MH370: Hunt Resumes For Plane's Black Box

The hunt for missing flight MH370 has resumed as authorities race to identify further signals which could point to the location of the plane's black box recorder.

The search operation is seeking to determine the black box's exact resting place in the southern Indian Ocean before the device's beacons fade.

The Australian defence vessel Ocean Shield will today carry out "focused sweeps" of the search area with a towed pinger locator in an attempt to pick up more signals.

Today's operation covers an area of 15,982 square miles, some 1,450 miles northwest of Perth.

A message for family members seen in Kuala Lumpur

Nine military aircraft, one civil plane and 14 ships will assist in the search, according to the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC).

"Today, Australian defence vessel Ocean Shield continues more focused sweeps with the towed pinger locator to try and locate further signals related to the aircraft's black boxes," JACC said.

"This work continues in an effort to narrow the underwater search area for when the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle is deployed."

Ocean Shield has already picked up four signals linked to aircraft black boxes, with the first two revealed to be consistent with signals from aircraft flight recorders.

The beacons on the plane's flight data and cockpit voice recorders only have a normal battery lifespan of around 30 days.

The renewed search comes after Australia's prime minister said searchers were "very confident" that signals detected in the Indian Ocean are from the plane's black box.

A relative beside a banner dedicated to passengers at Lido Hotel in Beijing

Tony Abbott told reporters during a visit to China that authorities have "very much narrowed down the search area".

"We are very confident that the signals that we are detecting are from the black box," he said.

"Nevertheless, we're getting into the stage where the signal from what we are very confident is the black box is starting to fade.

"We are hoping to get as much information as we can before the signal finally expires."

The Malaysia Airlines plane went missing on March 8 with 239 people on board.

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Interrogation Pokes Holes In Pistorius Defence

By Emma Hurd, Sky Correspondent, in Pretoria

After a weekend of respite, Oscar Pistorius will return to the witness box on Monday to face more questions under cross-examination in his murder trial.

His account of the shooting that left his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead has already been challenged in three days of tough interrogation.

This has exposed some of the weaknesses in his defence and posed questions that could prove crucial to judge Thokozile Masipa's eventual verdict.

:: Where was Reeva?

The crucial issue of why the athlete failed to realise his girlfriend was not in the bed when he went with his gun to investigate a noise coming from the bathroom was the focus of many of prosecutor Gerrie Nel's questions.

Oscar Pistorius said he had spoken to Reeva Steenkamp in the bedroom and asked her to call the police when he heard what he thought was an intruder.

Gerrie Nel has appeared incredulous at some of Pistorius' evidence

He said he was "fixated on the noise" and did not think it was strange that she had not replied.

Mr Nel insisted that it was "unreasonable" to believe that, given that Ms Steenkamp was in the toilet, she would not have shouted out to the runner who had been screaming "at intruders" just metres away.

The prosecution also pressed the athlete on whether he had heard Ms Steenkamp screaming when he fired shots into the toilet door.

The runner said he was sure she had not screamed but was forced to admit that he might not have heard her because of the sound of the shots.

:: Did he intend to shoot?

The issue of intent is vital in a murder trial and the prosecution has attempted to show Oscar Pistorius shot to kill that night - whoever he thought he was firing at.

The athlete insisted he "fired out of fear" after hearing a noise from the toilet. His said he did not have time to think and that it was "a mistake".

The prosecution repeatedly stressed that Pistorius approached the toilet with his gun held out and the safety catch off ready to shoot, even "wanting to shoot".

He knew someone might be in the small, enclosed space of the toilet, Mr Nel claimed, and the shooting was a deliberate act.

:: Why did he go towards the threat?

Another difficult moment for Oscar Pistorius came when Gerrie Nel asked him why he went towards the danger of the noise in the bathroom.

The athlete could not explain why - if he thought there was an intruder - he had not taken Reeva Steenkamp and escaped out into the safety of the rest of the house through the bedroom door.

Pistorius admitted he had to walk right past the exit from the bedroom to get to the bathroom.

"It is my personality not to run away," he insisted, while re-iterating that he wanted to protect Ms Steenkamp.

The prosecution has declared his whole defence "a lie".

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Ukraine: Gunmen Storm Eastern Police Station

Kiev Faces 'Difficult Decisions' Over Protests

Updated: 11:04pm UK, Thursday 10 April 2014

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent, in Donetsk

Support for the protests in Donetsk, Ukraine, depends largely on the question you ask.

This may seem like a blindingly obvious point, but the immediate demands are not quite what they seemed.

The self-appointed People's Council of Deputies, in session inside the occupied administration building, told Sky News they want a referendum on the region's sovereignty, not on joining Russia.

The council's leader insisted they have had no official contact with the Russian government so far, although they have just voted unanimously to create a foreign affairs committee, to make exactly that possible.

And he did go on to say Russian peacekeeping troops could help to secure a referendum here.

Another deputy told us joining Russia would be "like coming home", but it would not be on the ballot paper.

Outside, we were surrounded by a crowd of people, demanding to know which channel we were working for (there are deep suspicions here about Western media, and even more so Ukrainian TV).

Satisfied that we were from the Moscow bureau, and that our producer and cameraman are Russian and therefore apparently not susceptible to 'Western lies', they started showing us their passports - to prove that they are Ukrainian, not hired Russian stooges as has been claimed.

Many feel passionately about what is happening here, but by no means all dream of joining Russia.

Over and over they told us they want sovereignty and federalisation - they see Russia as potential guarantors, and protection from the fascists and extremists they believe control the government in Kiev.

Forced to choose, one woman told us, between Russia and the EU, she would of course vote for Russia, but she would prefer an autonomous region in Eastern Ukraine.

In the city centre, away from the protests around the administration building and the watchful eyes of the "self-defence" volunteers patrolling outside, we spoke to a variety of people to try to gauge opinion.

Of 20 people asked, all but one supported federalisation. Support for joining Russia is less emphatic, but still preferable to the majority over the new government in Kiev.

