China's Guangdong Golden Week Public Holiday Cancelled

Sources: Asia Times Online (Hong Kong) and China public holidays (qppstudio.net). A few hours ago, the Guangdong provincial government have issued an emergency notice canceling its arrangements for the upcoming May Day Golden Week, and removed all previous notices about the long holiday from all the Guangdong government's websites.

Indonesia Declares April 9 Public Holiday

Sources: The Jakarta Globe (Jakarta) and Indonesia public holidays (qppstudio.net). Earlier today, the chairman of the Indonesia's election commission (KPU) announced, as we had forecast last year, that the government has decided to make April 9, the polling day for the upcoming parliamentary elections, a public holiday to encourage all voters to cast their ballot.

Mayotte To Declare March 30 Post-Referendum Public Holiday

Sources: Libération (Mamoudzou) and Mayotte public holidays (qppstudio.net). The president of the French overseas territory of Mayotte, Ahmed Attoumani Douchina, has announced that Monday, March 30, 2009, would be a one-off public holidays to celebrate the expected victory of the "yes" vote in Sunday's referendum as to whether the territory should become the 101st department of France.

USA's Capital Considering Dropping April 16 Public Holiday

Sources: The Washington Post (Washington D.C.) and USA public holidays (qppstudio.net). The mayor of the US capital, Washington DC, Adrian M. Fenty, has proposed abandoning the April 16, Emancipation Day municipal public sector holiday.

China Clamps Down On Regional May Golden Weeks

Sources: Xinhua (Beijing) and China public holidays (qppstudio.net). Earlier today, China's State Council "asked" local governments to "strictly" observe regulations on national holidays, thus putting an end to the ongoing speculation that many regions would restore the May Golden Week public holidays this year.

Switzerland Adds Labour Day Public Holiday In Neuchâtel Canton

Sources: Le Matin (Lausanne) and Switzerland public holidays (qppstudio.net). Switzerland's State Council has decided that, starting in 2010, the Canton of Neuchâtel would observe the May 1st, Labour Day public holiday, currently observed by 9 of Switzerland's 26 Cantons.

Cambodia March 30 Public Holiday Still Uncertain

Sources: The Phnom Penh Post (Phnom Penh) and Cambodia public holidays (qppstudio.net). Cambodia's Information Minister, Khieu Kanharith, has said that he could not yet confirm if next Monday, March 30, 2009, would be a one-off public holiday to coincide with the first day of the trials of the Khmer Rouge.

Swaziland Declares April 20 Public Holiday

Sources: The Swazi Observer (Mbabane) and Swaziland public holidays (qppstudio.net). Swaziland's Minister of Home Affairs, Chief Mgwagwa Gamedze, announced that Monday, April 20, 2009, had been declared a one-off public holiday due to the fact that this year's King’s Birthday public holiday (April 19) falls on a Sunday.

Nepal Declares March 26 Ghode Jatra Public Holiday

Sources: The Himalayan Times (Kathmandu) and Nepal public holidays (qppstudio.net). At a cabinet meeting, earlier today, the government of Nepal declared a public holiday, in the Valley, for Ghode Jatra tomorrow, Thursday, March 26, 2009.

Germany To Consider Restoring October 31 Public Holiday In Capital State

Sources: Berliner Morgenpost (Berlin) and Germany public holidays (qppstudio.net). Germany's CDU party, member of the current ruling federal coalition, has introduced legislation for Reformation Day (October 31) to become a public holiday in the state of Berlin, which includes Germany's capital.

Greece Announces Year-End Financial Holidays

Sources: Hellenic Exchanges (HELEX) and Greece public holidays (qppstudio.net). Greece's HELEX (the Central Securities Depository) and the Athens Exchange will be closed all day on December 24, 2009, and will close early on December 31, 2009.

India Electoral Public Holidays In Jammu and Kashmir

Sources: Merinews (Gurgaon) and India public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of India's state of Jammu and Kashmir has declared all upcoming Lok Sabha elections polling days as public holidays in their respective districts.

Sri Lanka Sinhala and Tamil New Year Bank Holidays Update

Sources: The Island (Colombo) and Sri Lanka public holidays (qppstudio.net). Sri Lanka's Commercial Bank of Ceylon has announced its hours of operation during the upcoming 6-day public holidays due to the conjunction of the weekend and of 3 annual public holidays, the Bak Full Moon Poya Day (April 9), Good Friday (April 10), Sinhala and Tamil New Year (April 13-14).

