South Korea's human rights watchdog said it supported a bill before parliament calling for the abolition of the death penalty.

the European Union's legislative branch expressed its dissent with the executive over policy toward Cuba, condemning a shift seeking rapprochement with the Communist-ruled island that included suspension of diplomatic sanctions.

the Ugandan High Court sentenced David Katushabe, from Nakasongola, to death for wounding his neighbour while stealing a goat.

the United Nations mission in the Ivory Coast expressed concern over serious human rights violations including summary executions, abductions and torture which had occurred over the last two months.

it was reported that Uzbekistan executed Akhrorkhodzha Tolipkhodzhayev, bringing to at least 10 the number killed since a 2003 UN appeal for it to suspend the death penalty due to torture concerns, the human rights group Mothers Against Execution and Torture said.

President Salih stopped the execution of Hafiz Ibrahim in Taiz, Yemen, at the last moment. Ibrahim, 17, was convicted in 2004 of killing a man and was due to be executed the day the president intervened.

the Yemeni embassy in Rome announced that “by order of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the death sentence on Amina Ali Abulatif al Tuhaif has been revoked and a new trial granted in which she will have the opportunity to prove her innocence as established by the criminal code of Yemen.”

the life of Amina al-Abduladif, a 21-year-old mother, was spared shortly before she was due to face a firing squad as appeals by British ministers and others prompted the Yemeni President to suspend the execution.

European leaders are making desperate pleas to spare the life of a 21-year-old mother who is expected to face a firing squad in Yemen on May 2.

Saudi Arabia executed two men who beat to death a Pakistani to stop him exposing their "shameful" homosexual relationship, the country’s Interior Ministry said. It said Ahmed al-Enezi and Shahir al-Roubli, both Saudis, ran over Malik Khan in their car, beat him on the head with stones and set fire to his corpse "fearing they would be exposed after the victim witnessed them in a shameful situation."

four Filipinos convicted of murdering a compatriot were beheaded by the sword in the western Saudi city of Taef. Miguel Fernandez, Sergio Aldana, Wilfredo Batista and Antonio Alviza were convicted of murdering Jaimie de la Cruz.

an Afghan court sentenced four people to death for planning two attacks in 2004 that killed 12 people, including four Americans, a senior judge said, blaming both incidents on Al Qaeda.