The Kremlin strategists seem to have assessed the mood astutely - protesters shown on state-controlled TV channels in Russia are being described as "supporters of federalism" now, not separatists or pro-Russian.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has talked several times about the appetite for federalism in Ukraine.

Of course, an autonomous, sovereign eastern Ukraine, would also be open to overtures from Moscow, and likely easily persuaded to remain within its sphere of influence.

If that region went on to join the Russian Federation in time, so be it, but if at least then would not move towards the EU, that would still be a form of victory for the Kremlin.

It's a precarious situation for the government in Kiev and there are difficult decisions ahead.

Crack down on the protests in the east and risk galvanising a broader uprising against an administration many already associate with extremists and fascists, and give Russia the pretext it needs to show Russian lives are in danger and it must act to protect them.

Accede to demands for a referendum and risk losing the east, and the country's economic backbone, to Russia's influence, and perhaps ultimately to Russia itself.

Refuse to recognise any referendum that does take place (not a successful tactic in Crimea) or hope that turnout is too low to validate it, or the self-appointed people's councils are unable to organise it - none of which are really much of a plan.

Meanwhile Russia's military continues to mass on the border - nothing for the US or Ukraine to worry about, they insisted earlier this week, which will have reassured no-one.

The protests here are not huge, but the emotions that sparked them run deep, and it is difficult to see an easy way out.

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Pistorius Accused Of 'Tailoring Evidence'

Oscar Pistorius has been accused of "tailoring his evidence" at his murder trial, where he denies murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel repeatedly challenged the Paralympian's "improbable" account of events while questioning him about the details of the night he shot Ms Steenkamp.

At one point the confrontation led an emotional Pistorius to admit he could be giving inconsistent answers because he was tired - prompting the judge to ask if he was able to continue with his evidence.

Pistorius told the court that his first intention when he heard a noise on February 14 was "to put myself between the intruder and Reeva" and that he reached for his gun under the bed and told Ms Steenkamp to call the police.

Mr Nel put it to him that a "reasonable person" would have done more to ensure that his partner "was okay or scared".

Pistorius said that he started screaming at the intruder to "get out of my house" and at Ms Steenkamp to call the police as he rushed down the passage to the bathroom in his home.

Mr Nel said: "The safety was off and you wanted to shoot someone. If you saw someone you were ready to shoot."

Pistorius replied: "I never wanted to shoot anyone."

The athlete said he could not explain why he had rushed toward the danger instead of taking the opportunity to escape with Ms Steenkamp through the bedroom door.

He said he kept quiet as he reached the bathroom door, telling the court: "I wanted to peer around the corner. I wasn't sure if the person was waiting for me. I was kneeling down."

He said that after hearing the toilet door slam, he was "sure" that there was an intruder in his house.

He said: "I was fighting for my life, my lady. I was not sure who was in the bathroom."

Mr Nel told Pistorius his claim that Ms Steenkamp was in the toilet but did not respond to his shouts was "the most improbable part of your story".

He said: "She was talking to you, that is why she was standing there before you shot her in the head. She was scared of you, not an intruder. She was scared of you."

Pistorius became emotional again when asked: "Did she scream while you shot her four times?"

Mr Nel said it was not possible for Pistorius to say that there had been no screaming, when he admitted he could not hear properly because of the sound of the gunshots.

Mr Nel also claimed the athlete was lying about an incident when he claims he was shot at while driving on a highway in 2008 or 2009, because he could not remember who he had called for help that night.

Pistorius has faced a gruelling week of questions in the Pretoria court

He said: "It is so improbable that you can not remember - the only reason you can not remember is that it didn't happen."

Mr Nel cast doubt on the defence's assertion that a number of items in the couple's bedroom must have been moved in the hours after the shooting.

Proceedings were briefly adjourned after Pistorius broke down in the witness box.

Asked why he was getting emotional, he told the prosecutor: "Because this is the night that I lost the person that I cared about. I don't understand why you can't understand it."

Pistorius was asked about security measures at his house, as the lawyer known as the "Pit Bull" sought to undermine his claims that he was concerned about crime.

Pistorius told the court he had never been a victim of crime at his Silver Woods home, apart from an occasion when he said police stole his watches.

Reeva Steenkamp's mother watches Pistorius as he gives evidence

He said security measures in the area had been upgraded several times, but he had never attended meetings of a home owners association where those issues were raised.

Mr Nel again suggested the athlete was a selfish person, raising his previous statements that Ms Steenkamp had often prayed for him and his training.

At one point, the barrister's combative approach earned him a reprimand from judge Thokozile Masipa, who warned him, "mind your language" after he called Pistorius a liar.

Mr Nel has sought to dismantle the Paralympian's heroic life story and portray him as self-centred, short-tempered, gun-obsessed and eager to shirk responsibility for his actions.

Pistorius denies premeditated murder and illegally possessing ammunition in relation to Ms Steenkamp's death.

He also denies two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in separate incidents prior to the killing.

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'Everyone Remains A Suspect' On Flight MH370

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent, Kuala Lumpur

MI6, the CIA and Chinese intelligence officials are still trying to find out what happened to missing flight MH370, Sky News has been told.

Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysia's defence minister and acting transport minister, admitted that mistakes had been made in the way relatives had sometimes been treated.

But, during a lengthy interview, he defended his country's handling of what he described as an "unprecedented situation without benchmark".

Talking to Sky News in a Kuala Lumpur city centre hotel, he said the criminal investigation remains live.

"Everyone on board remains under suspicion as it stands," he said.

"As we look into the black box, we look into new facts. It isn't just MI6 involved in the investigation, it is Chinese intelligence, it's also the FBI.

Everyone on board, including the two pilots, remains under suspicion

"I've asked them to re-intensify their investigations, just as we did with the radar data."

On what work MI6 has helped with, he explained: "The whole passenger manifest, the FBI looked at the simulator, that will all come out later.

"I find it difficult to say more without jeopardising the investigation. The truth will prevail."

The Malaysian government has been criticised by the media and international onlookers over the last five weeks.

It has certainly been an event the likes of which the country has never experienced before. Mr Hussein admitted lessons had been learned.

"I'm not saying MAS (Malaysia Airlines) handled it perfectly," he said.

