24/03/2014 BBC News at Ten

waiting for news for more than a fortnight and their worst fears were

realised. For them, the past few weeks have been heartbreaking. I

know this news must be harder still. The search for wreckage continues in

the southern Indian Ocean where new satellite data has led the

investigators. We'll have the latest on the search and on the British

experts whose work has been essential.

Also tonight: Ukraine orders its troops to withdraw from Crimea after

Russian soldiers stormed a major military base.

In the Oscar Pistorius murder trial, the court hears that his girlfriend

sent a text saying he scared her. Protests in Egypt after 500

supporters of former President Morsi are sentenced to death.

And remembering the heroes of the Great Escape 70 years on, and the

tunnel they built. And coming Sportsday on BBC News,

Arsenal's Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both escape

suspension after Gibbs was mistakenly sent off by Andre

Marriner at the weekend. Good evening. Malaysia Airlines

flight MH370 crashed into the southern Indian Ocean more than two

weeks ago and there were no survivors. That was the announcement

made by the Malaysian Prime Minister today based on the latest analysis

provided by British satellite experts. It's thought the Boeing 777

came down some 1,500 miles south west of Perth with 239 people on

board. It was a long way off its original path from Kuala Lumpur to

Beijing. Search for evidence continues. More than a hundred of

the passengers were Chinese. From Beijing, our correspondent Jon

Sudworth sent this report. There is some flash photography in this

report. Some grieved quietly. Others,

uncontrollably. This woman's only son, her daughter-in-law and only

grandson were on the missing plane. After two and a half weeks of daring

to hope, they were told all hope is gone. At least six people were

carried out on stretchers. The news that the plane has crashed came from

the Malaysian Prime Minister in Kuala Lumpur. It is a remote

location, far from any possible landing sites. It is therefore, with

deep sadness, and regret, that I must inform you that, according to

this new data, life on MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean. That

assessment is not based on anything yet been found by the intensive air

and sea search. Instead, it is further analysis of the fleeting

final signals sent by the plane that leads investigators to now concluded

has indeed crashed here in the remote southern Indian Ocean. Some

relatives received the news by text message from Malaysia Airlines

before tonight's emergency briefing had begun. Yellow none of those on

board survived... This man's parents were on board. He told me he will

not accept that all is lost until a piece of hard evidence is pulled

from the sea. We want other people to know how suffering we do, and we

do know who we can trust. A large number of medical staff have been

drafted in for this announcement with the authorities keenly aware

that, after 18 long, hard days, this was likely to be the toughest yet.

But with no physical evidence, no piece of the plane to show them, for

the relatives, amid the grief and anguish, there also remains a

lingering sense of suspicion. If they are dead, show me their

bodies, this woman cries. No one has yet given them proof, let alone

explain why and how the plane went so far off course.

