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JOHANNESBURG - Oscar Pistorius again faces the possibility of a murder conviction after a South African judge ruled Wednesday that prosecutors can appeal against the double-amputee Olympians conviction on the lesser charge of culpable homicide.The sensational case will go to the Supreme Court of Appeal, which will review the murder trial of Pistorius, who fatally shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through the closed door of a toilet cubicle on Valentines Day last year.Judge Thokozile Masipa, who convicted Pistorius and sentenced him to five years in jail, acknowledged that chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel had raised legitimate questions of law that should be studied by the appeals court.This might have a practical effect on the conviction, Masipa said.We note the finding of the court and abide by the ruling, Pistorius family said in a statement.Pistorius could face a minimum of 15 years in prison if the appeals court overturns the culpable homicide conviction and raises it to a murder conviction.Under his current sentence, Pistorius could be released from prison and placed under house arrest after serving 10 months, or one-sixth of his sentence. It is unclear whether the appeals court will have ruled on his case within 10 months.Nathi Mncube, the prosecution spokesman, said he hopes the appeal will be expedited, but acknowledged that the process can take a long time.Were happy, Mncube told journalists.The approval of an appeal represented a victory for South African prosecutors who had been disappointed that Pistorius was acquitted of murder.In another disappointment for the state, British businessman Shrien Dewani left South Africa on Tuesday after being acquitted of the murder of his wife Anni during their honeymoon in Cape Town in 2010.The appeals court has panels of three or five judges and does not meet again until Feb. 15, according to the website of the court, which is based in the South African city of Bloemfontein. Decisions are based on the opinion of a majority of judges.Witnesses do not appear before the court, and the parties need not be present during the hearing of an appeal. A written judgment is usually handed down shortly after the argument, the courts website says.In arguing for an appeal, the prosecution said Judge Masipa incorrectly interpreted a legal principle. Under that principle, a person should be found guilty of murder if he foresaw the possibility of a person dying because of his actions, and went ahead with those actions anyway.While approving an appeal against her own verdict, Masipa rejected the prosecutions argument for an appeal of the sentence for culpable homicide. Prosecutors had said it was too lenient.In any case, if the appeals court finds Pistorius guilty of murder, the sentence would automatically be raised to match the severity of the crime.Pistorius said he thought a dangerous intruder was in the house when he killed Steenkamp, a model and budding reality TV star; prosecutors allege he killed his girlfriend after an argument.Pistorius legs were amputated below the knees when he was 11 months old because he was born without fibula bones due to a congenital defect. However, he grew up playing sports with prosthetics. The sight of Pistorius racing at the London Olympics on carbon-fiber blades was one of the enduring and inspirational images of the 2012 games. Albert Almora Jr Jersey . They are back to a game above .500 on the year and back to .500 on the road. It was their 10th extra time game of the year, and only the second one that did not got to a shootout. Yu Darvish Jersey . Zdeno Chara scored with 13 seconds left in regulation after David Krejci tied it late, lifting the Bruins to a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday night in a game that saw Orpik taken from the ice on a stretcher. http://www.thecubsteamshop.com/Cubs-Jon-Lester-Kids-Jersey/ . The 26-year-old Redditch, England, native played three of his past four seasons under Rennie with the Carolina RailHawks of the North American Soccer League. Brandon Morrow Jersey . General manager David Poile called signing Ribeiro a great opportunity to add a talented, experienced and creative centre Tuesday when he introduced the veteran at a news conference. Ribeiros contract is worth $1.05 million after being bought out of the final three years of a $22 million contract by the Coyotes recently. Willson Contreras Cubs Jersey . - Kyle Wood and Barclay Goodrow scored second period power-play goals to provide all of the scoring for the North Bay Battalion in a 2-0 victory over the Erie Otters in Ontario Hockey League action on Thursday.STATELINE, Nev. -- Mark Rypien beat out Jeremy Roenick and Annika Sorenstam to win the weather-delayed American Century Celebrity Golf Championship on Sunday. Rypien took the title for the first time since winning the inaugural event in 1990. Lightning storms delayed play for more than three hours. Rypien ran away from Roenick and Sorenstam, putting up big Stableford points on his back nine, going 5 under for a record-breaking third-round total of 33 points and 76 throughout the three-day event at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. After finishing in second place in the past two years, Rypien broke through with a win in the 25th anniversary of the tournament. "In 25 years from now Ill be 76. Do you think I could do that when Im 76?" Rypien said. "It was a little bit of an advantage just from that standpoint that Im accustomed to playing in inclement weather with golf and football and then that was kind of the way it was today. It was kind of uncomfortable for everybody, but I felt fine." Rypien won $125,000 from the $600,000 purse. Sorenstam and Roenick will each get $57,500 for tying for second in the event. Roenick and Sorenstam tied for second with three-round totals of 65. It was the retired LPGA stars first appearance in the event and although she has already been invited back, she is unsure if she will play the event again next year, despite her strong finish. "I was hoping for a few more points," Sorenstam said. "I dont know if 76 would have been reachable for me the way I played today, but maybe a few more and I would have felt very comfortable and pleased.dddddddddddd" Chad Pfeifer, who lost his left leg above the knee serving in Iraq, started the day in second place, earned only 17 points and tied for fifth with former baseball star John Smoltz, who had the second-highest total of the day along with Sorenstam (23). In honour of Pfeifers effort in the event, American Century donated $25,000 to the Troops First Foundation in his name. "I truly thought after (Saturday) that Chad was going to be the player to beat," Rypien said. "After he double-bogeyed two and then came back with birdies on three and four, I said to myself, This is who I have to beat." Actor Jack Wagner, also a former champion of the event, made a strong push Sunday with 22 points to finish fourth, his 19th top-10 finish in the event. Roenick and Rypien were tied for the lead with 64 Stableford points through 15 holes when play was suspended due to lighting. Its the second day in a row weather delayed play, a short delay Saturday was also due to lightning. But following the delay, Rypien distanced himself from the rest of the field. He earned 12 points on the final three holes, starting with an eagle on 16 and birdied 17 and 18, recovering from a shot into the trees on 18. Roenick struggled after the rain delay, bogeying 17 and doubling 18 after hitting his approach into the water. It was Roenicks sixth top-10 finish in the past six years and his best in the event. ' ' '