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>> and now, "bbc world news." >> welcome to "newsday." i am in des moines. >> the headlines. decision day for republicans. the first contest of the u.s. presidential campaign. voters in iowa have their say. which candidate will take on barack obama? for the front runners, this could establish stay in power for a campaign that could last until june, and cover 50 states. just as at last. 18 years on, two men found guilty of murdering stephen lawrence are sentenced for the racially-motivated attack. washington rejects the warning from iran to keep american carriers out of the gulf. it is a take him in iowa. >> it is 2:00 a.m. in london.

welcome to "newsday." the republican candidates are competing for the nomination to challenge barack obama in this year's american presidential elections. they are facing their first big test. they have been making last- minute appeals for support to registered republicans who will be voting on these caucuses in the state of iowa. we have information coming in from entrance polls which suggest this is a tight three- person race between mitt romney, ron paul, and rick santorum. tonight's contest launches six months of state by state caucus and primary ballots. mitt romney leaves the race, but many voters have said that are

still undecided. -- they are still undecided. ♪ [applause] >> there are hundreds more hands to be shaken and children to be corrected before this is over, but republican mitt romney is already behaving like a victor, attacking not his rivals, but the president, and sound and positive. >> i believe in america and our future. together, we will accomplish great things. >> at nearly a thousand events like this up and down 0 -- up and down iowa, republicans have gotten to know other candidates. they do matter. president obama says he should not be judged against the almighty, but the alternative. who the impact -- who the opponent is matters. romney has the best chance in the general election, but he has

to persuade his side first. he lost iowa four years ago. conservative this trust has grown since then. they want someone more right wing, but he is focused on the future. >> this sets the course of the country. >> and iowa sets the course for his party. don't be fooled by sunshine. a bitter wind whipped through this state. doing badly can freeze candidates out of the rest of the race. they have trouble 23,000 miles through the flat landscape, harvesting votes that might put them in the vital top three places. libertarian ron paul could win. so my christian conservative rick santorum. newt gingrich has faded, and michele bachman has waned. at this high school basketball game in northern iowa, the cheerleaders' excitement is genuine, but voters seem unsure

who to support, unenthusiastic about a flawed field. what about mitt romney? >> i do not care for him. if he is our guy, i will vote for him. >> would you think of the republican field? >> i am not impressed, i look for someone else. >> everyone mentioned that mitt romney is not consistently conservative. >> he has not been able to put it behind him, because stylistically, his opponents and some of his own presentation has made it appear that he is eager to please, that he will say what the audience in front of him wants to hear, rather than legitimately, authentically believe it. that is probably unfair, but it is what it is. >> it will be hard for voters. nearly half for undecided. many americans are unimpressed with the president, uninspired by alternatives. there is a lack of enthusiasm for the politicians on offer.

bbc, iowa. >> apart from the astonishing 23,000 miles covered, one thing stands out about iowa. campaigning here is a family affair. it is not enough to meet the candidates. you have to know their spouses and children. as i found out when i stopped by a rally for mitt romney in des moines today. mitt romney is a family man. in the world a conservative america, that is a political card worth playing. >> let me have my family come up here. the the guy over here with his wife -- >> here they all are, reeled out to vouch for dead. in the crowd, i caught up with george romney, son no. 3. -- josh romney, son number 3. he is looking relaxed. >> he has a lot of energy. he likes being out here. he loves the energy of the

crowd and the enthusiasm building in iowa over the last few months. i think it looks good. >> are you concerned about the threshold he does not seem to make it over, the enthusiasm deficit, not being able to excite the base? >> you look at the new hampshire polls, and we are doing really well, up in the 40's. i think we are going to do well. >> you know him better than anyone else in this room, almost. there is your mother and brothers. this image he has of being somebody who people cannot pin down, having one position and then another -- does that strike you as true? >> my mom, dad is a man of great conviction and principles, married to the same woman, a man of great faith, a man of core convictions. >> why would you tell voters to caucus for him tonight?

what do they need to know? >> there are two things. my dad is a guy with the experience to turn around the economy, with private sector experience. when you look at the election november, it will be about experience and who can turn the economy around. look at my dad's background of turning around failed businesses, the olympics, and massachusetts. he is a turnaround guy. president obama was a nice guy, but did not have that experience. the last three years have been tough. a lot of people are ready for change. they will recognize my dad as the guy to do it. >> before he can change america, the turnaround guy will have to turn iowa. he lost badly here four years ago. if he wants the party nomination, he cannot afford to do that again. >> as i said, very early exit polls, which could change, suggest a tight race between mitt romney, ron paul, and rick

