrangement places them at a competitive disadvantage, according to a Parliament Department of Communication statement.
Members stressed the need for an independent and transparent system to regulate pricing, taking into account procurement costs, taxation and distribution expenses, while ensuring equitable treatment of all market participants.
The Committee also called for replacing broad-based fuel subsidies with targeted relief for economically disadvantaged groups and public transport operators.
Other matters reviewed included proposed standards for imported vehicle tyres and revisions to the Aswesuma welfare scheme.
The meeting examined regulations issued under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act through Extraordinary Gazette No. 2508/27 of October 1, 2026, and Supplementary Estimate No. 07 of 2026.
Sri Lanka’s economic growth has slowed sharply while inflation, youth unemployment and poverty continue to put pressure on the public, former Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said yesterday.
Addressing a media briefing, organised by the People’s United Opposition, in Colombo, Prof Peiris said economic growth had declined from 5.8% in the second quarter of 2025 to 4.2% in the second quarter of 2026.
He also claimed that the economy was now about 2% below the level recorded in 2008.
Prof. Peiris said inflation had risen from 6.3%, in June, to 8% by August, while food inflation had reached 8.5%. He warned that continued inflation would erode people’s savings and the value of their assets.
He said the value of the US dollar had risen from Rs. 293, in October 2024, to Rs. 337, increasing import costs and placing additional pressure on the repayment of foreign debt.
Prof Peiris said the economic contraction, inflation and foreign exchange difficulties had hampered job creation, while unemployment among educated youth had risen to 43%, which, he described, as the highest youth unemployment rate in Asia.
He also said that Sri Lanka had attracted no large-scale foreign investment over the past two years, citing what he said were concerns raised in a US State Department report over weak institutional coordination, frequently changing policies and tax policies.
Prof Peiris further criticised the Government over the pace of expenditure, claiming that only 28% of funds allocated in last year’s Budget had been spent by September.
He said only about 8% of the Rs. 500 billion allocated for people affected by the Ditwah disaster had been spent, arguing that institutional inefficiency, rather than a shortage of funds, was responsible.
Peiris also questioned the economic impact of the Government’s vehicle import policy, claiming that the reopening of vehicle imports had resulted in a significant outflow of foreign exchange.
He said Customs revenue from vehicle imports, which he put at Rs. 255.1 billion in 2025, had declined to about Rs. 200 billion by September this year and was likely to fall further.
Against this backdrop, Prof Peiris said the Government should use the Budget, scheduled to be presented on November 12, to introduce practical measures to address the country’s economic problems.
Former Ministers Dr Rajitha Senaratne, Patali Champila Ranawaka and Suren Raghavan also addressed the press
A total of 107,829 dengue cases have been reported across Sri Lanka so far this year, with 81 deaths attributed to the disease, the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) said.
The Gampaha District has recorded the highest number of cases at 22,502, followed by Colombo with 20,799 cases and Kandy with 8,803 cases.
July recorded the highest monthly number of dengue cases so far this year, with 29,964 cases reported during the month.
The NDCU said 1,577 cases had been reported during the first few days of November alone.
In view of the prevailing rainy weather, the NDCU has declared a special Dengue Prevention Week from yesterday (09) to November 14.
The programme is aimed at strengthening dengue prevention activities and controlling mosquito breeding grounds amid conditions favourable for the spread of the disease.
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