I AM the bearer of good news. About 8,000 people were executed last year around the world. How is that good news, you might ask? And is the death penalty an appropriate topic of discussion during the season of goodwill?

A convicted American child murderer due to be executed tomorrow is expected to get a last-minute reprieve in a continuing legal row over the death sentence.

A commission reviewing the botched lethal injection of a death-row inmate urged Florida’s governor to find a way to ensure inmates are unconscious before extremely painful drugs are injected.