Sri Lanka rolls out fuel rationing system amid ongoing conflict in West Asia
Colombo (PTI): Sri Lanka on Sunday rolled out a fuel rationing system through QR code in view of a possible crisis situation due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Cars are allowed 15 litres per week, while buses are allowed 60 litres per week, the Ministry of Energy said.
The QR rationing is introduced as a measure in view of hoarding by the consumers despite the continuous availability of enough fuel for 4 months, it said.
The rationing comes after the government announced this week that it was hopeful of securing fuel supplies from India and Russia.
Long queues were witnessed outside fuel retailers due to problems with the operation of the QR code, retailers said.
Earlier last week, Sri Lanka raised fuel prices to contain hoarding even as long queues were seen at fuel pumps since the war broke out on February 28.
The government had appealed to people to cut down on non-essential travel to minimise fuel usage.
Rationing using QR code was successful in curbing the problem when the supplies ran dry due to forex shortage during the 2022 economic crisis, making it difficult to pay for the shipments.
An Indian credit line through the Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC), the company's Sri Lanka operation, helped diffuse tensions. That year, between March and July, over 25 people died due to exhaustion after spending long hours in fuel queues.
Starting February 28, the US and Israel have launched a massive joint attack on Iran and with Iran's retaliation, it has extended to the entire Gulf region. Iranian strikes in Hormuz have affected maritime traffic in the strait, which is crucial for global supply chains for crude and oil.
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Gill, Mandhana win top BCCI awards
New Delhi (PTI): Prolific batters Shubman Gill and Smriti Mandhana were named the Best International Cricketers (Men's and Women's) at the BCCI Naman Awards 2026 here on Sunday, recognising their outstanding performances in the 2024–2025 season.
Gill won the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award, while Mandhana received the award for the fifth time.
For Gill, it was his second Cricketer of the Year award after first winning it in 2023.
Former stars Roger Binny, Rahul Dravid and Mithali Raj were honoured with the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the BCCI's highest honour, recognising their outstanding service to Indian cricket.
India's five trophy-winning sides (2025 ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 Women's ODI World Cup, 2025 U-19 Women's World Cup, 2026 Men's U-19 World Cup, and 2026 T20 World Cup) were honoured as well on the occasion.
Gill enjoyed a stellar 2025 and established himself as one of the team's most dependable batters in the longer formats.
On the tour of England, skipper Gill led from the front in the five-Test series, finishing as the top run-getter with 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40, including four centuries and a top score of 269.
Gill also played a pivotal role in India's Champions Trophy triumph last year, having entered the tournament as the No.1-ranked ODI batter in the world. He made an unbeaten 101 against Bangladesh in India's opening match, and finished the tournament with 188 runs.
Mandhana finished 2025 with 1,703 international runs, including 1,362 in ODIs, the most by any woman in a calendar year. In doing so, Mandhana became the first batter in women's ODI history to score 1,000 runs in a single calendar year.
Mandhana also made handsome contributions to India's maiden Women's World Cup title triumph, aggregating 434 runs in nine matches to end as the tournament as India's leading run-scorer and the second-highest overall.
Before the World Cup, the left-hander Mandhana smashed a 50-ball century against Australia in New Delhi to register the fastest ODI hundred by an Indian batter, surpassing Virat Kohli's 52-ball effort.
Shafali Varma (Best Woman Cricketer Senior Domestic One-Day), Ira Jadhav (Best Woman Cricketer (Domestic), Harsh Dubey (Best All Rounder in the Ranji Trophy), and Ayush Mhatre (Best All Rounder in Domestic Limited Overs Competitions) too won awards for their strong performances across the 2024-25 domestic season.
