Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka was brought to tears by a heckler Saturday on the way to a 6-0, 6-4 loss to Veronika Kudermetova in the Indian Wells WTA hardcourt tournament.

Japan's Osaka, ranked 78th in the world after her third-round exit at the Australian Open, was rocked early in the first set when someone in the crowd yelled "Naomi, you suck."

She pleaded with the chair umpire to take action to no avail, and at 0-3 down in the second-round match, her emotions spilled over.

Osaka pulled herself together and resumed the match, but Kudermetova, the 21st seed, raced through the opening set before Osaka managed to hold serve to open the second.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-wells-world-no-1-daniil-medvedev-beat-machac-to-ease-into-r3-stefanos-tsitsipas-survives-sock-scare-461904">Indian Wells: World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev beats MacHac to ease into R3, Stefanos Tsitsipas survives scare</a>

Although she lifted her game, Osaka couldn't capitalize on any of her four break points in the contest, and a break of serve in the seventh game of the second set was enough for Kudermetova to capture the victory.

Osaka put athlete mental health in the spotlight in a difficult 2021 in which she revealed she had suffered depression.

But speaking on court after the match she said it wasn't that she found the comment so hurtful that she was upset, but because it reminded her of Venus and Serena Williams being heckled at Indian Wells in 2001.

"To be honest I feel like I've been heckled before it didn't really bother me," she said.

"But, like, I've watched a video of Venus and Serena being heckled here."

"If you've never watched it you should watch it," she added, tearing up again.

"I don't know why, but it went into my head and it got replayed a lot.

"I'm trying not to cry," she said, her voice breaking.

"I just have to say thank you and congratulations," she added with a nod to Kudermetova. "Thank you."

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“I just wanted to say ‘Thank You.” 
 
“I’ve gotten heckled before but heckled here, I watched a video of Venus and Serena getting heckled here. If you haven’t watched it, you should watch it.” 
 
A tearful Naomi Osaka after a fool fan heckled her vs Veronika Kudermetova <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BNPPO22?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BNPPO22</a> <a href="https://t.co/NkM7MoRwD4">pic.twitter.com/NkM7MoRwD4</a>
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The superstar Williams sisters boycotted Indian Wells for 14 years over the events of 2001.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-wells-rafael-nadal-stages-spectacular-comeback-to-beat-usas-sebastian-korda-461850">Indian Wells: Rafael&nbsp;Nadal stages spectacular comeback to beat USA's Sebastian Korda</a>

Venus had pulled out of a semi-final match against her sister with a knee injury.

The next day Serena faced Kim Clijsters in the final, and when Venus and their father Richard Williams took their seats the crowd jeered them, going on to boo Serena throughout the match.

The jeering continued after Serena won and went to embrace Venus and Richard Williams courtside, with Richard saying he was the target of racial slurs.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka was brought to tears by a heckler Saturday on the way to a 6-0, 6-4 loss to Veronika Kudermetova in the Indian Wells WTA hardcourt tournament.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka was brought to tears by a heckler Saturday on the way to a 6-0, 6-4 loss to Veronika Kudermetova in the Indian Wells WTA hardcourt tournament. Japan's Osaka, ranked 78th in the world after her third-round exit at the Australian Open, was rocked early in the first set when someone in the crowd yelled "Naomi, you suck." She pleaded with the chair umpire to take action to no avail, and at 0-3 down in the second-round match, her emotions spilled over. Osaka pulled herself together and resumed the match, but Kudermetova, the 21st seed, raced through the opening set before Osaka managed to hold serve to open the second. ALSO READ: Indian Wells: World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev beats MacHac to ease into R3, Stefanos Tsitsipas survives scare Although she lifted her game, Osaka couldn't capitalize on any of her four break points in the contest, and a break of serve in the seventh game of the second set was enough for Kudermetova to capture the victory. Osaka put athlete mental health in the spotlight in a difficult 2021 in which she revealed she had suffered depression. But speaking on court after the match she said it wasn't that she found the comment so hurtful that she was upset, but because it reminded her of Venus and Serena Williams being heckled at Indian Wells in 2001. "To be honest I feel like I've been heckled before it didn't really bother me," she said. "But, like, I've watched a video of Venus and Serena being heckled here." "If you've never watched it you should watch it," she added, tearing up again. "I don't know why, but it went into my head and it got replayed a lot. "I'm trying not to cry," she said, her voice breaking. "I just have to say thank you and congratulations," she added with a nod to Kudermetova. "Thank you." “I just wanted to say ‘Thank You.” “I’ve gotten heckled before but heckled here, I watched a video of Venus and Serena getting heckled here. If you haven’t watched it, you should watch it.” A tearful Naomi Osaka after a fool fan heckled her vs Veronika Kudermetova #BNPPO22 pic.twitter.com/NkM7MoRwD4 — Andrew Jones (@TWDTV1) March 13, 2022 × The superstar Williams sisters boycotted Indian Wells for 14 years over the events of 2001. ALSO READ: Indian Wells: Rafael Nadal stages spectacular comeback to beat USA's Sebastian Korda Venus had pulled out of a semi-final match against her sister with a knee injury. The next day Serena faced Kim Clijsters in the final, and when Venus and their father Richard Williams took their seats the crowd jeered them, going on to boo Serena throughout the match. The jeering continued after Serena won and went to embrace Venus and Richard Williams courtside, with Richard saying he was the target of racial slurs.

