US V-P Harris cancels trip to Singapore, 2 other countries due to LA wildfires

WASHINGTON – US Vice-President Kamala Harris has cancelled

her upcoming trip to Singapore, Bahrain and Germany

due to the ongoing wildfires in California, the White House said on Jan 9, after President Joe Biden made a similar decision a day earlier.

Mr Biden

had cancelled an upcoming trip to Italy

where he was due to meet Pope Francis, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

“In response to the historic wildfires in Los Angeles, the Vice-President has made the decision to cancel her and (her husband’s) upcoming trip to Singapore, Bahrain and Germany,” the White House said on Jan 9.

The cancelled trip of Ms Harris, who is from California, would likely have been her last as vice-president before leaving office on Jan 20.

Los Angeles is

facing the worst wildfires in its history

that have thus far killed five people, led to the evacuation of 180,000 and consumed 12,550ha of land.

Mr Biden, who declared a major disaster in California, met top administration officials on the afternoon of Jan 9 to discuss the federal response. REUTERS