we want to welcome our viewers an the world. authorities searching for ma lay ya flight 370 say underwater signals picked up over the weekend are the best lead yet but they don't know if they came from the missing plane. crews are now working a

78,000-square kilometer grid as they try to detect those sounds again. >> russia says ukraine risks civil war if it orders troops to take back government buildings seized by pro-russia demonstrators in the country. the acting president blames agitators from moscow for the unrest. the demonstrators are calling for referendums like the one that paved the way for the takeover of crimea. he denies the accusations. until monday, shrien dewani had avoided extradition from the u.k. for three years on mental health grounds. all right. oscar pistorius is expected to return to the stand at any moment for his murder trial. our legal analyst kelly phelps

is outside of the courthouse in pretoria. we are going to crossover to mist pistorius' testimony as soon as it begins. as we wait, explain how emotional yesterday was and why you expect today to be more so. >> reporter: well, it was very emotional when he was giving his apology to the steenkamp family. as he began his testimony in chief, he calmed down and found some composure again. it has always been since the beginning of the trial when the discussion has turned to the actual events of the night in question that he has found the most difficult emotionally to deal with that and maintain his composure. we expect today that is what his testimony will largely focus on. he still needs to address the gun charges. other than that, all that is left -- >> we are going to jump in. we understand that oscar pistorius has begun his testimony. let's listen in to what he says. >> that afternoon i went back to my friend's place and i was

getting ready for sports awards, african sports awards function and i said to him that i completely forgotten -- >> who is this friend. >> justin. and i said to justin that i had forgotten i had rsvped for an evening with partner. and he without hesitation said why don't you take reeva and i joked and said i don't think she would be -- i don't think she would be interested. we had a really nice day together but i didn't think that a woman would be so carefree and just come and i found her and she said she would gladly come and we were joking we had to be ready in an hour and a half. we went to the sports awards and

after the evening we sat and spoke until 2:00, 3:00 in the morning. i went back to justin's house and instead of driving back to pretoria. when i got to his house, i told him -- he asked how the evening had gone and i said to him -- i said to him i had the most amazing time and it was a lot of fun. reeva was a fantastic date. at his house i told him -- he had asked how the evening had gone and i said to him, i said to him that i had the most amazing time and that it was a lot of fun. reeva was a fantastic date. i asked -- we spoke later about her.

we saw each other -- then we took november and december getting to know each other. in december, i went down to caton with some friends during my break. i asked her if she wanted to come with me. she said she needed some time alone. so she said she was going to stay in johannesburg. she wanted to spend christmas with some friends of hers. the friends of hers cancelled their plans and went away. and so christmas night she had christmas with her and mr. frisco and mr. frisco's girlfriend at the time. in the next day, i flew down to capetown and i was scheduled to come back on the 2nd of january and i think the 1st of january of 2013, reeva phoned me and asked if she could come down instead of me coming up, could she come down. during the time i was in

capetown, she wanted to get away. she asked if she could stay at my house and so she said at my home and we were still getting to know each other and comfortable with each other. and then in mid january everything started to pick up and we really -- that's really when your relationship got going. >> now, would you say that there was a point where it became more serious, the relationship? and if so, when you that? >> i think we both -- we both had things that kept us back in our relationship in getting to know each other. we both came out of difficult

relationships before. i was very keen on reeva. i think if anything i was maybe more in to her than she was at times with me. i let her just take her space. it wasn't always easy. i was with her and at times we spoke and, you know, the relationship built up to a point. and in january, mid january we knew we started to care about each other. we started to talk about future plans. i was supposed to go to brazil in march. i booked a flight with her to come with me. she spoken to me about her brother and his son. she asked if we could visit them in june. we were looking at interior decorating things together for the new home i had purchased in johannesburg.

