back, the better the game. >> okay. thanks the show may be over but the conversation continues. you can also find >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford here are the stories we're following for you right now. >> this movement are consistent with deliberate action by someone. >> confirming what many already have been speculating, the communication system that have missing malaysia airlines flight was disabled on purpose. tensions running high. one day before that

controversial referendum in crimea. >> reporter: identifying a few species of dinosaurs. we'll tell you how they came upon it and figured it out 70 millions of years later. >> the search for flight 370 is now the subject of a criminal investigation. seven days after the plane went missing with 239 people on board malaysia's prime minister said it appears the plane was intentionally diverted. >> we can say with a high degree of certainty that the aircraft communications addressing and reporting system was disabled.

>> al jazeera easil's lisa stars live with us on what it latest twist could mean. >> reporter: a chilling and frightening scenario laid out by the prime minister this morning. it appears very likely, certain now that this plane was taken over or flown by pilots, terrorists or someone in a deliberate manner. someone who had to have great knowledge of this aircraft, and who had planned this well in advance. what we know is that after the plane took off as the prime minister indicated, this acar system it talks with satellites of how the plane's engines and other components are doing was deliberately turn odd. then the transponder was turned off later. that let's air traffic control know where that plane is at. then it headed up the straits of

malaka and they can tell from military radar in this area that that was no accident. here's what they said. >> up until the point at which it left military radar coverage, this movement are consistent with deliberate action by someone on the plane. >> now at some point that radar coverage disappears and here's what we know now. even though they had disabled that system, the reports about the plane system that system kept sending out signals. it was searching for satellites. it was picking up satellite pings from this aircraft. that's how they know it was still in the air. they determined two possible routes that this 777 took.

the route over kazakhstan up in the thailand area. there is a southern route that they're considering over the southern indian ocean. my sources i've talked to believe the southern route is the much more likely route took. because if they took the northern route they would have pickebeen picked up by radar. this plane stayed in the air another seven hours. that would have possibly exhausted all the fuel on board. the question is where is the jet? is it at the bottom of the indian ocean? did someone land the jet somewhere? this still remains a big mystery. and they're keeping an open mind. >> despite the reports that a plane was hijacked i wish to be

very clear we are still investigating all possibilities. >> reporter: now as we mentioned the search is moving westward. they're ending the search in the gulf of thailand and the south china sea. they don't believe the sea is anywhere there. that's the area they have been concentrating on the last five days. the search going westward in this criminal probe, they're beginning to take a very hard look at every passenger on the plane and crew. the police have gone to the living quarters of the 53-year-old pilot to see if they can find any clues there. still a mystery of what happened to this plane, but a very frightening scenario. someone was controlling this plane for many hours. we don't know who, we don't know why. >> lisa, given all this new information, the prime minister said that this new info changes

the nature and scope of the investigation. how specifically is the investigation changing at this point? >> this is no longer an accident investigation. this is a criminal investigation. what this means is that intelligence agencies around the world will now start to get involved. they will start to look back to see if there was any intelligence chatter, for example, over the last few weeks that may have indicated some terrorist attack under way. this has shifted entirely to what happened to the airport as far as mechanically to who was on board and what were they doing, yes. >> lisa stark reporting for us live from washington, d.c. thank you for being with us. the countdown in ukraine has begun. tomorrow crimeans will count their vote whether they want to join russia or stay with ukrai ukraine. many say the russian kremlin are

to blame for the actions in crimea. we're live in sevastopol that has declared itself part of russia. what is the feeling so close to this referendum? >> today people are out on the streets. it's the first warm day we've had, and it's saturday here. people are out on the streets and it's quiet. we've seen signs at the state buildings go away. when the government of kiev fell people took things in their own hands here and installed their own kremlin-backed officials, and they were flying the russian flag over the city hall, outside of the state administration, local administrations, that was until yesterday and today. they have taken those away. we've seen the russian troops, they've gone away as well. they've tried to give an

illusion that there has not been a russian occupation here, that thousands of troops didn't come in here. but there is a campaign of intimidation against anybody who feels that russia should not be the leader here, that russia--crimea should not become part of russia. we talked to crimeans. many have left town. some have tried to leave town but they can't get out in time. the train is the only way to get to ukraine from here. and everyone where else from moscobutmoscow has been suspend. there is a feeling that those who oppose thin this, their vois won't be heard. they say you can't fly anything but the russian flag or you're attacked. a lot of people carrying the russian flags, souvenir shops carrying the russian flags. many are ethnic russians and feel this should be russian land

again, that a mistake was made 60 years ago, and they'll have a chance to correct that. officials say that the polling stations are ready. the ballots are printed and the schools are ready to host the polling, and they say it can't happen soon enough. >> that illusion that you just mentioned. what do we expect to see in crimea after this referendum takes place? >> well, you know, i think that's the concern here. while it looks like things are normal things will have to change. crimea is expected to declare independence and expect to be part of russia. how long that will take is unclear. we see a lot of people lining up in banks trying to get money out because they're not sure at what point the currency will change, when they'll go from the ukrainian to the russian rubel. does that mean that their savings will be there for a