The mystery of the plane's likely path to the southern Indian Ocean

was unlocked by British satellite experts working for Inmarsat. Their

method of analysing the satellite data has not been done before. Our

transport correspondent Richard Westcott has been speaking to some

of the Inmarsat team. Simple as electronic signals,

received here, have yielded vital clues to the final whereabouts of

the missing Malaysia Airline. This is the central London control room

where they received the signals from flight MH370. Over the weekend, they

put together a new analysis that shows the aircraft definitely flew

south after taking off from Malaysia, ending up somewhere around

here. We have took Malaysian 777 aircraft data, modelled that and put

that against the northern and the southern path. What we discovered

was that the path to the south is undoubtedly the one taken. Why

haven't you come up with this before? Why has it taken so long to

get to this point? We have been dealing with a totally new area. We

have been trying to help an investigation based on a single

signal, once-an-hour, from an aircraft that did not include any

GPS data or any time and distance material. This really was a shot in

the dark. It's the credit of our scientific team that they came up

and modelled this. They managed to find a way in which to say just a

single ping can be used to say the plane was powered up and travelling,

and by a process of elimination, comparing it to other known flights,

establish that it went south. From a control room in central London to

one of the most remote and inhospitable places on earth. It is

all eyes on the southern Indian Ocean and some, sing sightings from

a Chinese aircraft and this Australian crew, dropping flares to

mark the spot. The first object was a rectangular in shape, slightly

below the ocean. The second object was circular, also slightly below

the ocean. We came across a long, cylindrical object. We came across

another item in the area that was also a cylindrical and shaped

roughly like a fish hook. Now ships are on their way to investigate what

could easily be yet another false alarm. Even if they do find floating

wreckage from the Malaysia Airline, they may never unlock the mystery of

how it ended up here. As Richard was pointing out, the search for the

wreckage continues and it is now centred on the southern Indian

Ocean. Those waters are some of the most remote anywhere in the world,

with an average depth of two and a half miles. They lie between the

southern latitudes of 40 and 50 degrees known as the Roaring

Forties'because of the strong currents and stormy winds. We are

going to talk to Jon Donnison, in Perth, where the search is being

coordinated. What are they saying there are about the prospects of the

search in the days ahead? Well, I think they must feel that the news

from Malaysia yesterday means that the chance that the items they

spotted yesterday, it means that they are more likely to be from the

wreckage of the missing Malaysia jet. The plane is -- search is going

to intensify, we are going to have planes taking off from New Zealand

and the United States. I think increasingly this is going to be an

operation carried out by ship. It is one thing to spot this debris, but

they have defined it again, pick it up and, eventually, bring it back to

dry land which, of course, is 1500 miles away from where the planes are

looking. The chances are, if they do manage to find any debris, they are

going to bring it back to a big naval base, just off the coast of

Perth. That could take days, if not longer, to bring it back, such other

distances involved. Thanks very much, Jon Donnison with the latest

in Perth. Ukraine is withdrawing its troops

from Crimea after its last military base was taken by Russian forces. It

was the third base to be overrun in the space of 48 hours. Ukraine's

acting President said the decision had been taken because of threats to

service personnel and their families.

Russian troops stormed the Feodosia naval base early this morning using

automatic weapons and stun grenades. Our correspondent Ian Pannell is in

Crimea and sent this report. To the victors go the spoils. A warm

embrace for Russian troops. But to the vanquished Ukrainians, and order

to pack up and leave. This was their final stand. It ended with the

Russian flag flying and its troops manning the gate at the Feodosia

base. This was the last Ukrainian base and it is firmly in Russian

hands as President Putin consolidate his control of Crimea. The question

now is what happens to the thousands of military personnel and their

families for whom Crimea has been home. For some, it meant today they

had to say farewell. Forced to choose who their allegiance belongs

to and say goodbye to friends and comrades paid matter. -- they had

met. This man is leaving for Ukraine. His best friends have

chosen to stay behind. These are my best friend is coming he says, and I

goodbye to them. A sympathetic crowd tells the Marines they have been

abandoned. I was defending the base, the young man says. And not a

politician or a general came to help us. And so, a ragtag convoy of

Ukrainian Marines pulled out. They shouted honour to the Navy. It was

more like human mediation. They were finally given orders to withdraw

today. President Putin's men gave them a stark choice, join Russia

will leave Crimea. They chose the latter. Many Crimean is not going

anywhere. They have been celebrating their new status. Even offering

support to Russian speakers across the border in Ukraine. This

nationalistic fervour has some worried, including the Archbishop of

the Ukrainian Orthodox Church here. Some of his flock, even some of his

priests have fled. He has been given assurances by the new government but

he's still afraid to go out at night. TRANSLATION: Yes, I'm

afraid. Look at what has happened to Ukrainian activists and military

commanders, who have been arrested and beaten. Anything can happen to

us. People don't want to betray their country and become citizens of

Russia, but they are also scared. Moscow's takeover is as good as

complete. It has brought joy and anguish, and dark fears about what

comes next in this region. Following the events in Ukraine, David Cameron

has ruled out the possibility of Russia hosting the G8 summit of

leading industrialised nations this summer.

Leaders of the G7 nations are meeting in the Netherlands to

discuss what action to take. Our Europe editor Gavin Hewitt is in The

Hague. Well, it has been a day of world leaders trying to send

messages. Firstly to try and show that Russia internationally is

isolated over Ukraine, but also to try and show that America and Europe

are united in both their resolve and determination and in their strategy

for dealing with the crisis in Ukraine. Tonight world leaders

gathered for dinner at the residence of the King and Queen of the

Netherlands. The ceremony had been part of a summit on nuclear security

but it had been overshadowed by the crisis in Ukraine. It was a day when

the leaders of the G7 countries chose to cold shoulder Russia and

boycott its summit in June. These hours after play Missy have begun

with a visit by President Obama to a restored museum for Dutch masters.

