:00:14. > :00:17.within Ukraine. Turnout has been high, but critics have boycotted the
:00:18. > :00:24.vote, which America and the EU say is illegal. Meanwhile in eastern
:00:25. > :00:29.Ukraine, pro-Russian protestors have stormed government buildings,
:00:30. > :00:33.demanding their own referendum. 25 countries are now helping in the
:00:34. > :00:36.search for the missing Malaysian airliner. Investigators are
:00:37. > :00:41.appealing for radar and satellite data. Plans to build a new garden
:00:42. > :00:42.city in the south-east of England have been unveiled by the
:00:43. > :00:50.Chancellor. And it is victory for Liverpool
:00:51. > :01:11.against their bitter rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.
:01:12. > :01:15.Good evening. The polls are about to close in the controversial
:01:16. > :01:21.referendum in Crimea on whether the region should rejoin Russia or
:01:22. > :01:26.remain part of Ukraine. The result is expected within the next few
:01:27. > :01:29.hours. It was organised by Crimea's new pro-Russian administration and
:01:30. > :01:34.today, both the EU and the United States condemned the referendum as
:01:35. > :01:35.illegal. Our correspondent Daniel Sandford reports now from Simferopol
:01:36. > :01:50.in Crimea. It is a referendum that will rip
:01:51. > :01:57.modern Ukraine apart. Voters wanting to leave the 23-year-old country and
:01:58. > :02:01.rejoin Russia flocked to the polls. In Simferopol, almost every vote
:02:02. > :02:06.seemed to be in favour of Crimea breaking away from Ukraine.
:02:07. > :02:12.TRANSLATION: We have been waiting too long. I think this is the best
:02:13. > :02:17.choice for my child. The poll has been denounced as illegitimate and
:02:18. > :02:22.too hasty by much of the world. But the new leader of Crimea insisted it
:02:23. > :02:26.was both legitimate and fair. TRANSLATION: There is no pressure on
:02:27. > :02:30.people. You can see for yourself. People are free to vote. I do not
:02:31. > :02:35.feel or see any pressure. But this is no ordinary polling day. Most of
:02:36. > :02:41.the world still believes this is officially Ukraine, and yet Russian
:02:42. > :02:46.troops are standing guard outside the bases here, effectively holding
:02:47. > :02:50.the Ukrainian troops prisoner. The Russians have agreed to a truce in
:02:51. > :02:55.Crimea until Friday, regardless of the outcome of the referendum. But
:02:56. > :03:01.no one knows what will happen to the Ukrainian troops after that. And
:03:02. > :03:07.there are many people in Crimea who refuse to vote today, like these
:03:08. > :03:11.Ukrainian speaking sisters. They told me the vote is illegal. They
:03:12. > :03:14.said they will never take Russian passports. That they are worried
:03:15. > :03:19.about what it might mean for their future.
:03:20. > :03:30.TRANSLATION: It causes me so much pain, and so much grief. It hurts so
:03:31. > :03:38.much here. Because I want to die here, in any circumstances.
:03:39. > :03:42.But for the pro-Russian crowds, this is the day they have been waiting
:03:43. > :03:47.for for almost a quarter of a century. The turnout was high, the
:03:48. > :03:53.result will almost certainly mean Crimea rejoining Russia. But Ukraine
:03:54. > :04:01.does not recognise the poll, nor do Europe or America. This crisis is
:04:02. > :04:08.about to get worse. On the Ukrainian mainland, in the Eastern city of
:04:09. > :04:13.Donetsk, pro-Russian supporters stormed the prosecutor 's office,
:04:14. > :04:17.demanding the release of fellow activists and raising the Russian
:04:18. > :04:23.flag. Nobody can be sure what the next move will be from the Kremlin.
:04:24. > :04:28.Daniel joins us live now. It is likely to be a yes vote for the
:04:29. > :04:31.shift towards Russia, does that mean sanctions against Moscow are
:04:32. > :04:39.inevitable, and if so, how will Mr Putin react? Yes, you can see there
:04:40. > :04:42.is a very enthusiastic crowd in the centre of Simferopol tonight,
:04:43. > :04:45.preparing to welcome what they expect to be an overwhelming vote in
:04:46. > :04:49.favour of joining Russia. The key thing is what happens next, and what
:04:50. > :04:54.effect it will have on international relations. The first move is
:04:55. > :04:58.President Putin's, does he decide to accept the results of the
:04:59. > :05:01.referendum? It looks like he will do that. And will he start moving
:05:02. > :05:06.towards joining Crimea on to Russia? If he does that, the
:05:07. > :05:11.European Union will impose sanctions on some Russian officials. As the
:05:12. > :05:15.union moves closer, those sanctions will escalate. The question is, what
:05:16. > :05:20.will be the response of Russia to that? Will it be a series of tit for
:05:21. > :05:26.tat economic measures? If so, things may start to calm down. But if
:05:27. > :05:31.Russia seeks to encourage able in different regions of Ukraine, then
:05:32. > :05:36.the Western response will have to be much stronger. And if that happens,
:05:37. > :05:39.then we could have an effect on international relations which will
:05:40. > :05:40.last for many, many years, which is why people are talking about the
:05:41. > :05:49.possibility of a new Cold War. 25 countries are now involved in the
:05:50. > :05:52.search for the Malaysian airliner that disappeared more than a week
:05:53. > :05:55.ago, and checks have been ordered on all 239 passengers and crew, as well
:05:56. > :05:58.as ground and technical staff at the country's main airport. The
:05:59. > :06:01.authorities are searching along two main air corridors and are appealing
:06:02. > :06:06.for radar and satellite data that might help them locate the plane.
