Malaysia '99.9% Sure' Of Finding MH370

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

Malaysia's defence minister has told Sky News he is "99.9% sure" the sonar technology being used in the hunt for missing flight MH370 will find the doomed jet.

Hishammuddin Hussein officially launched the Malaysian contracted vessel GO Phoenix and its underwater probe at Fremantle Port in Perth on Wednesday.

He told Sky News: "This is cutting-edge technology. That's my personal view based on experts' opinion - 99.9% sure (sonar devices can find it).

"But the ocean is huge so it depends on narrowing the search area and that's the challenge."

Mr Hishammuddin said there was no timeline for the search

The probe, which can go to depths of nearly four miles (6.4km) and cover up to 75 sq miles (194 sq km) per day, is being used in the search area 1,200 miles off the coast of Western Australia.

GO Phoenix is one of three ships being used in the search. Sky News was allowed on board as it was resupplied and refuelled in Fremantle.

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1. Gallery: MH370: Timeline Of False Hopes

   March 8: At 9am, an hour after flight MH370 is reported missing, rumours spread online that it has landed safely in China

2. March 8: Search planes spot two oil slicks in the South China Sea but tests show the fuel is not from an aircraft

3. March 9: Vietnam search plane spots mystery objects in the South China Sea but they turn out to be unrelated to MH370

4. March 10: A moss-covered piece of floating sea debris is mistaken for a yellow life raft

5. March 11: Two MH370 passengers travelling with stolen passports are identified as illegal immigrants from Iran and are no longer suspected of terrorist activity

6. March 12: Images released of three floating white objects close to MH370's last known location but searchers find nothing

7. March 19: PM Tony Abbot announces Australian search teams have spotted two large items in the southern Indian Ocean. They were never found

8. March 22: Objects tangled with a wooden pallet are mistaken for safety straps but turn out to be seaweed

9. March 23: 122 items are picked up via a French satellite but search planes are unable to locate any of them

10. March 27: Thai satellite detects about 300 floating objects in the Indian Ocean but they cannot be identified as coming from MH370

11. March 28: Search area moves 1,100km northeast as analysis suggests plane used up fuel more quickly than expected

12. March 30: FBI investigations into a flight simulator found at the home of one of the pilots reveal 'nothing sinister'

13. April 1: Contrary to previous suggestions, final cockpit communications from the two pilots appear to be entirely routine

14. April 2: Personal and psychological analysis of all 239 passengers and crew reveals no clues to the disappearance

15. April 4: Experts dismiss plan to locate the plane's black box using a 'pinger detector' as a 'desperate move' with little chance of success

16. May 29: US Navy claims a series of pings detected by Bluefin-21 are unlikely to have any connection to the missing plane and may well have come from the search ship itself

Mr Hishammuddin said there was no timeline for the search, but if there was he would leave it up to the experts to advise.

He said Malaysia has never strayed from its focus to find the plane despite numerous obstacles and setbacks.

"All that could have been done to find the plane at this point has been done," Mr Hishammuddin said.

"This is it, the next phase. The search goes on."

Video: June 8: 'Convinced Of A Cover-Up'

One of the crew operating the sonar probe explained how good the resolution is on images received by it.

Project leader Evan Tanner said: "It can identify objects roughly 10cm in size - the same size as a soda can. It will spot that from a kilometre away. It's impressive technology."

Mr Hishammuddin acknowledged the pain still felt by the families and friends of those on board MH370.

He said: "They remain in our thoughts and also in our prayers.

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1. Gallery: Missing Passengers Of Flight MH370

   Stuntman Ju Kun, 35, was travelling to Beijing to see his two young children before starting work on the new Netflix and Weinstein Company series Marco Polo in Malaysia.

2. Muktesh Mukherjee and Bai Xiaomo were heading home to Beijing after a beach holiday in Vietnam.

3. Yue Wenchao, 26, is originally from inner Mongolia but had moved to the UK to study a postgraduate course at the University of Hull Business School.

4. Bob and Cathy Lawton of Springfield Lakes, Australia, are parents to three daughters, as well as doting grandparents.

5. Hu Xiaoning, 34, was travelling home to Beijing with his three-year-old daughter Hu Siwan.

6. French students Hadrien Wattrelos, 17, and Zhao Yan, 18, were heading for school in Beijing.

7. Paul Weeks, a mechanical engineer, left his wedding ring and watch at home when he headed to Mongolia for a work trip.

"We must continue to hope because sometimes hope is all we have.

"We will find MH370."

The GO Phoenix is expected to depart from Fremantle on Thursday to join the search operation off southwestern Australia.