He had come to Europe determined to keep the pressure on Russia and to

signal that it could not expect a place at the world's top table for

the time being. Europe and America are united in our support of the

Ukrainian Government and Ukrainian people. We are united in imposing a

cost on Russia for its actions so far. As the motorcade swept into the

Hague, President Putin's was not among them. The leaders of the most

powerful economies in the world met at the Dutch Prime Minister's

residents to decide what to do about Russia. Is it is now time to exclude

Russia from the G8 and make it the G7? We should be clear there will

not be a G8 summit this summer in Russia. That is absolutely clear.

The seven other countries of the G8 will be meeting tonight to decide a

way forward but frankly it is Russia that needs to change course. The

mood was relaxed but these leaders, huddled around a small table,

decided they would suspend taking part in G8 meetings until Russia

changed course. They also agreed to boycott the G8 meeting due to be

held in Sochi in Russia in June and to hold their own summit instead.

All of this is intended to underline that Russia is isolated

internationally, but the Russian foreign minister who was actually

here today just shrugged it off. As far as the G8 is concerned, you know

the G8 is an informal club. Nobody issues membership cards. By

definition, nobody can throw us out. Among the moving between venues, the

leaders warned that any further Russian intervention would trigger

sanctions. There was an interesting guest at tonight's dinner, Sergei

Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister. Channels with Moscow are

still being kept open. The troubled Co-operative Bank has

revealed further problems. It needs to raise another ?400 million to

cover unexpected costs and charges. Mis-selling of insurance and other

lapses in the treatment of customers are largely to blame. The new costs

take the banks losses for last year to ?1.3 billion.

In South Africa the trial of the Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius

who's charged with murder has been told that his girlfriend sent him a

text message saying she was sometimes scared of him. Mr

Pistorius denies deliberately shooting dead Reeva Steenkamp

claiming that he was shooting at an intruder. Our correspondent Andrew

Harding reports from Pretoria. A bruising day for Oscar Pistorius.

The athlete 's relationship with Reeva Steenkamp under scrutiny for

the first time. The prosecution revealing evidence from the couple

's mobile phones, shown here being recovered from the crime scene. In

particular, a series of bitter text messages. Right now I know you

aren't happy and I'm certainly very unhappy and sad. In public, they

were South Africa's most glamorous new couple but today we heard

evidence of public fights and private tears in the weeks before

Reeva Steenkamp 's death. I do everything to make you happy, the

model wrote. You throw tantrums in front of people. You have really

dated a lot of people yet you get upset if I mention one boyfriend. I

regard myself as a lady but I didn't feel like one tonight. Pistorius

appeared to weep and there was worse to come. Reeva Steenkamp saying she

felt threatened. I'm scared of you sometimes and how you snapped at me

and of how you will react to me. The police expert acknowledged that 90%

of the messages between the couple were loving but the damage had

already been done. In court today Oscar Pistorius was revealed as a

jealous, possessive, at times angrily domineering boyfriend. Of

course that doesn't prove he killed Reeva Steenkamp deliberately but the

athlete has his work cut out as he prepares to take to the witness

stand himself perhaps later this week. Andrew Harding, BBC News,

Pretoria. A court in Egypt has pronounced

death sentences for more than 500 supporters of the banned Muslim

Brotherhood. They were convicted on charges including the killing of a

policeman last August. The sentences have yet to be confirmed by Egypt's

supreme religious authority and an appeal is expected but there has

been widespread criticism of the ruling, as our correspondent Orla

Guerin reports from Cairo. Wives and mothers for loosing their

anger and their anguish. After a devastating verdict reached at

breakneck speed. We won't stand for this, they cry. Almost 530 men

sentenced to hang on day two of their trial. This was some of the

violence at the heart of the case. Riots last August in which one

police officer was killed. They were sparked by the deaths of more than

600 protesters in Cairo when security forces violently dispersed

two Islamist sit ins. We have managed to track down one of the man

who has been sentenced to death and we are on our way to see him. He is

on bail here in Cairo. He is worried about speaking out so he has asked

us not to reveal his identity or exact location but he has agreed to

speak to us about the case. He told us he belongs to the now banned

mother -- Muslim Brotherhood but he insisted he was innocent and had

been denied justice. The case was referred to the criminal court a

month ago, he said. There were over 1000 pages of legal documents. The

defence team did not have time to read them or examine the evidence.