>> mr. pistorius, just a reminder, would it be possible to lean a bit forward for recording purposes? will you do that and try to speak up. >> beg your pardon. sorry. >> you spoke about the interior decorations. >> there were many things we had in common that we started to speak about more frequently, the events she invited me to and vice-versa and we started to seeing a future with each other. >> did you discuss that? >> we discussed me moving to johannesburg. and i know reeva was looking for a new place to stay. she'd often spoke to me about wanting to -- she asked me to help her with her contracts for her things, for her work things that i had discussed with her.

we spoke about future agreements she shouldn't and should sign. i just helped her with things pertaining to her future. we enjoyed just talking and each other's company. >> the court reference to messages and this is exhibit cc-1. cc-2, and cc-3. snoo as well as cc-4. you will see the exhibit 4 should be in front of you. >> my lady, this -- >> it's ccc 1, ccc 2, ccc 3 and

ccc-4. meaning triple c. my lady understand the file is not in front of the witness. may we offer a short adjournment to sort out the file? i'm told it will only take two, three minutes. >> give me one minute. >> i understand they are sorted, my lady.

>> you have the exhibits, triple c one, triple c two, triple c 3, triple c-4. those exhibits all deal with reeva and motor vehicles. what is your response to, do you have an interest to motor vehicles and if so to what extent? >> we had a common interest in motor vehicles. we liked talking about them. she liked driving. she had a sporty car she owned before. she was a car enthusiast. it was a common interest of ours. we'd share our interest and what we liked and it was a common

interest of ours. >> i want you to look at exhibit 1, also messages.

>> mr. pistorius, you'll see it consists of a number of pages. please go through. at the bottom you will see page references to page 153 of 343.

you will see the second deals with -- do you see that? could you read it, please. it is the date, 19, january, 2013 and adding two hours we know it would be 15:50. >> that's correct, my lady. >> could you read that and explain? >> this is a text message sent from reeva to me. it says it is like i see things in your house and when we go places you take pics of them for me. at the end of the day this is now or nothing.

>> what is that about, mr. pistorius? >> i had been given a carving on the side of the road of a rabbit from a friend and often bought them for friends as gifts. the guy at the intersection by our house sells these things and they have little red hearts on them. i think reeva saw me taking a photo of it somewhere and she was upset by it and asked what it was about. >> and then the next one says, i wasn't a -- what was that about? >>. >> this conversation was in

context with her coming back from an overseas trip on the previous page she told me something and i was more upset about her health. so we got in to an argument. she said to me, i'm sorry if -- up on the page, on 153. she says she's sorry if it upset me but it wasn't her intention. as we went on, after the rabbit, humanitarian aident replied and she sent me a message. seems like 18 seconds later saying i wasn't -- i think she was defensive and thinking i was over reacting to the previous message on the previous page. that previous message on the previous page. >> let's go to the next page, page 154 of 343. it carries on there -- the same

day, 19th of january at 15:52. can you read that? >> a message from reeeva to me. ate says i have never been a prude and i have had fun but all innocent and without repercussions. >> the messages after that. >> it says, message after that was again -- >> is it a message to you from reeva. >> a message from reeva to myself. and she says i'm watching the ceremony. >> what ceremony is she referring to? >> a football ceremony at the johannesburg stadium. opening ceremony of the confederations cup if i'm not mistaken. she was watching the ceremony.

>> were you there? >> yes, i was. >> doing what? >> i am -- i took the flame from the field up to president in the box and over the flame for the opening. >> and the next message you can see she's asking the question. can you read that? how far are you from going up? >> that's correct. i replied 45 minutes. >> i assume that would be in relation to when you are taking the flag? >> i think so, my lady. >> and then the last one on that page, same day at 15:57. >> it was a message at 15:57 from me to reeva saying would you like to go to my friend's 50th tonight?

>> meaning there was now an unhappiness and it has been resolved? >> it was resolved. it wasn't unhappiness. it was unhappiness about me worrying about her, but the subject changed and it you resolved. >> the next page is page 223 of 343. there's a long message. 27 january 2013. at 16:17. it's sent from reeva to you. it is also part of it. can you read that aloud and explain that? >> the message she sent me said i'm not 100% sure why i'm

