>> this is al jazeera. >> hello, welcome to news hour. we have the top stories. crimea is voting to join russia or stay with ukraine. taking the war to lebanon, syria is launching air strikes. plus... ♪ >> we report on the rev ewe gees that left religious hatred

behind them. >> including a record breaking football star as he becomes the all time leading goal scorer in barcelona. >> so do you want your country to be russia or ukraine? that's the question that the voters are answering today. take a look at the live scene and the people right there are awaiting to hear the results of the first exit polls, the celebrations as you are seeing have started. jackie is joining us from there as we are reporting, jackie, exit polls are meant to be announced any minute now. >> yes, the voting ended just a few minutes ago. we are expecting initial exit polls in the next ten minutes or

so. i will give you details about the turnout figures, it is about 75%. the referendum commission is saying more than three-quarters of the registered voters participated. the council of the minority ethnic community here, a community that is largely boycotting the referendum claim that the turnout is 30%. that injects an element of doubt there. from our experience, particularly at the polling station where we were for many hours in in morning a lot of people there, and standing in line, waiting to vote. and a great deal of enthusiasm here. >> jackie, the tartar community that we understand are a community that boycotted the vote? >> yes, they did to a large

extent boycott the election. you have to remember that the tartar community doesn't share the same kind of warm fuzzy feelings that the ethnic russians do. under the soviet union tartar community was expelled from crimea and september to central asia and in the mid 90s they were allowed to return to the homeland and they are suspicious of a renewed control of moscow and they have faired fairly well under the ukraine control and this didn't give the voters to preserve the status quo, they had to choose between union with russia or increased autonomy within ukraine and many of the members are feeling nothing in it for them.

>> we are looking at live pictures, we were with the celebrations going on in the square and people are awaiting the results from that initial exit poll, and in what atmosphere did the votes take place? >> well, as you say, there is a celebration atmosphere now. we witnessed quite a celebration atmosphere all day, even in the early hours of the morning when people were going to vote. they seem the feel it was a fore gone conclusion. they were con grat you lating each other on achieving independence from ukraine. there was a superficial mood of celebration and none theless there was a slightly more menacing sub text and a lot of presence of armed uniformed men on the streets. some of them pro russian and rers are members of the special police here in crimea that is

pro russian and in some cases the army on the street, heavy gear and serious troops to be out on a voting day and that is a subtle message that the outcome expected by the authorities was a vote in favor of the union with russia. >> all right, jackie, we are leaving it it there for now and we are going to speak to you later with the results. what we are going to do is getting reaction from moscow an and kiev with the reporters there, and first, barnaby philips has this. >> they came to the polling stations early and full of enthusiasm. glory are crimea and putin. she's not alone. not everything is transparent in the process, but the ballot boxes are and we see vote of

vote piling up in favor of crimea rejoining russia. the other vote on the sheet was atonny. >> this vote is illegal, what do you say? >> no one can deprive us determining our own future. the united states has double standards. >> on the nearby streets russian military muscle. the russians control crimea and hope this hope gives them legitimatecy. we have come to a town and behind me you can see a polling station. we have seen a steady stream of voters coming in and out and

this is a divided town and there are people living here and unhappy with the referendum. in the muslim tartar neighborhoods it is a day when many were staying indoors and worried about the future. >> we believe this referendum is not taking into our account our interests. if we voted we would have legitimateized it. >> the real question is whether the russian soldiers are stopping at crimea or invading ukraine. they have already gone a little further. this is just ten kilometers from crimea. the russians were here on saturday. back here, the parliament and the men raised the russian flag. crimea is surely saying yes to rejoining russia, the vote is

carried along with the enthusiasm and the assenting voices are drowned out by the propaganda and intimidation. >> we'll show you the scene right now, this is in crimea and where the voters and people there are waiting for the results from the exit poll to see if crimea is going to be part of russia or remain part of ukraine, so that is the scene there and we are watching the first results of the exit poll and we'll bring you them on al jazeera. we are going to get reaction now from the two reporters. peter sharpe in moscow and first going to speak to paul in kiev and as people in crimea voted in this referendum what is the mood

and reaction in ukraine? >> sentiments are subdued throughout the day, i have to say. we are speaking to people this morning and they appeared rather resigned to the results. it is a fore gone conclusion as they are concerned. others are resigned to the fact that crimea is resigning in russian hands at least in the short to medium terms, perhaps two or three years, but that doesn't mean a hope in kiev that it is restored to full ukraine control. the prime minister and the other a s -- others are meeting and how to respond.

