30 July 2009 :

China is to reduce the number of people it executes to "an extremely small number", a top court official says.
Zhang Jun, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), said the court would in future impose more suspended death sentences.
Two years ago China gave the SPC power to review death sentences handed down by lower courts. That has already led to fewer executions.
Mr Zhang, quoted in the state-run China Daily, said legislation would be improved to reduce the number of death sentences, and that the SPC would tighten restrictions on the use of capital punishment.
He said: "As it is impossible for the country to abolish capital punishment under current realities and social security conditions, it is an important effort to strictly control the application of the penalty by judicial organs."