MH370 disappeared with 239 people on board during its March 8 flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

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Libya Orders 'Civil Disobedience' In Capital

Libya's internationally recognised government has called for a civil disobedience campaign in Tripoli until its forces can retake the capital from militias.

Prime Minister Abdullah al Thani's cabinet said on its Facebook page that it has ordered the Libyan armed forces "to advance on Tripoli to liberate it and state institutions from the grip of armed groups".

The government urged residents to launch "a civil disobedience campaign until the arrival of the army".

Libya has had two governments and parliaments competing for legitimacy since an armed group known as Fajr Libya seized Tripoli in August.

Islamist Omar al Hasi - leader of the coalition of militias - set up his own cabinet in the capital and forced Mr al Thani to move to the east of the country.

Video: Sept: Fighter Jet Crash In Libya

Commanders of Fajr Libya say they are not Islamists but rather "revolutionaries" working to "correct the revolutionary process".

In the western town of Kikla, pro-government and rebel militias clashed on Tuesday with heavy weapons and rockets, an AFP photographer said.

According to the town's mayor, Nureddin Meftah, more than 100 people have been killed and 300 wounded since pro-government militias from Zintan, southwest of Tripoli, attacked their Fajr Libya rivals in there on October 11.

There was no independent confirmation of the casualty figures.

Since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in a 2011 revolution, interim authorities have been unable to rebuild the regular army and have instead relied on state-backed militias.

Rebels who fought to oust the dictator have banded together and seized control of large parts of the oil-producing nation in the last three years.

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US Investigates IS Weapons Drop Footage

The US has claimed most of the weapons airdropped in Syria reached the Kurds they were intended to help - despite a video purporting to show Islamic State militants with a bundle.

The footage, allegedly shot in Kobani, showed fighters from the jihadist group going through boxes of military supplies.

But Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said experts were analysing the video to establish whether the bundle was the one the department previously reported had fallen into IS hands or if it was a second bundle in the group's possession.

Officials said an airdrop had delivered 28 bundles of military supplies to Syrian Kurdish fighters near Kobani on Sunday but that one had been seized by militants from IS, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

The Pentagon later claimed it had destroyed the missing bundle in an airstrike and an Iraqi Kurdish official said 21 tons of supplies had reached the Kurds in Kobani.

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1. Gallery: Syrian Kurds Battle IS To Retain Control Of Kobani

   Turkish soldiers clean mortars as they take up positions by the Turkish-Syrian border opposite the Syrian town of Kobani

2. Smoke rises above buildings after Islamic State militants hit the Syrian town with mortar fire

3. A man surveys the town from a point near the Mursitpinar border crossing, on the Turkish-Syrian border

4. A fighter jet flies above Kobani

5. An explosion rocks the town during an airstrike by the US-led coalition

6. Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters in a street in Kobani

7. Turkish soldiers take up positions

8. A man watches Kobani through a sniper rifle binocular from near the Mursitpinar crossing

9. Turkish army tanks take up positions by the border opposite the town

10. A Turkish soldier covers an armoured vehicle

11. Kurds watch Kobani - also known as Ain al-Arab - from the southeastern village of Mursitpinar. Continue through for more pictures

"We're taking a look at this," Mr Kirby said of the video.

He confirmed the small arms ammunition and weaponry depicted in the video were the kinds of supplies that were dropped, "so it's not out of the realm of possibility" that it was one of the bundles.

"We're still taking a look at it and assessing the validity of it," he said.

"We are very confident that the vast majority of the bundles did end up in the right hands. In fact, we're only aware of one bundle that did not."

Video: Travelling Through Syria

Mr Kirby also said the US military was highly skilled at conducting airdrops and the method was an effective way to ferry supplies to forces on the ground.

The IS video, posted on YouTube, is called "Weapons and ammunition dropped by American planes that fell into areas of Islamic State control in Kobani".

It shows fighters inspecting boxes of hand grenades and rocket-propelled grenades.

One masked gunman holds up a grenade and says: "Booty for the mujahideen".

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1. Gallery: Human Cost Of Battle For Kobani

   A Syrian Kurdish woman and her children at a refugee camp at Suruc, Turkey. These images have emerged as Islamic State (IS) continues to fight for control of the border town of Kobani in Syria

2. Turkey dropped its refusal to allow Kurdish fighters over the border to defend besieged Kobani, saying it was now helping Iraqi peshmerga to cross the frontier in a major policy shift

3. A woman boils a kettle of tea as her children gather around in Suruc

4. Children try to get warm around the fire

5. Children look out from their tent

6. A Kurdish refugee child from the Syrian town of Kobani sits on a makeshift swing

7. A woman boils a pot of tea in front of her tent

8. The centre of Kobani is seen from near the Mursitpinar border crossing

9. A US-led coalition aircraft flies over Kobani

10. Smoke rises as bullets with tracers fly through the air after an explosion in Kobani during a reported suicide car bomb attack by IS militants

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said US officials had seen the video but could not confirm it was accurate.

