Italy: Briton Held Over Tour Guide Murder

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

A Briton has been arrested in Italy for the murder of a tour guide and the attempted killing of another man.

Jason Peter Marshall, 25, was held by police early on Saturday after they traced him through his mobile phone signal to a late night bus.

He was arrested after a 55-year-old man was found severely beaten in the bedroom of his apartment in central Rome, following calls to police when neighbours heard screams and calls for help.

When officers arrived on the scene, the victim identified Marshall as his attacker and described how he had been threatened with a gun, badly beaten with a telescopic cosh and smothered with a pillow.

Marshall is said to have fled the apartment with €400 (£348), credit cards and the victim's iPad as he allegedly tried to erase all traces of contact between him and the victim.

Marshall, who is originally from Greenwich, southeast London, is said to have arrived in Italy last month and police in Rome have confirmed he is also the prime suspect in the murder of tour guide Vincenzo Iale.

The 68-year-old was found strangled and stabbed to death in his flat at Torvajanica, on the outskirts of Rome, four weeks ago with his bank card missing.

Police said Marshall was being held in Rome's Regina Coeli jail on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, kidnap and possessing offensive weapons.

Sources said the victims had been targeted through gay internet chat rooms.

A Rome police source said: "This could easily have been a double murder investigation and the second victim - although badly hurt - can think himself lucky he is not dead."

No one from the British Embassy in Rome was immediately available for comment and Marshall is expected to be questioned further by prosecutors ahead of appearing before an investigating judge.

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'Bedroom Tax' To Hit Thousands Of Families

By Emma Birchley, East Of England Correspondent

Thousands of families living in social housing are facing a cut in their benefits from April because they are seen to have too big a home.

The under-occupation penalty, dubbed "the bedroom tax", aims to encourage households to downsize if they have spare rooms, freeing up their properties for larger families.

But council house tenant Eddie Bird says the policy fails to take into consideration individual cases. His wife Shirley has terminal cancer, and weighing just five-and-a-half stone, needs her own room.

"Any form of movement on the bed and it affects my wife. She's in constant back pain," said Mr Bird. "There's no room for separate beds so I sleep in the box room."

They have been told they will lose nearly £14 a week in benefits.

"It's going to affect my wife's quality of life. We have a Motability car but if we can't afford to put petrol in it, we can't go on any day trips."

The Government hopes the policy will make better use of almost a million rooms that are not used and help reduce the £23bn housing benefit bill.

Eddie Bird says he will lose out despite his wife having terminal cancer

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: "We've put a fairly sizeable sum aside to be able to ensure that those kind of cases can be paid for.

"But the general idea that there has to be a limit on the amount of benefit that people receive I think is a correct one.

"And these are exactly the same kind of rules that have existed in the last few years in private rented (accommodation), so we are applying to public housing.

"If it was good enough for private renting, it's got to be good enough for public housing."

But critics question how you can penalise tenants for not moving somewhere smaller when there simply are not enough suitable sized properties available.

It is something the Coast and Country Housing Association has seen in South Teesside. They have 10,000 properties but only two one-bedroom apartments available.

Chief executive Iain Sim said: "We had the pasty tax last year - this is the nasty tax. This is hitting people directly who through no fault of their own are under-occupying the property that they live in.

"The cut in their benefit will range from 14% for one room up to 25% for two rooms. That's a loss in income of between £10 and £22 a week. That's a lot of money to take from people with very limited incomes."

The change is expected to affect 660,000 claimants.

Some households will be exempt if, for example, a non-resident carer for a disabled person helps at the home overnight.

But as Eddie and Shirley Bird are married they will not be eligible for this exemption. Their only hope is that they will qualify for financial assistance from a fund called the Discretionary Housing Payment scheme, but it is not guaranteed.

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AAA Credit Rating Lost: Osborne Defiant

George Osborne is coming under pressure over what Labour calls his "catastrophic economic policy failure" after the UK lost its top-grade AAA credit rating.

International agency Moody's downgraded it by one notch to AA1, citing slow growth and a rising debt burden.

The Chancellor said it was a "stark reminder" of the country's debt problems, but said the coalition was determined to stick by its plan for economic recovery.

In the last election, Ms Osborne made safeguarding Britain's top credit rating one of his key pledges.

And he has used maintaining the rating for government bonds as one of the main arguments for the Government's austerity programme.

