Putin 'Repeating Georgia Tactics' In Crimea

Russia is using the same tactics to take control of Crimea as it used in efforts to annex other territories in the region, Georgia's former leader has said.

Mikheil Saakashvili told Sky News that Russia President Vladimir Putin wanted to achieve a number of unspoken aims through its involvement in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

And the 46-year-old, who served two terms as Georgia's president between 2004 and 2012, said Moscow was doing "exactly the same thing" in Crimea as it did in its 2008 conflict with Georgia.

He claimed that in both instances, Mr Putin has sent in soldiers not identified as Russian troops to provoke matters in the neighbouring countries - but claimed they were merely Russian citizens seeking to defend themselves.

Mr Putin and Mr Saakashvili before war broke out in 2008

"Of course this is not true, of course this is nonsense spread by Russian propaganda," he said.

"If the Ukrainian government responds now, Russia will say: 'Well those were not our troops and now we are moving in with real troops.'

"That's exactly what happened in Georgia and it's high time people who still propagate this rubbish version (of events) that we attacked first, to consider that (they have been) a victim of Russian lies.

"Putin has this plan to have occupation and annexation of territories ranging from South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Crimea, then all the other parts of Ukraine and then Transnistria in Moldova."

Mr Saakashvili said Mr Putin had various other motives in the Ukraine crisis.

"I think President Putin has very clear goals here," he said.

Russian soldiers in Georgia during the 2008 conflict

"If Ukraine makes it, becomes a European and democratic state, then Russian citizens will be asking quite rightly why Russians cannot have the same, why they should live in a mafia-ridden, oligarchic, corrupt country.

"The other thing is Crimea has lots of shale gas. Actually, within the next three years, thanks to American companies, Ukraine was going to become a net exporter of gas and stop buying Russian gas.

"That would basically mean that Gazprom would lose its biggest buyer of gas in Europe."

Ukraine says Russia currently has around 16,000 troops in its Crimean territories. Kiev says the soldiers are behind the seizure of key bases in the region.

Mr Putin has claimed the gunmen responsible are merely local militias.

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Birmingham City Owner Carson Yeung Jailed

The owner of Birmingham City football club, Carson Yeung, has been sentenced to six years in jail for money laundering.

Judge Douglas Yau handed down the sentence in a Hong Kong court after convicting the 54-year-old of five charges linked to the laundering of $93m (£55.6m).

Lawyers for the former hairdresser earlier said they were expecting a "significant" jail sentence.

He had faced up to seven years' imprisonment.

Lead defence lawyer Graham Harris told the judge that Yeung, who built a business empire from hair salons, fertiliser and property, "came from rags to riches, and he's likely to return to rags".             

The Chinese businessman took control of Birmingham City in 2009

Pleading for a light sentence, Mr Harris said there had been "no subterfuge" in Yeung's dealings, as the accounts in question were held in his own name and his father's.

Yeung was a generous philanthropist and head of a young family, with two children aged under three as well as a 19-year-old son, the lawyer said.

Before his emergence in English football, the businessman was little known in Britain.

He took control of Birmingham City in 2009 in an £81m takeover from David Sullivan and David Gold, now the co-owners of West Ham.

Throughout the trial, Yeung and the prosecution painted differing pictures of how the tycoon amassed his fortune.

The prosecution said the millions of pounds that passed through the five accounts came from "unknown parties without any apparent reason".

Yeung insisted he had accumulated his money through share trading, upmarket hair salons and business ventures in mainland China, as well as investing in casinos in Macau.

He also said he made up to £2.3m from gambling in Macau, adding that he gambled as if he were "running a business".

It emerged during the trial that his business dealings included transactions with businessman Cheung Chi-tai, who has links to the Macau casino industry.

Sentencing Yeung on Monday, Yau said any "right-thinking" person would conclude transactions between the pair were "proceeds of an indictable offence".

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Ukraine: '30,000 Russian Troops In Crimea'

Russia now has more than 30,000 troops in Ukraine's disputed Crimea peninsular, according to reports.

The amount is nearly twice the previous figure given by Ukraine's new government in Kiev.

A spokesman for Serhiy Astakhov, head of the Ukrainian border guards, told Reuters the figure included both troops that had arrived over the last week and Russia's Black Sea Fleet, permanently based in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol.

Moscow's forces now have complete control of Crimea, but the only troops Russia claims it has there are in Sevastopol.