twofold, find the money, find the money for increase in defense spending. the territory integ ri fi of ukraine is utmost priority and taking attention from all of the other departments of state and everything is focussed on defense. and the other thing said in the room, he said separatists and provakers are pursued and the earth would burn under their feet. quite uncharacteristic language from the prime minister. clearly here in kiev they are not giving up crimea any time soon. >> paul, we are hering from the news agency they are quoting russian media and they are saying that 93% of voters in

crimea have voted to join russia. so this is what we are hearing from the news agencies and quoting the russian media, how is that likely to go down in kiev where you are? >> well, it is going to be seen as irrelevant. they are regarding what is happening in crimea and the vote organized there, as entirely illegal. and the fact of whether it was 93% or 75% it is ir really vantd to the people in kiev. it is academic exercise. it is not a fair vote. and according to many people in the international community, the united states, many european countries are not recognizing the vote in crimea. all it is giving 93% as you say in favor of joining russia, here in kiev they don't care. >> thank you, paul, reporting for us from kiev.

we are crossing over now to moscow and peter, i don't know if you heard, russian media is reporting that 93% of voters voted to join russia and election declared in the international community as i will legitimate and invalid but russia doesn't care. >> no, russia doesn't and that margin of that vote is welcomed by a large section of the russian population. 60 to 70 percent of russians believe this president putin is right in what he's doing in crimea and west is responsible for the coup are responsible. there will be celebrations here

in moscow an on extent of the victory for the pro russian voters in crimea. there are exchanges throughout the day between the russian foreign secretary and his opposite number, john kerry. putin is speaking too. it is interesting to note there is a common thread through all of the conversations, both sides better chance do restate their positions. this part of the path is dead and finished now. the new reality is that crimea voted to rejoin russia. but the repetition from putin and concerns over the lawlessness and the threat it poses to russian speaking people

and asked kerry to use the influence and putel described his real concern as tensions being inflamed by kiev and i'm sure that a lot of people in ukraine and perhaps some here say it is in a way of laying the ground work possibly for an excuse or reason to go in and protect the people. the russian foreign ministry saying they are receiving calls saying they are being prosecuted and all of the calls are looked at. >> all right, peter, thank you. reporting for us from moscow. and we'll take you back now to the live scene at the crimea capital and we understand we are waiting for a press conference to be held by the commission in crimea on the results off the

exit poll and so we are keeping an eye out on that and bring that to you as soon as they are speaking there. this is due to be held any minute now. we do have more on the story on our website. actually in 20 minutes we are looking at the legal status of the referendum. keep up to date on the website at al jazeera.com. >> to other news, 20 air strikes hitting a lebanese town. we'll go -- before i tell you more about lebanon. we are going back to crimea and we understand that is possibly someone that represents the commission. who is going to speak on the results of the referendum and

the initial exit poll results. so we are expecting that gentleman to speak another moment now. we are crossing over to jackie. jackie, what are we expecting this man to say? >> well, we have now heard from the official referendum commission, 93% is the figure they are giving to us. that figure was floating in the russian medium and rising the eyebrow from the fact it was giving out by the russian media before the commission. we are hearing the cheers in the distance and suggesting that the figures are flashing up at the square where the residents of crimea are gathering. they have been gathering and

carrying the russian flags and wearing russian outfits and in some wall streets with blue, red and white stripes painted on their faces like attending a football match. this is a celebration here. the exit poll initially indicating that 93% of the ballots in favor of the union with russia. to give you a bit more context according to the referendum commission more than three quarters of registered voters cast their ballots in the referendum, just to inject a snoet of skepticism here, the council that represented the ethnic tartar community, a minority muslim community says it is only 30%. >> thank you, jackie. we are listening in, stand by. >> we didn't have any complaints. neither locally nor in central

commission. our commissions are counting the votes and i will inform you that crimea referendum has happened. for the moment as i said local commissions are working and we will have, we will start receiving results by phone quite soon and after a while we'll get at least 50% of votes counted. once receive the information we'll continue to inform you of the results and in real time. if you have any questions i am happy to answer. if you have any questions please raise your hand.