The downgrade is a major blow for Mr Osborne, who has been coming under increasing pressure to take action to stimulate the economy.

He said: "We have a stark reminder of the debt problems facing our country - and the clearest possible warning to anyone who thinks we can run away from dealing with those problems.

"We are not going to run away from our problems, we are going to overcome them."

Labour's shadow chancellor Ed Balls told Sky News: "They (the Government) are paying the price for an absolute catastrophic failure of economic policy and everybody can see that now pretty much other than the chancellor and the prime minister.

"Until they face up to reality, we're just going to have more of the same."

Moody's said it did not expect Britain's slow recovery to change

Moody's said Britain's recovery was proving to be significantly slower than previous rebounds from recession and it did not expect the situation to change.

"[There's] increasing clarity that, despite considerable structural economic strengths, the UK's economic growth will remain sluggish over the next few years," it said.

Moody's is the first of the major credit rating agencies to knock the UK off of its top rating.

The ratings agency also cut the Bank of England's AAA rating by one notch, also to AA1. The US' top credit rating was downgraded by one notch in 2011.

Sky Economics Editor Ed Conway said: "The fact that Britain has lost its AAA crown for the first time since credit ratings were given to the UK back in the 1970s, it's a really big blow to Britain's reputation.

"It's something of an economic blow, but in a way it's more of a political problem for George Osborne. He made a key part of the Conservative election pledge to safeguard Britain's credit rating."

Moody's said that the British economy is constrained both by the troubled global economy and the drag from businesses and the Government slashing its debt burdens.

"Moreover, while the Government's recent Funding for Lending Scheme has the potential to support a surge in growth, Moody's believes the risks to the growth outlook remain skewed to the downside," it said.

Labour has insisted that withdrawing demand from the economy has put it more at risk by stunting growth.

Mr Balls said: "This credit rating downgrade is a humiliating blow to a prime minister and chancellor who said keeping our AAA rating was the test of their economic and political credibility.

"In the Budget the government must urgently take action to kick-start our flatlining economy and realise that we need growth to get the deficit down. If David Cameron and George Osborne fail to do so and put political pride above the national economic interest we face more long-term damage and pain for businesses and families."

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Oscar Pistorius: Prosecution's Closing Speech

Prosecutors have warned that Oscar Pistorius has the "money, means and motive" to flee South Africa if he is given bail.

The athlete is accused of shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp dead, and a judge is expected to decide whether to grant him bail today.

While trying to persuade the judge that Pistorius is a flight risk, Gerrie Nel compared the case to that of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

"His face is well-known all over the world and he's sitting in embassy in London," he said.

He also suggested that Pistorius could also consider changing his facial appearance to avoid being recognised.

In a closing statement, Mr Nel said that Pistorius' version of events was "improbable" and that the level of violence used was "horrific".

He added that the athlete - who has often cried during proceedings - was feeling sorry for himself, and feared that his career was over.

His defence said the offence he faces should be culpable homicide, adding: "He did not want to kill Reeva."

Oscar Pistorius claims the death was a tragic mistake

He also said it was difficult for Pistorius to disappear because of his disability.

Earlier, his coach Ampie Louw said that if the athlete is granted bail, he will start training again next week.

Members of Miss Steenkamp's family are also in court for the hearing.

On Thursday, police were forced to pull their lead detective off the athlete's case after it emerged he himself faces attempted murder charges for shooting at a minibus.

Defence lawyers for Pistorius say the athlete shot dead his girlfriend by a terrible mistake, and deserves bail to prepare for his case.

They say the case has been marred by a bungled police investigation.

The 'blade runner', whose lower legs were amputated in infancy, is said to have killed model Reeva Steenkamp, 29, in the early hours of St Valentine's Day at his home.

Prosecutors have told the court it was a premeditated murder, with Pistorius firing four shots through a locked toilet door at Ms Steenkamp on the other side.

She was hit in the head, arm and hip.

Witnesses said they heard gunshots and screams from the home in a gated community surrounded by three-metre-high stone walls and an electric fence.

Pistorius contends he was acting in self-defence.

He says he mistook Ms Steenkamp for an intruder and felt vulnerable because he was unable to attach his prosthetic limbs in time to confront the threat.

The 26-year-old said he grabbed a 9-mm pistol from under his bed and went into the bathroom.

