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 Two Security Buildings

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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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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Pakistan Baby Attempted Murder Charge Dropped

Charges of attempted murder against a nine-month-old boy in Pakistan for allegedly throwing rocks at gas workers have been thrown out by a judge.

Musa Khan appeared in court in the city of Lahore, sitting on his grandfather's lap and drinking from a bottle of milk.

Police had accused the youngster and other members of his family of attacking officers, bailiffs, and gas company staff when they arrived to disconnect supplies of households who had not paid their bills.

However, the boy's grandfather, Muhammad Yassen, said: "He does not even know how to pick up his milk bottle properly. How can he stone the police?"

Speaking at the hearing, defence lawyer Irfan Sadiq said: "Police told the court that the nomination of Musa in the case of attacking police and gas company officials was a human error and Musa is not required."

The baby's grandfather and his three sons are still charged.

Pictures taken at an earlier court hearing of Musa screaming as he was being fingerprinted provoked a public outcry and prompted calls for an inquiry.

Critics claimed it exposed the "incompetence" of the police force.

The charges against Musa were in contradiction with Pakistan's minimum age of criminal responsibility, which is 12 except for terrorism cases.

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Fiery Crash Between Truck And Bus Kills Ten

Ten people have been killed in a crash between a bus carrying high school students and a truck on a highway in California.

Massive flames could be seen devouring both vehicles just after the collision.

More than 30 people suffered injuries ranging from severe to minor burns, broken legs and noses and head lacerations, and at least two of those injured were reportedly in a critical condition.

Clouds of smoke billowed into the sky until firefighters had quenched the fire, leaving behind scorched black hulks of metal.

Bodies were draped in yellow plastic inside the burned-out bus.

Fire engulfed the two vehicles

Both drivers were killed, along with three adult chaperones and five teenage students, California Highway Patrol said.

Their identities have not been released.

The bus carried around 50 people, the vast majority students from various schools in the Los Angeles area who were on their way to tour the campus of Humboldt State University.

"I just heard this loud boom," said a student who was on the bus, 18-year-old Steven Clavijo.

"We knew we were in major trouble."

Many escaped through a window that someone had kicked open, running for their lives before the bus burst into flames.

Scores of students were injured, some critically

The crash happened on Interstate 5 near Orland, a small city about 100 miles (160km) north of Sacramento.

Humboldt State University said in a statement it was "deeply saddened" by the accident.

"Our hearts go out to those who have been affected, and we are here to support them and their families in any way possible," it 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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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 has faced a gruelling week of questions in the Pretoria court

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.

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.

Pistorius was given flowers by a fan outside court

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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Pope Asks For Forgiveness For Abuse Scandal

Pope Francis has asked for forgiveness for the damage done by Roman Catholic priests who abused children.

According to Vatican Radio, the Pope told members of a children's rights group he felt "compelled... to personally ask for forgiveness for the damage they have done for having sexually abused children".

He said that members of the clergy who had molested young children were "quite a few in number".

The Pope said: "The Church is aware of this damage."

He added: "It is personal, moral damage carried out by men of the Church and we will not take one step backward with regards to how we will deal with this problem and the sanctions that must be imposed.

"On the contrary, I think we must be even stronger. You don't play around with the lives of children."

The Vatican says the Church has begun enforcing prevention and detection measures to eradicate abuse, however the success of these measures is said to vary widely between countries.

Thousands of abuse claims, dating back decades, have come to light in recent years.

The Church's handling of the allegations has been a subject of controversy with frequent reports of cases being covered up.

Pope Francis has also faced personal criticism for not taking a tough enough stand on the issue.

In February a UN committee released the findings of a month-long investigation into clerics "involved in the abuse of tens of thousands of children worldwide".

It raised concerns that sexual abusers were moved from parish to parish or across borders and that there was a "code of silence" among the clergy.

The UN committee urged the Holy See to share information on all cases of abuse, amid reports the Vatican had declined to provide any data relating to the scandal.

The Pope's predecessor Benedict XVI also issued an apology for abuses.

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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.

Su-27/30 "Flankers" at 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.

The bases are in southern Russia - east of the Ukraine-Russian border - near Kuzminka, Belgorod, Yeysk, and Novocherkassk, east of the Sea of Azov.

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.

An alleged Russian artillery battalion. 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.