>> do you have any results at 8:00 p.m.? >> we know the ballot boxes are closed. once we have more information i will inform you. >> at the moment we don't have figures how many people turned out. as i mentioned we have some results for 6:00 p.m. but nothing new. nothing new to tell you at the moment. did you have any reports about violations during? >> i have information that we didn't have substantial issues. we had some minor moments, but didn't influence the overall result of the referendum.

any more questions? >> would journalist be able to film how commissions counting the votes? >> as i said, we have no problems for journalists that are filming commission work. it is not a problem. >> all right, so that's the chairman of the electoral commission and giving the people and journalists updates on the figures and jackie is listening in and joining us, jackie? >> yes, we were hearing that from the head of the referendum

commission. we have a little information from the time frame on the releasing of the results. what we know from the official website is that exit polls indicate that 93% of the those who voted choose yes to union with russia. the exit poll is not an exact science. it needs substantiated by the first preliminary results and expected in two hours and based on the counts of the ballots. two hours before the polls closed e we were told three quarters of registered voters had cast a ballot. but an important note of caution to be injected there, the representatives of the minority

tartar community, muslim community that boycotted the referendum according to them there was a turnout of 30%. so injecting a note of caution there when we look at the official figures, the official figures gived by the referendum commission and indicated that it is pro russian. i call a couple of days ago the head of the commission saying i don't care what obama thinks, i am interested in putin's opinion. it is important to have that element of caution when dealing with the statements or the statistics that the commission gives us. >> thank you, jackie. and speaking of russia, we are crossing over to peter who is joining us from moscow and give us the reaction on the news that state news agency is reporting

that 93% of the voter in crimea back joining russia. >> well, that is most welcomed by a large section of the population. recent polls show that 60 to 70% of people in russia supported president putin's at ventures in crimea and wanted to see crimea back to russia and the slogan gave it away in 1954 and putin brought it home in 2014. many of the people here believe that the government in kiev brought down by western government or coup and it is given a warm welcome. we are going to hear the cars going by and hooting soon. it is given a warm welcome and

waking up tomorrow with a new diplomatic landscape and waiting for comments from putin himself. >> thank you. and now joining us from kiev, 93% of the voters in crimea poll back the union with russia and any doubts in kiev about the outcome from this referendum. they are not official results yet. >> never any doubt about the results. if you are asking the reaction here in kiev, well, there isn't one. it is interesting hearing jackie there talking about cheers from the square as a result of the early results and gathering and waiting for the results. here in the independent square,

the seats of the uprising against viktor yanukovich, the results not beamed to the crowd. there is a crowd and playing of music. so a the results such as it is and not regarded as result here in kiev really is an of no relevance to the people here. they are convince thad the referendum is ill legitimate mat. >> thank you, paul. >> back to lebanon, 20 air strikes are hitting the out skirts. we are going straight to who is on the line from the lebanese capital for us, beirut, and set

to tell us more about the air strikes. >> there are operations going on. we heard another air strike. we know at least 7 are dead. some of the air strikes are syrian nationals and hundreds are coming into the makeshift hospitals and some are fighters and some civilians and some deemed just in the area on the outskirts in the region that it is mountainous. they are saying that hundreds of armored are moving to lebanon. the lebanese army is beefing up the securities and allowed the wounded to come through and

stopped the armed rebels. this is a difficult task. thech put out a statement and saying that carrying weapons and ammunition will be retained. the residents are describes a very tense situation. the municipality deputy is saying no armed rebels. there are 45,000 refugees here and double the population of the residents. we speak to the people and it is very, very tense and unknown. >> thank you so much. >> three al jazeera journalists now held in a prison for 78 days. the three are accused of having

