Latest news with #Birthday
Independent Singapore
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Independent Singapore
'I kept fighting' — Iga Swiatek still on track for fourth consecutive French Open title after intense comeback
Photo: FRANCE: Tennis star Iga Swiatek continues her run for her fourth straight French Open title after an intense comeback win against Elena Rybakina. In a thrilling match, Rybakina dominated the game after a strong first set, leaving Swiatek troubled. However, the defending champion found her way back to the game and prevailed with a 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory. With this, Swiatek expressed: 'I needed to do something to get back into the game and with her playing like that I didn't have a lot of hopes but I kept fighting.' The athlete added: 'I was patient enough to stay in the game, stay focused, and use any opportunity that came.' Iga Swiatek just turned 24, and this win is a great way to celebrate her birthday. In a social media post, Swiatek shared her birthday celebration with a caption: 'Feeling like 24🥳.' Netizens shared their birthday wishes for Swiatek and said: 'All the best and good health, Iga You are a wonderful, unique and humble Person, I will keep my fingers crossed for you until the end of the world and one day longer, always with you ❤️🎉🎈👏💥🌞🧡💖🎂🌹🥂❤️ (translated),' 'Happy Birthday Iga! May all your wishes come true 🎉,' 'What a beautiful age! Such a beautiful girl! The beautiful Champion! Happy birthday Iga! 🔥🎂💐 (translated),' and 'Follow your dreams, celebrate your successes, enjoy life💝💝💝🎂🎂🎂 (translated).' Highlights of the match Elena Rybakina came out strong at the start of the game. She earned three break points after holding serve confidently, which allowed her to take the lead. Throughout the match, Rybakina maintained her momentum as Swiatek tried to respond, yet struggled to keep the pace in the first set. Iga Swiatek did not back down and showed her resilience as she earned a break point in the fourth game, when Rybakina mishit a high ball into the net. She also showed signs of a comeback and she held serve. Swiatek took control in the second set and took the lead for the first time in the match. Furthermore, Swiatek held on and stayed strong in the final set. The athlete remained focused and determined and successfully completed a touch comeback win after a stressful match. In a social media post made by the Roland-Garros, it stated: 'JAZDA IGA! 🇵🇱.' Netizens commented on the said post. Some shared their experiences while watching the trilling match and others expressed their support to the athlete. Few of them said: 'I had a million heart attacks watching this match 😭,' 'IGA is a champion, come today come tomorrow nothing will ever change that🔥💪,' 'THAT WAS THE MOST STRESSFUL 2 HOURS OF MY LIFE,' 'Congratulations, Iga, you fought like a lioness 🔥 What an emotion. You made yourself a birthday present ❤️ (translated),' ' 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Iga great match today!' and 'So proud of you!! ❤️🔥.'
Borneo Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Over 10,000 expected at Yang di-Pertuan Agong's birthday celebration in Limbang
(Seated, from left) Unos, Dr Abdul Rahman, Sagah and others hold the event promotional poster during the press conference. MIRI (May 29): More than 10,000 visitors from Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei, and the Federal Territory of Labuan are expected to enliven the official celebration of the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday in Sarawak, which will be held in Limbang from June 11 to June 15. Minister in-charge of the event, Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, at a press conference today said the Limbang Division has been chosen as the host for this year's celebration. He said the event is hosted by a different division each year to promote awareness of the monarchy's significance among all levels of Sarawakian society. 'We are giving every division in Sarawak, including Limbang, the opportunity to host the official celebration of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday. This year, Limbang was selected to give its people a chance to understand the significance and importance of the monarchy institution. 'In the context of unity, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is a symbol of strength for our country's ethnic diversity and serves as a balance for justice and welfare among Malaysians,' said Sagah. Sagah, who is also the State Minister of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development, said various exciting programmes will be held throughout the five-day celebration. Among the highlights are Interfaith Thanksgiving Ceremony at the Limbang Civic Centre (June 11), 'Raja Kita' Exhibition at the Limbang Civic Centre (June 12 to 15), Special Sermons at all mosques in Sarawak (June 13), Thanksgiving Ceremony at the Jannatul Firdaus Mosque, Limbang at 6pm (June 13), and Tea Reception at the Limbang Civic Center (June 14). There will also be side events such as Limbang Kitchen, Limbang Idol, and more. Also present at the press conference were the Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department (Project Coordinator for Regional Development Agencies, Kuching North City Hall and Islamic Affairs) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi and Limbang Resident Unos Tambi. birthday celebration limbang Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Scoop
6 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
King's Birthday: What's Open, What's Closed And How It's Decided Who Gets Honours
