THREE men have been executed by lethal injection in Arkansas in only the second triple execution since the death penalty was resumed in 1976.
One of the men, Kirt Wainwright (30), was executed after waiting 40 minutes strapped to a trolley with needles in his arms for the decision of the Supreme Court on his last minute appeal. He read a poem while waiting and said, "I fear only one, and he is my God."
The Governor, Mr Mike Huckabee, delayed the execution until the court ruled on whether he should have a role in granting clemency. Mr Huckabee knew the convenience store clerk, Ms Barbara Smith, whom Wainwright had been convicted of killing.
The two other men executed, Earl van Denton (47) and Paul Ruiz (49), had been on death row for 18 years. They had gone on a killing rampage after escaping from an Oklahoma prison gang and were convicted of killing two police officers.
The executions in Cumming prison, south of the state capital, Little Rock, were witnessed by 15 people through a window. About 30 demonstrators in Little Rock protested in freezing rain.
These were the first executions in the US in 1997 but opponents of the death penalty fear it will be a record year for executions. The president of the National Coalition against the Death Penalty, Mr Steve Hawkins, said the 45 people executed last year were "the calm before the storm".
He said between 75 and 100 persons will be executed this year because of the passing of a new law limiting the right of appeal of those sentenced to death. There are 3,200 on death row, including 49 women and 47 minors.
The coalition says the US ranks fourth in the world for executions, behind China, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.
The death penalty is now on the statute book in 38 US states. It is strongly supported by Americans - 76 per cent, according to a poll last year.
. US lawmakers decided yesterday to go public with their deliberations on how to punish the newly re elected House Speaker, Mr Newt Gingrich, for his misuse of public funds.
The House Ethics Committee will begin the open sessions on Monday, the panel announced, after 13 hours of negotiations on the divisive issue. The hearings are expected to last a week and a decision is due by January 19th.