Oscar Pistorius and some of his relatives have been threatened in an extortion attempt ahead of his sentencing on July 6 for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp, the former athlete's family has said.

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

Oscar Pistorius removed his prosthetic legs in a South African courtroom as part of his defence team’s argument that the double-amputee athlete, convicted of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, deserves leniency when he is sentenced on July 6.

Update: A South African judge has said she will announce Oscar Pistorius's sentence on July 6 for Reeva Steenkamp's murder.

There are misconceptions over Oscar Pistorius's murder conviction, his chief defence lawyer said, calling them "enemies" of the case as he asked a judge for leniency for the double-amputee athlete, who is facing a 15-year jail sentence for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

The father of Reeva Steenkamp has told a South African court that her fatal shooting by boyfriend Oscar Pistorius has "devastated" his family, and that he thinks about her constantly.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

Oscar Pistorius is a “broken” man who should not be jailed for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a psychologist told a court in South Africa, while a prosecutor argued that he has shown no remorse.

Oscar Pistorius is back in court in South Africa for sentencing after the double-amputee Olympian was convicted of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Oscar Pistorius will be back in court today to be sentenced for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steeenkamp.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

South Africa's former Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has appeared in court in Pretoria where a judge scheduled five days in June to sentence him for the murder of his girlfriend.

South Africa’s highest court has dismissed Oscar Pistorius’ appeal of his murder conviction, a lawyer said, signalling that the former track star’s long legal battle since he killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp may be drawing to a close.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

Paralympian’s sentence upgraded from culpable homicide to murder

The family of Reeva Steenkamp, who was killed by Oscar Pistorius, said they were indifferent to his release in view of their loss but were open to the idea of meeting with South Africa’s double-amputee ‘Blade Runner’ in the future.

Update at 7.30pm:The independent review board also said Pistorius should be "subjected to psychotherapy'' as part of his parole conditions, even if it is decided that he can be released early, the corrections department said in a statement.

Oscar Pistorius will have to spend at least another three weeks in jail after it was announced his parole board review will take place on September 18.

Oscar Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp deliberately, her parents said, ahead of an appeal hearing in which prosecutors are seeking to overturn a South African court ruling that the athlete was not guilty of murder.

South Africa’s parole review board has up to four months to conclude its decision on when Oscar Pistorius can be released from prison, a Justice Ministry spokesman said yesterday.

Oscar Pistorius will not be released from prison on Friday.

The release of Oscar Pistorius from prison was put on hold yesterday by South Africa’s Department of Justice, which said his case must be reviewed again by a parole board, because he was approved to be moved to house arrest too early.

Oscar Pistorius will be released from jail next week after serving 10 months of his five-year sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

South African prison officials have recommended Oscar Pistorius be released from prison on August 21 to go under house arrest.

“There was nothing in life I could do without Jayde by my side,” the South African businessman said in his eulogy to his murdered wife.

A South African court has struck down Oscar Pistorius’s bid to block prosecutors from appealing the culpable homicide verdict handed down against him, in favour of a murder conviction, for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

A look back at the last few months of 2014

Prosecutors have won their right to appeal against Oscar Pistorius’ culpable homicide conviction, for shooting his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, but life has lost its meaning for her stricken parents, June and Barry, says Hannah Stephenson

Oscar Pistorius again faces the possibility of a murder conviction after a South African judge ruled that prosecutors can appeal against his conviction on the lesser charge of culpable homicide.

A South African judge has ruled that prosecutors can appeal the acquittal on murder charges of Oscar Pistorius, who was convicted of culpable homicide over the death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

A South African judge says she will respond to the prosecution’s appeal of the Oscar Pistorius verdict on Wednesday.

A South African prosecutor is arguing in court for an appeal in the case against Oscar Pistorius, who was acquitted of murder over the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

Lawyers for Oscar Pistorius have filed court papers opposing a prosecution move to appeal the verdict and sentence in his murder trial.

An application to appeal against Oscar Pistorius’ manslaughter conviction and five-year prison sentence will be heard in a South African court on December 9, prosecutors say.

Prosecutors filed appeal papers yesterday against the verdict and sentence in the Oscar Pistorius case, the initial step in a process that could see the Olympic runner convicted of murder for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.