links to a terrorist organization. cairo's court has extended the detention for the 4th victim. he's been on a hunger strike since january 23rd. >> 25 countries are now helping with the search of the missing malaysia airlines flight. 239 passengers and crew on board. >> inside of the gated community is the home of the pilot. the police confirmed they have searched the home and interviewed the family and are now examining the flight simulator he kept in his house. the neighbors are quick to depend him. this is a tribute posted on youtube and the

comments don't believe he was involved in the disappearance. >> i know him as a person and carrying for people and responsible on the job and if anything happened to the plane he would make sure everyone crew and passengers would be taken care of. >> in a nearby suburb is is the co-pilot's home and the cap pain and co-pilot didn't ask to fly together. he was alleged to have invited female passengers into the cockpit in 2011 and was smoking on board. a neighbor describes him. >> i didn't know much about the family but i hope that all of the news doesn't -- i think is not because of the pilot. i think no one wanted this accident to happen.

>> a passenger on board the missing flight aircraft engineer on the way to beijing for work and his father says he's not been questioned by the investigators and pleads to end the speculation. >> give time to the government to investigate all sides of the case and bring them back safe and sound. >> investigators are waiting for other countries to furnish them with background checks. the malaysia police are looking at the crew and passengers and engineers that had contact with the aircraft and the list of potential suspects as grown and no indication of who might have commandered the plane and why. >> still ahead on al jazeera

news hour... ♪ we report on how refugees that fled from violence in south africa left religious hatred behind them. comi coming up, we also have sports. >> then, immediately after, an america tonight special edition for more inside and analysis. >> why did you decide to go... >> it's extremly important for the western audience to know why these people keep on fighting... ...it's so seldom you get that access to the other side. >> faultlines: on the front lines with the taliban

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>> stories that have impact... that make a difference... that open your world... >> this is what we do... >> america tonight weeknights 9et / 6pt only on al jazeera america >> hello again. here are the top stories, 93% of the voters in crimea want to rejoin russia and the crowds are there in the capital and they are celebrating. >> syrian state television the reporting that the government forces have recaptured a city and the syrian forces are launching air strikes against the rebel fighters. >> the search for the isz inning malaysia jet is expanded to include 25 countries and they

are saying that the nature of the search changed and searching the efforts from sea to land. >> now to crimea scene, that is where people there are celebrating after the news that initial exit polls are reporting and this is in fact by the russian media that 93% of the voerts th voerts -- voters that voted have choosen to rejoin russia. that is the scene of the people celebrating in the crime ya capital after the referendum on sunday. to more on the reaction from the white house, we are joined from washington, the united states is vocal over the referendum in crimea and we understand that

kerry spoke earlier on and with the exit polls, what do you make about the u.s. reaction? >> well, the white house is saying the same thing over and over again, they don't accept the results of and not recognizing the referendum. the press secretary is saying that the white house is rejecting the rev republican dun and looking at the costs to russia. that is basically is what is going on in washington, we are in a holding pattern. a lot depends on what russia does next. we don't recognize the referendum. more to talk about the ateds to the new ukraine government and even that is bogged down. john kerry announcing a billion

dollars to the new government and that could be held up in congress. we are in a holding pat northwestern washington, d.c. >> thank you. now to london now and mark ellis is a lawyer and executive director of the international bar association and what does russia do next? >> well, it seems like russia will do what it planned to do to all along and that is to move to annex crimea into russia and that of course has no legal support, no legal basis in the international law for a country to is in essence annex a part of another sovereign country and this case ukraine. this step continues to be seen as being an illegal step by

russia and -- >> what makes this referendum illegal, mark? >> well, one because the referendum impacts the territory integrity of ukraine and the territory integrity of a country is absolutely the key element of international law. you cannot violate that. and russia knows this. >> mark, you speak of violations, but we are looking at the live pictures on the screens and people are celebrating and via the exit polls that we understand to be is 93% of voters voted to join rejoin russia, so surely they have a right to -- >> self-determination is the