Pistorius described how he fired into the locked toilet door in a blind panic in the mistaken belief that the intruder was lurking inside.

Bail hearings in South Africa allow for prosecutors and defence lawyers to lay out their basic arguments, based on preliminary evidence.

The arrest of Pistorius stunned millions who watched in awe last year as the Olympic and Paralympic sprinter reached the semi-final of the 400m in the London Olympics.

The impact has been greatest in sports-mad South Africa, where Pistorius was seen as a rare hero who commanded respect from both blacks and whites, transcending the racial divides that persist 19 years after the end of apartheid.

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Savile: Pollard BBC Inquiry Evidence Released

Timeline of the BBC's Savile Affair

Updated: 11:00am UK, Friday 22 February 2013

The Timeline of events at the BBC and its handling of the coverage of the Jimmy Savile scandal

October 29, 2011: Former BBC star Jimmy Savile dies, opening the way for broadcasters and newspapers to report on allegations that he abused children without fear of legal action.

November 11, 2011: BBC2 screens a tribute programme to the late DJ: 'Jimmy Savile: As It Happened'.

November 25: Emails show that Newsnight Editor Peter Rippon appears happy with the progress of a Newsnight investigation into historic allegations of abuse by Savile.

November 30: Rippon appears to change his mind on whether the investigation should be aired, saying that the Crown Prosecution Service's belief that Savile was too old to be pursued was 'key'.

December 1, 2011: Rippon decides to stop work on the investigation, emailing Newsnight producer Meirion Jones to say: "pull editing now."

December 2, 2011: BBC Director of News Helen Boaden is said to have told George Entwistle that he may have to change the Christmas schedules, which included two tributes to Savile, because of the Newsnight investigation. The conversation was said to have lasted '10 seconds' and was at a lunch function.

December 28: Another Jimmy Savile tribute show 'Jimmy Savile at the BBC: How's About That Then?' airs on BBC2, two days after a look back at 'Jim'll Fix It', fronted by Shane Richie.

September 17, 2012: George Entwistle starts work as director-general after BBC Trust Chairman Chris Patten confirms him as Mark Thompson's successor on July 4.

October 3: ITV broadcasts 'Exposure: The Other Side Of Jimmy Savile', opening the floodgates to hundreds of sexual abuse allegations against the former presenter. When it emerges Newsnight had carried out an investigation into Savile's activities but later shelved it, the programme and corporation come in for criticism.

October 5: George Entwistle, now Director General, emails staff to say the Newsnight investigation was into Surrey Police's inquiry into Jimmy Savile. Meirion Jones emails back and corrects Entwistle, telling him the pulled Newsnight slot was an investigation into whether Savile was a paedophile.

October 12: Amid growing pressure on the corporation, George Entwistle apologises to victims and announces two separate inquiries into why Newsnight's investigation was dropped, one of which is to be handled by former head of Sky News Nick Pollard, and another into the culture of the BBC while Jimmy Savile worked there.

October 22: Newsnight editor Peter Rippon steps aside after inconsistencies emerge in a blog he wrote explaining his decision to shelve the Savile story and a Panorama investigation into Newsnight's handling of the issue is watched by five million viewers.

October 23: George Entwistle appears before MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and gives a faltering performance when grilled on who at the BBC knew about Jimmy Savile's activities.

October 25: Controler of BBC Five Live is asked to lead the corporation's coverage of the Savile scandal, with Helen Boaden and her deputy Steve Mitchell effectively removed from overseeing it.

November 2: Newsnight broadcasts a report implicating "a senior Tory from the Thatcher era"  - later identified as Lord McAlpine - in the North Wales child abuse scandal.

November 9: The BBC and Newsnight are forced to make a grovelling apology after victim Steve Messham admits he was mistaken about Lord McAlpine's involvement in the abuse.

November 10: George Entwistle announces his resignation, hours after admitting he had not known about Newsnight's McAlpine broadcast during an interview with John Humphrys on Radio 4's Today programme. He had been in the job only 54 days - the shortest period of any Director General's tenure.

November 12: Director of News Helen Boaden and her deputy Steve Mitchell are told to 'step aside' from their day to day management of BBC News.

December 18: The BBC apologises to Lord McAlpine and pays him a reported £185,000 in damages plus legal costs.

