Belarus Declares Exceptional May 10 Public Holiday

Sources: Савет Міністраў Рэспублікі Беларусь (Minsk) and Belarus bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus has issued a resolution declaring Monday, May 10, 2010, as a one-off, day in lieu, non-working public holiday in Belarus, to compensate the fact that this year's, May 9th, 65th anniversary of the Great Victory over fascism falls on a Sunday. [full story]

Kazakhstan Announces May Public Holidays

Sources: Медиа-портал Gazeta (Astana) and Kazakhstan bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Kazakhstan has announced the dates of non-working days related to the upcoming public holidays in the month of May 2010. [full story]

Kyrgyzstan Announces May 2010 Public Holidays

Sources: АКИpress новости Кыргызстана и Центральной Азии (Bishkek) and Kyrgyzstan bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Labor Ministry of Kyrgyzstan has announced the upcoming working and non-working days in connection with the May 2010 public holidays in Kyrgyzstan. [full story]

Bahrain Declares May 2 Substitute Public Holiday

Sources: وكالة أنباء البحرين (BNA) Bahrain bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Bahrain's Prime Minister, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, has issued a May Day circular announcing that all ministries, government departments and institutions would close on Saturday, May 1, 2010, for the International Workers' Day public holiday. [full story]

Ghana Declares May 3 Public Holiday

Sources: Ghana News Agency (Accra) and Ghana bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Ghana's Minister of the Interior, Martin A. B. K. Amidu, has announced that Ghana's President, John Evans Atta Mills, had issued an Executive Instrument declaring Monday May 3, 2010, a statutory public holiday throughout Ghana. [full story]

Philippines Declares May 3 Public Holiday

Sources: ABS-CBN News (Manila) and Philippines bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Philippines' Presidential Executive Secretary, Leandro Mendoza, has announced that, in a last-minute reversal, President Glorial Macapagal-Arroyo had decided to declare Monday, May 3, 2010, as a special non-working public holiday in lieu of May 1st, Labor Day, which falls on a Saturday this year. [full story]

Philippines May 1st Day In Lieu Public Holiday Unlikely

Sources: GMA News (Manila) and Philippines bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Philippines Labor Secretary, Marianito Roque, has issued a statement that the upcoming Labor Day public holiday would be held on Saturday, May 1st, 2010, and that an additional public holiday on May 3rd, was "unlikely to be approved".

Bolivia Rules Out May 1st Day In Lieu Public Holiday

Sources: Los Tiempos (La Paz) and Bolivia bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Bolivia's Minister of Labour, Carmen Trujillo, has denied rumours that Monday, May 3, 2010, would be an official public holiday to compensate the fact that May 1st falls on a Saturday this year.

Nicaragua Confirms Labour Day Public Holiday Dates

Sources: Ministerio del Trabajo de Nicaragua (MITRAB) and Nicaragua bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Nicaragua's Ministry of Labour has released a communique confirming that, in accordance with Article 66 of Nicaragua's Labour Code, the date of the upcoming Labour Day public holiday would be Saturday, May 1st, 2010.

Jordan Announces May 1st Public Holiday

Sources: وكالة الأنباء الأردنية بترا (Amman) and Jordan bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Jordan's Prime Minister, Samir Rifai, has issued a communique stating that all ministries, government departments and public institutions would observe an official public holiday on Saturday, May 1, 2010, on the occasion of the upcoming International Labor Day.

Kenya Could Declare April 30 Public Holiday

Sources: Interim Independent Electoral Commision (Republic of Kenya) and Kenya bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Chairman of Kenya's Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC), Ahmed Isaack Hassan, has asked the government of Kenya to declare Friday, April 30, 2010, as a one-off public holiday to allow people to enable Kenyans register as voters.

British Virgin Islands Announce Official 2011 Public Holidays

Sources: British Virgin Islands Cabinet Office (BVI) and British Virgin Islands bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Cabinet of the British Virgin Islands has approved and announced the list and dates of official public holidays for 2011 in the British Virgin Islands, in accordance with Section 5 of the Public Holidays Act (Cap 199).