Paraguay To Vote On September 15 Public Holiday

Sources: Ultima Hora (Asunción) and Paraguay public holidays (qppstudio.net). Paraguay's Parliament is to vote on a draft bill, presented by deputy, Ramona Mendoza, which would create a new annual public holiday, Día de la Democracia, on September 15.

Vietnam Day In Lieu For Upcoming Hung Kings' Public Holiday

Sources: Sàigòn Giài Phòng (Saigon) and Vietnam public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has confirmed the date of April 4, 2009, for the upcoming Hung Kings Anniversary public holiday, as well as the details of a day in lieu public holiday on Monday, April 6, 2009.

Nepal Adds Republic Day To Public Holidays List

Sources: Nepal News (Kathmandu) and Nepal public holidays (qppstudio.net). Nepal's Home Ministry is preparing to table a proposal to amend the list of public holidays in 2066 BS to include the Republic Day public holiday, at the next cabinet meeting.

Brazilian MP To Fight For Restoration Of Saint George State Public Holiday

Sources: O Globo (Rio de Janeiro) and Brazil public holidays (qppstudio.net). Independent State MP, Jorge Babu (independent), author of the Lei 5.198 which instituted the April 23, Saint George (São Jorge) State public holiday, has vowed to fight against that public holiday being declared unconstitutional.

Bermuda Approves Public Holidays Amendment Act 2009

Sources: The Royal Gazette (Kingston) and Bermuda public holidays (qppstudio.net). Late last week, Bermuda MPs have approved the Public Holidays Amendment Act 2009 in the House of Assembly.

Cayman Islands Announces Official 2010 Public Holidays List

Sources: Caymanian Compass (George Town) and Cayman Islands public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of the Cayman Islands has released its official list of 2010 public holidays.

Nicaragua Announces Holy Week Public Holidays

Sources: MITRAB (Managua) and Nicaragua public holidays (qppstudio.net). In a communique released yesterday, Nicaragua's Minister of Labor, Jeannette Chávez Gomez, announced that, as per custom, it had declared the period from Palm Sunday until Easter Sunday as public sector holidays.

Azerbaijan Novruz Bank Holidays Update

Sources: Azerbaijan Business Center (Baku) and Azerbaijan public holidays (qppstudio.net). Azerbaijan's Bank Respublika has announced the opening hours of its branches during the upcoming 9-day Novruz national public holidays.

Angola Public Sector Holiday For Papal Visit

Sources: Angop News Agency (Luanda) and Angola public holidays (qppstudio.net). Late last night, it was reported that Angola's minister for public administration and employment, had given public sector workers a public holiday on Friday, March 20, 2009, to coincide with the first day of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Angola.

Pakistan Public Sector Holiday Tomorrow In Sindh

Sources: The News (Karachi) and Pakistan public holidays (qppstudio.net). Earlier today, the Government of Pakistan's Province of Sindh declared Friday, March 20, 2009, as a public holiday throughout the Province of Sindh in memory of Shaheed Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi alias Sooriah Shah.

Costa Rica Public Sector Holidays April 4-12

Sources: Nación (San José) and Costa Rica public holidays (qppstudio.net). Costa Rica's Minister of the Presidency, Rodrigo Arias, announced yesterday that the public sector employees would benefit from 3 additional days of public holidays, during the upcoming Easter week (Semana Santa), meaning that Costa Rica government offices will be closed from Friday night, April 3, until Monday morning, April 13, 2009.

South Africa Declares April 22 Public Holiday

Sources: BuaNews (Pretoria) and South Africa public holidays (qppstudio.net). As we predicted last month, South Africa's President, Kgalema Motlanthe, has declared Wednesday, April 22, 2009, a public holiday to allow South Africans to exercise their democratic right to vote in the General Elections will be held on that day.

Chile Declares December 11 Electoral Public Holiday

Sources: Servicio Electoral (Santiago) and Chile public holidays (qppstudio.net). Chile's electoral commission has released the Cronograma Electoral of the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections, confirming the date of Friday, December 11, for the first round of these elections, and that it will be an official public holiday.