Probable airborne or Spetznaz (special forces) brigade. 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 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. Pic: 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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Russia 'Withheld Details on Boston Bomber'

A US government review of the Boston bombings is reported to claim Russia declined FBI requests for more information on one of the suspects two years before the attack.

The information included a telephone call in which Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died in a police shoot-out after the 2013 bombings, and his mother discussed Islamic jihad, the New York Times has said.

Such information would likely have prompted closer scrutiny of the suspect, the Times said.

The review, coming on the eve of the first anniversary of the April 15 attack, appeared to exonerate the FBI.

Three people were killed in the bombing

"They found that the Russians did not provide all the information that they had on him back then, and based on everything that was available, the FBI did all that it could," a US official familiar with the review said, according to the paper.

Russia has in the past denied withholding information.

Two Chechen brothers, Tamerlan and his younger brother Dzhokhar, are suspected of planting pressure-cooker bombs near the Botson marathon's finish line, killing three people and wounding more than 260.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is awaiting trial on charges that could lead to the death penalty if he is convicted.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who has pleaded not guilty, faces the death penalty

The new review, authored by the inspector general of the Office of Intelligence Community, has not been made public, though US lawmakers are to be briefed on it today, the Times said.

It comes after a March congressional report outlined what it called "missed opportunities" that could have prevented the attack.

US media have also reported that Tamerlan Tsarnaev had sought to legally change his name to honour a militant who fought Russian forces in Dagestan, a Russian republic where the Tsarnaev family is from.

A huge police operation led to the arrest of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

According to the Boston Globe, Russian officials warned the FBI and the CIA that the man's radicalisation might include the name change, but that failed to raise alarm.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who has pleaded not guilty, is scheduled to stand trial in a federal court in November.

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Aircraft Detects Possible Signal From MH370

Search teams trying to find the missing Malaysia Airlines plane have detected another possible signal from a black box recorder.

After dropping sound-locating buoys by parachute into the search zone, an Australian navy P-3 Orion aircraft detected the potential signal on Thursday afternoon in the same area pings were heard on Saturday.

If confirmed, it will be the fifth signal to have been recorded by search teams.

Angus Houston, who is in charge of the operation, confirmed the surveillance plane had picked up the "possible signal".

A map showing the two of the search areas

"The acoustic data will require further analysis overnight but shows potential of being from a made-made source," he said.

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.

The Australian naval ship Ocean Shield, which detected the four previous pings using a Towed Pinger Locator, was joined in the area by HMS Echo and Haixun 01, a Chinese ship.

The first four pings were heard in the smaller zone being searched

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

The Haixun 01 vessel initially reported some acoustic signals south of where the Ocean Shield sounds were detected on Saturday.

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

But the signals heard by the Chinese ship were not believed to have occurred again.

The Australian Navy has been dropping the buoys in a pattern across the area where the Ocean Shield heard the pings.

Attached to each is a hydrophone listening device which dangles about 300m (1,000ft) below the surface.

ADV Ocean Shield is towing a "Pinger Locator"

Australian Navy Commodore Peter Leavy said the hope was that the buoys would be able to pinpoint the source of the signals.

But experts say time is running out as pingers on black boxes are designed to emit signals for no more than 30 days.

Hopes that they may be tracked down in time rose on Thursday after an Australian government document circulated among agencies involved in the search said the pingers could continue for up to 10 more days.

Mr Houston on Wednesday expressed "optimism" about the ongoing search operation.

"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."

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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 portrayed him as selfish and prone to tantrums. He 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".

While asking the double amputee about the night Miss Steenkamp was killed, he claimed Pistorius' version "is a lie" and accused him of "adapting things" to suit his argument.

Pistorius recounted waking up during the night and getting out of bed to close doors to a balcony and bring fans into the room.

Miss Steenkamp is then thought to have got out of bed, but the athlete said he was unable to see her because she was behind him and the room was dark after he closed curtains.

Pistorius said a duvet and fan in images shown to the court had been moved by police officers after Miss Steenkamp's death.

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.

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Oscar Pistorius Trial: Stenographer Updates

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8:16am UK, Wednesday 09 April 2014

Oscar Pistorius has broken down several times in the dock giving evidence

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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".

Again and again, Mr Nel tore into Pistorius, accusing him of lying in court, something the athlete repeatedly denied. 

