Latest news with #VesakDay
LeMonde
01-07-2025
- Science
- LeMonde
The scientists tracking Himalayan glaciers' melting: 'Yala holds a very special place in my heart'
Gusts of wind carried the chants of the Tibetan lamas toward the snowcapped slopes of the sacred Himalayas. Three Buddhist monks sat on the stones of the desolate landscape of rock and ice. Some 100 small white prayer flags fluttered in the blue sky above them. Here at the foot of the Yala Glacier, nestled at the very end of the Langtang Valley in Nepal, a group of residents from the villages below, accompanied by scientists from several countries in the region, walked for days to pay their respects to the white giant. Most locals practice Tibetan Buddhism, and the date chosen, May 12, was Vesak Day, a traditional holiday commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. They gathered to honor the glacier, which is destined to disappear. Located between 5,160 and 5,749 meters above sea level, it has lost two-thirds of its mass and receded by 784 meters since 1974, the year it was first measured by a team of Japanese scientists. Under the effects of climate change, the snow and the ice have gradually diminished and revealed the rocky terrain. "It was dreamlike, everything was white," said Sharad Joshi with nostalgia. As the leader of the group of scientists, the cryosphere specialist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu knows Yala like no one else. "To see how quickly the glacier has retreated in front of our eyes makes me incredibly sad," he said, powerless. A funeral for an ice giant For more than a decade, the short man with a soft voice and an Olympian calm has climbed the mountain twice per year to measure the ice. He considers glaciers to be the Earth's thermometers. Their extreme sensitivity to variations in temperature makes them key indicators of global warming, and every tenth of a degree speeds up their melting.
Time Out
16-06-2025
- Business
- Time Out
This just in: Singapore's public holidays for 2026 are announced, with total of 6 long weekends
There's still half the year left to go – but we're only left with three public holidays for the rest of 2025. Sounds like a long road ahead, but here's some news to cheer you up a lil': Singapore's public holiday dates for 2026 have just been officially announced by the Ministry of Manpower, and turns out, we're getting a total of six long weekends out of the 11 gazetted public holidays. That's not a bad deal at all, even though we'll be getting one less public holiday than we did this year – because of Polling Day 2025 giving us an additional 'free' rest day. Here's the full list of public holidays in Singapore for 2026, with long weekends marked by an asterisk: As per MOM's Employment Act, whenever a public holiday falls on a Sunday, your next working day will be a public holiday in lieu. In other words, if you're on a standard five-day working schedule from Monday to Friday, then your off days for the three consecutive public holidays that fall on Sundays will be on the following Mondays instead: June 1 for Vesak Day, August 10 for National Day, and November 9 for Deepavali. Moreover, Hari Raya Puasa falls on a Saturday this year. If that's a non-working day for you, then you should be getting time off in lieu as well – or salary in lieu, if you're asked to work. Some companies may standardise this off in lieu date for the following Monday (March 23), while others may credit it to your overall leave balance for you to use whenever you like, within a certain period of time. If the latter, we suggest taking this extra day off on a Friday or Monday so as to create another long weekend for yourself. If you're made to work on a public holiday that falls on a rest day or non-working day, bear in mind that you're legally entitled to one extra day's salary at your gross rate of pay or even overtime pay, depending on your work scenario. Singapore's MOM website has a clear table of entitlements as well as a handy calculator so you can easily find out what sort of compensation you should be given – take note of this and don't let your company shortchange you! Now that these public holiday dates for 2026 are official, it's never too early to start planning your long weekend getaways out of Singapore. Need some ideas? Check out our lists of travel destinations less than five hours from Singapore, beach vacation spots near Singapore, and best mountain hikes near Singapore. If you're one of many Korea-loving Singaporeans, you'll be glad to hear of T'way Air's new direct flights to Jeju under $350. Else, venture further by hopping onto a Singapore-Vancouver direct flight or explore Europe's City of Music with direct low-cost flights to Vienna.
