Uruguay Confirms March 1st Public Holiday

Sources: Asociación de la Prensa Uruguaya (Montevideo) and Uruguay bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Uruguay has issued a communique reminding all that Monday, March 1, 2010, was a non-working public holiday (feriado no laborable) on account of this year's Presidential Inauguration.

Jersey Rejects Additional Liberation Day Public Holiday Again

Sources: The Jersey Evening Post (Saint Helier) and Jersey bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The States of Jersey (Jersey's Parliament) has voted against a recent bill that would have declared Friday, May 7, 2010, as a day in lieu public holiday, to compensate the fact that the 60th Liberation Day anniversary falls on a Sunday.

Micronesia Adds Second Yap Day Public Holiday

Sources: Marianas Variety (Colonia) and Federated States of Micronesia bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The governor of Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia, Sebastian L. Anefal, has declared an additional public sector holiday, on Tuesday, March 2, 2010, on account of this year's Yap Day celebrations.

Gambia Declares Prophet's Birthday Public Holiday

Sources: The Daily Observer (Banjul) and Gambia bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The president of the Republic of The Gambia, Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, has declared Saturday, February 27th, 2010, as a public holiday throughout The Gambia on account of this year's Prophet's Birthday.

India Changes Punjab Holi Public Holiday Date

Sources: NRI News (Chandigarh) and India bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of India's State of Punjab has announced that it had decided to change to Monday, March 1st, 2010, the date of the upcoming public holiday associated with the Holi Festival.

Kenya Could Declare February 28 Public Holiday

Sources: The Nation (Nairobi) and Kenya bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Kenyan Government is considering declaring February 28 as an annual national public holiday to commemorate the signing of the February 28, 2008, National Peace Accord.

Oman Announces Additional Prophet's Birthday Public Holiday

Sources: Oman Ministry of Information (Muscat) and Oman bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Oman's Minister of the Diwan of the Royal Court and Chairman of the Civil Service Council, Sayyid Ali bin Hamoud al Busaidy, has announced a day in lieu public holiday on Saturday, February 27, 2010.

Japan Could Abandon Monday Public Holidays

Sources: Japan Today (Tokyo) and Japan bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Japan is planning to scrap the "Happy Mondays" system whereby 4 of Japan's public holidays always occur on a Monday, so that people can enjoy long holidays at a time instead of 3-day weekends.

Taiwan Could Restore Children's Day Public Holiday In 2011

Sources: Taiwan Central News Agency (Taipei) and Taiwan bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Taiwan's Interior Minister, Jiang Yi-huah, has announced that Children's Day, on April 4, would be reinstated as a national public holiday in 2011.

UAE Announces Prophet's Birthday Public Holiday

Sources: Emirates News Agency (WAM) UAE bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The UAE's Minister of Education and Chairman of Board of Directors of the Federal Authority for Human Resources, Humaid Mohamed Al Qattami, has announced that Mawlid, the public holiday for the birthday celebration of Prophet Mohammad, will be observed on Friday, February 26, 2010.

Pakistan Declares February 26 Regional Public Holiday

Sources: The News (Karachi) and Pakistan bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Chief Minister of Pakistan's Province of Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, has declared a regional public holiday on 11 Rabi-ul-Awal (Friday, February 26, 2010).

Iraq Declares 3-Day Electoral Public Holidays

Sources: PUK Media (Baghdad) and Iraq bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Iraq's President of the Supreme Committee for the Security of Elections, Major General Abdul Qader Aidan, has announced that a 3-day electoral public holiday had been declared from Saturday, March 6, until Monday, March 8, 2010, inclusively.

Nigeria Announces Prophet's Birthday Public Holiday

Sources: Punch (Abuja) and Nigeria bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Nigeria's Minister of State for Interior, Chief Ademola Seriki, has announced that the date of the upcoming Id-el Maulud (Prophet's Birthday) public holiday would be Friday, February 26, 2010.

Kuwait New Labour Law Officially Gazetted

Sources: Kuwait Al Youm (Kuwait Gazette) and Kuwait bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The long-awaited new Labour Law was gazetted yesterday in the official Kuwait Gazette, finally giving the private sector of Kuwait (almost) as many public holidays as the public sector.

Maldives Declares March 1st Public Holiday

Sources: Maldives President's Office Press Release (Male) and Maldives bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Office of the President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, has released a press communique indicating that Monday, March 1, 2010, had been declared a one-off public holiday.

Australian ANZAC Public Holiday Day In Lieu Update

Sources: Tasmanian Government Media Release (Hobart) and Australia bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Minister for Workplace Relations for the Australian state of Tasmania, Lisa Singh, has issued a communique reiterating the Government’s commitment to legislating for a substitute public holiday for ANZAC Day when it falls on a Sunday or on Easter Monday.