"There's obviously a lot of false information, particularly propaganda, on the internet and this may fall into that category," she said.

"We know that part of ISIL's strategy here is to wage a propaganda campaign, and that's why one of our lines of effort has been delegitimising ISIL's propaganda."

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'Numbers' Jail Gang Behind Pistorius Threat

As Oscar Pistorius starts a five-year sentence at Pretoria's Central Prison the Olympian will need to urgently study the lore and laws of South Africa's numbers gangs.

More than a century old, the gangs - the 26s, 27s and 28s, dominate South Africa's prison system with a mixture of arcane mythology, sexual intimidation and sometimes extreme violence.

Pistorius, serving his sentence for the manslaughter of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, will quickly have to learn how to navigate through the darkest corners of jailhouse anthropology.

His life may depend on it.

According to his lawyers he has already had a death threat from the 'general' of the 26s, who is reported to be a murderer serving a 33-year sentence.

Video: Pistorius Trial: The Sentence

He told a South African news agency that if Pistorius is given special treatment then he will die.

This may have been part of the plea for leniency. But it's also a real danger.

Pistorius will most likely remain in a segregated part of the prison which also accommodates the mass killer of the apartheid regime, Eugene de Kock.

If not, he may have to seek the protection of the 28s or 27s from the threat made by the leader of the 26s.

All three gangs have their roots in the story of how Po, a deity of some kind, met Nongoloza and Kilikijan in the late 19th Century as both men were heading to work in the white-owned gold mines of the Vaal Reef.

Video: Pistorius Leaves Court For Prison

Po advised against it and encouraged both men to form highway gangs.

Kilikijan worked by day, with seven members. Nongoloza and his eight followers owned the night.

The two fell out over Nongoloza's predilection for sex with other men.

The clash in a Durban prison, legend has it, over six men that Nongoloza wanted to take as 'wives', produced, in around 1907, the 26s who take a mediating role.

Today the numbers gangs are made up of mixed race members from the Cape.

Video: Friends 'Felt Reeva's Light Today'

Most speak Afrikaans but Funagalore, the language of the mines, is the 'official'  lingua franca of the numbers.

Their interests extend far beyond the prison walls.

The 28s are the root of the 'American' - an organised crime syndicate on the Cape Flats; the 26s were formed by the Staggie brothers from the Hard Livings gang.

All run prostitution, drug dealing and protection rackets worth millions every year.

Pistorius would have trouble joining the 27s. They're the most violent group.

Video: Pistorius Sentencing Highlights

So that would leave the 28s. They run kitchen work. But the 28s' hierarchy is tough to climb.

Membership of its top tier, the Gold Line, requires initiates to stab a prison warden.

This is the 'male line' in a gang that celebrates same-sex relationships.

The foot soldiers for the Gold Line are known as the Third Division. They are the gang's muscle, sworn off sex, they may not have contact with the Silver Line, the gang's majority.

Probationers must always show they are available for sex by revealing part of their chest; while seen as sex slaves they are pampered and protected – as "wyfies".

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Pistorius: From Global Icon To A Prison Cell

In his saintly prime, it was hard not to be beguiled by Oscar Pistorius.

From the waist up, the smiling South African with sparkling eyes was the very image of a world-class athlete. From the knees down he seemed almost miraculous, a model of strength over adversity on carbon-fibre blades.

Pistorius's was a remarkable story when his ambition was confined to becoming the greatest disability sportsman of his time.

Among the legion of remarkable athletes who make up the Paralympic movement however, a double amputation did not make him unusual, even if performances were unprecedented.

It was his determination to compete against able-bodied opponents that took him into a category of one. It elevated him to genuine worldwide celebrity, and allowed the Paralympic movement to follow in his slipstream.

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1. Gallery: Pistorius: A Sporting Pioneer

   Pistorius was born in Johannesburg on November 22, 1986. A congenital condition meant he had no bones in his lower legs.

2. He had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old, and now runs on carbon fibre prosthetic blades.

3. Pistorius won the 200m final in a record time at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. In 2006 he finished sixth in the able-bodied event in South Africa.

4. Ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled his blades did not give him an unfair advantage. But he failed to qualify for the men's 400m.