santorum. in the last couple of days in iowa, i had a chips to speak to mitt romney and rick santorum. both say they are confident they can go the whole way and are the best candidates to take on president obama in november. republicans know they have a good shot at the white house. president obama is vulnerable because the economy is weak. whoever wins the republican nomination has a chance of being the next president of the united states. that is all from iowa for the moment. the verdict has been reached in a case that has a profound impact on race relations in britain. >> the murder of a young black teenager on the streets of london 18 years ago, and subsequent the botched police investigation, led to reforms that permeated much of practice society. finally, two man accused of killing stephen lawrence have

been found guilty of his murder. we look at how the jury reached its verdict. >> an unprovoked racist attack near a london bus stop, a young black man fatally stabbed, a notorious unsolved murder. as police watched their subjects and public anger boiled over, the bereaved family fought for justice. today, after 18 years, they got it. wept as amother silent court heard the verdict. she spoke of her relief, but also her anger. >> how can i celebrate, when i know that this they could have come 18 years ago if the police who were meant to find my son's killers did so? these are not a reason to celebrate. >> we pay tribute to mr. and

courage andce's dignity. they have seen through major changes in policing, the law, and society as a whole. >> gary dobson is convicted of murder following the scrapping of the so-called double jeopardy rule. he was acquitted in the 1990's. david norris had never been charged. forensic scientists began a cold case review. clovis taken from -- clothes ephen were st subjected to months of tests. >> that examined clothing fibers and the bags that were in. on this jacket and his cardigan, fibers which matched stephen's jeans. on these from norris's house, a

match to dna. >> there was a stain on the back of the color, a blood stain that would not be apparent to the naked eye. >> whose blood was it? it was on gary dobson's color. -- collar. >> it came from stephen lawrence. >> at last, fibers and hair length them to the killer -- killing. despite surveillance pictures of the subjects together, they had to be released. detectives tried placing a covert camera in dboson' -- dobson's flat. the subjects were obsessed with knives. [unintelligible] months turned into years.

the parents tried to prosecute three of the suspects themselves. the case collapsed. the man refused to answer questions at the 1995 mcpherson inquiry. it was critical of the police. even the latest prosecution has taken four years. the case remains open. nine people are still of interest. the five who appeared in the macpherson inquiry -- two are now guilty. what of those who remain? stephen lawrence is buried in jamaica. his mother still tends his grave. >> it is a sad time. his picture is beginning to wear out. i will have to get another one done for him. >> it has been 18 years. but for him, the british justice system has finally delivered. tom simons, bbc news. >> at least four fighters have been killed in clashes between

militias in tripoli. the violence took place between an armed break from the capital and another from misrata. officials in tripoli claim the group from misrata was trying to free prisoners held in the former intelligence services building. they have tried to integrate former rebel groups, but it is proving difficult. a second day of protest in nigeria after the fuel regulator dropped $8 billion of subsidies. the government says it can make better use of money elsewhere. trade union leaders have called for mass strikes in protest. you are watching "newsday." still to come, more on the republican caucuses, and who will come away from iowa one step closer to the white house. and the bbc speaks to a senegalese singer about his bid to become president.

gales and storms across the u.k. have claimed at least two lives and caused power cuts to tens of thousands of people in scotland. more than 200 flights were canceled. >> the first big storm of the new year. in parts of scotland, the wind made it almost impossible to get about. the bad weather hit suddenly and packed a damaging punch. falling masonry shut streets. roofs ripped off blocks of flats. >> the policeman came and said we had to go right now, because things might come through the roof and dive into the flat. >> the wind swept across the uk. in kent, a driver died after his van was crushed by a falling tree. emergency services closed the road amid fears others might topple.

downed trees led to blocked routes in northern ireland. at epsom, part of the roof of the resources in the grandstand was blown off. the port of dover was closed. a crewman was killed after his vessel in the channel was hit by a large wave. scotland for the brunt of the bad weather. the fourth road bridge invisibly flexing in the gale. overturned lorries added to destruction on the road, and for a time train services through much of scotland were suspended. the latest bout of winter weather has caused significant damage to some homes and businesses. insurers will be bracing themselves for further claims. although the wind has eased in many areas, tens of thousands of households remain without power. for those whose homes still need repairing, the cleanup has yet

to begin. bbc news, glass go. -- glasgaw. -- glasgow. >> decision date for republicans in the first contest of the u.s. presidential campaign. voters in iowa have their say on which candidates will take on barack obama. just as at last, 18 years on. 2 the wall men found guilty of murdering -- two men found guilty of murdering stephen lawrence will be sentenced. more on iowa. it is the first of state caucuses. we have been speaking to the workers white house correspondent, who explained the significance of this contest. >> iowa what is the state that launched obama for years ago. it could launch the republican candidate as well. it is the first contest in the u.s. from which momentum can