Croatia Over August 5 Public Holiday

Sources: Balkan Insight (The Hague) and Croatia bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Serbia has issued a countersuit against Croatia in front of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), demanding, among other things, that Croatia remove the, August 5, "Day of Victory and Homeland Gratitude and the Day of Croatian Defenders", from its list of public holidays.

Bahrain Revises Prophet's Birthday Public Holiday Date

Sources: Bahrain News Agency (Manama) and Bahrain bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Bahrain's Prime Minister, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, has issued an official circular specifying the date, and a compensatory day-off, for the upcoming Prophet Mohammed's Birthday public holiday in Bahrain. (full story)

Uruguay Legislation To Declare May 25 Public Holiday

Sources: El Espectador (Montevideo) and Uruguay bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Uruguayan senator, Ope Pasquet, has tabled a bill that would declare May 25, 2010, a one-off public holiday in Uruguay.

Australia Gazettes 2010 Northern Territory Public Holidays

Sources: Northern Territory Government Gazette (Darwin) and Australia bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Australia's Northern Territory has gazetted its official list of 2010 public holidays, including the local Show Day public holidays.

Pakistan Revises Date Of Prophet's Birthday Public Holiday

Sources: INN (Islamabad) and Pakistan bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Federal Government of Pakistan has announced that the date of the upcoming Eid Milad-un-Nabi (Prophet's Birthday) public holiday had been revised to Saturday, February 27, 2010.

Lebanon Declares March 25 Annunciation Public Holiday

Sources: L'Orient Le Jour (Beirut) and Lebanon bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Following yesterday’s cabinet session, Lebanon's Information Minister, Tarek Mitri, announced that the Lebanese cabinet had finally agreed to make the Feast of the Annunciation a new annual national public holiday (la fête sera chômée).

Bolivia Finalizes Revisions To Labour Code

Sources: La Razón (La Paz) and Bolivia bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Bolivia has released a draft of the upcoming revised labour code, and in particular of its Article 157, dealing with official non-working public holidays in Bolivia.

Russia Considering New Religious Public Holiday

Sources: ITAR-TASS (Moscow) and Russia bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Russian government has announced that it was planning to declare the anniversary of the Christianization of Russia, July 28, as an official non-working public holiday, starting next year.

Guyana Announces Date Of Youmun Nabi Public Holiday

Sources: Guyana Chronicle (Georgetown) and Guyana bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Guyana has announced that the upcoming Youmun Nabi, birth anniversary of the Prophet, public holiday, would be observed as a non-working public holiday on Saturday, February 27, 2010.

Ecuador Announces Carnival Recuperation Dates

Sources: El Universo (Guayaquil) and Ecuador bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Ecuador's Minister of Labour Relations has announced that Saturday, February 20, and Saturday, February 27, 2010, would be regular working days as compensation for the 2 days of Carnival public holidays, earlier this week.

Anguilla Set To Generalize March 2 As Public Holiday

Sources: Caribbean Daily News (The Valley) and Anguilla bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Anguilla's recently elected Chief Minister, Hubert Hughes, has announced that the birthday of James Ronald Webster, on March 2nd, would henceforth be a full-fledged public holiday in Anguilla.

Peru Announces 2010 Public Sector Holidays

Sources: Diario Oficial El Peruano (Lima) and Peru bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Peru has declared 4 additional public sector holidays for 2010, on June 28, July 30, December 24 and December 31.

Azerbaijan Extends Novruz Public Holidays By 2 Days

Sources: Trend News (Baku) and Azerbaijan bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The head of the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers press-service, Akif Ali, has announced that the annual, March 20-24, Novruz public holidays would be extended by 2 days this year, Thursday and Friday, March 25 and 26, 2010.

Anguilla Declares Tomorrow A Public Holiday

Sources: Anguilla News (The Valley) and Anguilla bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). At the request of the Chief Minister Designate, Hubert Hughes, following his election yesterday, the Governor of Anguilla, Alistair Harrison, has declared tomorrow, Wednesday, February 17, 2010, a one-off national public holiday.

Kuwait Declares 5-Day Public Holidays From February 25

Sources: The Kuwait Times (Kuwait City) and Kuwait bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Kuwait's Civil Service Commission Chairman, Abdulaziz Al-Zibn, has confirmed that the upcoming National Day and Liberation Day public holidays would last for 5 consecutive days, from Thursday, February 25, until Monday, March 1st, 2010, inclusively.

Kyrgyzstan Declares February 22 Public Holiday

Sources: Kyrgyz National News Agency (KABAR) and Kyrgyzstan bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Kyrgyzstan has declared Monday, February 22, 2010, as a one-off bridge public holiday, to link the weekend with the annual, February 23, Homeland Defenders' Day public holiday.

Jersey Legislature To Consider May 7 Public Holiday

Sources: States of Jersey Greffe (Saint Helier) and Jersey bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Jersey Deputy, M. Tadier, of St. Brelade, has introduced new legislation that would declare Friday, May 7, 2010, a one-off day in lieu public holiday, to compensate the fact that this year's Liberation Day public holiday falls on a Sunday.