"We have to deal with family members who are trying to grapple with it. And sometimes people are not sensitive, including the Malaysian government, including MAS."

The investigations continue alongside the search for the black box

He insisted the Chinese relatives who demonstrated outside the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing, and then later in Kuala Lumpur, did not represent all the family members:

"I know there are families who are really not happy with how things are going and we try to manage it," he said.

"But at the same time there is also the other side of the coin where other people have been dealing with their grief in a different way."

"I can only do my best. I can only tell you what I know. But the problem with the families is that the one question they want to know I don't have the answers to just yet, which is: Where are their loved ones? Where is the plane?"

It remains unclear who will take possession of the black box once it is found.

It could be the Malaysian government, the American National Transportation Board, British Air Accident Investigations Branch, or perhaps a multi-national group.

But the belief is that the Australians have found the location of the missing plane, although they are yet to retrieve any wreckage.

"I think it is the black box and I hope it is the black box, but if not I will still not give up," Mr Hussein said.

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MH370: 'Confidence' Over Black Box Search

Searchers are "very confident" that signals detected in the hunt for missing flight MH370 are from the plane's black box, Australia's prime minister says.

Tony Abbott told reporters during a visit to China that authorities have "very much narrowed down the search area" in the southern Indian Ocean.

"We are very confident that the signals that we are detecting are from the black box," Mr Abbott said.

"Nevertheless, we're getting into the stage where the signal from what we are very confident is the black box is starting to fade.

"We are hoping to get as much information as we can before the signal finally expires."

The search is currently focused on an 18,000 square mile search area after a fifth ping was detected around 1,400 miles off Perth, in western Australia.

The signal was captured on Thursday by an Australian Air Force P-3C Orion surveillance plane, which has been dropping sonar buoys into the ocean.

Zhang Zhiliang looks at photos of his fiancee, who was on board the flight

However, Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) chief Angus Houston says an initial assessment of the latest signal indicates it is not related to an aircraft's black box.

Speaking from Perth, Sky's Nick Martin said there were "mixed messages" from Australia this morning as the hunt for the plane continued.

Mr Abbott was first quoted as saying he was confident the black box had been found, and then later said he was confident signals picked up by search teams were from a black box.

"Either he's been misquoted or he has slightly jumped the gun," said Martin.

Twelve military aircraft, three civil planes and 13 ships have joined the search today. The Royal Navy vessel HMS Echo is also part of the operation.

Joint Agency Coordination Centre chief Angus Houston

Authorities have been racing to locate the plane's data and cockpit recorders, as the ping-emitting beacons are expected to fade.

No floating debris from the Malaysia Airlines aircraft has yet been found, despite the major multinational air and sea operation.

The renewed search operation comes as Malaysia's acting transport minister admitted that mistakes were made in how authorities treated the victims' families.

Hishammuddin Hussein said the missing plane had posed an "unprecedented situation without benchmark".

The Malaysia Airlines plane went missing on March 8 with 239 people on board.

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Ukraine: Russian Forces Remain, Says Nato

Russian armed forces are continuing to keep a presence near Ukraine's border, according to Nato.

"Flankers" aircraft at the Primorko-Akhtarsk Air Base Pic: DigitalGlobe

The organisation's top military commander in Europe, General Philip Breedlove, has released a set of commercial satellite photographs which reportedly shows Russian warplanes, combat helicopters, armour, artillery and a probable airborne or special forces brigade deployed in various locations.

All the positions are east of the Ukraine-Russian border and the coastline of the Sea of Azov is among them.

Mil Mi-8 "Hips" and Mil Mi-24 "Hinds" in Belgorod. Pic: DigitalGlobe

The content of the photographs, which commercial provider DigitalGlobe said were taken on March 22, has not yet been independently verified.

Tanks and infantry fighting vehicles near Kuzminka. Pic: DigitalGlobe

According to General Breedlove, possible countermoves to the Russian military threat against Ukraine could include sending US troops to alliance nations in eastern Europe who felt at risk.

A Russian artillery battalion near Novocherkassk. Pic: DigitalGlobe

Russian troops in March took control of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula after local citizens - the majority of whom are ethnic Russians - voted in a referendum to secede and join Russia.

Military airborne or Spetznaz (Special Forces) at YeyskPic: DigitalGlobe

The US and other Western countries have accused Moscow of massing troops on Ukraine's border to maintain the pressure on the government in Kiev, and possibly for military use.

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'If Reeva Had Spoken I Would Not Have Fired'

Oscar Pistorius has insisted he fired his weapon "by accident" after hearing a noise in his bathroom and thinking he was about to be attacked by an intruder.

The court in Pretoria heard the athlete fired four shots in quick succession after hearing someone inside the bathroom.

Fighting back tears, the 27-year-old said: "When I heard a noise, I didn't have time to think and I fired my weapon. It was an accident.

"If Reeva had come out or she had spoken to me I wouldn't have fired. The noise coming from the bathroom made me pull the trigger."

Pistorius had been in a relationship with Reeva Steenkamp for four months

During a second day of cross-examination, Pistorius was questioned about text messages sent by Miss Steenkamp which claimed she was "scared" during their four-month relationship.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel read from one message which said: "I've been upset with you for two days now... I'm scared of you sometimes."

He added: "Why would she be scared of you?"

Pistorius replied: "I think she's scared of the feelings that she had for me, she says 'I'm scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me and how you will react to me'.

"I never shouted or screamed at her. It hurt her feelings about the way I would react."

Text messages between the couple have been shown in court

Mr Nel accused the athlete of "picking on" Miss Steenkamp, claimed Pistorius "did not care enough" to tell Miss Steenkamp he loved her and insisted their relationship was focused on "me, Oscar".

Pistorius  told the court in Pretoria he was "terribly sorry" he had taken his girlfriend's life after he was asked why he had not apologised in person to her family.

He said: "I am terribly sorry that I took the life of their daughter. I didn't think they would want to see me."

Pistorius was accused of blaming his legal team for not questioning claims made by witnesses and was asked a series of questions over his handling of firearms and ammunition.