The soldiers that have occupied key positions across the region wear no insignia on their uniforms, but drive vehicles with Russian military number plates.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin denied he is "orchestrating events" in Crimea, and said he is simply responding to a request for help.

He spoke out after Moscow was warned it faces further sanctions if it fails to pull its forces out of Ukraine, as the gravest post-Cold War stand-off between the West and Russia continues.

Russian forces outside a military base in Simferopol, Crimea

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said if the first round of sanctions do not work, the West will consider targeting businesses and individuals close to Mr Putin, Reuters reported.

Overnight, US President Barack Obama spoke to Mr Putin on the phone for an hour, trying to convince him to accept the terms of a potential diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis.

After the call, the Russian leader said the two sides were still far apart.

Ukraine protester Oksana Prots outside Downing Street in London

It came as Crimea's parliament voted to join Russia, and announced they will hold a referendum in nine days.

The move has sparked a dramatic escalation in the crisis - and was immediately condemned by Mr Obama.

In Russia, the Upper House of Parliament said Crimea has the right to hold a referendum on its future status.

Laurent Fabius says the West may impose more sanctions on Russia

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk called it an "illegal decision" by Crimea's authorities.

He said Ukraine is ready for talks with Russia, but Moscow must first withdraw its troops, abide by international agreements and halt its support for "separatists and terrorists".

Former Kremlin spin doctor Gleb Pavlovsky said there was now a greater danger of shots being fired in Crimea.

"Russia is encouraging the action of local forces," he said.

"We are at a very dangerous point, and it threatens to push a political crisis in the direction of a military situation."

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Paralympic chief Valeriy Sushkevich said his team would compete in the Winter Paralympics in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.

But he said they would pull out of the Games, which begin this afternoon, if Russian forces invade mainland Ukraine.

Mr Obama ordered sanctions on those responsible for Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine, including bans on travel to America and freezing of their US assets

He also echoed European Union leaders and the pro-Western government in Ukraine in insisting the referendum would violate international law.

Pro-Russians gather outside a military base in Crimea

He said Russians and Ukrainians involved in what he called "threatening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine" would be punished - although a US official said Mr Putin was not on the list of those to be sanctioned.

"The proposed referendum on the future of Crimea would violate the Ukrainian constitution and violate international law," Mr Obama told reporters at the White House.

"Any discussion about the future of Ukraine must include the legitimate government of Ukraine."

But in a statement released by the Kremlin early on Friday, Mr Putin said Kiev's new authorities had imposed "absolutely illegitimate decisions on the eastern, southeastern and Crimea regions".

"Russia cannot ignore calls for help in this matter and it acts accordingly, in full compliance with the international law," he said.

Russia's Foreign Ministry also hit out at Nato's decision to curb its co-operation with Moscow - and said it showed a "biased and prejudiced approach" over Ukraine.

"We see as extremely dangerous attempts to bring in the 'Nato factor' to Ukraine, where the situation is complex and delicate as it is, as it creates additional tension and undermines the prospects for settling the situation," it said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Nato announced a full review of its co-operation with Russia and said it would suspend planning for a joint mission linked to Syria's chemical weapons.

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Oscar Pistorius 'Cheated On Ex With Reeva'

An ex-girlfriend of Oscar Pistorius wept as she told how the athlete cheated on her with Reeva Steenkamp - as it emerged the star would take the stand.

Samantha Taylor told how Pistorius once shot a bullet through a car sunroof - and on another occasion waved his weapon at a vehicle which he thought was following him.

:: Sky News' live coverage of the trial is under way, and a special highlights programme will be broadcast every weekday at 9.30pm.

Proceedings were halted twice as Ms Taylor had to compose herself during a drama-packed morning at the Pretoria court.

The evidence was heard shortly before Pistorius family spokesperson confirmed for the first time that the athlete will, at some point, give evidence at the trial.

Pistorius in court on the fifth day of his trial

In another development, a security guard at the star's estate said Pistorius told him that "everything is fine" shortly after shots were reported.

"Mr Pistorius said to me 'security, everything is fine'," Pieter Baba testified this afternoon.

"That's when I realised that Mr Pistorius was crying," he added.

Pistorius with his sister Aimee in court

Earlier, Ms Taylor told how Pistorius nearly always carried a gun and recalled one night when she was awoken by the athlete who feared an intruder in the house.

