Good morning.
Alabama has carried out the first execution of a death row inmate in the US using the untried method of nitrogen gas.
Kenneth Smith’s lawyers had argued the execution would violate constitutional protections against cruelty, but it went ahead and Smith, 58, was pronounced dead at 8.25pm on Thursday. It was the state’s second attempt at executing him. The execution lasted about 22 minutes.
Reporters present described Smith’s death as appearing to have been inhumane. Smith had warned that his case could introduce a new killing method: “I fear that it will be successful, and you will have a nitrogen system coming to your state very soon.” The execution was condemned by UN experts on arbitrary executions and torture, as well as Jewish clergy and community leaders.
Why did his first execution fail? In November 2022, Smith spent four hours strapped to a gurney while being punctured with needles that couldn’t find a vein to administer the lethal injection. He was later diagnosed with PTSD.
Why was he on death row? Smith was convicted of the 1988 murder-for-hire of a pastor’s wife, Elizabeth Sennett.
Israel braces for interim ICJ ruling on Gaza genocide allegation
Israeli officials are preparing for an interim ruling from the UN’s top court on South Africa’s allegation that the war in Gaza constitutes genocide against the Palestinians.
The Hague-based body could order Israel to stop its war; but while the international court of justice’s (ICJ) rulings are unappealable, they are unenforceable. However, such an interim ruling from the ICJ could serve as a pretext for international sanctions against Israel, experts say.
The decision expected on Friday is just an interim ruling on South Africa’s request for emergency measures to protect Palestinians from potential violations of the genocide convention – the full ruling is likely to take years.
What are South Africa’s allegations? Israel’s campaign has led to the “destruction of Palestinian life” and pushed people toward famine.
What is Israel arguing? That it has a right to defend itself after the 7 October attack that killed 1,400 people, and that it is targeting Hamas, not Palestinian people as a whole.
The ruling is expected at 1pm (7am EST) – follow on our live blog.
Why Trump, Russia and the Middle East have European defence leaders talking about war
Fears that anti-Nato Donald Trump could be reelected and that Russia may win in Ukraine are causing a wave of anxiety to ripple across Europe, with Nato’s military committee chair warning it was “not a given that we are in peace”.
The tension comes amid growing hostilities in the Middle East. Grant Shapps, the British defence secretary, said the UK and its allies were moving towards “a prewar world” and re-armament was needed to shield Europe from “Putin’s fury”.
It comes as US Congress appears unlikely to vote through a new $61bn military aid package for Ukraine. Without US aid, experts fear Russia could gain the upper hand, while Trump increasingly appears set to win the Republican nomination.
Who else is worried? Germany, Norway, and Sweden have made similar warnings about the military situation in Europe. Countries including Latvia and Sweden have been bringing back forms of military service.
In other news …
Thousands of people across Australia attended Invasion Day events on Friday, where speakers called for Australia Day to be abolished. The rallies come months after Australia voted overwhelmingly against an Indigenous voice to parliament. Police arrested six neo-Nazis wearing balaclavas and waving Australian flags in Sydney.
The US swimmer Lia Thomas, the first transgender athlete to win a NCAA college title, is launching legal action as she hopes to compete again. In 2022, World Aquatics introduced new rules banning anyone who has undergone “any part of male puberty” from competing in the female category, whereas before trans women could race if they lowered their testosterone levels.
The UK foreign secretary, David Cameron, has U-turned to rule out the resettlement of Chagos Islanders, only months after his predecessor was discussing their potential return. Chagossians, whom the British government forcibly displaced in the 1960s and 70s, strongly criticised Cameron’s intervention.
Stat of the day: Nasa’s tiny Mars helicopter travelled 14 times further than expected
Ingenuity, Nasa’s 4lb chopper on Mars, has completed its final mission after three years – but the helicopter, which was intended as a short-term tech demo, hugely “surpassed expectations” to travel 11 miles, 14 times further than expected. Ingenuity proved powered flight was doable in Mars’s atmosphere.
Don’t miss this: How one Bangladeshi adoptee uncovered a tragic past
While in Bangladesh on behalf of an organisation aiming to reunite children adopted abroad with their birth relatives, Kana Verheul met a woman in a cafe from the area in which she was born. With some matching details, they compared similar birth marks: two weeks later, a DNA test confirmed they were sisters. Then Verheul heard about the shocking story of how she was adopted.
Climate check: Biden pauses carbon ‘mega bomb’ natural gas exports
In a move hailed as “monumental” by activists, the White House has said it is pausing all pending export permits for liquified natural gas (LNG) until the Department of Energy presents updated approval criteria considering climate impacts. The pause is significant; one analysis found that if all proposed export projects are green lit, they will create 3.2bn tons of greenhouse gases – equivalent to the entire emissions of the European Union.
Last Thing: an ‘ick’ or water under the bridge?
John buys a plastic water bottle once a month and refills it; Lara says that’s an “ick” and wants him to get a reusable one. Should he cough up for a stainless steel bottle and stop filling the flat with old plastic ones… or should it be water under the bridge?
Sign up
First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com
