Rick Perry drops out of US presidential race

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry has dropped out of the race to be US president - the first departure among a large field of Republican candidates.
Mr Perry had recently stopped paying campaign staff in states with early contests like Iowa.
His campaign has been struggling in the polls and he failed to make the cut into the main Republican presidential debate last month.
Mr Perry also ran in 2012 but dropped out after a series of gaffes.
Without naming front-runner Donald Trump, Mr Perry warned fellow Republicans to reject hard-line stances on immigration that could alienate Hispanic Americans.
"In America, it is the content of your character that matters, not the colour of your skin," he told supporters early last week, according to BBC.

-- Saikat --