Pistorius arrives for the trial today

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.

"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.

A photograph of Reeva Steenkamp with a head injury was shown to the court

"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 asked: "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'."

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.

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

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

"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.

Pistorius said Miss Steenkamp died in his arms

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

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.

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

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."

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." 

Later, under cross examination, Pistorius told the court that the scene had been tampered with after the shooting.

The "tampering" included movements of his mobile phone and the cricket bat. 

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

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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Oscar Pistorius Gives Evidence: Live Updates

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1:23pm UK, Wednesday 09 April 2014

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MH370 Search Chief 'Optimistic' Of Finding Jet

What Search Team Will Be Doing Now

Updated: 1:58pm 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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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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Nasdaq 'Tech Wreck' Cuts Web Giants' Value

Is Tech Stock Slide A New Dot Com Bubble?

Updated: 1:37pm UK, Tuesday 08 April 2014

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

Ouch: Tech stocks are taking a beating.

Let me bombard you with some bad figures.

Companies including Twitter, Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn and Netflix have lost at least 20% of their value from their 2014 high.

Between them, Facebook and Google have lost £28.5bn in their market capitalisation.

The recent stock market flotation of King.com - the makers of Candy Crush - was the worst IPO debut this year.

On the other side of the world, Samsung cut its January to March profit forecast by 4.3%, and dropped the price of its new flagship S5 phone.

Meanwhile, Chinese internet giant Tencent has lost a fifth of its value.

Is this a new technology bubble - and is it bursting?

Technology stocks are still well below the valuations at the height of the first bubble in 2000.

The internet has become part of everyone's lives, rather than an early adopter's toy: 479 million people were online in June 2001; today, around three billion are.

The companies going to IPO are not offering vague promises, but solid profits: King.com had pure profit of $568m (£340m) in 2014.

And sure, Twitter might not make a profit yet - but neither did Facebook and Google when they had their IPOs.

Now both companies earn more money than they know what to do with.

That may have pushed prices higher.

The supermarket sweeps of Facebook and Google - spending billions on companies like Whatsapp, Oculus Rift and Nest - certainly drove up prices, but both Silicon Valley giants could easily afford the cost.

Investors have to be more circumspect.

What we're seeing is a re-adjustment - one which has been due for a while.

King.com is an extremely well-run gaming company, but probably did not warrant a $7bn (£4.2bn) valuation.

Investors in stocks like Amazon and Netflix were waiting and hoping on higher earnings reports: when these were published in February and March, they've been shifting their money to less expensively valued companies.

But this is good news. Investors are treating tech like proper stocks, rather than the magic beans they did back in 2000.

Technology analysts Oppenheimer & Co actually say that, as a result, the sector is now an opportunity.

This is a bump, rather than a bubble.

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Oscar Pistorius Describes Night Of Shooting

Oscar Pistorius broke down in court today as he described shooting dead his girlfriend thinking she was an intruder.

In dramatic scenes, Pistorius described finding his girlfriend's body in the toilet of his home - wailing in court: "She was everything."

His sister Aimee and one of his lawyers then rushed through the courtroom to his side - before the judge was forced to halt proceedings.

Oscar Pistorius arrives at court today

The athlete's emotional breakdown failed to move June Steenkamp, Reeva's mother, who stared, stony-faced at the defendant, as he was consoled by family and friends.

Sky's Alex Crawford, who was at the court, described the wailing as "like animal sounds" coming from the athlete.   

"He was consoled by his sister, but he continued making these loud wailing noises - it was very emotional," Crawford said.

Earlier, the athlete took his prosthetic legs off in court to to relive the moments leading to, during and after the shooting on Valentine's Day last year. 

A bucket was placed in the dock in case Pistorius was sick again

He described how he begged Reeva to call the police and grabbed his gun in the darkness after thinking he had heard an intruder in the bathroom of his home.

He told the court that just hours before he shot Reeva dead she had been doing yoga at the foot of his bed, stopping from time to time to kiss him affectionately.

Pistorius recounted the events of the evening in fine detail as he sought to persuade the judge that Reeva's death was a terrible mistake.

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

Aimee Pistorius, Oscar's sister, consoled the athlete after he broke down

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.

"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," Pistorius said.

"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."