December 19: The Deputy Director of News at the BBC Stephen Mitchell quits after 38 years at the corporation on the day the Pollard Review into Newsnight's failings is published.

December 20: Helen Boaden returns to full duties.

January 25, 2013: It is announced that Tony Hall, a former BBC man who had been working at the Royal Opera House for several years, is to be the new Director General.

February 15, 2013: BBC announces Paul Mylrea, the Director of Public Affairs, is to leave the corporation later in the year. In the meantime, it has also announed Helen Boaden will be moved to Director of Radio.

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Oscar Pistorius: Cop Called Over Shooting Charges

The police officer leading the Oscar Pistorius case has been summoned by the magistrate after it emerged he has been charged with seven counts of attempted murder from 2011.

Hilton Botha and two other officers reportedly opened fire on seven passengers in a taxi mini-bus in an attempt to stop it. It is alleged that the officers, who were on duty at the time, were drunk.

They were arrested after the event in October 2011 and charges were initially dropped but were reinstated by the state prosecutor in the days before the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius arrived in court for the third day of the bail hearing and hopes to find out today whether he will be remanded in custody until his murder trial.

Oscar Pistorius arrives at court for the third day of his bail hearing

The hearing was adjourned briefly after the magistrate summoned Botha to the courtroom. However, he was only asked to clarify whether he had examined the mobile phone records of Pistorius and Miss Steenkamp in the hours surrounding the shooting incident.

Prosecutors have said that it is up to police to decide whether to drop Botha from the investigation, however, police are insisting that at present he is still involved in the case.

An earlier report from Eyewitness News had quoted a National Prosecuting Authority spokesman as saying that Botha "cannot continue with this case".

Neville Malila said they had bolstered the investigation team

Botha only discovered the charges against him had been reinstated yesterday. He is set to appear in court in May but police plan to keep him on the Pistorius murder case.

The South African Police Service has confirmed the charges against the detective and launched an investigation which may see Botha suspended.

Spokesman Neville Malila said: "We were only informed yesterday that attempted murders charges against Hilton Botha have been reinstated."

He said that Botha remained on the Pistorius case and that the charges would not hamper Botha's investigation into the circumstances of the Valentine's Day shooting at Pistorius' Silver Lakes home.

Hilton Botha arrives at court to give evidence at Pistorius' bail hearing

But he added that they had bolstered the team investigating the alleged murder of Miss Steenkamp.

It is unclear why the charges against Botha were reinstated. He denies being drunk and  has told a South African news channel that he was chasing suspects.

Medupe Simasiku, the spokesman for National Prosecution Agency, said: "The (Pistorius) prosecutors were not aware of those charges (against Botha)."

Oscar Pistorius is due to find out whether he will be granted bail

Under cross-examination during Pistorius' bail hearing, Botha was accused of contaminating the crime scene in the paralympic star's home and backtracked on key details, including the distance of witnesses from the house.

In his often confused testimony, Botha, who was described as a 24-year police veteran with 16 years as a detective, conceded that police had left a 9 mm slug from the shots that killed Miss Steenkamp inside a toilet at the scene.

Police also lost track of illegal ammunition found inside the house, Botha said, and the detective himself walked through the crime scene without wearing protective shoe covers, potentially contaminating the area.

He also claimed in court that police found boxes of testosterone and needles in multiple Paralympic champion Pistorius' bedroom following the Valentine's Day shooting last week, but then said later he wasn't sure what the exact name of the substance was.

The lead defence counsel Barry Roux accused the police of oversights and mistakes on their initial investigation.

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Spurs Fans Attacked By Gang In Lyon Bar

Three Tottenham fans were taken to hospital with minor injuries after a group of up to 50 masked thugs attacked a bar on the eve of Spurs' game in Lyon.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers smashed doors and threw cast iron chairs, wooden objects and a flare in to the Smoking Dog pub in Lyon.

Up to 150 Spurs fans were drinking in the bar, popular among ex-pats in the French city, ahead of tonight's Europa League match.

It is the second time that Tottenham fans have been targeted in apparent anti-Semitic attacks in the last three months.

In November, fans of the club, which has a traditionally strong Jewish following, were ambushed inside a pub in Rome on the eve of their game against Lazio.