Australia Considering Additional NSW Public Holiday

Sources: The Australian (Sydney) and Australia bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Premier of Australia's State of New South Wales (NSW), Kristina Keneally, has confirmed that the NSW government was in talks with unions over a possible extra public holiday, without committing to any change.

Pakistan Weekend Public Holidays Update

Sources: Reuters (Karachi) and Pakistan bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Pakistan's central bank has announced that, until further notice, it and all commercial banks in Pakistan would be closed on Saturdays (a regular working day in Pakistan), as part of measures to cut state electricity consumption.

UK Unlikely To Declare St George's Day Public Holiday

Sources: Press Association (London) and UK bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The UK's Conservative Party has announced that making St George's Day a public holiday (or bank holiday as public holidays are called in the UK) is not part of the Conservative Party's policy, should they win the upcoming general elections.

Honduras To Consider Public Holidays Review

Sources: El Tiempo (Tegucigalpa) and Honduras bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Honduras' legislative assembly (Cámara Legislativa) is considering a bill that would move many of Honduras' official public holidays to always occur on a Monday, starting on July 1st, 2010.

Spain Adds New Regional Public Holiday

Sources: El Correo (Vizcaya) and Spain bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The parliament of Spain's Autonomous Region of País Vasco (Basque Country) has approved the declaration of October 25 as the "Día del País Vasco" (Euskadiko Eguna) to commemorate the anniversary date of the Statute of Gernika in 1979.

South Australia Announces 5-Day Easter Public Holiday In 2011

Sources: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Adelaide) and Australia bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). South Australia's Industrial Relations Minister, Paul Holloway, has announced that, in all likelihood, in 2011, South Australia will get a 5-day period of public holidays, from Good Friday to Easter Tuesday, inclusively, due to the fact that the Anzac Day public holiday will coincide with the Easter Monday public holiday in 2011.

Russian Parliament Considers July 28 Public Holiday

Sources: Лента новостей РИА Новости (Moscow) and Russian bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Today, the Russian parliament's lower house is considering, in its first reading, the government-submitted draft law proposing the establishment of a new holiday for the Baptism of Rus Day, on July 28.

Singapore Announces 2011 Public Holidays

Sources: Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Singapore bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has announced the official dates for Singapore's 2011 public holidays.

Trinidad and Tobago Indian Arrival Day Public Holiday Update

Sources: US Embassy Trinidad and Tobago (Port of Spain) and Trinidad and Tobago bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The websites of some foreign embassies in Trinidad and Tobago's capital, Port-of-Spain, have begun to update their list of local public holidays, changing the name of the upcoming May 30 public holiday from "Indian Arrival Day" to "Arrival Day".

Vanuatu Declares April 20 Public Holiday

Sources: Radio Vanuatu (Port Vila) and Vanuatu bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Vanuatu's Head of State, President Iolu Johnson Abbil, has declared tomorrow, Tuesday, April 20, 2010, as a one-off regional public holiday in the Tongoa and Epi islands of Shefa Province.

Mauritius Declares May 5 Public Holiday

Sources: Prime Minister's Office (Port-Louis) and Mauritius bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Mauritius has confirmed to the local news media that the date of the upcoming general elections, Wednesday, May 5, 2010, would be a one-off, non-working public holiday.

Guinea Conakry Declares April 19 Public Holiday

Sources: Guinée News (Conakry) and Guinea Conakry bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Guinea Conakry has declared a one-off, non-working, public holiday (journée chômée et payée) on Monday, April 19, 2010, to coincide with the funeral of labour leaders, Ibrahima Fofana and Hadja Magbè Bangoura, who died in a car accident Friday night.

Mexico Senate Votes November Public Holiday Date Change

Sources: El Universal (Ciudad de México) and Mexico bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Mexico's Senate has approved a bill that would move this year's Revolution Day public holiday from Monday, November 15 to Monday, November 22, 2010.