The court was told how Pistorius grabbed his gun, got out of bed and went to investigate.

Ms Taylor also described occasions when Pistorius screamed at her "out of anger" and said that he was often on his mobile phone when they were in bed together.

She described another time when the athlete became very angry when police stopped a car he was travelling in.

Ms Steenkamp was shot dead on Valentine's Day

About 15 minutes after being stopped he fired his gun out of the sunroof - to "irritate the police", laughing after doing so.

He had earlier joked with the driver of the car about shooting "a robot" - South African slang for a traffic light. 

The court was told how Ms Taylor normally spent four nights a week at Pistorius' home. 

Pistorius broke down on Thursday as he heard her death described in court

She wept, and the court was adjourned twice, as she said how "upset" she was about the couple's break-up and the fact that she had been cheated on.

On another occasion Pistorius was followed by a white Mercedes car, the court heard.

Ms Taylor said that Pistorius leapt out of his car as he approached the security gates of his home and waved his gun at the car, which drove off. 

Hundreds of journalists are in Pretoria covering the case

Earlier, radiologist Johan Stipp finished giving his evidence and was questioned by defence lawyer Barry Roux.

Yesterday, Mr Stipp described how Pistorius knelt at Ms Steenkamp's side and struggled in vain to help her breathe by holding two fingers in her clenched mouth.

Mr Stipp said he went to Pistorius' home after hearing shots fired on the night Ms Steenkamp was killed and found "a lady lying on her back".

"I also noticed a man kneeling on her side, on the left side. I remember the first thing he said when I got there was 'I shot her, I thought she was an intruder. I shot her,'" Mr Stipp told the court.

The athlete talks to his uncle Arnold Pistorius in court

He said he did not recognise Pistorius, and described how he tried in vain to resuscitate Ms Steenkamp.

"She had no pulse in her neck, she had no peripheral pulse, she had no breathing movements that she made," he said.

"She was clenching down on Oscar's fingers as he was trying to open her airway."

He said Pistorius was "crying all the time" and praying that she would not die. He said Pistorius looked "sincere".

Pistorius was openly sobbing as the evidence was given on Thursday.

On top of the premeditated murder allegation, Pistorius faces a charge of illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in two separate incidents before the killing.

He denies all the charges against him and maintains he shot Ms Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder.

The athlete could face 25 years in jail if he is found guilty by Judge Thokozile Masipa. South Africa does not have trials by jury.

The trial has been adjourned until Monday.

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Russia TV Presenter Quits On Air In Protest

A presenter for a Russian government-funded TV channel has resigned live on air, after accusing the station of "whitewashing the actions" of Vladimir Putin.

Liz Wahl, a US anchor for Russia Today America, told viewers during the broadcast: "I'm proud to be an American and believe in disseminating the truth and that is why after this newscast, I'm resigning."

Her grandparents fled to the US as refugees during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution to escape the Soviet Union.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Moscow has been accused of invading Ukraine's Crimea region after months of pro-European protests there saw the nation's pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, ousted.

Russia denies this, claiming the troops operating there are "self-defence" forces who do not answer to Moscow.

In a statement on Ms Wahl's actions, Russia Today said: "When a journalist disagrees with the editorial position of his or her organisation, the usual course of action is to address those grievances with the editor, and, if they cannot be resolved, to quit like a professional.

"But when someone makes a big public show of a personal decision, it is nothing more than a self-promotional stunt.

Moscow says troops in Crimea are "self-defence" forces

"We wish Liz the best of luck on her chosen path."

Ms Wahl later tweeted: "I am grateful and humbled by the outpouring of support I have received."

Another host from the channel criticised the actions of pro-Russian forces earlier this week.

Abby Martin labelled the intervention "wrong" and said she was "strongly against" military involvement.

The channel responded by saying Ms Martin "does not possess a deep knowledge of reality of the situation in Crimea" and that she would be sent there to "make up her own mind from the epicentre of the story".

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Gaddafi Son Saadi Extradited To Libya By Niger

Muammar Gaddafi's son Saadi has arrived in Tripoli after being extradited by Niger, the Libyan government says.

Libya had been seeking the extradition of Saadi, who had fled to its southern neighbour after the toppling of his father in a Nato-backed uprising in 2011.

"The Libyan government received today Saadi Gaddafi and he arrived in Tripoli," the cabinet of Prime Minister Ali Zeidan said in a statement.