Kyrgyzstan Rules Out March 23 Public Holiday

Sources: Kyrgyz National News Agency (Bishkek) and Kyrgyzstan public holidays (qppstudio.net). Earlier today, Kyrgyzstan's labor and social development ministry issued a statement announcing that, as per article 113 of the Labour Code of Kyrgyzstan, Monday, March 23, 2009, would be a regular working day.

Afghanistan Declares March 17 Public Holiday

Sources: AFP (Kabul) and Afghanistan public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Afghanistan has declared March 17, 2009, as a one-off public holiday, to coincide with the re-burial of ex-president Mohammad Daud Khan, killed in a Soviet-backed coup in 1978, and whose remains were recently uncovered.

Nepal To consider Adding More Muslim Public Holidays

Sources: The Himalayan Times (Kathmandu) and Nepal public holidays (qppstudio.net). As part of a six-point deal, designed to end the five-day long agitation of the Muslim community, the government of Nepal agreed to "... positively consider to provide public holidays in the festivals of the Muslims".

China May Day Golden Week Public Holidays Update

Sources: Xinhua (Beijing) and China public holidays (qppstudo.net). China's Hangzhou Tourism Commission has announced that it plans to resume the seven-day May Day Golden Week public holiday by adding a paid holiday of four days before or after the public holiday, or by adding two days before and two days after the holiday.

Trinidad and Tobago April 17 Public Holiday Update

Sources: The Trinidad Guardian (Port-of-Spain) and Trinidad and Tobago public holidays (qppstudio.net). Trinidad and Tobago's chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for the upcoming Fifth Summit of the Americas, Mariano Browne, announced that closing government offices, and giving Government workers a day off on April 17, 2009, was one of the alternative measures that could be implemented if a nationwide public holiday was not granted.

Botswana Election Day Public Holiday Update 3

Sources: Botswana Press Agency (Gaborone) and Botswana public holidays (qppstudio.net). Addressing participants during a two-day national youth workshop on Monday, the Principal Public Relations Officer of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Mr Osupile Maroba, said the prerogative to declare election day a public holiday lies with the president, adding that there is nothing that the commission can do in that regard if the law is not amended.

Bahrain Law To Align Private And Public Sector Holidays

Sources: Gulf Daily News (Manama) and Bahrain public holidays (qppstudio.net). Thursday, at at an extraordinary session of Bahrain's Parliament, MPs backed a proposed new Private Sector Employment Law which would, among other aspects, bring the number and duration of the private sector's public holidays in line with those of government employees.

Philippines Considering 7 Additional Public Holidays

Sources: The Philippine Star (Manila) and Philippines public holidays (qppstudio.net). Several bills have been tabled in the Philippines' House of Representatives, seeking to declare seven more non-working public holidays in addition to the 16 public holidays already prescribed by law or presidential order.

Liberia Declares March 15-16 Public Holidays

Sources: Liberian Observer (Monrovia) and Liberia public holidays (qppstudio.net). Liberia's President, Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, has released a proclamation declaring Sunday, March 15, 2009, as the "Second Centennial Birth Anniversary of Joseph Jenkins Roberts", a public holiday to be observed properly and propitiously throughout the territorial confines of the Republic.

Antigua and Barbuda Public Holiday Today

Sources: SKNVibes (Saint John's) and Antigua and Barbuda public holidays (qppstudio.net). Earlier this morning, the newly elected UPP government of Antigua and Barbuda has declared today, March 13, 2009, as a one-off, post-election public holiday, exactly as we had predicted yesterday.

Antigua and Barbuda Post-Election Public Holiday Expected

Sources: Caribbean Net News (Saint John's) and Antigua and Barbuda public holidays (qppstudio.net). Local media sources in Antigua and Barbuda expect Friday, March 13, 2009, the day after today's general elections, to be declared a one-off public holiday, "regardless of which party wins".

Egypt Announces New March 13 National Holiday

Sources: The Egyptian Gazette (Cairo) and Egypt public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Egypt has decided to make March 13 a new annual national holiday, to commemorate the return of Taba to Egyptian sovereignty, 20 years ago. The statement from the Egyptian Cabinet specifies that on that day, all schools and universities would close, but that Government ministries would continue working normally.