Naomi Osaka brought to tears by heckler at Indian Wells as she exits tournament after loss

There have been tears, cheers and hugs at Sydney's international airport after Australia's border opened for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tears, cheers and hugs at Sydney airport as Australians return home

The murders are scripted. The money is real.

In cities throughout China, young people are flocking to clubs to play a game that can be translated as “scripted homicide,” in which they become different characters and spend hours solving fake murders.

This macabre entertainment is expected to generate more than $2 billion in revenue this year, by one count. The growing popularity has sparked some concerns from Chinese government officials about the sometimes gothic or gory content. It has also led to a proliferation of clubs and competition for new and compelling scripts that players and owners alike say has become, well, cutthroat.

“There’s a huge demand for good scripts that’s just not met,” said Zhang Yi, 28, a Shanghai resident who played more than 90 games in just over a year. “The script is the foundation to everything in this game.”

Scripted homicides, known as jubensha in Chinese, require players to gather in a group to discuss a fake murder or other crime. Each player is assigned a character from a script, including one who plays the murderer. Then they engage in an elaborate role-playing game, asking questions of the host and each other, until they determine which one of them did the deed.

In one club in Beijing, for example, players descend into a fantastical martial arts school where they don robes and assume roles like a peach fairy or a dragon. The script offers character backgrounds, relationships and potential storylines. The plot develops as the players go around the table, talking in character, taking hooks from the script and the host. In the end, they vote on who they think the murderer might be. (In that particular game, it was the kung fu student who practiced on a mountaintop.)

A successful, dramatic scripted homicide offers laughs, tension and maybe even tears. “They will cry,” said Poker Zhang, who owns a script-writing business in the city of Chengdu. “Players cry a lot.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-food-day-2021-here-are-few-ways-to-end-global-hunger-and-reduce-food-wastage-421293">Also read |&nbsp;World Food Day 2021: Here are few ways to end global hunger and reduce food wastage</a>

The whodunits may be imaginary, but they provide a real-world alternative for young Chinese people who spend increasing amounts of time on their screens.

The country’s 1 billion internet users spend much of their time on their phones, spurring worries from the public and the government alike about excessive screen time. The government’s concerns over children in particular has led it to restrict video game time for minors.

The games also provide free-flowing opportunities for young people to mingle, something that can be rare in China, according to Kecheng Fang, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The games provide “a participatory experience and a way of socialising, which is missing from the life of many Chinese young people,” Fang said. “They lack participation in civic affairs, community engagement and meaningful socialisation.”

For Zhang, the player from Shanghai, scripted homicides have become one of her primary ways to meet people.

“I met people who I now spend the entire weekend with,” she said. “We meet every week. It’s replaced a lot of the other activities in my life.”

The pandemic briefly threatened the industry, say its adherents. But scripted homicides came back stronger than ever when travel restrictions stranded young people in their hometowns and left them looking for distractions.

