We coffer the sports as the season gets underway in australia. Ill tell you how new engines cause big problems and a new generation of drivers top the podium in melbourne. Its a vote that could change the Political Landscape and russias relationship with the rest of the International Community. The people of crimea are deciding whether to join russia or stay with ukraine but with more autonomy. Voters have the choice of answering either yes or no to the following two questions, are you in favor of the reunification of crimea with russia as part of the Russian Federation or are you in favor of restoring the 1992 constitution and the status of crimea as part of ukraine. Supporting the second option would grant crimea more autonomy within ukraine. Aljazeeras jacki roland joins us live. We are seven hours into this polling. What has turnout been like . Well, about half of eligible voters have apparently cast their ballots now, according to the election, the Referendum Commission here in crimea. That is very much reflected by our experience, because we saw long lines of people waiting, its a polling station we spent several hours in the early part of the day. People were standing in line even before the doors of the polling station opened. The choice of course is whether to remain within ukraine, but with a lot more autonomy or join russia. The mood of the people that weve been talking to gives the impression that they already have joined russia. Lets see how the votings been going. Despite the cold, despite the rain, they were waiting in line even before the voting station opened. Theres been an enthusiastic turnout in this neighborhood where many believe they will be better off with russia. This is like a holiday for us. I was born in the soviet union as part of russia and we want to go back there. I would walk for ukraine but because of that selfproclaimed government and all the mess, i will volt for russia. The referendum was organized in a hurry and without an electoral register. Some people didnt get their voting cards. People have to choose between two alternatives, union with russia or greater autonomy from ukraine. Keeping things all the way they are is not an option. The Prime Minister of crimea cast his ballot early. Hes in favor of union with russia, but insists theres no pressure to vote in a certain way. There is no pressure on the people. You can see for yourself. People are free to vote. Personally, i dont feel or see any pressure. The Security Forces who are staunchly pro russian and never far away, a reminder of crow controls crimea right now. The first results will be announced shortly after the polls close. Among the people we spoke to, there was little doubt about the outcome. You say that this referendum was organized in a hurry. Is anyone there monitoring it independently . There are about a thousand local monitors, and on top of that 135 international monitors. The crimean authorities have been making a big deal about them and say theyve come from 30 Different Countries and indicate their presence provides a further guarantee that the vote is fair. We spoke to one of them earlier who said that there had been many hastily organized referendum before, as in bosnia and the International Community had been happy to accept the outcome of those votes. As we saw in the u. N. Security council saturday, russia blocking this particular resolution whereby most of the members of the Security Council wish to declare this particular referendum illegal. The international monitors claim that theres double standards on the part of many in the west. Yet from all the way they speak, it seems even the monitors that have come from other countries have already decided that the outcome is a yes vote to union with russia. Well have more on the crimea referendum later. For the moment, may be thanks indeed. The Search Mission for the missing malaysian jet has widened significantly. The nature of the search has changed with teams now shifting their focus to land as well as sea. The plane was deliberately steered off course eight days ago with 239 passengers onboard. The search was already a highly complex multinational effort. It has now become even more difficult. The search area has been significantly expanded, and the nature of the search has changed from focusing from sea to lands as well as deep and remote oceans. The number of the countries involved in the operation has increased from 14 to 25, which brings new challenges of coordination and diplomacy to the search effort. More from aljazeera in kuala lampur. It was reaffirmed what the Prime Minister said saturday, that this search and rescue operation as well as the investigation into this missing aircraft is entering a new, delicate phase when it comes to the investigation. The head Law Enforcement officer in malaysia said some nations hadnt provided background checks requested about the passengers on the manifest. It becomes difficult organizing. The vast area that were looking at now, a quarter up to the north and squatters down to the south covers a lot of territory and over a lot of Different Countries. Thats why its going to be a complex operation. We need many Different Countries to contribute to the search and rescue operation, but also asking them for sensitive satellite and radar data. Theres some very sensitive areas, afghanistan, pakistan, so some nations arent going to be as forthcoming with this kind of information, so its going to be a very difficult situation to organize when it comes to gathering information as to where this plane might have gone but also getting in this vast area, this vast, vast territory to actually do a physical search for the aircraft, so now that we have more information, new information that came out on saturday, its not necessarily meaning that this is going to be easier or quicker, its going to become much more difficult. The sister of a new