He has admitted a handgun went off in a restaurant while in his possession, and told the court he carried his gun everywhere and usually had a bullet in the chamber.

"The weight is light. My gun has a double safety. I usually carry one up," he said.

The court heard Pistorius had ammunition belonging to his father in the safe at his home, for which he did not have a licence. He also had an extra magazine in his bedside drawer, which was found when he was arrested, and usually carried his gun with him at all times for safety reasons.

Pistorius denies premeditated murder and illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in separate incidents prior to the killing.

More follows...

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Aircraft Detects Possible Signal From MH370

A signal thought to come from one of the black boxes of the missing Malaysian plane has been picked up by an aircraft.

The search agency coordinating the search for Flight MH370 said on Thursday an Australian navy P-3 Orion aircraft had detected a sound in the same area 'pings' were heard on Saturday.

It brings to five the number of possible signals that have been detected so far.

Associated Press said the aircraft had dropped sound-locating buoys by parachute into an area near where the 'pings' were first heard.

A map showing the two areas being currently searched

On Saturday a ship picked up signals consistent with those emitted by a black box, known as 'pings', and again on Tuesday, allowing searchers to narrow down their search area.

Angus Houston, who is heading up the search, said in a statement that the plane had picked up a "possible signal" that may be from a man-made source.

He added: "The acoustic data will require further analysis overnight."

The first four 'pings' were heard in the smaller area being searched

The Australian naval ship ADV Ocean Shield, which picked up the first four 'pings', has been joined in the area by Britain's HMS Echo and the Chinese ship Haixun 01.

They are searching an area of the southern Indian Ocean 1,670km (1,040 miles) from Perth after the plane went missing on route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.

The Australian navy has been dropping buoys in a pattern across the area where Ocean Shield heard 'pings'. It is referred to on maps as the 'sonobuoy' area.

Search aircraft, like the Orion, undertook at least 30 flights on Thursday

Royal Australian Navy Commodore Peter Leavy said attached to each is a hydrophone listening device which dangles about 300 metres (1,000ft) below the surface.

He said the hope was that the buoys would be able to pinpoint the source of the signals.

Meanwhile, the Australian authority tasked with coordinating the hunt for the missing plane has narrowed the overall search area to 22,000-square-miles.

ADV Ocean Shield is towing a 'pinger locator'

Ten military aircraft, four civil planes and 13 ships have joined the search effort a day after two further signals were detected in the southern Indian Ocean.

The Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said the search area has been narrowed by 12,400 square miles on Tuesday's operation.

The JACC has ruled out several objects that were seen during Wednesday's search. 

The 'pinger locator' being towed behind the ship

But search coordinator Angus Houston has expressed "optimism" about the ongoing effort.

"I'm now optimistic that we will find the aircraft, or what is left of the aircraft, in the not too distant future," he said.

"But we haven't found it yet, because this is a very challenging business."

More follows...

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Oscar Pistorius Gives Evidence: Live Updates

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9:24am UK, Wednesday 09 April 2014

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MH370 Search Chief 'Optimistic' Of Finding Jet

What Search Team Will Be Doing Now

Updated: 12:23pm UK, Wednesday 09 April 2014

The team looking for the black boxes of Flight MH370 know they have just hours left before the 'pings' they are listening for cease.

The Australian ADV Ocean Shield is plying the waters within an ever-decreasing search area about 1,050 miles (1,700km) from Perth, Australia.

All of the pings detected so far have been picked up close to one of the paths the plane was 'calculated' to have travelled along, based on data from the British Inmarsat satellite.

The task now will be to attempt to use those signals to hone in on a position for the flight data recorder and voice cockpit recorder, thought to be lying somewhere on the southern Indian ocean floor.

It will be no mean feat.

A ping is a moment of sound that lasts just 0.0093 seconds - a tenth of the blink of a human eye - and is repeated every second.

The signal detected is being emitted at 33.331KHz - different to the 37.5KHz pingers are supposed to emit at but, according to the search team, consistent with what would be expected.

The seabed is 4,500m (14,600ft) below where Ocean Shield is searching. There is also a lot of underwater 'background noise', which makes hearing the signal problematic.

The ship is making straight line passes across the area where the 'pings' have been detected in the hope of hearing more.

On Sunday, the pinger locator - a yellow fin-like device, full of sensitive electronics - was towed behind Ocean Shield at a depth of 300m.

When it picked up the first signal, it was lowered to a depth of 1,400m, and continued to hear the ping for two hours.

The ship was only travelling at about 2mph at the time. The pings are only supposed to be able to be heard up to about two miles away from the black box emitting it. 

In order to confirm if they had definitely picked up a genuine signal, the ship turned around - an operation that takes around three hours - and went on a parallel path about a mile away from the original track.

Along that pass, the pings were heard for about 15 minutes. 

The searchers have continued running parallel paths, up to a mile apart. The latest set of pings detected on Tuesday were only heard for five minutes and 30 seconds and then for seven minutes.

The task for the searchers is to narrow down the search area, knowing that the range of the pings is normally no more than 2,000-3,000 metres. 

But they do not have long. The pinger is already emitting a signal beyond the 30-days it is supposed to be able to last.

The manufacturers say the team may have one or two more days left, if they are lucky.

Anish Patel, head of Florida-based pinger maker Dukane Seacom, said: "Now that 30 days have passed we are in bonus time.

"The units are certified to last 30 days but there is a small design margin ... (of) a few extra days of power."

Even when the source of ping has been located, another search will begin. An American underwater robot called Bluefin-21 is being readied to take over.

Bluefin-21 found the wreckage of an F-15 fighter jet which crashed off Japan last year.

But finding MH370's black boxes will be hampered by an underwater landscape that is mountainous and completely without natural light.

US Navy Captain Mark Matthews said signals so far suggest the device emitting the pings is somewhere within about a 20km (12 mile) radius.

That equates, he said, to a 1,300 sq km (500 square mile) chunk of the ocean floor, which would take the sub about six weeks to two months to fully explore.

