Walker blasts Trump as he exits the presidental race
MADISON, Wis. – Warning the GOP’s presidential race has become too nasty, Scott Walker suspended his 2016 campaign on Monday and called on some of his Republican rivals to do the same, citing an urgent need to “clear the field” to help defeat GOP front-runner Donald Trump.
“Today, I believe that I am being called to lead by helping to clear the field in this race so that a positive conservative message can rise to the top of the field. With that in mind, I will suspend my campaign immediately,” Walker said in a Madison press conference.
“I encourage other Republican presidential candidates to consider doing the same so the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive conservative alternative to the current front-runner,” he continued. “This is fundamentally important to the future of the party, and, more importantly, to the future of our country.”
The announcement marked a dramatic fall for Walker, who was struggling to generate fundraising and enthusiasm after surging into the race’s top tier earlier in the year. He will return to his job in Wisconsin as governor, where his term runs through 2018.
One of the last Republicans to enter the race, Walker joined former Texas Gov. Rick Perry as one of the first to leave it.
UN may condemn U.S. embargo against Cuba
WASHINGTON – The Obama administration may allow the UN to condemn America’s economic embargo against Cuba without a fight, an unprecedented step that could increase pressure on Congress to end the 54-year-old restrictions.
As it does every year, the UN General Assembly will vote as early as next month to demand the embargo’s end. But this time, U.S. officials told The Associated Press that the U.S. could abstain instead of voting against the resolution as it normally does.
It is unheard of for a UN member state not to oppose resolutions critical of its own laws. And by not actively opposing the resolution, the administration would be effectively siding with the world body against the Republican-led House and Senate, which have refused to repeal the embargo despite calls from President Barack Obama to do so.
The U.S. and Cuba restored diplomatic relations this year, and leaders of the two countries want to improve commercial ties. But the embargo remains.
Burkina Faso general who seized control, gives it back
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso –The Burkina Faso general who seized power in a coup last week apologized to the nation Monday and said he would hand over control to a civilian transitional government after the military warned that its forces would converge on the capital and forcibly disarm the soldiers behind the power grab.
Gen. Gilbert Diendere said his presidential guard unit “confirms our commitment to giving power back to civilian authorities.” That was one of the key conditions of a draft agreement that resulted from weekend negotiations with regional mediators, but it had been unclear until his announcement whether the junta would abide by those terms.
Diendere, who led the presidential guard under longtime leader Blaise Compaore until he was forced from power in a popular uprising last year, said the compromises were necessary to avoid further bloodshed. The risk of clashes could lead to “chaos, civil war and massive human-rights violations,” he said.
Associated Press