“I couldn’t leave Beijing for two months,” said Gong Jin, 20, a veterinary medicine student. “I felt bored, so I often played script murder.”

Now, Gong works at a club part time. “I shed tears every time I play,” she said. Much of the pleasure, she said, comes from matching players with a part in the script that “will touch you and resonate with you.”

Jubensha has become so popular that the Chinese authorities have become concerned about their subject matter. The state-run Xinhua News Agency blamed such games for potentially distorting reality, labeling them as “confusing” to young players.

In a post on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, Xinhua said the scripts need to show “corrective value guidance” and spread “positive energy.”

Plainclothes officers recently played more than eight hours at four clubs in Shaanxi province. They confiscated 16 “illegally published” scripts that contained “bloody and gruesome” elements.

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The scripts are similar to video games, TV and films, “and are therefore subject to content censorship,” said Fang. “Especially since the government seems eager to set a high moral standard, it’s paying attention to the so-called ‘bloody and gruesome’ content of the game.”

This kind of crackdown is nothing new for authoritarian governments, said Joseph Laycock, associate professor of religious studies at Texas State University and author of “Dangerous Game” about the history of role-playing games.

“These games of imagination carry with them a kind of radical autonomy,” Laycock said. “Because if you can imagine the world being another way, that gives you the ability to question things that had previously gone unquestioned.”

Role-playing games have been popular in China for years. But scripted homicides took off around 2015, when reality shows with names like “Lying Man,” “Dinner Party Seduction,” and later “Who’s The Murderer,” showed celebrities playing whodunits. Naturally, members of the audience wanted to play, too. Clubs started opening, fans poured in, and a new pastime took off.

Last year, the number of scripted murder enterprises registered in China totaled about 6,500, a more than 60% increase from the prior year, according to state-run media, amping up competition.

The decoration of the rooms and quality of the hosts can distinguish one club from another. But each club really lives and dies by the quality of their scripts. Bai Lu, a club owner in Beijing, said, “Investment into props and offline features is not as high as our investment in scripts.”

Club owners buy scripts from a variety of places, from industry exhibitions to websites like Xiaoheitan, an online mall that connects script distributors and club owners. Some scripts can be as long as 40 pages.

A “retail” script that can be sold to any number of clubs can cost about $80, said Wang Yihan, 28, who owns four script homicide clubs in Shanghai and also writes and distributes the mysteries. A “city-limited script,” which can only be sold to a handful of clubs in the same city, can sell for about $300, she said.

An exclusive script, she said, for only one club, can cost as much as about $900.

“Great scripts are extremely rare,” Wang said.

Many people are eager to put together a script of their own.

When Wang worked as a host, she received a popular script that she thought could be better. “I made five full pages of changes to it,” she said. “I was constantly thinking about how to better conjure up the emotions of the players.”

It worked. She made about $3,100 she said, and it became one of her club’s bestselling scripts.

The pursuit of scripts can result in real crimes, said Wang and others. “Scripts are constantly copied, pirated and sold for cents on the internet,” she said. “That’s the single biggest problem club owners face.”

On the online Chinese retail site Taobao, a bundle of 3,000 scripts can be bought for about $2.

The piracy has some club owners welcoming the attention that government officials are increasingly paying to the business. Wang and others are openly asking for government regulators to step in and clean up the industry, to prevent bribery among script distributors and protect material from being stolen.

“Creation is inherently difficult,” said Zhang, in Shanghai, “and piracy has dealt a huge blow to the industry.”

The murders are scripted. The money is real. In cities throughout China, young people are flocking to clubs to play a game that can be translated as “scripted homicide,” in which they become different characters and spend hours solving fake murders.