Royal Australian Navy commodore Peter Leavy, who is helping to lead the search, said search crews are also contending with a thick layer of silt on the sea floor that can both hide wreckage and distort sounds from the black boxes.

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Pistorius: Angry Exchanges Over Grisly Photo

Oscar Pistorius has broken down in court after the prosecuting barrister demanded he look at a grisly picture of his girlfriend's wounded head in court.

Pistorius raised his voice and refused to look at the picture after barrister Gerrie Nel said Reeva Steenkamp's head had "exploded like a watermelon".

As Pistorius sobbed in the dock, Mr Nel referred to a Sky News video showing Pistorius shooting and hitting a watermelon on a firing range.

Pistorius arrives for the trial today

"You know that the same happened to Reeva's head - it exploded," Mr Nel said.

As the picture was shown in court, the barrister continued: "Have a look. I know you don't want to because you don't want to take responsibility. Take a look."

Appearing to lose his composure, Pistorius replied: "I will not look at a picture. I touched her head that night. I know how it felt.

"I am taking responsibility, by standing here today - I am not looking at that picture."

The photograph showed a side view of Miss Steenkamp's bloodied head, with her eyes closed.

Mr Nel said: "It's time that you look at it."

The judge eventually asked for the picture to be taken down and ruled that the line of questioning was inappropriate, as Pistorius was forced to take a break.

Earlier, Pistorius shook in the dock as Mr Nel went for the jugular, asking: "You killed Reeva Steenkamp, didn't you?"

Pistorius said: "I did, I made a terrible mistake."

Mr Nel replied: "Won't you take responsibility? Take responsibility - say 'I shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp'."

June Steenkamp, Reeva's mother, watches today's proceedings

Pistorius began today's evidence by describing how he carried the model down the stairs of his home after finding her slumped on the toilet.

"She was sitting with her weight on top of the toilet bowl. I checked to see if she was breathing and she wasn't," he told the court.

"I pulled her weight on to me and I sat there crying for some time. I felt her head on my shoulder and I could feel the blood running down me. 

"I thought I felt her breathing. I could see her arm was broken.

"I was trying to pick Reeva up. I could see she was still breathing. She was struggling to breathe." 

Pistorius said that he rang 911 and also security - but did not remember either call clearly.

"After I got off the phone with 911, I ran downstairs to open the front door. I could barely pick Reeva up. I opened the front door," he said.

Pistorius said Miss Steenkamp died in his arms

"I ran back up to my room. I went back to the bathroom and tried to pick up Reeva.

"I got to the second flight of stairs. I was shouting and screaming for help in getting her to the hospital."

Pistorius said he was told to put Miss Steenkamp down as neighbours said an ambulance was on its way.

"I just sat there and waited for the ambulance to arrive," he said.

"I had my fingers in her mouth to help her breathe. I had my hand on her hip to try and stop the bleeding.

"Reeva had already died when I was holding her so I knew there was nothing the ambulance could do.

"Then the paramedic came to me and said she would like to inform me that Reeva had passed.

"The paramedic asked me if there was some form of ID. I went to get Reeva's handbag."

Pistorius has broken down several times since the start of the trial

Pistorius said that police officers then arrived and checked the house to see if anyone else was there.

"I asked the policeman if I could wash my hands because the smell of the blood was making me throw up. I washed my hands and face," he said.

The athlete was later taken to the police station and arrested over the death. Afterwards he was taken to hospital where doctors conducted tests on him.

In dramatic scenes in court, Pistorius then demonstrated how he tried to break down the toilet door with a cricket bat "using his entire body".

Swinging the bat, he said: "I hit the door with all my might."

Sky's Alex Crawford and Jeremy Thompson with a South African newspaper

Asked by his barrister whether he intended to kill his girlfriend, Pistorius responded: "I did not intend to kill Reeva or anyone else for that matter." 

Yesterday, Pistorius wept uncontrollably in the dock as he described shooting Miss Steenkamp, claiming he thought she was an intruder.

The court case was halted for the day because the 27-year-old Paralympian was unable to continue giving evidence, wailing in court: "She was everything."

Pistorius denies premeditated murder and illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in separate incidents prior to the killing.

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Hunt For MH370 'Pings' Delays Sub Launch

China Trying To Scoop Malaysia In MH370 Search

Updated: 3:31pm UK, Monday 07 April 2014

By Alistair Bunkall, Sky News Defence Correspondent

The authorities are, quite rightly, not publicly concluding that they've found the plane; but reading between the lines, there are clear signs that they believe this is it.

Tony Abbott, the Australian PM, phoned his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak this morning to tell him what ADV Ocean Shield had heard overnight.

That is a sign of how significant this development is. The two leaders wouldn't speak in person were it being treated as a routine update.

And the wheels are now fully in motion to fly the relatives to Perth, maybe in the coming days. The Malaysians are compiling a list of the next of kin. Again, a demonstration of how seriously this news is being treated.

No-one has mentioned the Chinese. At least not voluntarily. It was a tweet from Chinese state-run media that got everyone's hopes up on Saturday evening. Much was made of their find. Pictures from Chinese journalists on board showed Chinese sailors listening to a signal with the correct frequency.

The news took all of us by surprise.

The head of the search operation Angus Houston kept his nerve. By rights China's news should have been relayed to the world by him or the Malaysians. That would have been the protocol.

A mea culpa: I accused the Australians of losing control of the media strategy.

In some respects I was right, this was not how they wanted the news to break.  The Chinese had gone rogue.

But I should have given Angus Houston the benefit of the doubt. He has been extremely impressive since taking control of the situation and I think he knew exactly what he was going on over the weekend.

Behind the scenes he was learning about Ocean Shield's discovery.

On Sunday morning, in between a flurry of questions about the Chinese discovery, he mentioned that Ocean Shield had had an "acoustic event" but details were sketchy. Few of us gave it much thought: all eyes were on the Chinese discovery and HMS Echo steaming towards the area. That was the real discovery. Or so we thought.

Clearly, even to me, the two didn't match up. Either one of them had heard the black box, or neither of them. Given their distance from each other, it couldn't be both of them.

