The US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has called on his fellow Republican and Congressman Todd Akin to withdraw from the race for a senate seat over controversial remarks he made about rape. From Washington, Jenner Bryon reports.

Todd Akin has lost the support of his Party's leadership and its campaign cash. And the Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has now called for him to

step aside

, saying it would be

in the best interests of

the country. But Mr. Akin believes conservative voters in Missouri support his views on abortion">abortion and will forgive his comments on a radio talk show that women who are raped legitimately in other words, forcibly, rarely get pregnant because their bodies have a way of trying to shut the whole thing down. He later apologized, saying the mistake was in his words and not his heart but added that his views on

abortion

which strengthen the country and the Republican Party.

The veteran American endurance swimmer Diana Nyad has abandoned her fourth attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida. The 62-year-old had hoped to become the first person without a shark cage to complete the 166km journey. For two days she braved storm, strong currents and

jellyfish

stings but had to give up about the halfway.

A court in Sri Lanka has given suspended prison sentences to three French tourists charged with taking photographs deemed insulting to Buddhists. They were arrested when the owner of photo laboratory alerted police to the photos which showed them pretending to kiss a statue of Buddha at a temple.