The murders are scripted. The money is real. In cities throughout China, young people are flocking to clubs to play a game that can be translated as “scripted homicide,” in which they become different characters and spend hours solving fake murders. This macabre entertainment is expected to generate more than $2 billion in revenue this year, by one count. The growing popularity has sparked some concerns from Chinese government officials about the sometimes gothic or gory content. It has also led to a proliferation of clubs and competition for new and compelling scripts that players and owners alike say has become, well, cutthroat. “There’s a huge demand for good scripts that’s just not met,” said Zhang Yi, 28, a Shanghai resident who played more than 90 games in just over a year. “The script is the foundation to everything in this game.” Scripted homicides, known as jubensha in Chinese, require players to gather in a group to discuss a fake murder or other crime. Each player is assigned a character from a script, including one who plays the murderer. Then they engage in an elaborate role-playing game, asking questions of the host and each other, until they determine which one of them did the deed. In one club in Beijing, for example, players descend into a fantastical martial arts school where they don robes and assume roles like a peach fairy or a dragon. The script offers character backgrounds, relationships and potential storylines. The plot develops as the players go around the table, talking in character, taking hooks from the script and the host. In the end, they vote on who they think the murderer might be. (In that particular game, it was the kung fu student who practiced on a mountaintop.) A successful, dramatic scripted homicide offers laughs, tension and maybe even tears. “They will cry,” said Poker Zhang, who owns a script-writing business in the city of Chengdu. “Players cry a lot.” Also read | World Food Day 2021: Here are few ways to end global hunger and reduce food wastage The whodunits may be imaginary, but they provide a real-world alternative for young Chinese people who spend increasing amounts of time on their screens. The country’s 1 billion internet users spend much of their time on their phones, spurring worries from the public and the government alike about excessive screen time. The government’s concerns over children in particular has led it to restrict video game time for minors. The games also provide free-flowing opportunities for young people to mingle, something that can be rare in China, according to Kecheng Fang, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The games provide “a participatory experience and a way of socialising, which is missing from the life of many Chinese young people,” Fang said. “They lack participation in civic affairs, community engagement and meaningful socialisation.” For Zhang, the player from Shanghai, scripted homicides have become one of her primary ways to meet people. “I met people who I now spend the entire weekend with,” she said. “We meet every week. It’s replaced a lot of the other activities in my life.” The pandemic briefly threatened the industry, say its adherents. But scripted homicides came back stronger than ever when travel restrictions stranded young people in their hometowns and left them looking for distractions. “I couldn’t leave Beijing for two months,” said Gong Jin, 20, a veterinary medicine student. “I felt bored, so I often played script murder.” Now, Gong works at a club part time. “I shed tears every time I play,” she said. Much of the pleasure, she said, comes from matching players with a part in the script that “will touch you and resonate with you.” Jubensha has become so popular that the Chinese authorities have become concerned about their subject matter. The state-run Xinhua News Agency blamed such games for potentially distorting reality, labeling them as “confusing” to young players. In a post on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, Xinhua said the scripts need to show “corrective value guidance” and spread “positive energy.” Plainclothes officers recently played more than eight hours at four clubs in Shaanxi province. They confiscated 16 “illegally published” scripts that contained “bloody and gruesome” elements. Also read | International Space Station mistakenly rotates by 57 degrees as film shooting continues The scripts are similar to video games, TV and films, “and are therefore subject to content censorship,” said Fang. “Especially since the government seems eager to set a high moral standard, it’s paying attention to the so-called ‘bloody and gruesome’ content of the game.” This kind of crackdown is nothing new for authoritarian governments, said Joseph Laycock, associate professor of religious studies at Texas State University and author of “Dangerous Game” about the history of role-playing games. “These games of imagination carry with them a kind of radical autonomy,” Laycock said. “Because if you can imagine the world being another way, that gives you the ability to question things that had previously gone unquestioned.” Role-playing games have been popular in China for years. But scripted homicides took off around 2015, when reality shows with names like “Lying Man,” “Dinner Party Seduction,” and later “Who’s The Murderer,” showed celebrities playing whodunits. Naturally, members of the audience wanted to play, too. Clubs started opening, fans poured in, and a new pastime took off. Last year, the number of scripted murder enterprises registered in China totaled about 6,500, a more than 60% increase from the prior year, according to state-run media, amping up competition. The decoration of the rooms and quality of the hosts can distinguish one club from another. But each club really lives and dies by the quality of their scripts. Bai Lu, a club owner in Beijing, said, “Investment into props and offline features is not as high as our investment in scripts.” Club owners buy scripts from a variety of places, from industry exhibitions to websites like Xiaoheitan, an online mall that connects script distributors and club owners. Some scripts can be as long as 40 pages. A “retail” script that can be sold to any number of clubs can cost about $80, said Wang Yihan, 28, who owns four script homicide clubs in Shanghai and also writes and distributes the mysteries. A “city-limited script,” which can only be sold to a handful of clubs in the same city, can sell for about $300, she said. An exclusive script, she said, for only one club, can cost as much as about $900. “Great scripts are extremely rare,” Wang said. Many people are eager to put together a script of their own. When Wang worked as a host, she received a popular script that she thought could be better. “I made five full pages of changes to it,” she said. “I was constantly thinking about how to better conjure up the emotions of the players.” It worked. She made about $3,100 she said, and it became one of her club’s bestselling scripts. The pursuit of scripts can result in real crimes, said Wang and others. “Scripts are constantly copied, pirated and sold for cents on the internet,” she said. “That’s the single biggest problem club owners face.” On the online Chinese retail site Taobao, a bundle of 3,000 scripts can be bought for about $2. The piracy has some club owners welcoming the attention that government officials are increasingly paying to the business. Wang and others are openly asking for government regulators to step in and clean up the industry, to prevent bribery among script distributors and protect material from being stolen. “Creation is inherently difficult,” said Zhang, in Shanghai, “and piracy has dealt a huge blow to the industry.”

