Biden cancels trip to Italy, meant as final foreign visit of presidency, as fires rage in California
Washington (AP): President Joe Biden on Wednesday cancelled the final overseas trip of his presidency just hours before he was set to depart for Rome and the Vatican, choosing to remain in Washington to monitor the response to devastating fires raging in California.
Biden was scheduled to leave Thursday afternoon, after eulogizing former President Jimmy Carter at a memorial service in Washington, for the three-day trip to meet with Pope Francis and Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The trip was meant as a coda to the second Catholic US president's time in the White House and a final opportunity to showcase the strength of American alliances before he leaves office on Jan. 20.
The announcement of the trip's cancellation comes just hours after Biden departed Los Angeles after meeting his first great-grandchild, who was born Wednesday at an area hospital. He received a briefing from local fire officials before returning to Washington, as smoke and ash from blazes raging in the area clouded the daytime sky.
“After returning this evening from Los Angeles, where earlier today he had met with police, fire and emergency personnel fighting the historic fires raging in the area and approved a Major Disaster declaration for California, President Biden made the decision to cancel his upcoming trip to Italy to remain focused on directing the full federal response in the days ahead,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Hubballi-Dharwad bandh over Amit Shah's remarks on Ambedkar hits normal life
Hubballi (Karnataka), Jan 9: A large number of shops and business establishments remained shut, affecting normal life for most of the day on Thursday in the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad, in response to the bandh called by various Dalit organisations to protest against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s alleged derogatory remarks against B R Ambedkar.
Public transport was also affected, while schools and colleges remained closed. However there were movements of two-wheelers and auto rickshaws, but they were relatively less in number.
Along with Dalit organisations and various associations, the Congress party also extended support to the bandh.
Dalit organisations staged protest marches and agitations against Shah, condemning his remarks and sought his dismissal from the union cabinet.
Police had made elaborate security arrangements to ensure that no untoward incidents occured.
A similar shutdown was observed in Bidar, where Dalit organisations took to the streets to protest against Shah’s statement.
Shah, taking a swipe at the opposition, during a debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha last month had said, "Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai—Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. If they had taken God's name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven)."
Congress, other opposition parties, and various Dalit organisations had termed his remarks as an "insult" to the architect of the Indian Constitution.