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Singapore announces six public holiday long weekends for 2026
Singapore confirms 11 public holidays for 2026 The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has released the official list of public holidays for Singapore in 2026. The year will feature 11 public holidays, beginning with New Year's Day on Thursday, January 1. According to the schedule, six of these public holidays will provide long weekends for residents. These include three holidays falling on Fridays, Good Friday on April 3, Labour Day on May 1, and Christmas Day on December 25. In addition, three other holidays, Vesak Day (May 31), National Day (August 9), and Deepavali (November 8), will fall on Sundays. In each of these instances, the following Mondays (June 1, August 10, and November 9, respectively) will be treated as public holidays. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like บ้านสำเร็จรูปจากตู้คอนเทนเนอร์ — สวย ทันสมัย พร้อมติดตั้ง! บ้านคอนเทนเนอร์ขนส่งสินค้า | ค้นหาโฆษณา ค้นหาเลย Undo Chinese New Year will occur mid-week on Tuesday, February 17 and Wednesday, February 18. Hari Raya Puasa is tentatively set for Saturday, March 21, while Hari Raya Haji is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, May 27. These dates remain subject to confirmation. Employment guidelines on public holidays Under the Employment Act, employees in Singapore are entitled to 11 paid public holidays. Employers and employees may mutually agree to substitute a public holiday with another working day. Live Events Employees required to work on a public holiday are entitled to an additional day's basic salary, on top of their gross pay for that day. Employers may also provide time-off-in-lieu instead of additional salary, based on an agreed number of hours. This applies to specific groups including workmen earning above S$4,500 per month, non-workmen earning above S$2,600 per month, and professionals such as managers and executives. Long weekends expected to boost travel and leisure The long weekends are likely to encourage travel and leisure planning among Singapore residents. With Good Friday, Labour Day, and Christmas Day creating three Friday-based long weekends, and additional Mondays off following Vesak Day, National Day, and Deepavali, residents have increased flexibility in scheduling short vacations or family events. MOM emphasized that these holidays are part of the statutory framework intended to balance productivity with employee well-being. Employers are encouraged to plan workforce schedules in advance to accommodate public holidays and any alternative arrangements agreed upon with staff.
The Star
14-06-2025
- The Star
Travellers to Johor can expect three-hour jam due to heavy traffic at Woodlands Checkpoint: Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority
The Causeway between Singapore and Malaysia, seen here on May 20, is one of the busiest land crossings in the world. - Photo: ST file SINGAPORE: People driving into Malaysia during the June school holidays on Saturday (June 14) should expect a queueing time of three hours or longer at the Woodlands Checkpoint due to 'very heavy departure traffic'. In a Facebook post at 11.24am, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said that the tailback from Malaysia has extended beyond Exit 10A of the BKE in Woodlands. In May, ICA said that people driving into Malaysia during the June school holidays should expect traffic congestion and longer wait times at the two land checkpoints. ICA had also previously warned drivers not to jump the queue at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints. If they get stopped by ICA officers, they will face having to make a U-turn and rejoin the queue. They could also be blacklisted and face further disciplinary action from the authorities. On May 9 – the Friday before the Vesak Day long weekend – tailbacks from Malaysia caused motorists to wait up to three hours to clear immigration. More than three million people crossed the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints from May 8 to 13, it added, with the crowd peaking on May 9 at over 546,600 travellers. - The Straits Times/ANN
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Singapore cautions drivers heading to Johor — Expect three-hour jam at Woodlands Checkpoint amid holiday rush
KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — Travellers heading to Johor through the Woodlands Checkpoint today should expect to wait three hours or longer due to very heavy departure traffic. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a Facebook post at 11.24am that the tailback from Malaysia had extended beyond Exit 10A of the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) in Woodlands. According to The Straits Times, the ICA had warned in May that traffic congestion and long waiting times were expected at the land checkpoints during the June school holidays. 'Do not cut queue as motorists caught queue cutting will be turned back to the end of the queue. They may also be blacklisted and face further enforcement actions,' ICA stated. On May 9, the Friday before the Vesak Day long weekend, tailbacks from Malaysia led to immigration clearance delays of up to three hours. ICA added that more than three million people crossed the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints between May 8 and 13, with traffic peaking on May 9 at over 546,600 travellers.