Damaged caused inside the Smoking Dog pub

Eyewitnesses inside the Smoking Dog said the thugs attacked the bar at 10.18pm on Wednesday night and then returned shortly after to launch another assault on the pub, which was damaged extensively as a result.

The pub's landlord, Dave Eales from Retford, said: "At 10.18 the pub was rammed with Tottenham fans watching the Champions League on the television.

"The front of the pub, which is made up of reinforced glass, was attacked by 20-25 people.

"They threw projectiles through the windows. There was a stand off. They didn't get in to the bar. Then it calmed down. Then they came back a second time and it all started again.

"There were three injured Tottenham fans taken away by ambulance. One of them had a head injury. I'm not sure how bad it was."

Far-right thugs were blamed for the knife attack on Tottenham's supporters in Rome and two eye-witnesses claimed the attack could have had an anti-Semitic motive.

Scene of the attack on Spurs fans in Rome in November

One, who did not want to be named, said: "There were 50 who attacked in the first wave and 25 in the second.

"It's a pretty scary thing when you're confronted by people doing Nazi salutes."

Spurs fan Christian Radnege, who was in the bar at the time of the attack, said: "They came in making Nazi salutes. It was frightening."

Mr Eales, 42, said he had anticipated trouble may occur and that he had told the Lyon police as much earlier this week.

He added: "The most disappointing thing is that I spoke to the police a couple of days ago about the potential for trouble because of what people associate Tottenham being."

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We are aware of reports of an attack on British nationals in France and are offering consular assistance."

A Tottenham spokesman said: "Club officials attended an incident last night in Lyon.

"A group of around 50 people confronted fans. The situation was dealt with and arrests were made within the hour. Three fans sustained minor injuries and received prompt medical assistance.

"Spurs officials and stewards will be in the city throughout the day, along with matchday French police ahead of kick-off."

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Oscar Pistorius Sobs As Bail Verdict Due

Oscar Pistorius' lawyers said that there was no evidence to support a premeditated murder charge against the athlete as the bail hearing moved into its third day.

Barry Roux stressed that the police evidence against Pistorius was poor, as he argued that the Olympic and Paralympic sprinter should be granted bail.

As the court hearing got under way, Nike confirmed that it had suspended its endorsement contract with Pistorius.

A spokesman said: "We believe Oscar Pistorius should be afforded due process and we will continue to monitor the situation closely."

The developments come as it emerged overnight that the police officer leading the investigation was himself facing seven charges of attempted murder for shooting at a minibus while on duty in 2011.

Oscar Pistorius clutches at a tissue

It is alleged he, and two other officers, were drunk at the time. The charges had been dropped but were reinstated by the state prosecutor yesterday.

Botha denies being drunk and says he was chasing suspects as part of an investigation.

It follows a day in which the lead detective investigating the alleged murder admitted to a series of mistakes and inconsistencies.

On Wednesday, the court in Pretoria was told that a witness heard "non-stop shouting" coming from Pistorius' home before he shot his girlfriend dead.

The witness overheard a "row" said to have come from the property at the exclusive Silver Lakes Golf Estate between 2am and 3am on Valentine's Day, the prosecution said.

Pistorius arrives in court for day three of his hearing

Lead detective Hilton Botha later said under cross examination that the person who overheard the argument was in a house 600m away.

But after he was questioned again by prosecutor Gerrie Nel he stated the distance was much closer.

Miss Steenkamp, 29, was hit by three bullets - one in the head, the hip and arm, Pretoria Magistrates Court heard.

Pistorius has admitted shooting the model with a 9mm pistol pulled from under his bed, but claims he did so thinking she was a burglar who was in the bathroom.

After realising his mistake, he said he broke down the door with a cricket bat and carried her downstairs.

Hilton Botha was called back to court to give evidence on phone records

The runner said he shot through the door while on his stumps.

But the court heard that the bullets' trajectory was through the top of the door and Mr Botha claimed the bullets were fired down, suggesting Pistorius was wearing his prosthetic legs when the shots were discharged.

He said: "I believe he knew she was in the bathroom and he shot four shots through the door."

The court also heard that two boxes of testosterone and needles were found in Pistorius's bedroom.

Mr Roux countered prosecution claims that testosterone was found, saying it was actually a herbal remedy, called Testocompasutium co-enzyme.

*The family of the athlete have devoted his official website to updates about the bail hearing and messages of support.