5. He won gold in all three of his events at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics - the 100m, 200m and 400m. He set a world record in the 400m (sport class T44).

6. He won the 400m in 47.28s and the 100m in 11.04s at the 2011 Paralympic World Cup. The athlete later ran the 400m in 45.07s - within the Olympic qualifying time.

7. The Blade Runner won the 400m silver medal in 45.52s at the 2012 African Championships. He just missed the 45.30s he needed to qualify for the Olympics.

8. Pistorius was selected by the South African Olympic Committee to run the 4x400m relay and 400m at the 2012 London Olympics. He said it was "one of the happiest days of my life".

9. He had been dating the model Reeva Steenkamp since late 2012. She was found dead at his home on February 14, 2013.

10. After a lengthy trail, Pistorius is cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to five years in prison.

It was not a straightforward journey, and along the way he demonstrated that the single-mindedness required to overcome disability extended well beyond the track.

Pistorius repeatedly challenged the sporting authorities to allow him to run despite misgivings that his blades were not comparable, and may even confer an advantage in the gruelling late stages of a 400m race.

He was initially banned from competing but following appeals, and under significant pressure, the International Association of Athletics Federations admitted him to run first at the World Championships in 2011, and a year later at London 2012.

Video: What Would Oscar Have Seen?

That decision opened the door not just to sporting history but to a hugely lucrative career. Paralympians, by and large, do not make a good living, if they make a living at all.

As a Paralympian in Olympic sport Pistorius earned around £1.5m a year in endorsements. Track and field is a sport struggling to maintain its position, and the South African was better known than any of the men he was to compete against.

This commercial imperative meant it was often possible to detect a cynical edge to the Pistorius promotion machine. His status attracted major sponsors, British Telecom among them, and he was a model client.

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1. Gallery: Pistorius: Death, Despair And Drama

   Hooded and head down, Paralympic and Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius leaves a police station in Pretoria hours after he shot dead his model girlfriend in the bathroom of his home

2. Before Valentine's Day 2013, this is how the couple were known - handsome, glamorous and seemingly happy

3. A day after shooting Reeva, he was taken to court for a lengthy bail hearing during which he denied murdering his girlfriend. He was eventually granted conditional bail

4. Reeva's Valentine's card to Oscar was later shown in court. She had left it out for him on the night of her death, along with some pictures of the couple and one of her she'd had taken specially as a gift

5. Five days after her death, Reeva's funeral was held in her home town of Port Elizabeth

6. Reeva's family and friends comforted each other after her coffin was carried into a crematorium. After the ceremony, her brother Adam said: "There's a space missing inside all the people that she knew that can't be filled again. We will miss her."

7. Judge Thokozile Masipa presided over the trial. It should have run for three weeks, but lasted at least five months

8. Reeva's mother June Steenkamp was in court throughout proceedings, sat just feet away from the man who killed her daughter and in the same row as members of his family. Within weeks of Reeva's killing, Mrs Steenkamp said: "I don't hate Oscar. I've forgiven him. I have to, that's my religion. But I am determined to face him and reclaim my daughter."

9. Gerrie Nel, a seasoned prosecutor, is known in South African legal circles as "the pitbull". He led the prosecution against Pistorius, claiming the defence was inconsistent

10. The prosecution tried to prove the couple had problems - that Pistorius was an angry and controlling boyfriend. This email was among the evidence they used to make their point, along with a series of texts. The defence said it simply showed they were a normal couple, with normal ups and downs in their relationship

11. Barry Roux defended Pistorius. He made his presence felt at the very start of proceedings by totally dismissing a senior police officer's case, leaving the man offering an embarrassing admission that his case was weak. "I don't have any facts," said Hilton Botha. Mr Roux has since said his performance was "nothing special".

12. Sky News uncovered this CCTV image of the couple just a few days before the shooting. They were in a shop in Pretoria, kissing and laughing

13. The CCTV was among the final images taken of Reeva

14. The world gasped at pictures of the scene of the shooting obtained by Sky's Alex Crawford

15. At one point in the trial, as lawyers flicked through a series of pictures on a large screen in court, they accidentally showed a picture of Reeva's body without warning. Friends of Reeva ran from the courtroom in tears at the violent image

16. On another occasion, the prosecution taunted Pistorius, telling him to look at the image and take responsibility. Pistorius sobbed back: "As I picked Reeva up, my fingers touched her head. I don't have to look at a picture. I remember. I was there."

17. Much of the case centered on whether Pistorius was wearing his prosthetic legs at the time of the shooting. Did the bullet holes in the bathroom door prove that he was wearing them, and therefore able to move faster and with more ease? Or was he on his stumps, at a lower height and possibly feeling more threatened?

