Erstellt am: 30. 4. 2014 - 14:01 Uhr

Reality Check: Cruel and inhuman

An execution goes badly wrong in the USA; parliamentary elections in Iraq; Russia, gas and sanctions; European Court of Justice rules on the Financial Transactions Tax; New ways to do business

Iraq Elections

Hundreds of thousands of police and troops fanning out to protect polling stations, army checkpoints every 500 meters in the capital, pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns patrolling tense streets and the closure of the country's airspace; this is the situation as Iraqi's go to the polls to elect a new parliament.

Death Penalty

A convicted murderer and rapist eventually dies of a heart attack 40 minutes after receiving the first of the lethal injections at his execution: This horrific story from the US state of Oklahoma has reopened the death penalty debate in the USA where a new study suggests that around 4% of inmates sentenced to death are probably innocent.

Russia Sanctions

The West's response to Russian activities in and near Ukraine in recent months may seem a little tame but, given Russia's already shaky economy, the sanctions imposed on individuals close to President Putin may be having more of an effect than you might think.

Financial Transactions Tax: court decision

It seemed such a good idea at the height of the financial crisis; introduce a tax which would make those who profited most from the various bank bailouts contribute something to the financial security of the countries who helped them. Britain though was against the idea from the very start but now the European Court of Justice has rejected Britain's objections. We have the details and reactions

Ricardo Semler - new ways to do Business

Kick out the bosses and let employees have a say in setting their own productions quotas, working hours and their own pay! Sounds too good to be true? We speak to Ricardo Semler the man who made it happen in a company that went from an annual revenue of $4m in 1982 to $212m in 2012.