dealt passenger has mixed feelings about the news that the plane was deliberately diverted. It does raise your hopes, because you think the potential is there that my brother is still alive, but then i also find it very scary, as well, because if someone has deliberately taken this plane, then theyve taken it for a reason and i think we know that oftentimes thats not good. Syrian state television reports that Government Forces backed by hezbollah fighter have recaptured the eastern city, a significant gain for president bashar al assad. It is one of the last rebel strong holds in the west of the country used as a supply route to get weapons from neighboring lebanon. Activists have told aljazeera that rebels have pulled out of the area, but a spokesman for the rebel group says that assads forces have not can that turd the city and fighting continues on the outskirts. In the past, hezbollah has blamed car bombs striking lebanon. This shows rebel fighters pushing out of the city. Hundreds have escaped the onslaught. We cant independently verify these pictures. It is a disaster fighting against the syrian government. It was a major strategic prize. It links damascus to the city of homs. The syrian army had already captured several other towns in their push for the city. You may remember another major strategic loss for the rebels, this was the last rebel strong hold in the mountains, right across the border from lebanon, most of the weapons the rebels have used to fight the government have passed through this border area. The syrian army is said to be targeting fighters who escaped across the border inside lebanon. War planes have struck several areas on the outskirts on sunday. Aljazeera is monitoring the situation from neighboring turkey. We are joined live from istanbul. Whats the latest youre hearing from there . The syrian army issued a statement saying that its soldiers and forces restored stability and security after killing a number of terrorists. The statements also add theyve secured the border with lebanon. That border was used by the fighters to send in fighters, as well as weapons in yabroud and the wider region. According to them, theyve captured yabroud. For the syrian forces, it will give them security to a vital road linking damascus to homs. It also will tighten the government siege on rebels in the damascus countryside. What does this tell us about the state of the opposition right now . It appears that the government has the upper hand, that assads forces are winning the war. Is that a Fair Assessment . I think it is a Fair Assessment, because its all coming based on news coming from the ground. The rebels seem to be losing their strongholds one after the other. Now, we have been speaking with activists and they are saying the fighters in yabroud are scattered across the region, some have flown back sorry, escaped back to lebanon. There seems to be confusion and disarray. However, id like to remind you that during the last year of fighting, when Government Forces captured another strong hold for the rebels, then the rebels said well, weve lost a battle, but we didnt lose a war. Based on the statement from the s. N. C. s head yesterday on the third Year Anniversary, he said that the momentum is still behind the rebels and they will continue until they achieve victory. Im not sure if the news of yabroud will affect what he has said. For the moment, many thanks indeed. Plenty more still to come on the news hour, including a crackdown in the caribbean. A controversial new scheme in havjamaica tries to bring gangsf the street. We meet a man who claims to be a direct desend dent of genghis can. The best drivers in the world may not be going to australia for very much longer. Well have the details in sport. At least seven people were killed in nigerias capitol on saturday during a stampede at the national stadium. Tens of thousands of job seekers were at a complex to sign up for an employment recruitment drive. They were going to take a test to join the immigration service. The stampede shows the desperation for jobs in africas second biggest economy. Northern nigeria has some of the highest unemployment and School Dropout rates in the world. Many of those jobless young people are exploited as foot soldiers for criminal gangs. As aljazeera reports now, several programs have started to try to nip trouble in the bud. Standing guard outside a busy government building, he has been working for six months. The 21yearold is now able to support his five brothers and at times even save a little. I was surrounded but unemployed friends do drugs and robbery. This gives me a chance to change my life for the better. He is one of 1,000 graduates from a program to take youth off the streets. More than half of the young people in Northern Nigeria are unemployed and the poverty rate at 72 . Double the estimate in other parts of the down theory. Children sent by their parents to is lackic schools live on crumbs, conditions that have made them ideal recruits for exploitation, dragged into fights waged by politicians, gangs and self described fighters. Here, 1535yearolds are state of indiana in unarmed combat and taught the Device Security plan to cult vault a network to thwart attacks. Graduates are then hired by the state. The Security Training program is not the only set up by the local government to take in unemployment youth and School Dropouts. There are 20 other institutes. Its all Environment Friendly and cost efficient. At the end, was, they are given one animal each to kickstart their own projects. Anyone who knows the women and youth, certainly that government is bound to fail. That is why we decided to concentrate on training them and of course, that has gone along with reducing the security challenges. Outside the governors compound, top graduates keep a watchful eye. Its been the calmest period here in several months. Some of the Training