18. Sitting almost within touching distance throughout the trial, Reeva's mother and Pistorius' sister Aimee had been seen speaking to each other at times

19. The defendant retched and vomited more than once. At one point, Pistorius collapsed in the dock and his psychologist was seen trying to calm him by stroking his face

20. The trial was adjourned for a psychiatric evaluation of Pistorius. Around this time the defendant had a night out and got involved in an altercation, making headlines again

21. Following the row, Pistorius tweeted some cryptic messages. This was one

22. Lawyers went step-by-step through how Pistorius would have got out of bed in the night, walked or run down the corridor shouting at whoever was locked in the toilet, shot through the door and then, on realising it was Reeva inside, bashed down the door using a cricket bat

23. After the shooting, the door was removed from Pistorius' house and was stored in a police HQ office instead of a contamination-free zone

24. Footage emerged of Pistorius recreating the fateful night in a private attempt to make his case clear. Australia's Channel 7 got hold of the video, which described events in graphic detail, and released it while the trial was ongoing

25. Friends and family of Reeva gave various interviews to the media, talking about how the model with a law degree was also someone who cared deeply about others and wanted to help people. "She was more than just a pretty face," one said

26. The world's focus once again closed in on the court in Pretoria when the time came for Judge Thokozile Masipa to give her verdict

27. The runner's brother made it to court for the verdicts, coming out of hospital in a wheelchair. He is recovering from a head-on car crash that happened on 1 August

28. As the judge read her findings to the court on the first day of her verdict delivery, Pistorius sat in the dock and sobbed, gulping back air as he struggled not to cry out loud

29. Reeva's father Barry Steenkamp did not attend the first few weeks of the trial, but he sat through the end and closely watched the man who killed his daughter as the verdict was read out

30. He was found not guilty of premeditated murder on Thursday, 11 September 11, 2014. And the weight of the case took so long for the judge to get through that it was not until the next morning that he was told to stand to hear the verdict on culpable homicide. He stood silently, breathing deeply

31. At the end of it all, Oscar Pistorius, world-famous athlete, was found guilty of culpable homicide. A similar charge to manslaughter, it means he did shoot at someone, but the judge said he might not have known it was Reeva behind the toilet door - and she has now sentenced him to five years in prison for the killing

His press conferences in the summer of 2012 were an object lesson in how to keep media and sponsor happy. At both Olympics and Paralympics he sat for hours, answering questions he'd faced a thousand times before but betraying not a trace of impatience.

It struck me at the time that only a man of extreme faith or rare focus could have managed it. Pistorius was clearly possessed of both.

Cynicism had little answer to the climax of his career in London, when reached the semi-finals of the Olympic 400m, a bigger draw than the eventual champion Kirani James, who said it was a "privilege" to compete against him.

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1. Gallery: Oscar Pistorius At Gun Range

   Sky News has obtained images of Oscar Pistorius at a shooting range, including one which shows him firing the pistol he used when he shot his girlfriend.

2. The pictures were taken months before Reeva Steenkamp's death on February 14, 2013.

3. Pistorius, who is awaiting trial, denies murdering Ms Steenkamp and says he shot her after mistaking her for a burglar.

4. In one of the pictures from the gun range, the athlete is seen firing at a water melon.

5. The fruit explodes as Pistorius hits it right in the centre. Click through for more pictures.

The tragedy of what followed at Pistorius' home on Valentine's Day 2013 bears heaviest on the Steenkamp family, robbed of their daughter.

After the five year jail sentence handed down for that crime Pistorius is unlikely to make another podium, and has forfeited his place on a pedestal for ever.

:: Watch a round-up of the day's events on Sky News at 9.30pm - Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.

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Steenkamps Welcome Pistorius Jail Sentence

Barry and June Steenkamp reacted positively to the five-year sentence handed to Oscar Pistorius for the killing of their daughter.

Speaking outside Pretoria High Court, Mrs Steenkamp expressed relief at the end of the trial, which lasted seven months.

Defence counsel had suggested that Pistorius could be moved out of prison into house arrest after serving 10 months of his sentence.

Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead on Valentine's Day 2013

When asked whether she was happy with this, Mrs Steenkamp said: "Doesn't matter, he's going to pay something. I'm just glad it's over."

Reeva Steenkamp's father Barry, who has suffered health problems since the death of his daughter, added: "We are satisfied."

Video: Pistorius Jailed For Five Years

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford spoke to both inside the courtroom.

She added that Mrs Steenkamp had said: "There's no closure without Reeva unless you can magic her back."

