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>> and now "bbc world news." >> welcome to "newsday." >> the headlines. rick santorum and his bid for the white house, clearing the way for mitt romney to take on barack obama for the presidency. >> we made the decision to get into this race at our kitchen table, against all the others. we made the decision over the weekend that while this presidential race, for us, is over -- >> fresh fighting in syria, despite a u.n. police -- a u.n. peace plan and new appeals for cease-fire. >> a chinese politician's weiss is a question over the murder of a british businessman. a go-ahead for a long-range

rocket launch. >> we are broadcasting to viewers on pbs in america and around the news. -- around the world. welcome to newsday. america's republicans have been in a bruising fight to choose a candidate against barack obama in november. the battle shrank dramatically, with the exit of rick santorum. mitt romney looks almost certain to be the nominee. >> it has been an arduous road, but we can now say with certainty that this 65-year-old businessmen, mitt romney, will be the republican challenger to barack obama. this was the moment when the race all but ended.

rick santorum suspended his campaign and after spending easter in hospital with his sick daughter. >> we made a decision over the weekend that while the presidential race is over for me, and we will suspend our campaign, effective today, we are not done fighting. >> what do we know of the man who would be president? mitt romney was going in 1947. he studied business at harvard. as a venture capitalist, he amassed a personal fortune estimated at up to a quarter of a billion dollars. he became governor of massachusetts. he is a man of faith, a follower of the minority mormon religion. >> we fired him as senator. why report him for president? >> in this negative campaign, attack ads pulverized opponents in vital states.

the candidate marketed himself as an and economic troubleshooter, forced to correct the president of mistakes. >> the president has pledged to transform america, and he spent the last four years laying the foundation for a government- centered society. i will spend the next four years building an opportunity society led by free enterprise. >> the fight left mitt romney bloody. many of the wounds were self- inflicted. the millionaire gave the impression of living in a different universe than ordinary americans. >> i like being able to fire people who provide services to me. >> drives a couple of cadillacs, actually. >> it is difficult to connect to the average person. he is one of the wealthiest men in the country. he has a personal fortune of millions of dollars. it is hard to connect.

>> the president concluded some time ago that mitt romney would be the nominee. what they also know is this. mitt romney is best placed to take on barack obama on the economy, an issue that could decide the election. >> a large oil spill is now under the control of the south sudanese military. south sudan says the military has taken the oil field in response to air and ground attacks. the u.n. court of human rights has dismissed extradition to the united states. the radical cleric argued that the long sentence and confinement they could face in america is tantamount to ill

treatment. a man who killed 77 people in twin attack last year insane. breikvik had been described as insane and suffering from schizophrenia. his trial is set to begin next week. the guns were supposed to be quiet in syria today, yet more than 50 people have been killed. the deadline for the u.n. cease- fire husband wanted, as government forces continue to show opposition activists. the violence has increased in the last few days, as have a number of refugees trying to escape to turkey. our correspondent is in one of the refugee camps and filed this report. >> if there is peace, there is no sign of it in homes. -- in homs.

this is the voice of a cameraman filming the violence there is -- violence there, saying it is being destroyed. in other embattled pounds, the destruction seems to be escalating. with time running out on the peace mission, kofi annan, -- came to visit the refugees. most of these people have fled from the north of the country, with stories of killing and torture. all day, the cavalcade move from camp to camp. some of the refugees kong to the hope the mission might still work. "maybe something will happen in syria, "wrote this woman told us, "and we can go back to our families and children." kofi annan is being asked for solutions he cannot deliver, achieving a peace and be able to

go home. others demanded the opposition be armed and achieve a military victory. the mood of militancy is growing. members of the free syrian army had little faith in kofi annan's mission. >> we want nato to come into syria and give weapons to the free syrian army. we want a liberated zone so we can free our country. >> as the clock ticks on the u.n. deadline, the mission looks far off. >> i ask the syrian government and the syrian parties to cease the violence, in accordance with the plan. i believe there should be no preconditions for stopping the violence. >> in moscow, where he met his foreign counterparts, he claimed that his side would be

helped by agreement. >> we have withdrawn some military units from some provinces. we have allowed more media channels to enter syria. we have reached agreement to add a -- i humanitarian aid. >> nobody in the camps believes a word of it. after kofi annan, there were visitors with a different message. >> this is a war. diplomacy has failed, and it will continue to fail so long as bashar al-assad thinks he can defeat the opposition in syria militarily. >> the rhetoric will not bring military intervention closer. but it echoes a mood here that rejects any compromise with the regime. bbc news, at the refugee camp. >> a dramatic fall from grace for one of china's top political man. a bizarre case, isn't it?