start. >> it has been a wild race so far for the republicans. whiplash. >> absolutely. candidates went up and down. mitt romney start a stayed steady, but has not been embraced. will see the results in a few hours. >> will become out of the caucuses with a clearer idea of who will be the candidate? >> i think so. polls show mitt romney is likely to win. it could be close between him and a couple other candidates. if he does fairly well, people will say this is his pathway to move on to new hampshire and the next few states. >> met romney is part of the reason the race has been so wild. the fact that he has not managed ever to convince the bulk of the conservative base of the party that he is there guy -- that has been a problem. >> it is a problem in the obama

campaign has watched closely. they will try to take advantage as the primary continues. if he is nominee, they will poke at them. >> you cover the white house. who is the candidate the obama people tell you they would like to run against to maximize the chance of a second term? >> they do not like to answer that question. they have not said that. they would be delighted to have somebody who has a little bit more baggage, like speaker gingrich. mitt romney, they see a lot of weaknesses, but he has strength on the economy, a weakness president obama has now. they have worked over the last few months to bring romney down a little bit. when gingrich was up a few weeks ago, they looked at him as well. >> jeff mason, speaking to my colleague. in other news, relations between iran and america under the spotlight after the u.s. said it

will carry on sending aircraft carriers into the gulf despite a warning from iran to stay away. last week, u.s. naval carriers left the strait of hormuz as iran began 10 days of naval exercises. they have suggested they had successful missile tests. >> iran kif military chiefs fly in to look at the war games they have been conducting in the gulf. forces have carried out 10 days of exercises. they are feeling bold enough to threaten the united states. keep your aircraft carriers away from the gulf. >> in my opinion, those enemies who needed to leave have left. after our drill, the enemy carrier was moved to the sea of oman. our view is we are not starting anything unreasonable, but we are ready for any threat, and we have warned them not to return,

because we are not in the habit of repeating our warning. >> iran sees the gulf as its own waterway, but international law says otherwise. the united states says it will not change its naval deployments to suit iran's demands. >> we see these threats from tehran as increasing evidence that the international pressure is beginning to bite their -- there, and they are feeling increasingly isolated. they are trying to divert the attention of their own public from the difficulties inside iran, including economic difficulties as a result of sanctions. >> iran's government has plenty to worry about. new american sanctions threaten to go after all else -- oil exports. the value of iran's currency has fallen. these are events the government is keen to dismiss.

>> this has nothing to do with sanctions. the sanctions have not been implemented yet. basically, the united states and england, which announced they would impose sanctions, had no backing internationally. >> president mahmoud ahmadinejad has a lot to consider. the armed forces may speak with confidence, but the government's future may rest on the state of the economy and iran's ability to keep selling oil to the rest of the world. james reynolds, bbc news. >> the government of chile says some of the forest fires burning out of control across the country may have been started deliberately. woodland has been destroyed after fire broke out almost simultaneously in eight different locations. nearly 400 acres have been scorched in southern and central chile. a massive disinfection operation

underway at a government building in hong kong after high levels of bacteria that cause legionnaires' disease were found in water samples. inspectors say failing to drain contaminated water before the building was open may be eight suriname me decision and political activist -- a musician and political activist has said he will stand for election next month. he said he was responding to requests to run against the incumbent. we spoke to him in the capital of synagogue -- in the senegalese capital. >> i am running because a lot of people in the traditional party -- most of the people think

politicians do not do a very good job for them. a lot of people who are outside of the system -- they are asking for my legacy. i have received more than 3 million people riding e-mails or calling to say, "we want you." i realize all my career, the support i have -- i would like to give back. this is why i say yes. >> announcing your candidacy, you basically told the people what they wanted to hear. food for all. electricity for all. health and education. in concrete terms, how will you go about providing people with this? >> this country has this amount

of money that goes for just the state. i am willing to fight against corruption. all of these things mean getting more money. if i get back 20% of the budget of synagogue -- senegal, i am going to do it in a different part. definitely, we have to reduce a lot of things to have something to help my program, and we have to have what i call international connections. i believe it because i think the world has to support a new model that can change africa. >> are you confident you can win

this election? >> definitely. no question. i am the most credible, most popular, and what i say is coming from the people. i will win the elections, definitely, the first round. i am going to win the elections the first round, definitely. >> you have been watching "newsday." i am in london. a reminder of our main news. republican party supporters in the united states are getting their first chance to vote on who they want as their candidate to challenge barack obama in november. the first round of the election process is taking place in the state of iowa. the republicans will vote on nominees they met at small-scale meetings called caucuses. mitt romney, ron paul, and rick

santorum are neck and neck, to close to call. -- too close to call. >> make sense of international news. bbc.com/news. >> funding for this presentation is made possible by -- the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu newman's own foundation and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to know your business, offering specialized solutions and capital to help you meet your growth objectives. we offer expertise and tailor solutions for small businesses and major corporations. what can we do for you?

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