The problems that arose during the attempted execution of an inmate in the US could hasten the end of capital punishment, says Heide Brandes in Oklahoma City.

One inmate was killed and 13 others were hurt in Oklahoma when a gang-related melee broke out in the gymnasium of a privately-run prison, with inmates flailing away with softball bats and other weapons.

An Oklahoma prison inmate trying to escape in the back of a rubbish truck has been crushed to death.