sitting down to tell your message first but perhaps it says a lot about what is going on here. today was one of my best friends engage and i wanted to stay longer but its over now. you have picked on me incessantly since you got back from cape town and i understand that you are sick but it's nasty. it wasn't nice for either of us but we managed to pull through and communicate well enough to show we cared. to show our care for each other is better than the drama. i was not flirting with anyone today. i feel sick that you suggested that and that you made a scene at the table and made us leave early. i'm terribly disappointed in how the day ended and how you left me. we are living in a double standard relationship where you can be mad about how i feel, about how i deal with stuff when you are very quick to act cold and offish when you are unhappy. every five seconds, i hear how

you date theed another chick. you have really dated a lot of people. yet you get upset if i mention -- beg your pardon. yet you get upset if i mention one funny story with a long-time boyfriend. i do everything to make you happy and not to say anything to rock the boat with you. you throw tantrums in front of people. i have been upset by you for two days now. i'm so upset i left the party early. so upset. i can't get that day back. i'm scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me and above all how you react to me. you make me happy 90% of the time, and i think we are amazing together. i'm not sure -- but i'm not some other bitch trying to kill your vibe. i'm the girl who let go with you

even when i was scared out of my mind. i'm the girl who fell in love with you and wanted to tell you this weekend. i'm a girl that is side stepped. when i feel you think you have me so why try anymore. i get snapped at and told my accent an voices are annoying. i touch your neck to show you i care, you tell me to stop. stop chewing gum. don't do this. don't do this. don't do that. you don't want to hear stuff, cut me off. your endorsements, your reputation, your impression of something innocent blown out of proportion and in fact a little of me. sorry. from the outside, i think it looks like we are a struggle and maybe that's what we are. i just want to love and be

loved. be happy and make someone so happy. maybe we can't do that for each other because right now i know you are not happy and i certainly very unhappy and sad. >> what is the background of that, mr. pistorius? >> my lady, the background, we were at an engagement party of mr. frisco's. i just think it was a bad day in our relationship. i was -- i came through from pretoria. i had to wait for reeva's friend. she wanted to ride with us and she was making us late. i was running late and when we got there, we had an

enjoyability morning. it was mid-morning to mid-day events. at a point i wanted to go get food. i was on a very strict diet. i said to reeva, i can't eat the food that's here and we said we'd love eave by a certain tim. toward the end of the engagement we were walking across the venue and she started to talk to a person that was unknown to me. it was a gentleman. and i was standing next to reeva and she didn't introduce me to the person and i stepped forward and i made my presence known. and again she didn't introduce me. so i walked off. when she came up to me i was a bit upset. i thought maybe i had been neglected. i think i was being maybe

sensitive, maybe insecure or jealous and she came and sat down next to me and started to play, tickle my neck. i wasn't kind to her, like i should have been. when everybody started to leave, i said i need to get going. i need to eat. i have training this afternoon. we left as everybody else was leaving and reeva was supposed to come to my house that afternoon. but instead i dropped her off. she was in a short mood with me. so i dropped her off at her place. i didn't talk to her for the rest of the afternoon until she sent the message where she said she's not sure twhie -- the message first. >> let's look at the next message. that was about 20 minutes later. the one at the bottom.

that's a message from you to reeva. >> it is a message about 25 minutes later. it says it's from myself to reeva. it says please let me know when i can call you. >> and then the next page, page 224 of 343. at the top. did you get a response? >> she said, i'm here. she sent me a message saying i'm here. >> and then the next message. >> you are watching live testimony from oscar pistorius in south africa. if you are watching in the united states, early start beginning next. for our international viewers, we will return to our live coverage. and that's an accountant, a mom, a university of phoenix scholarship recipient, who used our unique

--scratch that-- awesome career-planning tool. and that's a student, working late, with a day job, taking courses aligned with the industry he's aiming to be in. ready to build an education around the career that you want? let's get to work.

breaking news overnight. the intense search for the wreckage of missing malaysia airlines flight 370. right now, crews scouring parts of the indian ocean, hoping to hear more signals emitted from those vanished black boxes. the batteries expected to expire any day now, any minute now. can crews find them before it's too late? we have live team coverage on the very latest this morning. good morning, everyone. welcome to "early start." i'm john berman. >> and i'm christine romans. it's tuesday, april 8th. it is 4:00 a.m. in the east. let's begin with the breaking news fm