Saadi has his head shaved after being extradited

Saadi, one of Gaddafi's seven sons, was being held by judiciary police forces, the government said.

It thanked Niger for its co-operation and said Saadi would be treated according to international justice standards for prisoners.

Saadi Gaddafi with Perugia during his brief international football career

The website of a government-backed militia showed what it said were pictures of Saadi wearing a blue prison uniform, calling him a criminal. Libyan news websites also ran pictures showing him with his head shaved in prison.

Saadi was known for his love of professional soccer and a playboy lifestyle. His brief career in Italian football ended after a failed drug test. He headed Libya's Football Federation and was also former head of the country's special forces.

Saadi's brother Saif al Islam is being held by militia in western Libya

He is not wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), unlike Gaddafi's most prominent son Saif al Islam.

However, Libya wants to try him for allegedly misappropriating property by force and for alleged armed intimidation when he headed the Libyan Football Federation.

The ICC has indicted Saif al Islam for crimes against humanity. Saif, once viewed as a likely successor to his father, is held by a militia in western Libya, where he is being tried for various charges.

Fighters from the western Zintan region caught Saif al Islam in the southern desert a month after his father was captured and battered to death by a mob.

The militia has defied an order from the government to deliver him to a jail in the capital.

The dictator's son Mutassim died alongside him as they tried to escape the town of Sirte in October 2011.

Saadi's brother Mutassim with US Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton in 2009

Gaddafi senior's widow Safiya had already fled to Algeria in August 2011 with her children Aisha, Hannibal and Mohammed. They were later granted asylum by Oman.

Saif al Arab died in a Nato air strike, and Khamis was killed in fighting in August that year.

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Hillary Clinton Blasts Putin After Hitler Remark

Hillary Clinton has kept up the pressure on Vladimir Putin a day after comparing the Russian president's actions in Crimea with those of Adolf Hitler in the 1930s.

Mrs Clinton sought to clarify the remarks on Tuesday that Mr Putin's actions are similar to what happened in Nazi-era in Czechoslovakia and Romania.

At a closed fundraising lunch in Long Beach, California, she was quoted as saying: "Now if this sounds familiar, it's what Hitler did back in the '30s.

Mr Putin featured as the devil and as Hitler in a recent demonstration

"Hitler kept saying 'They're not being treated right. I must go and protect my people'. And that's what's gotten everybody so nervous."

When questioned on the comments the next day, Mrs Clinton said she was not making a comparison.

But she said Russia's actions were "reminiscent" of claims Germany made in the 1930s, when the Nazis said they needed to protect German minorities in Poland and elsewhere in Europe.

She said: "The claims by President Putin and other Russians that they had to go into Crimea and maybe further into eastern Ukraine because they had to protect the Russian minorities, that is reminiscent of claims that were made back in the 1930s when Germany under the Nazis kept talking about how they had to protect German minorities in Poland and Czechoslovakia and elsewhere throughout Europe.

"I just want everybody to have a little historic perspective.

"I am not making a comparison, certainly.

"But I am recommending that we perhaps can learn from this tactic that has been used before."

Live Updates: Protests Erupt In Ukraine

Mrs Clinton, a former secretary of state and potential 2016 presidential contender, renewed her criticism of Mr Putin amid the Ukraine crisis and Russia's military involvement in Crimea.

She described Mr Putin as a "tough guy with a thin skin" and said he wants to "re-Sovietise" the periphery of Russia but is actually squandering the potential of his nation and "threatening instability and even the peace of Europe".

Mr Putin has maintained he was protecting ethnic Russians by moving troops into Crimea.

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US To Impose Sanctions On Russian Officials

US Issues Rebuttal Of 'Putin's Ukraine Fiction'

Updated: 12:13pm UK, Thursday 06 March 2014

Amid diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis in Ukraine, the US has issued a blunt rebuttal of Vladimir Putin's assertions.

In a point-by-point fact sheet, the State Department spoke of "President Putin's Fiction".

It even quoted Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky, saying: "The world has not seen such startling Russian fiction since Dostoyevsky wrote,''The formula 'two plus two equals five' is not without its attractions."

The "10 False Claims" statement follows a defiant press conference by the Russian president two days ago.

Here is the full text of the US rebuttal:

As Russia spins a false narrative to justify its illegal actions in Ukraine, the world has not seen such startling Russian fiction since Dostoyevsky wrote, "The formula 'two plus two equals five' is not without its attractions."