China’s latest craze: Scripted murders, with real tears and piracy

The families, the politicians and ordinary Americans stood Saturday in lower Manhattan where, 20 years earlier, on a similarly crystal-clear morning, two massive towers soared above New York City. At 8:46 a.m., the exact time in 2001 when a hijacked jet crashed into the north tower and their lives and the world began to change in ways then inconceivable, they fell silent.

For two decades, Americans have mourned a loss so deep it shook the country to its core. But even as time has passed, and the attacks have moved from fresh memory into the chronicles of history, the people who gathered in New York and near Washington and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, said the wounds from 9/11 have remained fresh.

In New York, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden stood shoulder to shoulder at the Sept. 11 memorial plaza with two pairs of their Democratic predecessors, Barack and Michelle Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton, who was a senator of New York 20 years ago. Nearby was Rudolph Giuliani, a Republican who was the mayor of New York during the attacks.

All of them watched as families of the victims read the names of the dead, tears streaming down their cheeks and their voices shaking.

At a memorial near Shanksville, the bells tolled at 10:03 a.m., the moment when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed after the crew and passengers fought back against the terrorists who had hijacked their flight and diverted it from their intended target in Washington.

Former President George W. Bush and Vice President Kamala Harris both attended a ceremony in which the names of the 40 passengers and crew members who died were read aloud.

The Department of Defense unfurled a large American flag on the side of the Pentagon, where a ceremony was also held to honor the 184 people killed after a plane hit the building’s west side.

“The hallways that we tread were the ones where so many of them walked,” said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. “It will always be our duty to fulfill their missions and live up to their goodness and to stand guard over this democracy.”

The families, the politicians and ordinary Americans stood Saturday in lower Manhattan where, 20 years earlier, on a similarly crystal-clear morning, two massive towers soared above New York City.

The families, the politicians and ordinary Americans stood Saturday in lower Manhattan where, 20 years earlier, on a similarly crystal-clear morning, two massive towers soared above New York City. At 8:46 a.m., the exact time in 2001 when a hijacked jet crashed into the north tower and their lives and the world began to change in ways then inconceivable, they fell silent. For two decades, Americans have mourned a loss so deep it shook the country to its core. But even as time has passed, and the attacks have moved from fresh memory into the chronicles of history, the people who gathered in New York and near Washington and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, said the wounds from 9/11 have remained fresh. In New York, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden stood shoulder to shoulder at the Sept. 11 memorial plaza with two pairs of their Democratic predecessors, Barack and Michelle Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton, who was a senator of New York 20 years ago. Nearby was Rudolph Giuliani, a Republican who was the mayor of New York during the attacks. All of them watched as families of the victims read the names of the dead, tears streaming down their cheeks and their voices shaking. At a memorial near Shanksville, the bells tolled at 10:03 a.m., the moment when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed after the crew and passengers fought back against the terrorists who had hijacked their flight and diverted it from their intended target in Washington. Former President George W. Bush and Vice President Kamala Harris both attended a ceremony in which the names of the 40 passengers and crew members who died were read aloud. The Department of Defense unfurled a large American flag on the side of the Pentagon, where a ceremony was also held to honor the 184 people killed after a plane hit the building’s west side. “The hallways that we tread were the ones where so many of them walked,” said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. “It will always be our duty to fulfill their missions and live up to their goodness and to stand guard over this democracy.”