Patiently, Houston waited until Ocean Shield was sure about what it had heard, and only then was it announced as a major development.

In their respective press conferences today, Australia and Malaysia have declined to criticise the Chinese but the way they've answered questions about them, short and to the point, says much.

China has shown frustration with the Malaysians in particular throughout this past month. They first questioned and then demanded the Inmarsat data be handed over. They allowed their nationals to protest outside the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing. Things like don't happen without the state turning a blind eye at the very least.

And the breakthroughs were being made by companies in other countries: the British firm Inmarsat, the French company Airbus, Boeing from the US.

But I think they've also been frustrated with their own inability to find the plane. This was a chance to demonstrate the ability of their technology to the world. A chance to reassure their own people that China is superior.

A chance to say, "don't worry, we've got it; if anyone is going to solve this global mystery, we will".

They haven't managed to.

There were 154 Chinese nationals on board MH370 and clearly Beijing has a right to play a major role in the search, but more than once by various senior people I have been told how they are not operating as team players. There are clearly two separate search operations going on and that isn't helpful.

It might be a race to find the black box but it isn't a competition.

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Webcam Murder: Student's Killer Jailed

A man has been convicted of murder and jailed for life for killing a Chinese student whose ex-boyfriend witnessed the attack via a webcam.

Qian Liu, 23, was killed by Brian Dickson, a neighbour in her Toronto apartment block.

She was found dead in April 2011, a few hours after her former boyfriend in China, Xian Meng, watched as she tried to fend off an attacker who appeared at her door.

The jury deliberated for four hours before delivering its verdict against Dickson, 32. Justice Anne Molloy imposed a life sentence with a chance of parole after 25 years.

Mr Meng told police he saw Ms Liu struggling with a man before her computer was shut off.

He testified that Dickson forced his way inside the apartment while Ms Liu was pushing at his chest and saying "no".

Mr Meng said Dickson pushed Liu out of sight of the camera and after the sound of two muffled bangs, he heard no more sounds from Ms Liu.

After a period of silence, Mr Meng said he heard Dickson breathing heavily, and moments later he appeared naked in front of the webcam and turned off the computer.

The Toronto apartment block where Qian Lui was killed by Brian Dickson

The jury saw video and photographs of Ms Liu's body, lying face down next to her bed, with her nightgown and sweater pulled up to her shoulders.

Blood could be seen on the floor around her face. The prosecutor said semen found on Ms Liu's abdomen and groin area matched DNA evidence collected from Dickson.

A post-mortem did not establish definitively how Ms Liu died, but a pathologist gave evidence that it was probable that death resulted from "compression applied to her neck".

Police said Ms Liu's laptop computer, webcam and mobile phone were taken from the apartment the night of the attack. The online chat was on a live streaming camera and was not recorded.

The dead woman's parents travelled from China for the trial. Her father wiped away tears as the verdict was read.

"We are still very sad," Jian Hui Liu said after hearing the verdict through a translator. His wife clutched a picture of their daughter and cried silently.

Dickson had offered to plead guilty to manslaughter, but the prosecution rejected the lesser charge.

His lawyer, Robert Nuttall, said his client has been "absolutely remorseful for a very long time".

"He didn't say anything. He just accepted the verdict," Mr Nuttall said.

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Pistorius Describes Night Of Fatal Shooting

Oscar Pistorius has dramatically described the seconds before shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The athlete took his prosthetic legs off in court to emphasise his vulnerability as he described grabbing his gun amid fears he was being burgled. 

"My lady that's the moment everything changed," he told the court.

Oscar Pistorius arrives at court today

He told the court how he "whispered" to Reeva to call the police as he made his way to the bathroom with his firearm.

The court was adjourned for lunch before Pistorius was able to describe the actual shooting.

During a dramatic morning in court, Pistorius outlined in fine detail his version of events on the evening and night of the shooting on February 13/14 last year.

He began by explaining how Reeva had cooked him dinner and the pair ate about 7pm.

A bucket in the dock in case Pistorius is sick again

After dinner they sat at the dining room table and "chatted about our days".

"Just before 8pm I came into my room and I opened the balcony doors - it was very humid," he told the court.

"I drew the curtains around the fans. They were blackout curtains.

"At that point Reeva came into the room and I took my drink and I put it down on the bedside table.

Aimee Pistorius, Oscar's sister, at the trial today

"I locked the bedroom door and I put the cricket bat about 2cm from the door. I put the cricket bat on the floor so the door would be blocked by the cricket bat.

"I took my prosthetic legs off, so they could air. I put them as close to the door as I could. I climbed onto the bed.

"Reeva jumped on the bed and we were chatting. I was texting my cousin - Reeva was on a social media application. She was showing me pictures of cars and things that she liked."

Pistorius then called his cousin and Reeva got out of bed and started doing yoga at the foot of the bed. 

"Every now and then, Reeva would get up and give me a kiss. Reeva then walked to the bathroom.

"She called me to come and brush my teeth. She went back to the bedroom. When I came back she was lying in the middle of the bed."

Pistorius said that he fell asleep between 9 and 10pm.

His voice quaking, Pistorius continued: "I woke up in the early hours of February 14.

"It was extremely warm. I sat up in bed. I noticed that the fans were still running and the door was still open. Reeva was still awake. She rolled over to me and said 'Can't you sleep my baba?'.

"I said 'no I can't, not tonight'."

June Steenkamp sat stony-faced through the evidence yesterday

Pistorius said he then locked the sliding doors of the room.

"I came into the room. The only bit of light was a little LED light. I could see a pair of jeans on the floor. I picked them up and was going to place them over the lights.

"At this point I heard a window open in the bathroom.

"My lady, that's the moment everything changed. I thought there was a burglar gaining entry into my home.

"I think initially I just froze. I heard a noise and In interpreted it as someone climbing into the bathroom.

Oscar Pistorius wept in court yesterday before giving evidence

"I immediately thought someone could be there any moment and the first thing that ran through my mind was that I needed to arm myself, to protect Reeva and I - that I needed to get my gun.

"I ran and grabbed my firearm. When I got before the passage wall, I was scared that the person could have been in a closet space.