Below are 10 of President Vladimir Putin's recent claims justifying Russian aggression in the Ukraine, followed by the facts that his assertions ignore or distort.

1. Mr Putin says: Russian forces in Crimea are only acting to protect Russian military assets. It is "citizens' defense groups," not Russian forces, who have seized infrastructure and military facilities in Crimea.

The Facts: Strong evidence suggests that members of Russian security services are at the heart of the highly organized anti-Ukraine forces in Crimea. While these units wear uniforms without insignia, they drive vehicles with Russian military license plates and freely identify themselves as Russian security forces when asked by the international media and the Ukrainian military. Moreover, these individuals are armed with weapons not generally available to civilians.

2. Mr Putin says: Russia's actions fall within the scope of the 1997 Friendship Treaty between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

The Facts: The 1997 agreement requires Russia to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity. Russia's military actions in Ukraine, which have given them operational control of Crimea, are in clear violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

3. Mr Putin says: The opposition failed to implement the February 21 agreement with former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

The Facts: The February 21 agreement laid out a plan in which the Rada, or Parliament, would pass a bill to return Ukraine to its 2004 Constitution, thus returning the country to a constitutional system centered around its parliament. Under the terms of the agreement, Yanukovych was to sign the enacting legislation within 24 hours and bring the crisis to a peaceful conclusion. Yanukovych refused to keep his end of the bargain. Instead, he packed up his home and fled, leaving behind evidence of wide-scale corruption.

4. Mr Putin says: Ukraine's government is illegitimate. Yanukovych is still the legitimate leader of Ukraine.

The Facts: On March 4, President Putin himself acknowledged the reality that Yanukovych "has no political future." After Yanukovych fled Ukraine, even his own Party of Regions turned against him, voting to confirm his withdrawal from office and to support the new government. Ukraine's new government was approved by the democratically elected Ukrainian Parliament, with 371 votes - more than an 82% majority. The interim government of Ukraine is a government of the people, which will shepherd the country toward democratic elections on May 25th - elections that will allow all Ukrainians to have a voice in the future of their country.

5. Mr Putin says: There is a humanitarian crisis and hundreds of thousands are fleeing Ukraine to Russia and seeking asylum.

The Facts: To date, there is absolutely no evidence of a humanitarian crisis. Nor is there evidence of a flood of asylum-seekers fleeing Ukraine for Russia. International organizations on the ground have investigated by talking with Ukrainian border guards, who also refuted these claims. Independent journalists observing the border have also reported no such flood of refugees.

6. Mr Putin says: Ethnic Russians are under threat.

The Facts: Outside of Russian press and Russian state television, there are no credible reports of any ethnic Russians being under threat. The new Ukrainian government placed a priority on peace and reconciliation from the outset. President Oleksandr Turchynov refused to sign legislation limiting the use of the Russian language at regional level. Ethnic Russians and Russian speakers have filed petitions attesting that their communities have not experienced threats. Furthermore, since the new government was established, calm has returned to Kyiv. There has been no surge in crime, no looting, and no retribution against political opponents.

7. Mr Putin says: Russian bases are under threat.

The Facts: Russian military facilities were and remain secure, and the new Ukrainian government has pledged to abide by all existing international agreements, including those covering Russian bases. It is Ukrainian bases in Crimea that are under threat from Russian military action.

8. Mr Putin says: There have been mass attacks on churches and synagogues in southern and eastern Ukraine.

The Facts: Religious leaders in the country and international religious freedom advocates active in Ukraine have said there have been no incidents of attacks on churches. All of Ukraine's church leaders, including representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, have expressed support for the new political leadership, calling for national unity and a period of healing. Jewish groups in southern and eastern Ukraine report that they have not seen an increase in anti-Semitic incidents.

9. Mr Putin says: Kyiv is trying to destabilize Crimea.

The Facts: Ukraine's interim government has acted with restraint and sought dialogue. Russian troops, on the other hand, have moved beyond their bases to seize political objectives and infrastructure in Crimea. The government in Kyiv immediately sent the former Chief of Defense to defuse the situation. Petro Poroshenko, the latest government emissary to pursue dialogue in Crimea, was prevented from entering the Crimean Rada.

