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A man was executed by lethal injection in the US state of Texas on Wednesday for the 2011 murder of a pastor that he insisted he did not commit.Steven Nelson, 37, spent more than a dozen years on death row for the murder of Clint Dobson, 28, during a robbery of the NorthPointe Baptist Church in Arlington, near Dallas.Dobson was beaten and suffocated with a plastic bag. Judy Elliott, the church secretary, was also badly beaten but survived.Nelson’s appeals against his conviction and death sentence were repeatedly rejected by Texas courts and the US Supreme Court had declined to hear his case.He was executed and pronounced dead at 6:50 pm local time (0050 GMT on Thursday), state official Amanda Hernandez said in a statement. Nelson was interviewed by AFP recently at the maximum-security prison in Livingston, a town 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of Houston, where he was awaiting his execution.”It’s hard at times,” he said. “You’re waiting to be put to death. So that kind of breaks a little part of you every day… You just don’t want to do nothing.”Nelson acknowledged that he served as a lookout during the robbery and that he entered the church after the murder to steal some items.But he said it was his two accomplices, who were never brought to trial, who committed the murder.”I didn’t know what was going on on the inside,” he said, claiming his friends “blamed everything on me.””So they’re free and I’m locked up,” he said. “I’m here on death row because of what somebody else did.””I’m an innocent man,” Nelson said. “I’m being executed for a crime, a murder, that I did not commit.”- ‘Make my heart stop’ -Nelson married a French woman, Helene Noa Dubois, while in prison, but said ahead of the execution that he did not want her to witness it.”I really don’t want her to see that — me getting pumped full of drugs and being overdosed with drugs to kill me, to make my heart stop.”But if she makes that choice to be there then that’s her choice.”In his final statement, Nelson said he was “at peace.””Always live for me and enjoy life,” he said, according to state authorities. “Know I am not scared… I’m at peace, I’m ready to be at home. “Let’s ride Warden.”There were 25 executions in the United States last year and Nelson’s brought this year’s number to two so far, after an earlier case in South Carolina.The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others — California, Oregon and Pennsylvania — have moratoriums in place.Three states — Arizona, Ohio and Tennessee — that had paused executions have recently announced plans to resume them. President Donald Trump is a proponent of capital punishment and on his first day in the White House he called for an expansion of its use “for the vilest crimes.”

A serial rapist and murderer is to be put to death by nitrogen gas in Alabama on Thursday, the fourth use of the controversial execution method in the southern US state.Demetrius Frazier, 52, was sentenced to death in 1996 for the 1991 murder of 40-year-old Pauline Brown, a mother of two, in the Alabama city of Birmingham.Frazier was found guilty of breaking into Brown’s apartment, raping her and shooting her in the head. The jury voted 10-2 to recommend the death penalty.According to court documents, Frazier, who is Black, accused the predominantly white jury during his trial of being racist.Frazier was previously convicted of rape and the 1992 murder of a 14-year-old girl, Crystal Kendrick, in the northern state of Michigan.Michigan does not have the death penalty and Frazier was serving a life sentence there for Kendrick’s murder and for two separate rape convictions.He was transferred to Alabama in 2011 and appeals seeking to have him sent back to Michigan to serve his life sentence have been rejected.His appeals claiming that the nitrogen gas method of execution amounts to cruel and unusual punishment have also been denied.Frazier is to be put to death at a prison in Atmore, Alabama, with the execution tentatively scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm Central Time (0000 GMT) on Thursday.Alabama carried out three executions by nitrogen asphyxiation last year and is the only US state currently using the method. Other US states use lethal injection. The execution is performed by pumping nitrogen gas into a facemask, causing the prisoner to suffocate.United Nations experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council have denounced the use of nitrogen gas, saying it “may amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, or even torture.”There were 25 executions in the United States last year.The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others — California, Oregon and Pennsylvania — have moratoriums in place.Three states — Arizona, Ohio and Tennessee — that had paused executions have recently announced plans to resume them. President Donald Trump is a proponent of capital punishment and on his first day in the White House he called for an expansion of its use “for the vilest crimes.”