:06:07. > :06:14.Our correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes is in the Malaysian
:06:15. > :06:20.capital, Kuala Lumpur. His report contains some flash photography.
:06:21. > :06:25.We want real information about our families, screams this man. Why has
:06:26. > :06:31.it taken a week to tell us the truth, shouts another. Nine days
:06:32. > :06:40.after the Malaysia Airlines flight disappeared, the anger in China is
:06:41. > :06:46.unabated. In Kuala Lumpur, this man is close to despair. His wife was
:06:47. > :06:48.one of many Chinese on the plane. He says the Malaysians have wasted a
:06:49. > :06:54.whole week looking in the wrong place. If they knew the plane had
:06:55. > :06:58.turned around, he tells me, then why did they waste so much time
:06:59. > :07:03.searching in the South China Sea? Why did they send all of those ships
:07:04. > :07:07.and planes and satellites to search there? This is the question, but we
:07:08. > :07:11.get no answer. The Malaysian government has now declared the
:07:12. > :07:18.disappearance of Flight 370 eight terrorist act, and it is widening
:07:19. > :07:22.the list of possible suspects. We are refocusing our investigations on
:07:23. > :07:26.all crew and passengers on board, as well as all ground staff handling
:07:27. > :07:31.the aircraft. Several others on board may have known how to take
:07:32. > :07:34.control. In a simulator today, it took me just a few minutes to learn
:07:35. > :07:45.how to navigate and to change course.
:07:46. > :07:53.And insert... ? And now, the plane is heading, it is turning, towards
:07:54. > :07:59.the new point. It is as simple as that. I also learned just how easy
:08:00. > :08:06.it is to switch off the plane's transponders. Some of the matters
:08:07. > :08:12.who hire this simulator are very skilled. People can really handle
:08:13. > :08:20.the aircraft like a pro. But they are not qualified pilots? No. With
:08:21. > :08:24.nine days already gone, and hundreds of thousands of square miles of
:08:25. > :08:25.ocean to search, solving this mystery could now be all but
:08:26. > :08:32.impossible. A government-backed scheme to help
:08:33. > :08:35.people buy newly-built homes in England is to be extended until
:08:36. > :08:38.2020. Speaking ahead of this week's Budget, the Chancellor has also
:08:39. > :08:41.announced plans to build a "garden city" of at least 15,000 homes at
:08:42. > :08:45.Ebbsfleet in Kent. Labour has responded by saying the Government's
:08:46. > :08:46.plans don't go far enough. Our political correspondent Ross Hawkins
:08:47. > :09:04.has the story. Politicians have always liked the
:09:05. > :09:07.idea of creating leafy new cities, but they have grown less keen on
:09:08. > :09:14.saying where they should be built. Today, the for the first time in 100
:09:15. > :09:17.years we will be building a garden city in Ebbsfleet, in the Thames
:09:18. > :09:24.Estuary TV which means more homes, more aspiration for families, more
:09:25. > :09:29.economic security and resilience. The site he has got in mind looks
:09:30. > :09:34.green, but the idea is not new. There have been plans for homes here
:09:35. > :09:37.since 2003, but the project has stalled. The Government is prepared
:09:38. > :09:42.to spend ?200 million to get things going. At the Treasury, they want to
:09:43. > :09:45.set up a special Corporation with planning powers to try to make sure
:09:46. > :09:49.there are no more hold-ups. But for today, they cannot say when the
:09:50. > :09:55.building work will be done, or even whether it will begin before the
:09:56. > :10:00.general election. They can help with the money, though. They will be
:10:01. > :10:03.extending a scheme providing government backed loans until the
:10:04. > :10:08.end of the decade. Labour says it is not enough. We have been calling for
:10:09. > :10:12.new investment in housing, to get the economy stronger, and to help
:10:13. > :10:15.with the cost of living crisis. We have said more than 200,000 more
:10:16. > :10:20.homes a year are needed and the end of the decade. This is no more than
:10:21. > :10:24.an old policy. It is a drop in the ocean. It is not the help that we
:10:25. > :10:30.have been calling for. He should do more. And one Liberal Democrat said
:10:31. > :10:35.today's announcement would barely scratch the surface is what is
:10:36. > :10:39.needed. Prices have risen, and even those backing today's announcement
:10:40. > :10:51.says more needs to be done. 15,000 homes, but at, say, 1500 homes per
:10:52. > :10:55.year, is a good first step. If we designated 40 times as much, then
:10:56. > :10:57.would we would make a significant contribution towards meeting the
:10:58. > :11:04.housing needs of the nation. Meeting those needs blonde Ebbsfleet could
:11:05. > :11:13.prove more controversial. -- beyond Ebbsfleet.