DR Congo Declares March 9 Public Holiday

Sources: Afrique en Ligne (Kinshasa) and DR Congo public holidays (qppstudio.net). Monday, March 9, 2009, has been declared a public holiday in DR Congo following the victory of the national soccer team in the first African Nations Championship (CHAN) that ended Sunday in Côte d'Ivoire.

Oman Announces Prophet's Birthday Public Holidays

Sources: Times of Oman (Muscat) and Oman public holidays (qppstudio.net). Oman has announced that the upcoming Prophet's Birthday public holidays would be observed on March 10-11, by the public sector (all employees at the ministries, public authorities and other departments of the state administrative apparatus). As for the private sector, it will only get a 1-day public holiday, on Thursday, March 12, 2009.

Turkey Labor Day Public Holiday Update

Sources: Hürriyet (Ankara) and Turkey public holidays (qppstudio.net). Reacting to an earlier call by Turkey's main opposition party, Turkey's Labor and Social Security Minister, Faruk Çelik, has announced that a proposal to declare May 1st as an official public holiday would occur after the March 29 local elections.

Azerbaijan School Holidays Extended Due To Novruz Public Holidays

Sources: APA (Baku) and Azerbaijan public holidays (qppstudio.net). Azerbaijan's Department Chief of the Ministry of Education, Aydin Ahmedov, announced that Azerbaijan's spring school vacations, originally scheduled for March 16-23, had been rescheduled for March 17-27, due to last month's extension of the Novruz public holidays.

Maldives SAARC Summit Likely To Be Delayed

Sources: Miadhu News (Male) and Maldives public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Maldives's foreign minister, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, has indicated that the 16 SAARC Summit, originally scheduled for October 2009, would likely need to be moved to the first quarter of 2010.

Burkina Faso Declares 2-Day Public Holidays

Sources: Agence de Presse Africaine (Ouagadougou) and Burkina Faso public holidays (qppstudio.net). Burkina Faso's Minister for Public Service and State Reform (ministre de la Fonction publique et de la Réforme de l’Etat), Soungalo Ouattara, announced that the government had declared next Monday and Tuesday, March 9-10, 2009, to be non-working public holidays.

Pakistan Announces Date Of Eid Milad-un-Nabi Public Holiday

Sources: Asia Pulse (Islamabad) and Pakistan public holidays (qppstudio.net). Pakistan's Ministry of Interior has announced that Tuesday, March 10, 2009, will be a public holiday on the occasion of the Eid Milad-un-Nabi (Prophet Muhammad's Birthday).

Sénégal Changes Date Of Upcoming Maouloud Public Holiday

Sources: Site Officiel du Gouvernement du Sénégal (Dakar) and Sénégal public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Government of Sénégal has announced that the upcoming Maouloud (Prophet's Birthday) public holiday would be observed on Tuesday, March 10, 2009, instead of the previously announced date of March 9.

Uganda Codifies Public Holidays For Presidential Deaths

Sources: Daily Monitor (Kampala) and Uganda public holidays (qppstudio.net). Uganda's Parliament is voting on a new bill, “The Emoluments and benefits of the President, Vice President and Prime Minister Bill, 2009”, codifying retirement benefits for Uganda's President, Vice President and Prime Minister. One of the provisions of this new Bill is that a public holiday shall be declared on the day of burial of a President who dies while in office.

Trinidad And Tobago Summit of the Americas Update

Sources: Trinidad Express (Port-of-Spain) and Trinidad and Tobago public holidays (qppstudio.net). US President, Barack Obama, has confirmed that he would be coming to Trinidad and Tobago for the Summit of the Americas on April 17-19, 2009. The first day of this summit is widely expected to be declared a one-off public holiday.

British Virgin Islands Announces 2010 Official Public Holidays

Sources: Deputy Governor's Office (BVI) and British Virgin Islands public holidays (qppstudio.net). The BVI Cabinet has approved the official list of public holidays for 2010 in the British Virgin Islands, in accordance with Section 5 of the Public Holidays Act (Cap 199).

Bangladesh Weekly Holiday Update

Sources: The Daily Independent (Dhaka) and Bangladesh public holidays (qppstudio.net). Bangladesh's Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, informed the Jatiya Sangsad that her government has no plan, currently, to change the weekly day of rest in Bangladesh from Friday to Sunday. But, she did add, that the reintroduction of public holidays on Sundays would be studied at a later date.