Dup De Bruyn, the lawyer acting for the Steenkamps, said the judge had given "the right sentence" and added: "Justice was served."

Video: Pistorius Led Down To The Cells

Arnold Pistorius, the athlete's uncle, criticised the prosecution in the case and called for his family to be allowed to move forward.

He said: "We accept the judgment. Oscar will embrace this opportunity to pay back to society."

Judge Thokozile Masipa had ruled a custodial sentence was unavoidable for the Paralympic and Olympic athlete, and criticised defence witness Annette Vergeer, who had suggested he would have been vulnerable in jail.

Video: Pistorius Leaves Court For Prison

Pistorius offered little visible reaction as his sentence was read out. He stood and stared straight ahead, and then sat staring at the floor as legal submissions were made.

Mrs Steenkamp looked directly at him as the sentence was given, but otherwise did not visibly react in the packed courtroom.

A spokesperson for defence lawyer Barry Roux said there would be no appeal. She added that Pistorius will serve a sixth of his sentence - around 10 months - before being moved to house arrest.

Video: Sentence Disappoints Prosecutors

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel, who had argued the double amputee should be jailed for 10 years for killing Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year, said: "The court has done what the court should do."

The prosecution has not yet decided if it will appeal against the sentence, spokesman Nathi Mncube said.

The prosecution has disputed the defence claim that Pistorius - known as the Blade Runner - could be out of prison after 10 months.

Video: Defence Expects Ten Months In Jail

:: Watch a round-up of the day's events on Sky News at 9.30pm - Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.

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Oscar Pistorius Jailed For Shooting Reeva Dead

Oscar Pistorius has been jailed for five years for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day last year.

His defence team said he would spend a sixth of the term in prison - 10 months - before being placed under house arrest for the remainder of his sentence.

But Nathi Mncube, a spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, said he was likely to serve one third of the sentence behind bars, before adding "it's not for the NPA to decide".

"This is not what we were hoping to achieve at the end of this trial ... but it is not entirely up to us," he told Sky News.

The 27-year-old, who was found guilty of culpable homicide last month, appeared to wipe his eyes as the sentence was handed down.

Video: Pistorius Sentencing Highlights

Judge Thokozile Masipa had ruled the Olympic and Paralympic athlete did not intend to kill his girlfriend when he fired through the bathroom door at his home in Pretoria.

"Having regard to the circumstances in the matter, I am of the view that a non-custodial sentence would send the wrong message to the community," she said.

"On the other hand, a long sentence would also not be appropriate either, as it would lack the element of mercy.

Video: Defence Expects Ten Months In Jail

"What may appear to be justice to the general public may not be justice. Society cannot always get what they want."

She said Pistorius' skill using a gun was an aggravating factor but that she also recognised his remorse.

She said he "fired not one shot but four shots into the door" of a small cubicle "with no room for escape".

Video: Sentence Disappoints Prosecutors

He was also handed a suspended three-year prison sentence for the discharging of a firearm, over an incident in which a gun accidentally went off in a restaurant.

Pistorius is expected to spend his jail time in the hospital wing of Pretoria's prison.

Ms Steenkamp's father, Barry, said he was "satisfied" with the outcome.

Video: Friends 'Felt Reeva's Light Today'

Her mother, June Steenkamp, said the sentence brought a sort of closure, but that full closure was not possible "unless you can magic her back".

Sentencing options available to the judge in the culpable homicide case included up to 15 years in jail, a suspended sentence, a correctional supervision or fine. 

It brings to a close a seven-month trial, which attracted worldwide attention.

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1. Gallery: Reeva Steenkamp's Life In Pictures

   Reeva Steenkamp, 29, was born in Cape Town and grew up in Port Elizabeth. She went to a convent school and studied law. She was a keen horse rider until she broke her back

2. She moved to Johannesburg from Cape Town to model for Avon cosmetics. In 2012, Reeva was voted number 45 in the South African FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World poll

3. She featured as a celebrity contestant on BBC Lifestyle show Baking Made Easy in 2012

4. The model was a keen Twitter user, and had more than 34,000 followers. She used the site to promote women's rights and empowerment

5. Her former fashion editor, Barbara Robertson, described the model as being "sweet and down to earth" with the "it factor". She likened her to an "early Kate Moss"

6. Reeva Steenkamp on the set of reality TV show Tropika Island Of Treasure (Pic: Stimulii)

After one of the most sensational court cases in the country's history, the sentence is expected to fuel further controversy about race and money in its justice system.

Pistorius' legal team argued during the trial that he mistook Ms Steenkamp for an intruder and believed they were both in danger.