>> indeed. bo xilai had until recently been one of china's highest-flying political stars. now he has been sacked from all his political positions. his wife is a suspect in the murder of a british businessman. >> chongqing is a city of intrigue. neil heywood died in a hotel room here last year. the businessman was a close family friend of one of china's top politicians, bo xilai. in an extraordinary twist, the chinese authorities suspect his wife, gu kailai, was involved in neil heywood's murder. the british government pushed authorities to reopen the case. chinese authorities originally said the businessman's death was accidental after excessive drinking. >> it must be investigated on

its own merits, without political considerations. i hope they will go about it in that way. i welcome the announcement. "this investigation goes to the heart of power in china. neil heywood was priced for his contact with bo xilai. bo xilai was headed for the top of chinese politics. but he is also under investigation after a report he tried to defect to america earlier this year. all of this makes for china's biggest political scandal in 20 years. it comes as the country prepares for a once in a decade leadership change. >> this is a political decision by the central leadership to hang bo xilai out to dry with his family, because the whole scandal risks becoming very destabilizing during this year of a leadership change in china.

>> the chinese authorities say they have set up a team to reinvestigate neil heywood's death. what happened in the city continues to make waves across the country. bbc news. >> the u.s. secretary of state, hillary clinton, has warned north korea to think twice about a long-range rocket launch. she said it will be a direct threat to their security. >> this launch would give credence to the view that north korean leaders see improved relations with the outside world as a threat to the existence of their system. recent history strongly suggests that additional provocations' may follow. so we are working around the clock with south korea and japan to strengthen our alliances and sharpen our deterrence. >> the launch could happen as soon as thursday.

the regime is concerned it is a cover for developing missile technology. our correspondent has greater access to north korea. he sent this report from p'yongyang. >> vast and the streets. -- and the she -- empty streets. welcome to the world last stalinist state, preparing for a funeral for the dead kim il- sung. even the walls have been washed. it is like traveling back in time. today, we were whisked past grim-looking businesses and people toiling by hand in their fields, to be shown this, a thousand hectare fruit farm. it is the way north korea wants to be seen. a modern socialist miracle.

kim says she is very happy working here. the kim family have ruled north korea since it was created. everyone here keeps telling us how wise and benevolent the ruling dynasty are. the inspiration for this place, we are told, came from leader kim jong il, his guidance. but there is always the impression nothing is quite as it seems. the workers did not look to be doing much. right in the middle, she is putting the box back on the line of cartons of jews going around and around. -- cartons of juice going around and around. south korea's says his plans to put a satellite in space. the u.s. says it is a test of missile and technology.

north korea showed us another new form, breeding turtle, an expensive delicacy. i asked when it would make a profit. "it is hard to explain to you capitalists. for us, profit does not matter puzzle not far away, their fields. a theme park under construction. lines of shabby huts. the contradictions of a country that struggles to feed its people, yet whose leaders dream grandiose dreams. >> you are watching "newsday." seeking to boost trade between britain and asia, indonesia is the next stop after japan for the british prime minister. >> nine miners trapped underground for several days could be freed within hours.

but a stick a quick look at what is making front-page news around the world. a deepening scandal surrounding high-profile bo xilai. reports he has been dismissed from his top position after his wife was detained over the suspected murder of british businessman neil heywood. the markets are punishing spain. the economy minister says thing does not need a bailout at the moment. a wider look at the european financial slump highlights big falls in the french and italian markets, citing worries about lack of global growth. rick santorum position to and his campaign for the republican nomination means the real battle for the u.s. presidency can now

begin. >> this is "newsday." >> republican party candidate rick santorum has suspended his campaign for the white house, making mitt romney the likely challenger for president obama. >> bo xilai has been sacked from all his political posts. his wife is the suspect in the murder of a british businessman. south koreans have been voting in the presidential elections. the ruling party, which recently changed its name to the new frontier party, is expected to struggle to keep its majority. the vote comes ahead of presidential elections in december. it is seen as a key test. joining me from seoul is a journalist and commentator.