Mauritius Expected To Declare May 5 Public Holiday

Sources: KotZot Mauritius Portal (Ile Maurice) and Mauritius bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Local sources expect the date of the upcoming general elections in Mauritius, Wednesday, May 5, 2010, to be declared a one-off non-working public holiday.

Uruguay Declares May 25 Public Sector Holiday

Sources: Uruguay al Dia (Montevideo) and Uruguay bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Uruguayan Senate has approved a Lower House Bill that declares a one-off public sector holiday on Tuesday, May 25, 2010.

Portugal Announces Papal Public Holidays In May

Sources: Económico (Lisboa) and Portugal bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudo.net). The government of Portugal has finally decided to declare a national public sector holiday (tolerância de ponto) on Thursday, May 13, 2010, to coincide with the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Portugal.

South Africa Could Declare Census Day Public Holiday

Sources: Independent Online (Johannesburg) and South Africa bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The communications manager of Statistics SA (South Africa's Statistics Institute), Trevor Oosterwyk, has given an interview in which it is expected that October 10, 2011, would be the date of the upcoming census in South Africa.

Sudan Declares April 15 Electoral Public Holiday

Sources: الجزيرة نت (Nairobi) and Sudan bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Sudan has declared a one-off electoral public holiday, tomorrow, Thursday, April 15, 2010, to get the maximum number of people to vote in the current elections.

Honduras Confirms Moving April 14 Public Holiday

Sources: El Tiempo (Tegucigalpa) and Honduras bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Honduras has reached an agreement with the private sector's COHEP (Consejo Hondureño de la Empresa Privada) to move the upcoming, Día de las Américas, public holiday from April 14, to April 19, 2010.

Iceland's Supreme Court Proposes Bank Crisis Public Holiday

Sources: Pressan (Reykjavik) and Iceland bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The supreme court judge who chairs the commission of inquiry into the 2008 banking meltdown in Iceland, Pall Hreinsson, has suggested that the country should declare a one-off public holiday so that all Icelanders have time to read the commission's report.

Malaysia Asked For Vaisakhi Public Holiday

Sources: Press Trust of India (Kuala Lumpur) and Malaysia bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Malaysian National Sikhs Movement President, Darshan Singh, and opposition DAP party Chairman, Karpal Singh, have petitioned the Malaysian Government to declare Vaisakhi on Wednesday, April 14, which coincides with the Tamil New Year, as an official public holiday.

Guernsey Announces 2012-2013 Public Holidays

Sources: States of Guernsey (St. Peter Port) and Guernsey bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The States of Guernsey (the Guernsey Government) has published an updated list of official public holidays to cover the period of 2010-2013.

Czech Republic Good Friday Public Holiday Update

Sources: Radio Praha (Prague) and Czech Republic bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The 2006 Senatorial Bill to declare Good Friday an official public holiday in the Czech Republic has once again been postponed by the Czech Lower House.

Sri Lanka Declares Friday Electoral Public Holiday

Sources: The Daily Mirror (Colombo) and Sri Lanka bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Sri Lanka's Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, D. Dissanayaka, has announced that the government of Sri Lanka had declared Friday, April 9, 2010, the day following the upcoming parliamentary elections, a special non-working public and bank holiday.

Nigeria Declares Gombe State Public Holiday Tomorrow

Sources: Gombe State Government of Nigeria (Gombe) and Nigeria bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Head of Service of Nigeria's Gombe State government, Ibrahim Biri, has announced that the state had declared Tuesday, April 6, 2010, as a one-off non-working state public holiday in honour of two state senators who died last week.

China Declares Shanghai World Expo Public Holidays

Sources: CNReviews (Shanghai) and China bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Shanghai government has extended the upcoming May Day public holidays period for 2 additional days to coincide with the upcoming opening of the Shanghai World Expo.

Liberia Good Friday Public Holiday Status

Sources: Liberian Observer (Monrovia) and Liberia bank holidays and public holidays (qppstudio.net). Liberia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Friday, April 2, 2010, the upcoming Good Friday, will be a normal working day in Liberia.