Sri Lanka hikes fuel prices 25%, second such increase in a week amid Gulf war
India Today
Sri Lanka raised fuel prices by about 25% for the second time in a week as the Gulf conflict disrupts global oil supplies via the Strait of Hormuz.
The Sri Lankan government on Sunday raised fuel prices by around 25 per cent, the second such increase in a week amid the West Asia conflict.
The step comes in the backdrop of the joint US-Israel strikes against Iran and the retaliation by the Islamic nation that has spread to the entire Gulf region. It has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important choke point for the world's energy supplies.
The island nation's government hiked fuel prices effective midnight as the conflict, which has roiled global oil markets, entered its fourth week.
The price of auto diesel rose 26.1 per cent from Sri Lankan rupees (LKR) 303 to LKR 382, super diesel 25.5 per cent from LKR 353 to LKR 443, petrol 92 octane 25.6 per cent from 317 to 398, petrol 95 octane 24.7 per cent from 365 to 455, and kerosene 30.8 per cent from 195 to 255.
The price hike, caused by the conflict, is the second in a week and the third since March 1.
With the cost escalations, the fuel retail prices are set to return to the levels of the 2022 economic crisis, when Sri Lanka declared its first-ever sovereign default since gaining independence from Britain in 1948.
The clip, shared by a user on X, captures a Lamborghini repeatedly doing donuts at a public junction under a flyover in Bengaluru, even as other vehicles pass by.
Tokyo has no immediate plans to seek arrangements to allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz for stranded Japanese vessels, Motegi said, adding it was "extremely important" to create conditions that allow all ships to navigate through the narrow waterway.
The continued absence of Mojtaba, according to an Axios report, has been a matter of discussion during President Donald Trump's intelligence briefings. The report also quoted an official as saying that the US national security team is still assessing who is in charge in Tehran.
If true, the deployment will give Britain the capability to launch strikes on Iran in case the regional conflict escalates drastically. Earlier, on Friday, the British government had authorised the US military to use military bases in Britain to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites that are attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu's North Shore, a community world-renowned for its big-wave surfing. Raging waters lifted homes and cars and prompted evacuation orders for 5,500 people north of Honolulu. Authorities cautioned that a 120-year-old dam could fail.
The agency, along with Customs and Border Protection, has deployed agents over the past few months to multiple areas as part of the crackdown, most recently to Minnesota in an operation that resulted in agents fatally shooting American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
An Iranian missile struck Jerusalem near the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Eid al-Fitr, with Israel condemning the attack near key religious sites.
An Indian man in London spotted an auto rickshaw on one of the roads in the city, and shared it in a now-viral video on social media.
Ashraf Wani's firsthand account from the frontlines amid the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. He narrates the relentless challenges amid heavy shelling in Lebanon, which has already registered over 1,000 deaths.
A son found his mother secretly gaming late at night on Spider-Man 2, flipping the usual parent-child dynamic and delighting the internet.
An Emirates flight attendant made her graduation unforgettable by walking the stage with her daughter in matching uniforms, with the wholesome moment winning hearts online.