the Federal High Court sentenced to death Major Melaku Tefera, one of Marxist dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam's top soldiers, for genocide during the country's 1970s "Red Terror" campaign.

California prison officials executed Stanley Tookie Williams, 51, the ex-leader of the Crips convicted of killing four people in 1979, early in the morning a day after top courts and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger rejected final appeals to spare his life.

the state Supreme Court late Sunday refused to grant a stay of execution for Stanley Tookie Williams.

a young man was hanged in the Iranian capital Tehran, the state-run news agency ISNA reported.

a young Iranian woman was hanged in prison in the north-eastern town of Shirevan.

Iran publicly hanged Rostam Tajik, an Afghan national, for a crime he was alleged to have committed as a minor.

a number of Italy’s actors and directors have signed Hands Off Cain’s appeal aimed at California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to halt the scheduled execution Stanley Williams at San Quintino penitentiary on December 13. Those who have given their support include: Bernardo Bertolucci, Monica Bellucci, Claudia Cardinale, Giuliano Montaldo, Ferzan Ozpetek, Lina Wermuller, Dario Argento, Luca Barbareschi, Liliana Cavani, Francesca D’Aloja, Remo Girone, Alessandro Haber, Marco Muller, Marco Risi, Enzo Salvi and Pasquale Squitieri.

China will make court proceedings on death penalty appeals open to the public next year in a bid to safeguard human rights, the government said.

Saudi Arabia executed two men who were convicted of stabbing their victims to death in separate incidents.

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo granted an indefinite reprieve to 15 convicts scheduled for execution in March, the government said.

Japanese lawmakers opposed to the death penalty said they would propose mandatory life in prison for capital cases in a bid to dent overwhelming public support for capital punishment.

the judges hearing the Bali Nine trials in Indonesia warned Australians not to interfere in Indonesia's right to impose capital punishment, insisting they would not allow their independence to be compromised.