Biden reschedules Panama visit postponed from Sept

Biden to visit Panama, tour canal expansion in late November, in rescheduled trip

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Joe Biden has rescheduled a visit to Panama that was put on hold last month amid threats of a U.S. military strike on Syria.

The vice president's office says Biden now plans to travel to Panama the third week of November. He'll meet with Panama President Ricardo Martinelli and tour the Panama Canal expansion project. A specific date for the trip is to be announced later.

In September Biden toured the ports of Baltimore; Charleston, S.C.; and Savannah, Ga., to highlight improvements designed to accommodate the bigger ships that will be able to pass through the canal starting in 2015. The Obama administration sees such infrastructure projects as key to U.S. job creation.