# Time is a-changin’: The leap second is being retired early

https://mins.news/en/item/102851

- The Verge, 2026-10-16 10:00 UTC
- Science
- Original: https://www.theverge.com/tech/1012689/leap-second-discontinue-timekeeping-change

> The International Bureau of Weights and Measures voted to scrap leap seconds, bringing forward a plan originally set for 2035 to May 20 next year. The change is intended to avert risks to critical infrastructure if shifts in Earth’s rotation require timekeepers to subtract time. “Leap hours” will replace them, with a full hour not expected to be added for about 3,000 years.

## Related coverage

- [The leap second is nearing its end](https://mins.news/en/item/104797) — CGTN, 2026-10-17
- [Global timekeeping rules change as leap seconds are scrapped from 2027](https://mins.news/en/item/103441) — euronews, 2026-10-16
- [Global timekeeping: Leap second to be phased out](https://mins.news/en/video/103169) — CNA, 2026-10-16