June Steenkamp sat stony-faced through the evidence yesterday

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'."

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

Oscar Pistorius wept in court yesterday before giving evidence

"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 I interpreted it as someone climbing into the bathroom.

"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.

Pistorius said meeting Reeva Steenkamp was a 'blessing'

"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.

He then continued: "I heard the toilet door slam. It confirmed there was someone inside the bathroom at that time.

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

"I thought the intruders were going to come out, or were in the bathroom. I was not screaming or shouting at that time.

"I approached this entrance to the bathroom. I was walking with my left hand to the closets. I had my pistol in my right hand. I peered into the bathroom. 

"I was not able to walk as much mobility on the tiled surfaces. I had my pistol raised to my eye.

"There was no lights in the bathroom. As I slowly peered into the bathroom I could see the window was open. I had my back against the wall, using my hand as balance, scuffling along the left hand side wall.

"I wasn't sure if the people were in the toilets or on a ladder they had used to gain access or round the corner at that point.

"I saw there was no-one round the corner waiting to attack me. At this point I started screaming for Reeva to call the police. I stood there for some time - I'm not sure for how long.

"I wasn't sure if someone was going to come out of the toilet to shoot me, or off the ladder and attack me. Then I heard a noise from inside the toilet which I perceived to be someone out of the toilet and before I knew it I had fired four shots. My ears were ringing.

"I kept on screaming for Reeva to call police. I shouted for Reeva. At some point I decided to walk back to the room. 

"At this point it had not occurred to me that it could be Reeva. I was talking to Reeva but no-one was talking to me. I got on the bed and put my hand down. I could not feel anything. At that point I thought maybe she had got down on the floor like I had told her too.

"It was at that point it dawned on me it could be Reeva. I made way back up the passage. I was mixed with emotions. I did not want to believe it could be Reeva inside the toilet.

"I was panicked. I was screaming and shouting the whole time and crying out. I have never screamed or cried like this before. I was crying out for Reeva. I was crying for the Lord to help me.

"I ran back to the bathroom door. I hit it with the cricket bat. At that point I wanted to just look inside and see if it was Reeva.

"I tried to open the door from the inside. I flung the door open and I sat over Reeva and I cried. I don't know how long I was there for.

"She was everything." 

Pistorius then broke down completely in tears and the case was adjourned for the day.

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.   

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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Irish President On Historic Visit To Britain

Fact More Far-Fetched Than Fiction

Updated: 2:09pm UK, Tuesday 08 April 2014

By David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent

You expect to see the Union flag on the streets of Windsor. You don't expect to see the Irish tricolour on the lampposts.

Britain and Ireland have come a long way in the 25 years I've been reporting their complex relationship.

Time and time again, we think we're witnessing the most historic of moments and then another comes along to top it.

We've had the ceasefires, the Good Friday Agreement, the decommissioning of weapons and devolved government at Stormont.

The last three US Presidents have visited and Northern Ireland has hosted the G8 Summit of world leaders in Enniskillen.

Three years ago, the Queen became the first British monarch to visit Ireland since it gained its independence.

Today, Michael D Higgins has become the first Irish President to pay a state visit to the United Kingdom.

It takes around an hour to cross the Irish Sea.  It has taken the British and Irish Heads of State around a century. 

Her Majesty stunned Ireland by honouring those who fought for freedom at Dublin's Garden of Remembrance.

The laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior is the Irish President's reciprocal act of reconciliation.

Few will forget the reaction of former President Mary McAleese as Her Majesty addressed her in Irish.

She mouthed the word "wow" when the Queen opened her speech at the state banquet in Dublin.

State banquets have a habit of staging wow moments for those of us observing British-Irish relations.

Who'd have thought they'd see the day when Martin McGuinness donned full ceremonial evening dress to dine with the Queen?

Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister was the second in command of the IRA on Bloody Sunday in Londonderry.

Michael D Higgins, the poet turned President, once wrote a piece entitled: 'When Will My Time Come?'

Little did he know he'd be Head of State when the time came to let bygones be bygones with the neighbours.

Last weekend, I asked Ireland's Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore if he felt the state visit would turn another page.

"We're not just turning the page," he replied, "we're writing another chapter and we're well into the book now."

Most of us would have dismissed the story of peace as far-fetched had we not watched it unfold before our eyes.

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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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