With his dizzying moves to slash spending, abolish government departments and lay off much of the federal workforce, Donald Trump has upended the US constitutional order in an unprecedented assertion of executive might.Critics complain that Congress has been slow to react in the face of a full frontal assault on the Founders’ vision of the separation of powers — but warn that the Republican president is on a collision course with the courts.In his first two weeks, Trump has set in motion the abolition of a giant government humanitarian agency that experts say can only legally be dismantled by Congress and has tried to freeze trillions of dollars in spending mandated by lawmakers.He has removed agency watchdogs and summarily fired FBI leaders and federal prosecutors who investigated his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that culminated in a deadly riot at the US Capitol.The CIA became the first major national security agency to offer buyouts to its workforce this week, as thousands of federal workers were told to accept resignation deals by Thursday or face the boot.Opponents say Trump allowed Elon Musk — the world’s richest man and a major government contractor — to break the law by accessing US Treasury payment systems that send out trillions of dollars and hold a welter of sensitive personal data.”In theory, Congress is a co-equal branch of government but it may not be in practice if it continues to let Trump usurp its constitutional authority,” said political analyst Andrew Koneschusky, a former Senate staffer. “Trump’s strategy is to flood the zone, act fast, project strength and break things… But it remains to be seen whether Congress — and specifically congressional Republicans — will at some point assert their authority.”- ‘Clear messaging’ -Trump’s Republican Party controls the House and Senate but is focused on enacting tax cuts and immigration curbs and has shown little interest in subjecting the White House to the usual checks and balances.While there was bipartisan opposition to Trump’s most radical policy pronouncement yet — for the United States to “take over the Gaza Strip” — Republicans have shown nothing but deference over his historically contentious Cabinet nominees.House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Wednesday he was a “fierce advocate” of congressional authority, but thought the outrage over Trump’s assault on the federal government was a “gross overreaction in the media.”Democrats, stung by criticism over their initial inertia, have begun organizing, pressing legislation to safeguard Treasury data and summoning reporters to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) as Musk earmarked it for closure.But as the minority party, they have little power to push back meaningfully. “Democrats have still not spelled out clear messaging on actions they will take,” said Jeff Le, a former senior official in California state politics who negotiated with the first Trump administration.”And until congressional Republicans see an impact in their district or a political dent in their numbers, I don’t see them acting in public.”- ‘Little resistance’ -The most effective resistance may end up playing out in the US Supreme Court, with over two dozen lawsuits already targeting Trump’s efforts to end birthright citizenship and go after FBI agents who investigated him.Failed challenges risk consolidating his authority, however, following a 2024 Supreme Court decision that made presidents immune from prosecution if they use their official powers to commit crimes.And executive power grabs are nothing new, in any case. Analysts interviewed by AFP said Congress had been ceding territory to the White House since before Franklin Roosevelt set the record for executive orders that still stands — 3,721, against a few hundred so far for Trump.”Of course, Roosevelt governed under quite different constitutional and political circumstances, both of which arguably gave him more legitimacy to enforce his will,” veteran election strategist Mike Fahey told AFP.David Alvis, a politics professor at South Carolina liberal arts school Wofford College, says Trump was taking his cue from 19th century president Andrew Jackson, who would prioritize loyalty and target non-cooperative officials with accusations of corruption. “What remains to be seen is whether Trump’s wholesale reform of the administration will incur the same problems as Jackson’s reforms did,” he said.  “The quality of civil service precipitously declined under Jackson and there was little resistance in the administration to Jackson’s legally dubious policies.”

Two million US federal workers face a deadline of Thursday to quit with a guarantee of eight months’ more paid work or risk being fired on the spot — a deal derided by labor groups as a “scam” calculated to undermine the civil service.President Donald Trump’s so-called “A Fork in the Road” initiative, the most sweeping move against federal spending since he returned to office on January 20, has been wrongly characterized as a “buyout.”Government “efficiency czar” Elon Musk said it was a chance to “take the vacation you always wanted, or just watch movies and chill, while receiving your full government pay and benefits.”In fact, employees agreeing to leave could be required to work right through the eight-month period, and failure to resign on Thursday may result in them being fired immediately without compensation.Labor groups derided the offer as fraught with legal issues and warned against taking it up, questioning whether the government could guarantee the eight months’ pay, given that approved government funding runs out in March.”Federal employees shouldn’t be misled by slick talk from unelected billionaires and their lackeys,” said Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), in a swipe at Musk.”Despite claims made to the contrary, this deferred resignation scheme is unfunded, unlawful and comes with no guarantees. We won’t stand by and let our members become the victims of this con.”US media reported that some 20,000 employees — around one percent of the federal workforce — had accepted the deal by Wednesday, a fraction of the best expectations of 100,000, which officials said would entail savings of $100 billion.The AFGE — the largest union for federal employees, representing 800,000 workers — is leading a lawsuit seeking to halt the “arbitrary, unlawful, short-fused ultimatum.”The complaint, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, casts doubt on assertions that workers would be free to look for other jobs during their deferment periods, citing ethics regulations. “Not only are these actions illegal and a scam, but they are eroding the health and well-being of our communities,” said Lee Saunders, president of the 1.4 million-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.”These workers do everything from making sure families receive their Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits on time to protecting our drinking water and the food we eat to overseeing our national security.”An employee in the US Office of Personnel Management, granted anonymity to talk frankly, told AFP federal workers were mistrustful of advice they were receiving from the administration and felt largely “in the dark” about their options.”We get what they’re trying to do here. It’s not like we’re pursuing some orderly measure to reduce the size of government,” the employee said.”No, we’re trying to instill a panic so that people just walk out the door and leave government in a crippled state, which is partly their objective.”