Hong Kong To Review Weekend Public Holidays

Sources: RTHK Radio Television Hong Kong (Hong Kong) and Hong Kong bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Hong Kong's Chief Executive, Donald Tsang, has announced that he would discuss the need for a review of days-in-lieu for public holidays, with Labour and Welfare Secretary, Matthew Cheung.

Russia Considering New February 15 Public Holiday

Sources: ITAR-TASS (Moscow) and Russia bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Russia Duma (legislature) has recently passed in its second reading a bill establishing February 15 as a new red-letter date (non-working public holiday) in the Russian calendar.

Haiti Confirms Carnival Public Holiday

Sources: Le Nouvelliste Haïti (Port-au-Prince) and Haiti bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Haiti has announced that, although the Carnival celebrations had been cancelled for this year, the Mardi Gras, February 16, 2010, public holiday would remain a non-working day (jour férié chômé).

Nepal Extends Sonam Lhosar Public Holiday

Sources: The Himalayan Times (Kathmandu) and Nepal bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Nepal has declared tomorrow, Sunday, February 14, 2010, as a nationwide public holiday on the occasion of the Lhosar festival of the Sherpas, Gurungs and Tibetan communities.

Honduras Bill Would Create June 28 Public Holiday

Sources: La Tribuna (Tegucigalpa) and Honduras bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Secretary of the National Congress of Honduras, Eliseo Noel Mejía Castillo, has presented a decree to the Legislative Assembly which would make June 28 a new annual public holiday.

Kuwait Could Extend Month-End Public Holidays

Sources: Al Rai (Kuwait City) and Kuwait bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Kuwait's Cabinet is reported to be considering declaring Monday, March 1, 2010, a public holiday, thereby extending the upcoming month-end public holidays to 5 consecutive days.

Sierra Leone Declares February 18 Public Holiday

Sources: State House Press Secretariat (Freetown) and Sierra Leone bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, has declared that the upcoming, February 18, Armed Forces Day, would be a non-working public holiday.

Bulgaria Approves New Easter Public Holiday

Sources: Novinite Sofia News Agency (Sofia) and Bulgaria bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Bulgaria's Parliament has approved a bill that will make Orthodox Good Friday an official, non-working, public holiday in Bulgaria.

Nepal Rules-Out February 15 and 18 Public Holidays

Sources: Nepal News (Kathmandu) and Nepal bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Nepal's Home Ministry has issued a communique stating that February 15 and 18, 2010, would not be public holidays on the occasion of Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav's impending state visit to India, as custom would normally have had it.

Haiti Declares February 12 Public Holiday

Sources: The Associated Press (Port-au-Prince) and Haiti bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Haitian government has declared Friday, February 12, 2010, as a one-off public holiday to give the nation a chance to mourn and "pay homage to the innumerable victims of the earthquake, many buried in anonymity".

Dominican Republic Reconsidering Moveable Public Holidays

Sources: El Nuevo Diario (Santo Domingo) and Dominican Republic bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Dominican Republic legislator, Radhamés Castro (Partido Popular Cristiano), has introduced a bill that would put an end to the practice of moving mid-week public holidays to the nearest Monday.

Argentina Restores Carnival Holidays

Sources: Diario La Prensa (Buenos Aires) and Argentina bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Argentina's Minister of Tourism, Enrique Meyer, has confirmed that the 2 days of Carnival, abolished as public holidays in 1976 by the military junta, would be restored at the national level effective this year.

Zambia Urged To Declare Election Day Public Holiday

Sources: The Post (Lusaka) and Zambia bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The executive director of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ), Reverend Pukuta Mwanza, has recommended to the parliamentary committee on legal affairs, governance, human rights and gender matters, that Election Day should be declared a public holiday in election years to maximise voter turnout.

Burundi Declares February 8 Public Holiday

Sources: Le Portail des Institutions (Bujumbura) and Burundi bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, has declared Monday, February 8, 2010, a one-off public holiday to enable civil servants and the private sector to register for the upcoming elections.

Peru Declares February 8 Regional Public Holiday

Sources: Los Andes (Puno) and Peru bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Honorary Prefect of Puno, Victor Urviola Garrido, has declared Monday, February 8, 2010, a one-off regional public sector holiday on account of that day's celebration of the Virgen de la Candelaria.

USA: California Public Sector Holidays Reduction Approved

Sources: The San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco) and USA bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The governor of the American State of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has gotten the green light, from the San Francisco Superior Court, to cut 2 annual public sector holidays.

Australia's Queensland Clarifies Christmas 2010 Public Holidays

Sources: The Brisbane Times (Brisbane) and Australia bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Attorney General of Australia's State of Queensland, Cameron Dick, has announced that, following his intervention, Queensland will have two days off work in lieu of the Christmas and Boxing Day public holidays, which fall on a weekend in 2010.