"We will issue at least two statements a day, in order to provide the media with the freshest news, taking into account the time differences," said Janine Hills, the chief executive of Vuma corporate reputation management.

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North Korea Video Shows Obama In Flames

A new North Korean video shows President Barack Obama and American troops in flames and blames US hostility for its recent nuclear test.

The footage was uploaded on YouTube - two weeks after a separate video that showed New York City burning after an apparent missile attack.

Both videos were uploaded by the North's official website, Uriminzokkiri, which distributes news and propaganda from the state media.

The latest video came with a series of Korean-language captions, arguing that North Korea had been forced into conducting its latest nuclear test on February 12 because of US hostility.

"The North's high-level nuclear test aimed at US invaders, is the nuclear deterrent to safeguard our sovereignty," one caption read.

"The US practically guided the North towards conducting the nuclear test," it added.

The video showed images of Mr Obama waving and preparing to deliver his State of the Union address - all superimposed against a background of rising flames.

It ended with an animated sequence of a nuclear bomb being detonated in an underground bunker and the message: "The whole world is now watching. The US must answer now".

The North's latest test was its biggest yet in terms of explosive yield and, according to Pyongyang, marked a breakthrough in its efforts to develop a "miniaturised" warhead that could fit on a ballistic missile.

The earlier video posted by Uriminzokkiri had to be withdrawn, after it emerged that the footage of a burning New York was taken from the Call of Duty video game.

The makers of the game, California-based Activision, filed a copyright complaint.

The US is negotiating in the Security Council for stronger UN sanctions against Pyongyang following its nuclear test in the far northeast, the country's third since 2006.

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Oscar Pistorius: Prosecution Outlines Case

Prosecutors have directly challenged two of Oscar Pistorius' key claims about the night he shot and killed his girlfriend.

Investigating officer Hilton Botha says a witness saw lights on after the shooting - despite the Paralympian earlier claiming he was too frightened to switch on the light fearing intruders were inside his home.

A statement on behalf of the 26-year-old athlete - read out in court on Tuesday - also said he was not wearing his prosthetic legs at the time and felt vulnerable.

But Mr Botha said that the trajectory of the shots was downward, suggesting that he was firing from a standing position.

The court also heard that "non-stop shouting" was heard coming from Pistorius' home before Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead.

A diagram of Oscar Pistorius' bathroom was shown to the court

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said the prosecution team has a witness who heard the shouting between 2am and 3am.

The details were revealed as the second day of the 26-year-old athlete's bail hearing began at Pretoria Magistrates' Court.

In an affidavit, Pistorius has denied murdering the model Miss Steenkamp, 29, at his home in the early hours of Thursday.

He has said the couple were in love and he fired through a closed toilet door within the bathroom, hitting the victim, thinking a burglar or burglars were inside.

Mr Botha described the moment he arrived at the athlete's house in the early hours of the morning and found Miss Steenkamp's body lying on the ground floor at the bottom of the stairs.

Miss Steenkamp's funeral was held in Port Elizabeth

He said she was dressed in white shorts and a black top, and covered in towels.

The officer told the court that he saw a firearm on the shower mat, and one bullet cartridge in the passageway and three in the bathroom.

He said unlicensed .38 calibre ammunition was found at his home, and he wanted the Olympian charged with unlawful possession.

Needles and testosterone were also found in his bedroom, the court heard.

Earlier the Paralympian arrived at the court in the back of a police car with a blue blanket covering his head. He entered the courtroom wearing a dark suit and tie just after 8am UK time.

The chances of Pistorius being given bail lessened at the first bail hearing on Tuesday after Magistrate Desmond Nair ruled the case a schedule six offence - meaning premeditated murder.

It means his lawyers now have to prove "exceptional circumstances" for him to be granted bail until he goes to trial.

Mr Botha told the court that Pistorius is a "flight risk" and could flee if given bail.

He said the athlete has offshore accounts and a house in Italy, and stresses that South Africa does not have extradition agreements with all countries.

Pistorius has said he had been a victim of crime and received death threats, but the court heard there were no records of this.

His father Henke and brother Carl - who have supported him in the two previous hearings - looked on from the public gallery.

The proceedings were delayed as more than 100 journalists squeezed into court to report the hearing.

There were chaotic scenes as one reporter fainted, an overflow room was set up to provide more space and courtroom screens had technical problems.

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