His lawyer Barry Roux said the athlete had "lost everything" after the 29-year-old law graduate and model's death, and argued he should not go to prison.

Video: Pistorius Leaves Court For Prison

He also said the Pistorius, whose lower legs were amputated as a baby, would face particular difficulties in jail.

But state prosecutor Gerrie Nel had argued that only 10 years' imprisonment would satisfy the public.

He said that any lesser sentence could result in a widespread loss of faith in the justice system.

Video: Pistorius Led Down To The Cells

Known as Blade Runner because of his carbon-fibre prosthetics, Pistorius achieved global recognition at the London 2012 Olympics when he reached the semi-finals of the 400m against able-bodied athletes. 

:: Watch a round-up of the day's events on Sky News at 9.30pm - Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.

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1. Gallery: Pistorius: A Sporting Pioneer

   Pistorius was born in Johannesburg on November 22, 1986. A congenital condition meant he had no bones in his lower legs.

2. He had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old, and now runs on carbon fibre prosthetic blades.

3. Pistorius won the 200m final in a record time at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. In 2006 he finished sixth in the able-bodied event in South Africa.

4. Ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled his blades did not give him an unfair advantage. But he failed to qualify for the men's 400m.

5. He won gold in all three of his events at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics - the 100m, 200m and 400m. He set a world record in the 400m (sport class T44).

6. He won the 400m in 47.28s and the 100m in 11.04s at the 2011 Paralympic World Cup. The athlete later ran the 400m in 45.07s - within the Olympic qualifying time.

7. The Blade Runner won the 400m silver medal in 45.52s at the 2012 African Championships. He just missed the 45.30s he needed to qualify for the Olympics.

8. Pistorius was selected by the South African Olympic Committee to run the 4x400m relay and 400m at the 2012 London Olympics. He said it was "one of the happiest days of my life".

9. He had been dating the model Reeva Steenkamp since late 2012. She was found dead at his home on February 14, 2013.

10. After a lengthy trail, Pistorius is cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to five years in prison.

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Pistorius Trial: Judge's Key Comments

Key comments from Judge Thokozile Masipa in the sentencing of Oscar Pistorius.

:: On claims from probation officer Annette Vergeer that prison would not be suitable for Pistorius.

"I was not impressed at all by Mrs Vergeer as a witness. Though an expert in this matter, her evidence did not inspire any confidence in this court.

"Her method of investigation in respect of prison conditions and her use of outdated information concerning prisons in particular was slapdash, disappointing and had a negative impact on her credibility as a witness.

"I found her evidence perfunctory and unhelpful, something quite disturbing from someone with 28 years of experience."

:: On Zach Modise, acting National Correctional Services Commissioner, who has worked in the prison service for more than 30 years:

"He came across as a candid and willing witness who wanted to assist this court.

"He testified that prisons in this country were not perfect but were progressive and professional. I have no hesitation in accepting his evidence as true and reliable."

:: On prisons in South Africa:

"I have no doubt that if prisons in this country were below the required standards, the ever-vigilant human rights bodies in this country would not hesitate to take the necessary steps to remedy the situation."

:: On sending a disabled person to prison:.

"If the accused in this matter were to be given a custodial sentence, it would not be the first time that the Correctional Services Department with an inmate with disabilities.

"Just by way of example, it cannot be disputed that a pregnant woman belongs to one of the most vulnerable groups of people.

"Although pregnancy cannot be termed a disability, it cannot be denied that it does compromise one's freedom and ability physically to do as one wills.

"Yet a pregnant woman will be sentenced to jail if the sentence is warranted.

"I might add that it would be a sad day for this country if an impression were to be created that there was one law for the poor and disadvantaged and another for the rich and famous."

:: On Pistorius' vulnerabilty:

"There was, however, a feeling of unease on my part as I listened to one witness after another placing what I thought was an overemphasis on the accused's vulnerabilty.

"Yes, the accused is vulnerable, but he also has excellent coping skills.

"Thanks to his mother, he rarely saw himself as disabled and excelled as a top athlete, respected worldwide against big odds, going on to compete against able-bodied persons.

"For some reason, that picture remains obscured in the background. In my judgment, to get to the real picture, the correct approach would be to balance the two."

:: On Pistorius' contribution to society:

"There is no doubt that the accused's contribution to society has been enormous as he gave his time and money to various charities and institutions.

"He also helped change the general public's perceptions of disabled people and inspired disabled young people in particular as he grew and excelled in his career.

"This impact on others worldwide cannot be ignored but it ought to be put into perspective.