At 9/11 ceremonies, moments of silence and tears

&quot;Unapologetic&quot; singer Rihanna broke down mid concert to the point where she couldn&#39;t continue with her song. 
 
The 28-year-old hitmaker was performing on a stage in Dublin, Ireland as a part of her &quot;Anti World Tour&quot;, reported E! online. 
 
Instagram videos of the concert shows RiRi singing the first few lyrics of her famous hit song with Eminem &quot;Love the Way You Lie&quot; with tears in her eyes. 
 
When the crowd sang the song back to her, she got engulfed in emotion and stepped back with her hand in the air. Later she attempted to continue with the track, but kept getting choked up. 
 
It seemed the singer was just taken aback by all the love she was getting from the crowd. 
 
(PTI)

Singer gets overwhelmed by all the love from the crowd

"Unapologetic" singer Rihanna broke down mid concert to the point where she couldn't continue with her song. The 28-year-old hitmaker was performing on a stage in Dublin, Ireland as a part of her "Anti World Tour", reported E! online. Instagram videos of the concert shows RiRi singing the first few lyrics of her famous hit song with Eminem "Love the Way You Lie" with tears in her eyes. When the crowd sang the song back to her, she got engulfed in emotion and stepped back with her hand in the air. Later she attempted to continue with the track, but kept getting choked up. It seemed the singer was just taken aback by all the love she was getting from the crowd. (PTI)

Rihanna breaks down in tears onstage during Dublin gig

Oscar Pistorius shuffled through a Pretoria court without his prosthetic legs on Wednesday to show how vulnerable he is as the Paralympian seeks to avoid prison for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. 
 
The 29-year-old faces a minimum 15-year jail term for the Valentine&#39;s Day killing in 2013 in a case that has attracted worldwide interest and divided South Africa. He will be sentenced on July 6. 
 
Pistorius has always said he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he fired four shots through a locked toilet door in his Pretoria home, killing her almost instantly. 
 
During his closing arguments, defense lawyer Barry Roux asked the gold medalist, known as the &quot;Blade Runner&quot; for his carbon-fibre prosthetics, to walk on his stumps to show the difficulty he faced dealing with the threat of an intruder. 
 
The lower part of his legs were amputated when he was a baby. 
 
His body shaking with emotion, Pistorius removed his prosthetics and stood on his stumps for about five minutes in front of the court television camera, wiping tears with a tissue. 
 
&quot;The accused was vulnerable because of his disability,&quot; Roux said. &quot;His failure to conduct a rational thought process does not negate his vulnerability.&quot; 
 
The defense says Pistorius did not deliberately kill model and law graduate Steenkamp and was &quot;a broken man&quot;, calling for a non-custodial sentence that includes community service. 
 
A state prosecutor argued that Pistorius - who did not take the stand himself - had shown no remorse or told the court why he fired the shots, and asked the court jail the athlete for the prescribed minimum sentence of 15-years. 
 
Race debate 
 
The athlete originally received a five-year sentence for a manslaughter conviction, that was upgraded to murder on appeal. 
 
The original trial judge, Thokozile Masipa, who presided at the hearings at the Pretoria High Court, on Wednesday set July 6 as the date for the sentencing. 
 
Roux asked the judge to consider that his client was vulnerable because of his disability and that the prescribed 15-year minimum sentence should give the court &quot;unease&quot;. 
 
&quot;The fact is that a disabled person in jail has a more difficult time,&quot; Roux said. 
 
The case has prompted a fierce debate in a country beset by high levels of violent crime against women and still dealing with the legacy of decades of apartheid race-based rule. 
 
Some rights groups have said Pistorius, a wealthy white man, has received preferential treatment. 
 