Institutes have been threatened. Its not something they want to see grow, other states try to emulate these programs. Police fired tear gas at hundreds of antigovernment protestors in sudan in the northern part of the capitol kartoum. Last tuesday, a student died after police fired tear gas at protestors demonstrating against violence in darfur. Since the religious and political conflict in the value African Republic began a year ago, more than 30,000 muslims left the country, many living alongside christians in the democratic republic of congo. We talk about the contrast in life between the life in camp and the life they left behind. Life in this camp is a struggle. All these people ran away from violence. Here, they do whatever they can to make things feel normal. The Weekly Church service is important. Most people here lost loved ones. Josephines brother was killed. May not have been targeted for their religion back home. The conflicts are often described as sectarian. In the camp, religious hatred seems world away. Here there is no problem between christians and muslims. We are all the same. We all fe fled the conflict. We live together peacefully. We have no problem. There are 10,000 People Living here. They fled violence blamed on muslim, then later christian militia. Most of the traders here are christian, but muslims and christians alike shop here. Over here, theres a small restaurant. The owner is a muslim. Theres some goat meat on the grill roasting here. The people who eat here are a mixture of muslims and christians. Its normal for both religions to live together peacefully here and for many say it was normal back home, as well. The camp has a committee of elders representing both religions. They say theyve known peaceful co habitation all their lives but tell us leaders competing for control over oil and diamonds have changed that. The conflict was created by politicians. They are the ones who manipulate the population. Before, we were living together, and there were no problems. Everyone prayed as they wanted to pray and there was no problem. Its the politicians who created problems. Its time for prayers. Theres no mosque here. They make due under the shade of a mango tree. Nobody here minds. The United Nations has said it will investigate reports of genocide against the Muslim Minority back in c. A. R. Here in the camp, people wonder how things went so horribly wrong. Theres good news for part of Southeast Asia weather wise at least. Here with the details is meteorologist richard. A break in the drought across singapore in particular. Keep a close eye on the satellite loop. You can see the cloud moving across singapore there, giving 45 millimeters of rain in 24 hours. For that part of the world, that is a lot of rain. Here they average about two millimeters of rain for each month. Singapore has been in the grips of a really severe drought. Just taking this year, as an example, normally through the middle part of march we expect more than 500millimeters of rain. Instead, we just had 86 to date, so that 45 is included in that, so you see how important it was. It has impacted the region, not just singapore but up towards southern part of thailand. The production of palm oil, rubber have all been hit by the lack of rainfall. Through monday into tuesday, we will see further rain moving in across this region. As far as bangkok, wed like to see at least some activity, maybe not breaking the drought, the deficit is quite large, but at least we are heading the right direction. There is more rain heading up from the southeast from australia. Parts of australia are in the grip of the most severe drought ever recorded. Some farmers there are having to shoot their cattle because they can no longer afford to feed them. The pressure is causing a rise in Mental Health problems amongst the farming community. We report from broken hill in eastern australia. This is what Charity Looks Like in rural australia, a truck delivering hay harvested an 11 hour drive away. It shouldnt be needed here, but a drought has dried the ground and killed the grass. For food for their animals, farmers drive far and wide. Today really does make a psychological difference. These guys know other people care and this is just a small token of what we can do to try to keep them up. In good times, this farmland would be more green than orange, cows and sheep feeding on the grass. Now its hard to find any animals however far you look. In fact, all you see around here are bones. Sally and tony bright are receiving sevenbales of hey. They havent had to shoot cattle, because their taking preventative measures that will be financially painful for years. We are selling some potential breeding stock. We dont have that choice. Were going to be left with less breeding numbers. Its upsetting, manifests physically, you walk around with a bit of a knot in your gut and just look at the sky a lot and hope its going to rain. The flying doctors, associated with farming accidents than farmer depression, but this year, the service describes treating Mental Health as a key priority. The referrals weve had recently my team see as stroke related, has to do with additional stress. I havent seen any suicides, but its definitely been something people are starting to talk about. Theyve definitely been feeling thoughts. Demand for flyin, flyout mental clinics has never been higher. The government declared the drought a Natural Disaster and promised money to help, but this is whats really needed. Broken hill last week got its first substantial rain in two years, but most farmland hasnt been touched. For the farmers, the skies remain stubbornly blue. Turkeys Prime Minister accused teenager who died from a head injury sustained during antigovernment protests of having links to terrorism, saying he had been taken in by a terrorist organization but has not identified the alleged group. The 15