Today, on the second Monday of October, the US government celebrates Columbus Day as a federal holiday.
Government offices, banks and schools are shut down across the country for a long weekend.
But an increasing number of state and local governments are moving away from the holiday, choosing instead to recognise Indigenous Peoples' Day.
Rather than honouring European explorer Christopher Columbus, who landed in the present-day Bahamas in 1492, the day remembers and celebrates the history and culture of the Native American peoples.
President Franklin D Roosevelt first proclaimed a national Columbus Day in 1934, asking Americans to observe it with sentiment "befitting the anniversary of the discovery of America".
Italian-American communities used the holiday to highlight their heritage and accomplishments in honour of the Italian explorer.
But to generations of indigenous people, Columbus represents the start of the colonisation of the Americas and the dispossession and the death of millions.
By 1900, it was estimated that 80 per cent of the US indigenous population was wiped out.
A group of indigenous activists first proposed an Indigenous Peoples' Day in 1977 at the first UN Conference on Indians in the Americas, which was held in Geneva.
By a vote of 143 in favour, four against and 11 abstentions, the UN General Aassembly adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on September 13, 2007.
The US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand voted against the measure, quoting provisions on self-determination, land and resources rights and the state management of resources.
This land is your land
South Dakota, where about 8 per cent of its population identifies as Native American, became the first state to officially celebrate Native Americans' Day instead of Columbus Day in 1990.
Berkeley, California, the birthplace to the campus free speech movement in the 1960s, was the first city to adopt Indigenous Peoples' Day in 1992 as a counter-protest to a 500th anniversary celebration of Columbus’s arrival.
Some local municipalities and state governments throughout the US have chosen to remove statues glorifying the so-called discoverer as well as those erected in homage to the Civil War.
In 2020, the Columbus statue was removed from California's state capitol in Sacramento, where the second Monday in October is now called Italian-American Heritage Day.
Overseers of Tower Grove Park in St Louis, Missouri, voted for the removal of a 134-year-old Columbus statue, with many other cities including Chicago and Detroit following suit.
To date, 33 monuments to Columbus have been removed and 60 homages to the Confederates of the Civil War are now history, the Southern Poverty Law Centre says. Last summer, the US House of Representatives voted for the removal of certain busts and statues on display at the US Capitol.
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
SPECS
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MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