thank you for joining us. this could be a crucial and significant electoral exercise for south korea. >> it is. all polls indicate that the ruling party faces the threat of losing control of the national parliament. this will be an election that will determine the future course of self correa in the next four years. -- of self correa -- of south korea in the next four years. it could be a major change of economic management. >> this is the first time that two very important parliamentary and presidential elections are being held in one year. it is the new frontier party of the president -- if it loses in

this election, he could be a lame-duck president. >> the lame duck phenomenon, which is a very unwelcome situation, given the continuing missile and nuclear threat from north korea, is not going to be a happy situation for president myung-bak. the presidential election comes in december. what happens today will have a heavy bearing on the election outcome of the president in the next 10 months. >> if indeed the opposition democratic united party wins the parliamentary election, how do you think they will be handling the north korean situation? >> the opposition democratic unity party is seeking a significant change of course in

dealing with north korea. first, they want to resume full- scale economic aid to north korea, and renegotiate the u.s.- south korea free trade agreement that went into effect last month. they are also opposed to building a new naval base on a southern island. it is up to the direction of change in foreign policy. >> we will have to leave it there. a seoul-based journalist and commentator. britain's prime minister, david cameron, has been visiting japan at the part of a tour of asia. he said he will join to build defense equipment. nissan motor says it could develop a new model at a british

plant. the next stop is in indonesia. the country is the world's most populous muslim country and one of the fastest-growing economies, but it has struggled to some shake an image as an unsafe place to do business, following a series of terror attacks. >> it is saturday night. you could be anywhere in the uk. indonesians our football man. it is a popular way for british businessmen to break the ice. chris should know. he has been doing business here for 18 years. he says more british companies should invest in indonesia. >> they find 45 million people, domestic-driven gdp growth. 55% of growth comes from the local market. three or 4 million people going to college in the next 15 years.

that spells opportunity. >> they are funding projects that teach tolerance throughout football. finding a way to put theory into practice, students at this muslim boarding school getting a chance to learn about teamwork and tolerance. this is one of the british government initiatives in indonesia to reach out to young muslims. some of their other programs, although deemed successful initially, are coming under scrutiny. this is a recent raid by the elite anti-terror squad. they killed five people they said were planning to carry out terror attacks on the island. human rights groups have criticized the shoot-to-kill record. >> the have lack of professionalism. there are human rights violations.

if this keeps going like this, i am afraid there will become like the military in the past. >> indonesian police denied those allegations. they have made a decision to suspend the controversial unit. >> we want to gather evidence so that cases can be brought before the court. it is important to know if there were abuses. we should look into them. >> friends share stories about doing business. there is vast potential. indonesia is often held up as an example of a modern democracy by the west. it could lose that status if it fails to continue with these

programs. the arab spring brought revolution and change to the streets of cairo. some are hoping for a revolution of the culinary kind. >> if you want good street food in cairo, you go to this restaurant downtown. it is one of the most popular places in the city pasta, rice, fried onions, and a list of different sources. not far away, another restaurant is trying to spread the word about this traditional cuisine. the kitchen has a different setting, inspired by western restaurants. >> people used to ask what is the difference, and what kind of

food you eat in egypt. i always felt egyptian cuisine was underrated. it is not well presented to the world. >> it is proving popular with the locals, and the not so local. >> what i ate today, i think, was excellent. the food here was so light. that is what i like. it is traditional food. you have a big choice. it is traditional, but made a different way. we really have to take care of our health. >> the owners say they want to open restaurants in london and new york, aiming to bring this egyptian fast food to a whole new audience. bbc news. >> we take you to peru, where rescuers say they are close to reaching nine miners who have been trapped underground since

thursday. this is the scene live at the mine, which is 225 kilometers south of lima. this site increasingly a center of busy activity as rescue workers, including the president of peru, have attended the scene. they are hoping these nine men, aged between 22 and 59, will be rescued from that copper mine. they have been trapped there a number of days. the family and friends gathering at the scene, clearly very worried about their loved ones. a spokesperson says today will be key in the rescue operation. that are only 3 meters away to the crop mine workers. we will bring you the latest developments. you are watching "newsday."

stay with us. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by -- the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, union bank, and shell. >> this is kim, about to feel one of his favorite sensations. at shell, we're developing more efficient fuels in countries like malaysia that can help us get the most from our energy

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