Nik Dirga, Digital Explainer Editor Explainer - King Charles' birthday is commemorated with a public holiday on Monday - what's open, how do those royal honours get chosen and should we still celebrate it, anyway? Here's everything you need to know about the holiday. What's open on Monday? Do I have to work? It is a public holiday, but some people may still have to work depending on their employer. Employees are paid time-and-a-half and entitled to a paid day off if a public holiday falls on a normal working day for them. However, if you are a contractor or working for yourself, you don't get those benefits. You can read more about public holiday rules for employers here. Trading restrictions don't apply on Monday as they do for Easter holidays, the morning of Anzac Day or Christmas. Shops, restaurants and cafes can be open as usual but it pays to check opening hours beforehand. I'm gonna want a latte, do I have to pay a surcharge? Because businesses have to pay employees more on a public holiday, it raises their costs. So some businesses choose to add a surcharge to their prices on holidays. The typical surcharge is 15 percent. However, businesses must be clear about announcing those charges to customers via signage, verbally or other methods. Customers can also complain to the Commerce Commission if they feel misled or a charge was excessive. King's Birthday is also about celebrating New Zealanders' achievements Dozens of New Zealanders will be given royal honours which will be announced on Monday for excellence in their fields. It's the second time each year honours are given out - they're also announced on New Year's Eve. Cool, can I get an honour? Who decides who gets them? Literally anyone can nominate someone living who they think deserves a Royal Honour. (Unless you try to nominate yourself, which is not allowed and also kind of weird.) The Honours Unit at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet processes between 800 to 1000 nominations a year, Blair Teesdale-Moore, senior communications advisor with the department, said. "The unit prepares a draft citation for each one based on the information in the nomination and letters of support," she said. The Cabinet Appointments and Honours Committee then considers every nomination individually in a series of confidential meetings over several weeks. "As chair of the APH committee and the King's primary advisor on honours matters, the prime minister advises the King on the final honours lists," Teesdale-Moore said. "By long-standing constitutional convention the King of New Zealand acts on the advice of the prime minister - this includes the formal approval of New Zealand Royal honours." Once the draft list is set, it is then given informal approval by the governor-general, run by potential recipients first - "a small number decline," Teesdale-Moore said - and then it's off to the King, who is the head of our honours system. Hang on, the King was born in November. Why are we celebrating in June? King Charles III turns 77 on 14 November. So why are we wishing him a happy birthday now? Blame the weather. The tradition of celebrating the monarch's birthday in the northern summer dates back hundreds of years, and is tied in with the Trooping the Colour ceremonial event held every June in London. The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have been first performed during the reign of King Charles II from 1660 to 1685, the British Army says. In 1748, during the reign of King George II, the sovereign's birthday first became a celebrated holiday. Trooping the Colour became tied in to celebrate the monarch, no matter when their actual birthday was. Ever since then, the king or queen has basically had two birthdays - the real one, and the big old fancy military parade one. Trooping the Colour will be held in the UK on 14 June this year. Is the King's Birthday really something NZ should be marking in 2025? That's a matter of opinion and it all depends on who you ask. As part of the Commonwealth, King Charles is New Zealand's head of state. Of course, there have been calls to change that, which ramped up after the death of Queen Elizabeth II following her 70-year reign in 2022. Monarchy New Zealand organisation did not respond to requests for comment from RNZ by deadline, but on its website calls the monarchy "something all Kiwis can be proud of". "It's a vital component of our government, a guarantee of our democracy, and a sign of our maturity and independence as a nation. "The King is a completely apolitical head of state (who) represents all New Zealanders regardless of their political views. This cannot happen in a republic." However, there are also calls to abandon the holiday celebrating a monarch on the other side of the world. Savage, the chair of the New Zealand Republic organisation, called King's Birthday an "empty public holiday that celebrates nothing in particular. It is no one's birthday and even the Brits don't celebrate it as a public holiday". "It has already been surpassed by Matariki as a proper, meaningful public holiday. New Zealand Republic was one of the first groups to start campaigning for Matariki and we are campaigning to replace King's Birthday with a spring time public holiday in September." NZ Republic suggests a replacement public holiday could be Citizenship Day, when New Zealand citizenship was officially established on 6 September 1948 by the passing of the New Zealand Citizenship Act, or Suffrage Day on 19 September, marking the day in 1893 that NZ signed into law allowing women to vote. But for now, your public holiday off is thanks to the King.
