New Delhi, March 17 -- All Wednesdays will now be a holiday in Sri Lanka as the country moves to a 4-day work week to conserve its scarce fuel reserves amid the prolonged war in the Middle East.

The Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which some 20 per cent of global exports pass in peacetime, has been effectively closed by Iran in retaliation for the US and Israeli war against it, now in its third week.

State institutions will operate only four days a week starting Wednesday, March 18, said Commissioner-General of Essential Services Prabath Chandrakeerthi. The new measures will also apply to schools and universities and will remain in place indefinitely.

"We are also asking the private sector to follow suit and declare every Wedn...