(BBC) – Former US Vice President Mike Pence has withdrawn from the 2024 presidential race, saying “this is not my time”. He made the announcement at the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon.
“We always knew this would be an uphill battle, but I have no regrets,” he wrote in a statement.

Mr Pence is the first major Republican candidate to suspend his campaign in a race led by former President Donald Trump. Mr Pence had languished in recent polls and had struggled to gain the support of Republican voters.
The former vice president’s campaign had also racked up large amounts of debt, with Mr Pence ending September owing $621,000 (£512,038) and having only US$1.2m (£989,446) in the bank – significantly less than other Republican rivals.

“I am leaving this campaign, but I will never leave the fight for conservative values,” he wrote in a statement addressed to his supporters.
The 64-year-old lost the support of many Republican voters when he publicly broke with Mr Trump over the 6 January Capitol riot in 2021, and when he presided over the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election results in Congress.

Mr Trump admonished Mr Pence for lacking “courage” when he refused to overturn the Democratic leader’s election victory.
Some rioters were heard chanting “hang Mike Pence” as they stormed the halls of Congress in 2021, and since then many Trump loyalists have viewed him as a traitor.
The former vice-president said in March that Mr Trump’s encouragement of the rioters had “endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day”.

In his resignation, Mr Pence did not endorse any other Republican candidates for the presidential election.
But he called on Americans to choose a leader that “will ‘appeal to the better angels of our nature’ and not only lead us to victory but also lead our nation with civility and back to those time-honoured principles that have always made America strong, prosperous and free.”
Mr Pence’s decision to withdraw from the Republican presidential campaign came shortly before the third presidential debate on 8 November.

Israel recalls diplomats from Turkey in Gaza row
(BBC) Israel has recalled diplomats from Turkey after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused it of behaving like a “war criminal”. He made the comments while addressing thousands of demonstrators at a pro-Palestinian rally in Istanbul.
The Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen responded by ordering diplomats to return. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has “the most moral army in the world”.

Israel has expanded its strikes on the Gaza Strip, three weeks after Hamas launched its attack on southern Israel, killing more than 1,400 people and taking 229 people hostage.
Since then, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says more than 7,500 Palestinians have been killed as Israel carries out retaliatory strikes.

Addressing a crowd of several hundred thousand Palestinian supporters on Saturday, the Turkish president said “the main culprit behind the massacre unfolding in Gaza is the West”.
“Israel has been openly committing war crimes for 22 days, but the Western leaders cannot even call on Israel for a ceasefire, let alone react to it,” he said.

He accused Israel of behaving like a “war criminal” and accused it of trying to “eradicate” Palestinians.
He continued: “Of course, every country has the right to defend itself. But where is the justice in this case? There is no justice – just a vicious massacre happening in Gaza.”

It follows posts from the Turkish leader earlier on Saturday on X, formerly known as Twitter, in which he said the latest escalation had targeted “innocent civilians” and worsened Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, adding: “Israel must immediately stop this madness and end its attacks”.

Moments after President Erdogan finished his remarks at the rally, Israel’s Foreign Minister Mr Cohen said on X: “Given the grave statements coming from Turkey, I have ordered the return of diplomatic representatives there in order to conduct a re-evaluation of the relations between Israel and Turkey.”

Israeli Prime Minister Mr Netanyahu later said: “Don’t accuse us of war crimes. If you think that you can accuse our soldiers of war crimes that is hypocrisy. We are the most moral army in the world.”
He added the Israel Defense Forces is taking precautions to protect civilians, and accused Hamas of committing crimes against humanity by “using their people as human shields”.