Borneo Post
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Both state, federal civil servants in Sarawak to have additional public holiday on June 4
Photo for illustration purposes only. KUCHING (May 27): Both state and federal civil servants in Sarawak will have an additional public holiday on June 4. A notice from State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki dated yesterday stated that the additional holiday is to replace overlapping public holidays on June 2. 'The Sarawak government has agreed to declare June 4, 2025 (Wednesday) as a public holiday for the Sarawak civil service, including Sarawak statutory bodies and Sarawak local authorities, in view of the overlapping celebration of Gawai Dayak and the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday,' he said in the notice. A similar notice was issued by Sarawak Federal Secretary Datuk Ahmad Nadzri Mohd Hassan today for federal civil servants. 'In accordance with the letter declaring an additional public holiday declaration from the Sarawak State Secretary dated May 26, 2025 in relation to the above matter, it is hereby notified that June 4, 2025 (Wednesday) is also an additional public holiday for the federal civil service, including federal statutory bodies, in Sarawak,' said Ahmad Nadzri. June 3 is also a public holiday to replace the first day of Gawai Dayak on June 1, as it is a Sunday. On May 10, the Labour Department had said employees observing Gawai Dayak will be entitled to a replacement holiday on June 3 since June 2, which is the second day of Gawai, overlaps with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday. It explained that according to the Labour Ordinance (Sarawak Chapter 76), the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday is a day off that must be given to employees and cannot be replaced with another day, while Gawai is an optional day off that is set based on the religion and culture of the employee. 'For employees under the Ordinance who are given Gawai holidays, June 3, 2025 should be used as the replacement day off. However, this replacement date may be changed to another day by mutual agreement between the employer and employee, in accordance with Section 104(2) of the same Ordinance,' the statement read. It added that Section 104(1) of the Ordinance also provides that if any holiday falls on an employee's rest day, then the next working day shall be made a substitute holiday. 'For example, if June 1, 2025 is an employee's rest day, then June 3, 2025 should be made a public holiday, while June 4, 2025 will be the second public holiday,' it added.
India Today
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
SEVENTEEN releases Happy Burstday album on 10th anniversary with solo tracks
K-pop's third-generation sensation SEVENTEEN turns 10. To mark their 10th anniversary, the 13-member group dropped their fifth studio album titled 'Happy Burstday', a wordplay for 'Birthday,' which also seems like a doorway to the group's upcoming artistry, which will be focused on more sub-groups and solo works as members embark on mandatory military service project includes solo songs from all 13 members - a first in their discography since their debut. The album, which features 16 tracks, includes the main single 'Thunder', representing the band's vibrant energy and artistic growth. Significantly, 'Bad Influence' was crafted, created, and produced by worldwide pop sensation Pharrell their solo songs, leader presented 'Jungle', a powerful and unrefined piece of music. Jeonghan presented 'Coincidence', a reflective composition. Joshua showcased 'Fortunate Change', emphasising his smooth vocals, while Jun presented 'Gemini', reflecting duality and self-reflection. The incredibly passionate Hoshi teamed up with Timbaland on 'Damage', merging K-pop with a global touch. Wonwoo's '99.9%' highlighted near-perfection and commitment, while SEVENTEEN's talented powerhouse Woozi's 'Fate' reflected on destiny and personal growth. DK introduced 'Happy Virus', an optimistic song intended to promote positivity, while Mingyu's 'Shake It Off' is a song against negativity, genuinely showcasing his character. The8's 'Skyfall' embodied ethereal and atmospheric qualities, while Seungkwan's 'Raindrops' stirred emotions of sadness and contemplation. Emphasising their unique talents, Vernon's 'Shining Star' discusses ambitions and excellence, while Dino wraps up with 'Trigger', a strong representation of beginnings and part of the fan [CARATs] engagement, SEVENTEEN organised a range of events called "B-DAY PARTY" from May 23 to May 25 at Banpo Hangang Park in Seoul, South Korea. The celebrations peaked with the 'BURST Stage' concert on May 25 at Jamsu Bridge, where the band delivered a live performance of 'Thunder', accompanied by fireworks lighting up the Han Watch