while? and what will happen to the ukrainian black sea fleet and the forces blockade across the peninsula. we heard the crimean prime minister say yet that on monday all of those forces become crimean forces and they should either pledge their allegiance to crimea or leave ukraine. but all the ships and equipment should remain here. i think that's very much a sticking point. we don't know what decisions they will make if the russian troops try to go in and take those bases. >> live for us from sevastopol. thank you. let's turn to kiev to phil ittner, to indian independence e

where this all began what are we hearing? >> reporter: a lot of grave concern, a lot of anger as well. they know very much that they cannot do anything about those russian troops on the crimean peninsula, but they are still nevertheless very angry about it. they have called the referendum illegitimate, and whatever result comes from it, it will be illegal. they're gravely concerned about what is happening in the peninsula there, and they're very frustrated. nevertheless there is a sense of resistence. even if crimea does breakaway, that this country will survive. >> phil, whether or not they recognize the referendum as something official, if and when crimea votes to leave ukraine how exactly is that going to effect the country? what can we expect to see in the days ahead? >> well, first and foremost, they're going to have to establish a brand new border. they'll have to deal with the

loss of a huge chunk of their territory. crimea is not exactly lucrative. it's a place for tourism. there is not a lot out there. there are areas up the black seacoast where there is exploration of natural gas fields, but this will not ruin the ukrainian economy albeit an economy that is already in corruption that has been happening for years now. there is a sense of loss in national identity. there is a sense of loss of territory. that will be a big blow here. i have to say people here are still saying they have solidarity with crimea, but at the end of the day they do realize that those russian troops there have taken, and they're determined they will continue and they will fight in the courts and international courts to try to regain it, marcmorgan?

>> live in kiev, phil, thank you for being with us this morning. john terrett joins us live from the united nations. there has been a flurry of activity just in the past week. what is in the resolution that the security council is voting on today? >> reporter: you're absolutely right. we're now about to have the second of a twin track approach by the united nations to try to get some no. in this crimea crisis. it began on thursday when the interim prime minister appeared here and gave a very impassioned, very short, only five minutes long, but an impassioned plea to save his country. he said the ukrainians are not looking for any military activity on their borders, and he thought that it was possible to find a peaceful solution. that was thursday. now today it's the presentation of the resolution to the security council in the next hour.

ambassadors to the west have been frying to figure out whe wn the best time to bring this resolution forward. they wanted to do it earlier, but they didn't feel that the timing was right quite. now i've just seen a copy. it's only a page long. it's language is very carefully written, as it always has to be if you want to bring all 14 members of the security council on board. and russia, of course, will not vote in favor. it notes that ukraine did not authorize this vote coming up in crimea tomorrow, and it notes concern that is taking place but the important line said that the vote tomorrow in the crimea is invalid. it's invalid says the document, and therefore it has no basis for any kind of status change for the crimea within the ukraine. so that's the document. the vote is due to get under way here in the security council

chamber. >> the document calls the vote invalid, but there is speculation of how shine will be voting. how do you think the vote is going to go. >> that's why they didn't bring it earlier in the week. ambassadors from the western countries, mainly britain, france, and the united states, they felt they could not get the chinese to abstain. back in 2008 when the georgia war was going on, the chinese did abstain from that particular conflict. china normally votes with russia, but they abstained in 2008. and they feel today saturday ahead of the vote is the best time they have to get china to abstain. you have 13 members voting in favor of the resolution. they hope china abstaining and russia using its veto to say no. just briefly, there is a sense that crimea is lost. the vote is going to go the way of moscow tomorrow.

we know because we've heard from phil and jen that there is a lot that has to happen for the country to take on crimea, but nonetheless what this is also about is sending a message from the security council to moscow that they don't want any involvement by russian forces in eastern ukraine, which is also part of the country which whichs very much moscow. this is a warning for the entire rest of the world. there is not one military involvement in eastern ukraine. >> john terrett joining us live from the united nations. thank you. >> thank you. >> one of the ethnic groups caught in the middle of the struggle of the eastern ukraine is the tatars. their horrible experience at the hands of the soviet bring fears.

return from ex-pile this sunday at 10:00 a.m. calls for bashar al-assad to step down. i'm morgan radford, and you're watching al jazeera america.