russian officials use that. that is dealing with ensuring the people have the right to government and ensuring they are not persecuted by another government, but self-determination that involves a sus session is not done or supported by the community the way it is done in crimea and that is essentially overnight. a call for succession doesn't have a basis in international law. it is not saying that the people can't succeed or call for independence. kosovo has done that. the issue here has to be done through negotiations. >> what are the conditions, mark, that makes it legal? >> well, one it has to be done in collaboration and cooperation

with ukraine. ukraine still is the, still has authority over the area. that is recognized by russia. it is similar to what is happening in the uk and scotland is going through independence. but that has been discussed for years. the same thing with kosovo and the international communities is saying that a uni lateral succession is not accepted but something that involves negotiations, discusses, perhaps less than succession would be acceptable, but not the way it is being done now and not with the involvement of russia. russian intervention into the area violating the sovereignty of another state would

automatically this decision or referendum as illegal and that is why it is not going to be accepted. >> okay, mark, we'll leave it there for now. thank you for joining us from london. now back to the crimea capital and the people are out in the square. chl that is looking to be a celebration mood and the latest news that we are hearing according to russian state news, the state agency there reporting that 93% of voters in crimea voted to join russia. that is the result according to exit polls in crimea. well, it is not just crimeians that are voting today. we have the european news center with more on that. >> yeah, the polls have just closed in serbia. a former ally is favorite to

become the prime minister. he since turned to closer ties with europe to revive the ailing economy. we speak to him shortly and now to report. >> front runner in a serbia election and casting the ballot on early sunday morning and deputy prime minister is considered as the favorite with the conservative party and expected to win a landslide victory. >> i expect reforms and the fight against the corruption after the election.>> a his opponent is the current boss in the serbia government, he based the campaign on faster integration with the european union. >> i think that the eu

membership is the best solution and one of the reasons i am sad if my and children are saying in ten years that albania is a waste. >> the pressures issues are forcing the leaders to share the prospect of a brighter future for the campaigns. many here are questioning politicians ability to tackle corruption and low employment and debt. and the patience with the poll tickses is becoming thinner and thinner. the voters are not hiding the dissatisfy faksz faction. >> nothing is changing in 14 years. i don't expect any change. >> our children can't find work

and we are living on two people's pensions. >> prices skyrocketed here and i don't earn enough to cover the needs for basic survival. i don't think anything will change from the elections. >> anyone that wins has serious challenges ahead. >> just listening to some of the people, some of the voices in your report, people are having a tough time in serbia and the country is suffering from a deep economic crisis and what is the turnout like in the election? >> well, because of the reasons you just mentioned, there are very low turnout comparing to previous elections. if my account is correct, this is 10th time for the essentialians to go to the polls and in 14 years, 10th voting, so

that is a causing voters fatigue, particularly because when i sfoek to the people on the streets they are saying that almost none of the promise given by the poll tickses is fulfilled and giving them false promise and what they are feeling and sensing on the street that they are living every day, the quality of living is lower, the wages are lower, their standard of living is lower, so they are not happy with the politicians and they are not voting in large numbers today because of thinking no changes of the elections and by the way, i would like to mention one interesting thing that happened maybe half an hour or an hour ago right here where i am standing in front of the parliament, a number of riot police deployed here in the city

center, 17 mini buses filld with the riot police and we are monitoring the situation. >> you said that the people there are not happy with the politicians, but one politician is popular right now and the man that is tipped to be the next prime minister, and just tell us about him, because this is someone that was close and served in the government and now seems to have done a u-turn and now very much in favor of serbia joining the european union what. is depined the transformation? >> very much pushing toward the eu joining. he made a political u-turn a few years ago and decided to get away from the nationalist imradical party and he was the vice president and soon after

his political party progressive party became a ruling party within ruling coalition here in serbia and he started pushing very, very hard towards eu membership and totally different picture. >> thank you for putting that into a context for us. in the serbiian capital. thank you. >> since the religious conflict began a year ago, now 30,000 muslims have left the area and lives next to christians. we have a report on the contrast of the lives.