Roux said the publicity surrounding the case led to it being portrayed as an incident of gender-based violence, despite the facts showing it was not. Pistorius had now &quot;become the face of gender violence&quot;, he said. 
 
Shortly after Roux asked Pistorius to walk without his prosthetics, prosecutor Gerrie Nel requested that the judge allow photos to be shown of Steenkamp&#39;s bloodied head and torso. Masipa later granted the request and ruled that the photos be made available to the public upon request. 
 
&quot;There&#39;s a chasm between regret and remorse,&quot; Nel said. &quot;Real remorse would have been the accused taking the court into his confidence, telling the court why I fired that shot, why I did what I did. We don&#39;t have that.&quot; 
 
Earlier, Steenkamp&#39;s cousin Kim Martin, fought back tears saying she found it hard to cope with the killing and wondered why Pistorius had given a television interview rather than testify at the pre-sentencing hearings. 
 
&quot;I just think its very unfair to want to talk to the world about your version when you have the opportunity in court to do so, it&#39;s very hurtful, I can&#39;t understand why,&quot; she said. 
 
Pistorius&#39; hour-long interview with Britain&#39;s ITV is due to air next week. 
(Reuters)

The paralympian?stood on his stumps for five minutes and could be seen wiping his tears

Oscar Pistorius shuffled through a Pretoria court without his prosthetic legs on Wednesday to show how vulnerable he is as the Paralympian seeks to avoid prison for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The 29-year-old faces a minimum 15-year jail term for the Valentine's Day killing in 2013 in a case that has attracted worldwide interest and divided South Africa. He will be sentenced on July 6. Pistorius has always said he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he fired four shots through a locked toilet door in his Pretoria home, killing her almost instantly. During his closing arguments, defense lawyer Barry Roux asked the gold medalist, known as the "Blade Runner" for his carbon-fibre prosthetics, to walk on his stumps to show the difficulty he faced dealing with the threat of an intruder. The lower part of his legs were amputated when he was a baby. His body shaking with emotion, Pistorius removed his prosthetics and stood on his stumps for about five minutes in front of the court television camera, wiping tears with a tissue. "The accused was vulnerable because of his disability," Roux said. "His failure to conduct a rational thought process does not negate his vulnerability." The defense says Pistorius did not deliberately kill model and law graduate Steenkamp and was "a broken man", calling for a non-custodial sentence that includes community service. A state prosecutor argued that Pistorius - who did not take the stand himself - had shown no remorse or told the court why he fired the shots, and asked the court jail the athlete for the prescribed minimum sentence of 15-years. Race debate The athlete originally received a five-year sentence for a manslaughter conviction, that was upgraded to murder on appeal. The original trial judge, Thokozile Masipa, who presided at the hearings at the Pretoria High Court, on Wednesday set July 6 as the date for the sentencing. Roux asked the judge to consider that his client was vulnerable because of his disability and that the prescribed 15-year minimum sentence should give the court "unease". "The fact is that a disabled person in jail has a more difficult time," Roux said. The case has prompted a fierce debate in a country beset by high levels of violent crime against women and still dealing with the legacy of decades of apartheid race-based rule. Some rights groups have said Pistorius, a wealthy white man, has received preferential treatment. Roux said the publicity surrounding the case led to it being portrayed as an incident of gender-based violence, despite the facts showing it was not. Pistorius had now "become the face of gender violence", he said. Shortly after Roux asked Pistorius to walk without his prosthetics, prosecutor Gerrie Nel requested that the judge allow photos to be shown of Steenkamp's bloodied head and torso. Masipa later granted the request and ruled that the photos be made available to the public upon request. "There's a chasm between regret and remorse," Nel said. "Real remorse would have been the accused taking the court into his confidence, telling the court why I fired that shot, why I did what I did. We don't have that." Earlier, Steenkamp's cousin Kim Martin, fought back tears saying she found it hard to cope with the killing and wondered why Pistorius had given a television interview rather than testify at the pre-sentencing hearings. "I just think its very unfair to want to talk to the world about your version when you have the opportunity in court to do so, it's very hurtful, I can't understand why," she said. Pistorius' hour-long interview with Britain's ITV is due to air next week. (Reuters)

Pistorius walks on stumps in court, seeks to avoid prison sentence

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