>> three years ago today the up rising against president bashar al-assad began. the violence has uprooted 9 million people and the fighting does not seem to be letting up. assad forces made a huge strategic victory capturing the town nort of yabroud just northf damascus. it was the last rebel-held area near the capitol. since the war began, many have registered as refugees in neighboring countries.

these are just the numbers of those who have officially registered and there could be far more. lebanon has the highest amount of syrian refugees at 1 million. many syrians are worried they will never be able to go back home. >> a syrian refugee never thought they would give birth to her youngest child in lebanon. only a week long is one of lebanon's newest syrian refugees. her parents and siblings became refugee here but she was brought into this world as one. >> i feel sorry for her because whatever she has it will be less than what her siblings had. she'll be deprived when it comes to heat and clothes and healthcare. >> reporter: they have been in exile the longest. they have been living in a tented community for over a year and a half.

>> the war has prevented us from having any dreams or plans for our lives. we survive not knowing what will happen to us tomorrow. all of our hopes and ambitions and plans have been shattered because of this war. we have no hope for the future. >> his son tells him he wants to return to syria because he's unhappy here. but he said they can't return because syria is too dangerous. over two and a half million syrians have been registered as refugees in neighboring countries. the majority are here in lebanon. three years after the start of the conflict and with no political solution the future looks even more uncertain for these people. the u.n. refugee agency says syrians could make up the largest refugee population in the world. the war has devastated children the most. between those living under siege in syria, those displaced, and those living in exile fiv

5.5 million liv-- >> we're afraid we'll never be able to go back. we're also afraid that our house will be destroyed and things will get so much worse than they already are. we'll never be able to go back. >> reporter: the war is causing the humanitarian catastrophe. if the world fails to act refugees say they will feel not only abandoned but deprived of a future. ♪

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>> welcome back. we now have breaking news from the united nations on that vote over crimea. let's go to john terrett who is live there for us. >> reporter: they don't hang around over the weekend. normally people make lengthy speeches and hang around but not on weekend. it went the way they hoped it would. they wanted this result. in the end 13 countries voted in favor of the resolution. china abstaining, and of course

russia the one veto to block the resolution. the resolution goes nowhere. but don't worry about that. this is signal o. 13 countries in favor. china abstaining, and russia voting no. although the resolution dies, what this vote says is still significant because the breeding of the resolution says very clearly it notes that the ukraine did not authorize this vote in crimea and notes the concern that it's even taking place and that it's invalid. if it takes place tomorrow there is no basis under international law for any status check

involving crimea and ukraine. >> john, 13 countries voting for it. china abstaining and russia saying no. what is the significance. >> back in 2008 during the georgia water china abstained with a similar vote during that crisis. china normally votes along world war line with russia. they see the world in similar ways. to get the chinese to abstain, not to vote in favor but to abstain means you're basically isolating russia on the global stage. the security council is the final arbitor. and russia has to deal with all sorts of people at all sorts of levels around the world. it is now isolated standing alone of the global community of what it has done and what it thinks it's trying to do in the

crimea. >> john terrett. thank you for being with us. >> well, you can see behind john bright blue sunny skies. we've got a warm push of mild air, and don't worry winter is on the way again. although we do expect to see a string start here on thursday we have a ton of moisture pushing in out of the gulf of mexico. later on today we're going to see a chance for severe weather across the south central planes particularly eastern portions of texas on to louisiana. again, that warmer mild air continues to push into the northeast but we have an arctic air mass getting ready to push on in out of the north, and it will make an impact as we check on later today into tomorrow as well. and we're expecting snow and some fleet, and back to work on monday. it's 51 degrees in new york

city. 51 in philadelphia down in our nation's capitol 54. the cold air pushes on in later on tonight into tomorrow. that's really going to fuel the severe weather front across texas, louisiana, arkansas and the far eastern tip of oklahoma. you can see that area of low pressure as it tracks here saturday afternoon into the evening. it will make its way into some milder air across the gulf of mexico. that's why we're going to see severe thunderstorms breaking out this afternoon into the evening. we have the potential to see damaging winds at 55 to 70 mph. you can see a bit of hail and a few tornadoes are possible. not a widespread outbreak but a few tornadoes will be possible as the cold front pushes through the east. as we track late sunday night into monday morning you see the ice and the sleet pushing across

the corridor back into west virginia. we'll have to be careful on i-81 and i-95. >> thanks so much. checking now on our top stories at this hour, malaysia's prime minister saying there was likely some kind of foul play involved in the missing malaysia airliner. they believe that someone disabled its tracking device on purpose. ukraine's crimea peninsula is preparing for tomorrow's referendum on whether to join russia or remain a part of ukraine. international powers say they will not recognize the outcome. meanwhile russia said it will recognize the results setting the pace for a potential diplomatic fall out. today marks three years since the up rising in syria first began and the fighting continues with no end in sight to the

conflict. the opposition objecting to president bashar al-assad running for re-election saying he has no legitimatcy. i'm morgan radford for al jazeera america. "inside story" is next. remember you can always follow us online. >> ed you ha yo this is the "inside story." >> i'm ray suarez. since the economy