"I had my firearm extended in front of me. I whispered to Reeva to get down and phone the police."

He continued: "I was overcome by fear. I screamed at the person to get out. I screamed at Reeva. I was constantly aware this person could come at me at any time. I did not have my legs on. Just before I got to the bathroom, I stopped shouting."

At this point, the court was adjourned for five minutes for Pistorius to remove his prosthetic legs and demonstrate the difficulty he had moving without them.

Pistorius said meeting Reeva Steenkamp was a 'blessing'

He then continued, just before the case was adjourned for lunch: "I heard the toilet door slam. It confirmed there was someone inside the bathroom at that time."

Earlier in his evidence, Pistorius said he had bought Reeva a bracelet from a designer that she liked for Valentine's Day, which he planned to give her.

He said that Reeva had wrapped a present for him on the evening of the shooting but he was told he was only allowed to open it the following day.

"On August 8 last year, on Reeva's birthday, I opened it, it was a photo frame, with four photos of her and I and the card that she wrote....," he sobbed.

Pistorius was too upset to continue with the description.   

The court is sitting for its 18th day in the trial

Earlier, the 27-year-old was "dripping with tears" as he gave evidence for the second time at his murder trial in Pretoria, South Africa. 

He described the start of their relationship and read out a series of instant messaging texts, detailing its ups and downs. 

During another emotional morning in court, he also denied details relating to firearms charges against him.

In one of the texts read out in court by Pistorius, Reeva denies being a "flirt" and in another she denies being a "stripper and a ho".

Reeva also sent Pistorius a message saying: "I'm scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me and how you will act towards me."

In a reply to Reeva, Pistorius admitted to feeling "jealous and insecure".

Describing a fight at an engagement party he told the court: "I just think it was a bad hour in our relationship."

Reeva's mother June attended the hearing along with Reeva's friend Gina Myers, who was wearing tags that bore a black-and-white print of the model.

The athlete's voice faltered as he read a series of loving messages where they traded affectionate pet names.

The pet names included "amazballs", "baba", "boo", "angel" and "babycakes".

One text from Reeva to Pistorius read: "I only have eyes for you." In another she wrote: "I want to kiss you and feel your arms around my neck."

He also described buying Reeva flowers and chocolates.

Describing the start of their relationship Pistorius told the court how they began dating at a sports award ceremony.

He said: "I really didn't think that she would go with me (...) I phoned her and she said she would go with me. 

"After the evening we sat speaking until 2 or 3 in the morning. She was a fantastic date."

Pistorius said he believed that he was "more into" Reeva than she was into him.

"I was very keen on Reeva. I was besotted with her," he said.

Pistorius also explained how Reeva was subjected to a "hate campaign" after she began dating him, including people who set up fake social media accounts.

"She had her own stress, on top of what I had to deal with," Pistorius told the court.

Speaking from the court Sky's Alex Crawford said: "Often he's literally dripping with tears, he's using his handkerchief to mop his tears.

"Reeva's mother June has been staring steadfastly ahead."

Pistorius is expected to field questions all day and describe events relating to the death of his girlfriend.

Pistorius shot Reeva, 29, dead in the bathroom of his home but denies murder, claiming that he thought the model was an intruder.  

He also denies illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in separate incidents prior to the killing.

Yesterday, Pistorius slumped on the floor of the dock after testifying for most of the day, unable to continue because he was too exhausted.

He wept and trembled his way through his first day of defence evidence, describing how panic attacks had left him hiding in cupboards since the shooting.

He  told the court he woke "smelling blood", was unable to sleep and was on anti-depressants and sedatives.  

And in dramatic scenes in Pretoria, the day ended early with Pistorius sitting on the floor of the dock with his psychologist wiping away tears and stroking his face.

The athlete's family formed a protective shield around him as he composed himself before eventually leaving the building.

Moments earlier, the court hearing had been adjourned for the day after Judge Thokozile Masipa agreed that Pistorius was "exhausted", having not slept.

Yesterday morning, Pistorius cried as he turned towards Reeva's mother June and apologised for all the hurt he had caused her.

His voice cracking, he said: "I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to Reeva's family, to those of you who knew her who are here today, to her friends.

"There hasn't been a moment since this tragedy happened that I haven't thought about your family."

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Missing Plane: MH370 Team Detect Two Signals

Teams searching for missing flight MH370 believe they may have detected the plane's black box flight recorders after a ship picked up signals in the southern Indian Ocean.

The Australian defence vessel Ocean Shield picked up signals twice, around 370 miles north of where two signals were detected by a Chinese ship on Saturday.

Crucially, there were two distinct pinger returns - suggesting transmissions from a flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder on a Boeing 777 jet.

Angus Houston, the former Australian defence chief heading the search, said the information was "the most promising lead" in the search so far.

But he warned it could be days before authorities confirm if the signals are from the Malaysia Airlines flight, which vanished on March 8 with 239 people on board.

Malaysian acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said he was "cautiously hopeful that there will be a positive development in the next few days, if not hours".

Search teams are involved in a race against time as the batteries on the plane's flight recorders could run out at any moment, meaning the signals would no longer be emitted.

Mr Houston said the Ocean Shield detected the sounds on two occasions over a period totalling more than two-and-a-half hours.

He said: "Clearly this is a most promising lead, and probably in the search so far, it's the probably the best information that we have had.

"This would be consistent with transmissions from both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder."

Stressing the need for further confirmation, he said: "I am much more optimistic than I was a week ago."

A screen shows the data fed back from the pinger locator deep under the sea

But he added: "We are talking about a long operation here and we have yet to find the aircraft."

Search co-ordinators stressed the signals were picked up in very deep water - 4,500 metres - which is at the limit of underwater search equipment being used.

The position of the sound needed to be further pinpointed, and then an underwater drone could be sent down to investigate, Mr Houston said.

He went on: "It could take some days before the information is available to establish whether these detections can be confirmed as being from MH370.

A map shows where signals were picked up in recent days by search ships

"In very deep oceanic water, nothing happens fast.

