05/04/2014 BBC Weekend News

Hello, good evening. Early figures suggest there has been a big turnout

in Afghanistan's landmark presidential election. More than 7

million people have voted, despite threats to their security. Hundreds

of thousands of troops were deployed in a massive security operation.

There was some violence. The Taliban rocket killed several people at a

polling station and two policemen were killed by a roadside bomb.

David Loyn reports from Kabul. Election officials here show that

the ballot box is empty before sealing it for the day. There is

pride in the process, watched by official national election

observers, those from the candidates independent bodies. We checked by

this light the fingers, like this. I tried out measures to prevent people

from voting twice. Ink on one finger and a marked detectable by

ultraviolet light on another. This is important for Afghanistan because

we saw problems in Afghanistan, a long time the war is going. We need

this, down the door. involved the police

say many Taliban attacks were foiled. Tonight, counting is already

begun in thousands of polling centres across the country.

Unofficial early indications could emerge shortly, but the official

result will not be known for days, or even weeks to come.

The Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps has said it is time to

draw a line under the row about Maria Miller's expenses. It follows

new claims that the Culture Secretary tried to intimidate the

Parliamentary watchdog that was investigating her. Today, the prime

minister faced more questions over his support for her as he addressed

the Conservatives' Spring Conference. Robin Brant reports.

The Prime Minister went shopping first thing. Small business like

this butchers could benefit from tax changes on the way next week, but

the cloud of expenses has returned and this time it is his Culture

Secretary. Should Maria Miller lose her job? He has accepted Maria

Miller's apology. She will give back ?6,000 she has ever claimed. The

Prime Minister wanted to talk about tax cuts. Let's tell them why we are

cutting taxes. It is not because we are ideological committed to a small

state, but it is because we get this simple fact. It is your money. This

lot are gearing up for elections, as is he, next month, and the big one

next May. They are trying to look forward, but the problem is an issue

of the past has reared its head again. The questions keep coming for

Maria Miller. There are renewed accusations, fiercely disputed by

the government, that one of her senior advisers had also threatened

a reporter about future press regulation and letters the Culture

Secretary exchanged with the investigators have been released,

suggesting she was reluctant to fully cooperate. In December last

year, she said it would not be appropriate for the commission to

broaden its enquiry. Then, she suggested she would go over its

head. I think it is for me to write to the Standards Committee, setting

out my concerns, she wrote. Labour is continuing the pressure. Well,

how dare she abuse and intimidate the Parliamentary Commissioner for

standards that Parliament appointed in this way? She is not just an MP,

but the member of the government and Cabinet responsible for press

freedom in this country. But a fellow cabinet minister says it is

time to let it go. Maria Miller has entirely accepted what their

recommendation, it has come to Parliament and done that. The Prime

Minister has accepted that. There is not much of the place for it to go.

In her seat of Basingstoke there is concern. I think she should be

sacked. She should leave. If it was an ordinary person, they would have

been reprimanded a lot more. She said it was a genuine mistake and I

imagine if that is what she said it was, it must be. The Prime Minister

has stuck by his Culture Secretary, who was notably one of only a

handful of women at the top of the government.

The Chinese ship searching for the missing Malaysian airliner is

reported to have picked up a signal that may be from the plane's black

box flight recorder. China says it is not yet clear if there is a

connection with the missing plane, but the frequency is the same as

that transmitted by flight recorders. Our correspondent Jon

Donnison has more from Perth. Could this Chinese ship finally have

provided the breakthrough the search for MH has been waiting for? The

reports need to be treated with caution and have not been confirmed

by officials, but Chinese media says the ship picked up possible signals

from the plane's missing black box flight recorder first on Friday and

then again on Saturday. The Indian Ocean search initially began here

before moving to this area, further north. The pings were reportedly

detected here, in between the two search zones. The signals were

apparently at a frequency the same as those emitted by the black box.

But it is a race against time. As the flight recorder's battery only

lasts around 30 days. Of course, the signals heard may have nothing to do

with the missing plane. There are a number of other objects it could be.

There are many pieces of kit in the ocean's oceanography and some of

those do is transmit on frequencies. Until we know if they have a clear

signal, there is a possibility it could be other background noise from

ships or even from marine animals. Even if the signals are coming from

the black box, recovering at will be valid challenging. This flight

recorder is from the Air France jet that crashed into the Atlantic in

2009, but that was in more shallow water and in nowhere near as remote

location. It took two years to raise it from the ocean floor. The search

by air and sea has now been going on for almost a month. This could be a

significant development. It could also be another false lead.

A convicted member of the Mafia, who avoided extradition from the UK last

month, has appeared in court again. Domenico Rancadore, 69, was

rearrested in west London last night, after a fresh invested -- a

fresh international arrest warrant was received in Italy. He was

remanded in custody until his next hearing.

Sport, after a somewhat chaotic start, Pineau De Re written by

Leighton Aspell was the surprise winner of a dramatic Grand National.

The horse, trained by a former GP, was not one of the favourites our

sports correspondent Andy Swiss reports.

Even on the greatest Grand National day, Aintree was a feast of colour

of 70,000 flocked for the latest instalment of one of sport's most

unpredictable events. First, a false start, before belatedly they were

under way. Teaforthree set out as favourite. He did not finish. There

were some crashing falls, but for the second year running thankfully

no injuries. Across the Bay led for much of the race, but when he was

taken out by a loose horse, the path was clear for Pineau De Re, pursued

by offers arcing and Double Seven, but to no avail. He will take the

Crabbie's Grand National. Victory for the jockey who briefly retired

and for the trainer, Doctor Richard Newland, a former GP. Pineau De Re

was his first-ever runner at the Rat-macro National. Just what the

doctor ordered. He jumped well, you do not know what is behind you. I

caught the commentary, I was six lengths clear which is a lovely

caution. Even if I was going to tire, nothing would finish to

quickly and the National. Jockey on a comeback on a part-time trainer,

another victory for Cup national folklore. Despite the soggy

conditions another dramatic Grand National and one has earned Pineau

De Re a place in racing history. Finally, tributes have been paid to

one of the most successful television writers of the 20th

century. Rob lobby, who died this week at the age of 79. -- Bob

Larbey. He formed a prolific write the partnership creating shows such

as The Good Life, Ever Decreasing Circles and Brush Strokes. There is

more throughout the evening on the BBC News channel. We are back with

the late news that just