:11:14. > :11:17.Syrian state media says government forces backed by Hezbollah fighters
:11:18. > :11:20.have taken control of a rebel-held town on the Lebanese border. Yabrud,
:11:21. > :11:23.in the mountains between Damasacus and Homs, lies on an important
:11:24. > :11:24.supply line for the rebels into Syria. Opposition forces deny the
:11:25. > :11:31.town has been taken. With all the sport, here's Karthi
:11:32. > :11:39.Gnanasegaram at the BBC Sport Centre. Liverpool captain Steven
:11:40. > :11:42.Gerard has described his side as genuine title contenders after their
:11:43. > :11:46.three nil victory over Manchester United. It moves Liverpool into
:11:47. > :11:52.second place in the Premier League. Arsenal are in third after beating
:11:53. > :11:56.Tottenham in the North London derby. It was a game many call the biggest
:11:57. > :11:59.in British football. This time Liverpool arrived playing not only
:12:00. > :12:02.for north-west pride, but challenging for the title. That
:12:03. > :12:05.title still belongs to Manchester United. They were not letting go
:12:06. > :12:10.without a fight. Liverpool's early dominance was rewarded when Rafael
:12:11. > :12:17.handled, and Steven Gerrard dispatched the penalty. Wayne Rooney
:12:18. > :12:20.led the Manchester United response. That saved from Simon Mignolet
:12:21. > :12:25.proved crucial, as Liverpool got another penalty just after
:12:26. > :12:31.half-time. Gerrard put it away again. They then won a controversial
:12:32. > :12:36.third spot kick. Nemanja Vidic was sent off in the process, but this
:12:37. > :12:44.time, Gerrard hit the post. Luis Suarez sealed the victory. It was a
:12:45. > :12:48.famous victory for Liverpool. The pressure was now on Arsenal to
:12:49. > :12:52.justify their own title ambitions, and they struck within two minutes
:12:53. > :12:59.of the start of the North London derby. The goal came from Tomas
:13:00. > :13:07.Rosicky. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain wasted a glorious chance to make it
:13:08. > :13:08.two. Early in the second half, Nacer Chadli was stopped from equalising
:13:09. > :13:18.for Tottenham. Arsenal held on. Aberdeen have won the Scottish
:13:19. > :13:23.League Cup for the first time in 19 years, beating Inverness Caledonian
:13:24. > :13:28.Thistle on penalties. After 120 minutes without a goal, it went to
:13:29. > :13:33.the penalty shoot out, and the decisive spot kick was taken by Adam
:13:34. > :13:40.Rooney. E Rosberg has won the opening Grand Prix in Australia. --
:13:41. > :13:43.Nico Rosberg. Daniel Ricciardo was eventually disqualified for
:13:44. > :13:48.breaching new engine rules. For a while, it was the greatest day of
:13:49. > :13:52.Daniel were Thiago's Korea. He had become the first Australian to stand
:13:53. > :13:57.on the podium at his home Grand Prix. But five hours later, he was
:13:58. > :14:02.disqualified, his Red Bull team accused of breaking new rules on
:14:03. > :14:06.fuel. It is no fault of Daniel's, I do not believe it is a fault of the
:14:07. > :14:11.team, either. I believe we have been compliant with the rules. The
:14:12. > :14:17.investigation and documents which will be submitted within the appeal
:14:18. > :14:21.will demonstrate that. They were not the only ones who had a bad day.
:14:22. > :14:28.Starting from pole position, Lewis Hamilton had been favourite, in his
:14:29. > :14:32.Mercedes, but when it matters, he's let him down, forcing him to retire
:14:33. > :14:38.after just three laps. And the gremlins claimed Sebastian Vettel
:14:39. > :14:48.soon after. There were no such problems for Hamilton's team-mate,
:14:49. > :14:50.Nico Rosberg, who won by 25 seconds. Ricciardo's disqualification gave
:14:51. > :14:58.second place to Kevin Magnussen, in his first race. Jenson Button was
:14:59. > :15:00.promoted to third. Double Olympic champion Mo Farah collapsed and was
:15:01. > :15:04.taken away in a wheelchair after coming second in the New York half
:15:05. > :15:11.marathon. He tripped and fell during the early stages but recovered to
:15:12. > :15:17.finish second. He said afterwards he was doing OK. That is the sport.
:15:18. > :15:18.There's more throughout the evening on the BBC News Channel, and I'll