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.