"As state counsel pointed out to Mr Van Zyl (Pistorius' manager), if a sportsman was approached for assistance, it would not be clever not to be involved as such involvement enhances one's career."

:: On the seriousness of the offences:

"On his own version, the accused knew that there was someone behind the door. He had heard the window slide open. He had heard the toilet door slam shut. He had heard a noise coming from the inside of the toilet.

"It would have been different if he had just heard a noise and assumed that something - maybe a stray animal - was in the toilet.

"In this instance, the evidence shows that he thought an intruder was behind the door. Using a lethal weapon, a loaded firearm, the accused fired not one but four shots into the toilet door.

"It is so that, in his evidence, he said he would have fired higher if his intention was to kill and this court accepted that.

"However, that does not change the fact that he knew the facts above and that the toilet was a small cubicle and that there was no room for escape for the person behind the door.

"What is also significant is that the accused had been trained in the use of, and in the handling of, firearms. In my view, all that is very aggravating."

:: Watch a round-up of the day's events on Sky News at 9.30pm - Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.

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US Drops Weapons For Kurds Battling IS

The US has airdropped weapons and supplies for Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State (IS) in the town of Kobani in Syria.

A statement from US Central Command said Air Force C-130 planes "delivered weapons, ammunition and medical supplies that were provided by Kurdish authorities in Iraq and intended to enable continued resistance against ISIL's (IS) attempts to overtake Kobani".

Multiple airdrops were completed near the town, which is close to the border with Turkey and would be seen as a strategic coup for IS if it is captured.

Kurdish forces said they had received a "large quantity of ammunition" from the US airdrop.

Spokesman Redur Xelil told the Reuters news agency: "It will have a positive impact on the course of military operations and certainly we are still hoping for more support."

Video: Stuart Ramsay With 'Rag Tag' Army

The US statement said 135 airstrikes near Kobani - combined with continued resistance on the ground - had slowed IS advances and killed hundreds of its fighters.

"However, the security situation in Kobani remains fragile as ISIL continues to threaten the city and Kurdish forces continue to resist," the statement added.

The Kurds have been under IS assault for more than a month - and US Commander General Lloyd Austin has warned that the city could fall.

However, airdrops are likely to anger key ally Turkey, which has said it would oppose the US helping to arm Kurdish rebels.

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1. Gallery: The Kurdish Refugees Of Kobani

   A Kurdish refugee woman and her child from the Syrian town of Kobani rest in front of their family tent in a camp in the southeastern town of Suruc, Turkey

2. The United States is bombing targets in Kobani to relieve the defenders of the Syrian town and give them time to organise against Islamic State militants, a senior US official said

3. A Kurdish refugee from the Syrian town of Kobani sweeps a passage in the camp

4. A child looks out of a tent

5. Kurdish people watch smoke billowing from Kobani as they gather on a hill overlooking the Syrian town of Kobani

6. A child walks through the camp in Suruc

7. A Turkish aid worker distributes food to Kurdish refugees

8. Kurdish refugees from the Syrian town of Kobani queue to get food

9. Smoke rises from the Syrian town of Kobani

10. Kurdish people shout slogans while standing upon a hill opposite the Syrian town of Kobani

11. The graves of Kurdish people killed fighting alongside People's Protection Units (YPG) against IS jihadists in Kobani

Ankara views the main Kurdish group in Syria as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an organisation that has waged a 30-year insurgency in Turkey.

The PKK is designated a terror group by the US and NATO.

Turkey has resisted pressure from the West to take a more direct role in fighting IS in Kobani.

However, in an earlier call with Barack Obama, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to "strengthen cooperation".

Video: New Video Of The Battle For Kobani

An unnamed official said that while the results of the airdrop mission were still being assessed, it appeared "the vast majority" of the 27 bundles reached the intended Kurdish fighters.

Another official suggested "you might see more" drops in the days ahead.

:: Sky's Stuart Ramsay joined the forgotten Kurds who have held off IS for more than two years with homemade weapons and armoured cars.

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Mystery Hero Rescues Man From Blazing Home

By Sky News US Team

A man has been called a hero for rescuing an elderly father from a house engulfed by fire in Fresno, California.

The scene was caught on camera by a passer-by, Beth Lederach, who called 911, the Fresno Bee reported.

Ms Lederach said a woman started screaming that her father was trapped inside the house.

Moments later, a man emerged from the burning house carrying the older man on his shoulders.

"He just calmly walked right in there and then came walking right back out with this guy," Ms Lederach told the Fresno Bee.

She added the rescuer, whose identity remains unknown, seemed to have "come out of nowhere". 

The older man was treated for smoke inhalation.

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