New York City declares school holiday for Diwali for the 1st time

In a first, US' New York City has declared that schools will remain closed for Diwali on November 1. Earlier in June, New York City had officially declared Diwali as a public school holiday. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted their last Diwali party at White House recently, inviting around 600 Indian-Americans to the celebration.