10. Mr Putin says: The Rada is under the influence of extremists or terrorists.

The Facts: The Rada is the most representative institution in Ukraine. Recent legislation has passed with large majorities, including from representatives of eastern Ukraine. Far-right wing ultranationalist groups, some of which were involved in open clashes with security forces during the EuroMaidan protests, are not represented in the Rada. There is no indication that the Ukrainian government would pursue discriminatory policies; on the contrary, they have publicly stated exactly the opposite.

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Bill Clinton Heckled During N Ireland Speech

The former US president Bill Clinton has been heckled over Iraq during a speech in Northern Ireland.

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Oscar Pistorius 'Fired Gun In Restaurant'

Oscar Pistorius injured a professional boxer by firing a gun in a restaurant then asked his friend to take the blame, a court has heard.

Cruiserweight fighter Kevin Lerena, giving evidence at his friend's murder trial, said he and several others were dining with the Paralympic star in Johannesburg on January 13 last year.

Mr Lerena said he saw Pistorius' friend Darren Fresco pass a gun to him under the table, shortly before a shot went off.

He said: "There was blood on my toe. I went to the bathroom. I was shocked.

"Oscar apologised. I remember that I was in shock. I've never been in a confined area where a gunshot has gone off by accident.

Cruiserweight boxer Kevin Lerena is giving evidence on camera

"(Pistorius) told Fresco: 'Tell them it was you, I don't want any more media hype around me.'"

Mr Lerena is the first witness to agree to appearing on camera while giving his evidence.

:: A special highlights programme will be broadcast every weekday on Sky News at 9.30pm.

He told prosecutor Gerrie Nel that when Mr Fresco handed the gun to Pistorius he said it was "one up", a term meaning there is one bullet in the chamber.

He said Pistorius removed a bullet from the chamber, then the "next moment" there was a shot.

Pistorius, carrying a briefcase, enters the dock for the third day

Earlier, evidence given by one of the prosecution's key witnesses was repeatedly challenged by Pistorius' defence team during a tense cross-examination.

Charl Peter Johnson's claim that he heard a woman screaming after the final gunshot on the night Reeva Steenkamp was killed was criticised by Barry Roux, because it did not appear in his initial witness statement.

The athlete removed his jacket after entering court

Mr Roux said: "In your evidence you described the woman screaming. You said you could hear the fear. What is significant is that in your wife's (Michelle Burger) testimony, she said she could hear the woman's intense fear in her screams. Yet this is not in your statement.

"When you gave evidence yesterday, it was not stated in your statement but you now speak about the scream after the last shot.

"I think you don't know what you are saying. You are saying all the evidence that your wife gave us yesterday."

Pistorius leans over the dock to talk to members of his legal team

But Mr Johnson said: "I don't think it is strange that we used the same words."

The issue of the sound of a woman screaming is a key point for the prosecution. The claims by neighbours that they heard the screams suggest Pistorius would have known it was Ms Steenkamp, rather than an intruder, as he fired.

At one point, as Mr Roux became increasingly exasperated during his questioning, he turned around and glanced at Pistorius and told Mr Johnson: "A man's life is at stake here."

The athlete arrived at the Pretoria court flanked by his cousins

Pistorius showed no emotion as he - surrounded by his cousins - entered the court in South Africa's administrative capital earlier.

There were shouts and whistles as he made his way through the crowd towards the court's entrance.

Mr Johnson started his evidence by saying his phone number was read out in court on Tuesday, and he had received phone calls from members of the public as a result.

Pistorius wiped his eyes during the emotional second day of the trial

He said: "The message was intimidating. I feel that my privacy has been compromised."

He said one caller left a voicemail message saying: "Why are you lying in court? You know Oscar didn't kill Reeva. It's not cool."

He will return to court on Thursday to continue giving evidence. In the meantime the defence will pore over notes he made about the night of the killing.

Pistorius says he mistakenly thought Ms Steenkamp was an intruder

Pistorius faces four charges: premeditated murder, the illegal possession of ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in two separate incidents before the killing.

Pistorius, known as Blade Runner, denies all of the charges, including the allegation he deliberately killed his girlfriend after a jealous row.

He maintains he shot Ms Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder.

The trial is scheduled to last for three weeks and will hear from more than 100 witnesses.

If he is found guilty Pistorius could be jailed for at least 25 years. His fate will be decided by Judge Thokozile Masipa because South Africa does not have a jury system.

More follows...

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