"I would want more confirmation before we say this is it. Without wreckage, we can't say it's definitely here. We've got to go down and have a look and hopefully we'll find it somewhere in the area that we narrowed to."

The latest development in the search effort came as the British navy ship HMS Echo joined the hunt. The vessel carries sophisticated sound-locating equipment.

No wreckage from the plane has been found during the month-long search, despite a number of debris sightings.

Divers help as the pinger locator is deployed from the ADV Ocean Shield

Malaysian officials concluded - based on satellite data from several countries - that the aircraft crashed into the southern Indian Ocean to the west of Perth.

Investigators have not established why the plane lost contact with air traffic controllers and appeared to divert so far from its intended route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

The backgrounds of passengers, crew and both pilots have been investigated, while terrorism and hijack have also been considered as possible explanations for the plane's disappearance.

The families of those on board have been frustrated by the huge international search operation, accusing the Malaysian authorities of mismanagement and holding back information. 

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Anarchists Demand $3bn To Stop Google Protests

Protesters have demanded $3bn (£1.8bn) from Google to stop targeting the homes of senior employees.

The booming technology scene in the San Francisco area has caused a spike in house prices and the cost of living.

In the latest demonstration by protest group The Counterforce, leaflets were distributed to neighbours of Google Ventures partner Kevin Rose calling him a parasite.

The protesters also held up banners outside his home.

Rose later posted an image of one of the leaflets on Instagram, in which he was criticised for his role in "ravaging" the landscape of the area.

Digg founder and Google Ventures partner Kevin Rose

Part of the handout read: "As a partner venture capitalist at Google Ventures, Kevin directs the flow of capital into the tech startup bubble that is destroying San Francisco.

"The start-ups that he funds bring the swarm of young entrepreneurs that have ravaged the landscapes of San Francisco and Oakland."

Later a blog post by The Counterforce said: "We now make our first clear demand of Google.

"We demand that Google give three billion dollars to an anarchist organisation of our choosing.

"This money will then be used to create autonomous, anti-capitalist, and anti-racist communities throughout the Bay Area and Northern California."

It said the communities would have free housing, "solving" the housing crisis in the Bay area.

Rose posted a photograph of one of the leaflets

Rose, who founded news aggregator Digg and also invested in mapping site Foursquare, later responded on Twitter.

He wrote: "My house was protested today by anti-tech folks, they had a large banner saying 'Kevin Rose Parasite'.

"They recorded video on an Android phone and said they were going to post it to YouTube, which I thought odd.

"That said, I did agree with them that we need to solve rising rents, keep the SF culture, and crack down on landlords booting folks out.

"SF is such a great place, definitely need to figure out a way to keep the diversity."

In January The Counterforce protested outside the home of Anthony Levandowski, who works in the experimental Google X laboratory.

Protesters have also disrupted the routes of staff shuttle buses.

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Pistorius Gives Evidence: Oscar Says Sorry

Oscar Pistorius has taken the stand to give evidence in his murder trial and apologised to the family of Reeva Steenkamp.

Weeping and trembling in the dock, he said: "I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to Reeva's family, to those of you who knew her who are here today, to her friends.

"There hasn't been a moment since this tragedy happened that I haven't thought about your family."

Pistorius sobbed as he described panic attacks and nightmares, while Ms Steenkamp's relatives listened intently in the public gallery.

Members of Pistorius's family - including his brother and sister - also wept as the athlete gave evidence during an emotion-charged morning in Pretoria.  

Almost inaudible at times, the Paralympian addressed the model's mother, June, who was sitting in the public gallery.

"I wake up every morning and you're the first people I think of. The first people I pray for," he told her.

"I can't imagine the pain and the sorrow and the emptiness that I've caused you and your family.

Pistorius was led from the court 'heaving and retching'

"I was simply trying to protect Reeva. I can promise you that when she went to bed that night she felt loved.

"I have tried to put my words on papers many, many times to write to you but no words would ever suffice."

June Steenkamp did no show any emotion as the defendant made the apology. 

Pistorius said he was taking anti-depressant medicine and that he has sometimes woken up in terror, suffering from panic attacks.

Reeva Steenkamp was killed on Valentine's Day last year

"I have terrible nightmares about things that happened that night," he said.

"I wake up and I can smell blood and I wake up to being terrified. I hear a noise and I wake up in a complete state of terror, to the point that I would rather not sleep." 

He described how, on one occasion, he woke in panic and had to ring a family member for help.

"I climbed into a cupboard and I phoned my sister to come and sit by me, which she did for a while," he said.

Pistorius arrives at the court in Pretoria

He later outlined the story of his Paralympian success - describing how he had overcome disadvantages to excel in athletics.

Before taking to the stand the Paralympian "heaved and retched" as he prepared to explain for the first time in public how and why he killed his girlfriend.

His testimony may take several days and he can expect a gruelling cross-examination from state prosecutor Gerrie Nel.

Earlier this morning, the athlete bent down in the dock, plugging his ears with his fingers, as more details about Ms Steenkamp's death were revealed in court.

He was also seen hunched and weeping before the first witness of the defence case - pathologist Professor Jan Botha - was called.

Then, before the mid-morning break, he was led from the court in a distressed state, as he prepared himself to give evidence. 

Sky's Alex Crawford, reporting from the court, said that Pistorius was "literally heaving, retching" before the mid-morning break.

He was escorted out of the court amid "audible sobs", by his psychologist and family members.  

Professor Botha was allowed to testify first, and ahead of Pistorius, in an agreement with prosecutors because of a family illness.

Contradicting the state's account, Professor Botha said Ms Steenkamp was first shot in the hip, then in the arm.

The third bullet hit her hand and the fourth hit her head, he said.

The state said Ms Steenkamp was first shot in the hip, that the second bullet missed, the third bullet hit her arm, and the fourth went through her hand and head. 

Professor Botha also testified that if the athlete fired his 9mm pistol in two quick bursts, as Pistorius claims he did, his girlfriend probably didn't have time to scream.

The testimony combats prosecutors' claims that Steenkamp screamed during the gunshots that killed her and that the athlete therefore must have known he was firing at her.

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