Brotherhood members are getting used to being caged in court, including

the deposed President, Mohamed Morsi. But after today's verdict, it

is Egyptian justice in the dark according to protesters. It is very

cruel. 500 offenders being sentenced to death after what appears to be a

sham trial is highly problematic. This is the largest number of people

sentenced to death in a single trial that Amnesty International has

documented. Many see the verdict as a serious escalation in the state's

attempts to crush the brotherhood and end its opposition on the

streets. Tonight there is another mass trial of Brotherhood

supporters. The Prime Minister says he wants to

increase the amount of money people can inherit before paying tax. He

said today that inheritance tax should only be paid by the rich, not

the average homeowner. A Conservative pledge at the last

election to raise the threshold to ?1 million was abandoned following

opposition from the Liberal Democrats.

There is growing support in Parliament for changing the law so

that people can't be jailed for failing to pay the TV licence fee.

That's the Chancellor's view on the eve of a vote in the House of

Commons on giving a future Government the power to make the

change. The BBC said the licence fee was working well but it would

co-operate with a review of the system. Our deputy political editor

James Landale reports. Yes, there's a TV set on at number five, in the

front room. For years it's been clear. They're watching Columbo. If

a man in a van found you weren't paying the TV licence, you could be

fined or even jailed, like Marcus Greenhouse in Nuneaton. He forgot to

pay his licence after the death of his wife and today that meant court

and a fine. I was a few weeks, a month, six weeks maximum out. Pick

on the ones that haven't had one for 12 months or two years, the ones

that don't want to buy a TV licence. That licence currently costs ?145.

In 2012, the courts found 165,000 people guilty of not paying it, of

whom 51 went to prison for not paying the fine. Many Tory MPs think

that is 51 too many. They want these vans and their modern equivalents to

catch people but not turn them into criminals, so tomorrow they along

with Labour will vote for a review and new powers for the Government to

make the change, which some see as inevitable. The point about this is

that our magistrates courts are clogged up with a load of people who

don't pay their licence fees and that's not the approach we take with

other utility bills like gas and electricity, so I think it is a very

interesting idea. We're looking closely at it. It's getting more and

more support across the political parties and you can see it heading

in that particular direction. The BBC says without some kind of

deterrent, more people will stop paying the license fee, and that

could mean a lot less cash not just for The One Show but for all shows.

The risk of doing this quickly and without proper consideration would

be that you would have a system without a proper deterrent, which

would mean that everyone who does pay, pays more, or that the BBC have

to make cuts to local radio services or other services. It's going to be

so fun. For some MPs though, this is just another way of debating how all

the BBC 's hit shows are funded, and that will be up for grabs when the

corporation's charter is reviewed in 2016. James Landale, BBC News.

A ceremony has taken place in Poland to remember those allied prisoners

of war who died in The Great Escape 70 years ago. The daring break-out

involved dozens of men using a deep tunnel codenamed Harry. But only

three reached safety. Many were shot on Hitler's orders, as our

correspondent Robert Hall reports from Poland.

Flight Lieutenant Michael Casey. 50 photographs carried down the forest

track by 50 of today's aria. 50 men who fought back from inside the wire

and paid the price. Under the Pines, moss covered foundations are all

that remains of the camp that inspired Hollywood to tell its

story. The story of an ambitious plan to tunnel out what was billed

as an escape proof camp and allow a record number of allied air men to

head for home. Well, 30 feet of sand above you. I was used to that. It

didn't worry me particularly. I was lying on my trolley, further up, and

I thought, what a way to go! The tunnel, codenamed Harry, emerged

just short of the tree line. 76 prisoners of war managed to get

through before the alarm was raised. Today Britain, Poland and the

Commonwealth paid tribute to the courage and ingenuity of the

prisoners. The subsequent executions are still a painful memory for those

who laid their wreaths. The Gestapo appeared and took away about five

from different cells and so on. This was very ominous because they were

not Luftwaffe taking you back to an aerodrome or back to camp. This is

the exact location of the events that unfolded on a snowy night 70

years ago, the line of the tunnel here showing just how close it was

to the nearest guard post. Today has been about remembering that story

but also celebrating the spirit of those who never returned to Stalag

Luft III. That is all from us. Don't forget,

first look at the papers is on the