Oscar Pistorius arrested after girlfriend shot dead

Today's news (15 February): South African Olympic and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius has broken down in court sobbing today after prosecutors said they would pursue a "premeditated murder" charge over the death of his girlfriend.

An application for bail was postponed until next Tuesday and Mr Pistorius, 26, will remain in police custody not in prison as would normally be the case. 

Update: Oscar Pistorius has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend and will appear in a Pretoria court on Friday, police have confirmed.

Earlier news: Local media in Pretoria have reported that Paralympic athlete - and one of South Africa's national icons - Oscar Pistorius has been arrested over the fatal shooting of his girlfriend at his home in Pretoria.

Although precise circumstances are as yet unclear, reports say that he may have mistaken her for a burglar. Police said a 26-year-old man, who they have not named, was in custody and a case of murder was being investigated.

Known as the "blade runner", Pistorius was the first double amputee to run in the Olympics. A police statement said that a 30-year-old woman was "fatally wounded" in the early hours of Thursday morning at a home in the Silverlakes complex in the Boschkop area of the capital.

The woman had been wounded in her head and upper body. Paramedics were at the house when police arrived, but she died at the scene. A 9mm pistol was recovered.

The incident is said to have taken place between 04:00 and 05:00 local time (02:00-03:00 GMT).

Pistorius reached the 400m semi-finals in the London 2012 Olympics. At the Paralympics he won silver in the T44 200m, gold in the 4x100 relay and gold in the T44 400m, setting a Paralympic record.