>> ♪ >> this camp in the democratic republic of congo. they have left the violence. here they do whatever they can to make things feel normal. the weekly church services the important. most people lost their loved ones. her brother was killed. many targeted for the religious background. he's devoted to her faith. >> here in the camp no problem between christians and muslims. we are all the same. we all fled the conflict and we have no problems. we live together pausefully. >> nearly ten thousand people living here and fled from the violence. >> there is a small market in

the camp and most of the traders are christians and everyone is using it and muslims and christians alike shop here. here is a small restaurant and the owner is a muslim and there is goat meat and again the people are a mixture of muslims and christians and many are saying for years it is normal back home as well. >> the camp has a committee of elders representing both of religions. they tell us that leaders competing for control over the oil and diamonds changed that. the conflict was created by politicians. they are the ones that manipulate the population. because before we lived together and no problems. every prayed as they wanted to pray and no problem. it is the politicians that created the problems.

it is time for prayer. there is no mosque here but making do under the tree. the u.n. is investigating reports of genocide against the muslim minority. >> update on all of the day's sports and news. >> thank you. all time leading scorer and doing it all time style, a hat trick. >> a moment in history. at just 26 years of age, his 370th goal. it is sur passing the previous

record. he had equalled the record but now breaking it. a net strike. making a mockery of the defense and making it two-nil. the peak of the bunch before the half time. spanish international with a pace of individual brilliance. while the record breaking goal was the fourth of the night, he continued to go, making it 5-nil and incredible performance with a hat trick. 7-nil. a clear message they are still in the title race.

>> england giving a boost to beat the fierce rivals. scored twice from the penalty spot. drama filled game. reduced to ten men. added to the third. liverpool second. north london dabby. in contention for the title. spurs champions lead the ambitions. losing ground on manchester city slipping to 4th. chelsea lead the way. new engines and some of the

biggest names hoping in australia. >> the first race of the season in melbourne with air of unpredictability about it. the big engine changes offering fears. on just the second lap, the mercedes going from six to five cylinders and retiring. a different car and another engine problem, the world champion had to pull the red bull into the pits. the most dramatic exit of the afternoon. all of this played into the hands, who stormed home handing the first victory of the season to the mercedes. >> it is an amazing day.

yeah, i'm just over the moon, incredible. we worked so hard over the winter and relieving to have this to drive and unreal. this thing was unbelievably quick today. >> in a further twist, a huge blow for home fans that earlier celebrated the driver second place finish for red bull and following the race stripped of the first ever podium place for breeching the fuel rules and the second and promoted to third and new engines and knew rules causing a host of problems in a brand new season. >> starting in melbourne each year and the future of the race is a question. >> melbourne prides itself on the sports capital of australia and one of the reasons is the

grand prix and hosting a round is expiring after next year's race and no extensions are signed yet. no problems say the organizers. >> it is making no difference. it is something i feel that is not hanging over our head. >> hosting a formula one race is in big demand by other cities around the world and organizers are looking to evolve the sere ris and it is expensive to travel to auz australia far r for the teams. while the previous contract was for five years a new one may be only for two. a contract can't be signed without the support of the state government and paid almost $51 million to stage the race. >> we love the race. it is always the issue of the

money and we have to be balanced about it. >> those involved in the sport say tough balance the cost with the income. >> i have come here and spent a hundred grand in this country since coming here. i wouldn't come to australia if not for the grand prix. >> the best drivers are returning next year and beyond that no guarantees. >> suffer add major setback and johnson is out of the tournament and replaced and host bangladesh won the opening match of the competition and given the fans a day to remember and beating afghanistan. bangladesh with no problems

chasing that down. scoring 33 goals. the hosts cruised to the win. the next game is tuesday. >> olympic champion plans to compete later the year and taking a tumble and falling in the new york half marathon on sunday. collapsed not long after the finish line. lost consciousness and take away in a wheelchair but reported he's okay. all of the sport stories on al jazeera.com/sport. it is updated for you. >> see you later on. we are coming to the end of the news hour. for the viewers in the united states, back to the regular programming on al jazeera america.

consider this. the news of the day plus so much more. answers to the questions no one else will ask. >> it seems like they can't agree to anything in washington no matter what.