Google parent company Alphabet has stopped making diversity and inclusion a workplace priority, according to a filing Wednesday with US regulators.The internet giant’s annual 10-K report, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), no longer contained a commitment to workplace inclusion and diversity that had been there the prior year.”At Alphabet, we are committed to making diversity, equity, and inclusion part of everything we do and to growing a workforce that is representative of the users we serve,” the removed line read.Internally, Alphabet workers were given word that the company no longer had hiring goals based on race or gender.”We’re committed to creating a workplace where all our employees can succeed and have equal opportunities, and over the last year we’ve been reviewing our programs designed to help us get there,” a Google spokesperson said in response to an AFP inquiry.”As a federal contractor, our teams are also evaluating changes required following recent court decisions and executive orders on this topic.”US President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, issuing an executive order last month calling such programs illegal.The filing by Alphabet came a day after Google updated its principles regarding artificial intelligence, removing vows not to use the technology for weapons or surveillance.The changes arrive just weeks after Google chief executive Sundar Pichai and other tech titans attended Trump’s inauguration.Upon taking office, Trump quickly rescinded an executive order by his predecessor, former president Joe Biden, mandating safety practices for AI.Companies in the race to lead the burgeoning AI field in the United States now have fewer obligations to adhere to, such as being required to share test results signalling the technology has serious risks to the nation, its economy or its citizens.

Dozens of giant beetles hidden inside a shipment of Japanese snacks were uncovered at a US airport, customs officials said Wednesday.The live creepy crawlies, which were up to five inches (13 centimeters) long, were concealed among potato chips, chocolate and other goodies at Los Angeles International Airport last month.The 37 creatures were likely destined for collectors of exotic insects, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said, estimating they were worth around $1,500.”They may look harmless but in reality, smuggled beetles pose a significant threat to our vital agriculture resources,” said Cheryl Davies of the CBP in Los Angeles. “Beetles can become a serious pest by eating plants, leaves and roots and by laying eggs on tree bark which damages our forests.”The specimens, which included scarab beetles, stag beetles and darkling beetles, will likely find their way to local zoos that have permits for such creatures, the CBP said.Alongside its traditional cuisine, Japan has in recent years nurtured a reputation for innovative snacks, which include KitKat chocolates flavored with cherry blossom or wasabi.But while locusts, grasshoppers and crickets do find their way onto the Japanese dinner table, especially in rural areas, beetles are not commonly consumed. 

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday seeking to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports, in his latest move targeting transgender people since returning to office.”With this executive order the war on women’s sports is over,” Trump said before he signed the order at the White House, surrounded by dozens of children and female athletes.Top Republicans including US House Speaker Mike Johnson and firebrand Congresswoman Marjorie Green were among those in the audience to watch the signing ceremony.”We will defend the proud tradition of female athletes, and we will not allow men to beat up, injure and cheat our women and our girls. From now on, women sports will be only for women,” Trump added to applause.The order gives government agencies authority to deny federal funds to schools that allow transgender athletes to compete on women’s teams.”It is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy,” the executive order said. Trump also said he would be pushing the International Olympic Committee to change its rules on transgender athletes before the Games return to American soil in 2028 in Los Angeles.He said he had ordered Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “make it clear” to the IOC that “we want them to change everything having to do with the Olympics and having to do with this absolutely ridiculous subject.”Trump added that he had directed Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem to deny visa applications “made by men attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying themselves as women athletes to try and get into the Games.”- Culture war -Republican Trump has repeatedly targeted gender non-conforming people in a blitz of orders pushing his radical right-wing agenda since his inauguration for a second term on January 20.Trump signed an order to rid the military of what he called “transgender ideology” and effectively ban transgender troops. He also issued an order to restrict gender transition procedures for people under age 19.The slew of actions comes despite the fact that transgender people make up only a small minority of the US population.During the 2024 election campaign he repeatedly hammered Democrats on the divisive issue of transgender rights during the 2024 election campaign, capitalizing on a broader culture war over the topic.One of Trump’s most successful attack lines against his election rival Kamala Harris — “Kamala Harris is for they/them. President Trump his for you” — targeted her support for trans rights.Trump also targeted her one-time support for gender reassignment operations for prisoners.His executive order on Wednesday comes after the Republican-led House of Representatives in January passed a bill severely restricting transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.As transgender people have become a more visible presence in the United States, sparking questions around gender norms and fairness, many conservatives have rallied around women’s sports.

The US State Department said Wednesday that a former Donald Trump aide named to a top job despite having ties to white supremacists and spreading conspiracy theories about the 2021 Capitol insurrection will hold the post only temporarily.Darren Beattie, an influential figure in Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement and founder of the right-wing “Revolver News” site, has been named acting under secretary for public diplomacy and public affairs, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.The role is responsible for developing the public image of American diplomacy around the world.Revolver News has repeatedly pushed the idea that the FBI spurred on the January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol by Trump’s supporters.Beattie will hold the State Department job only in an acting capacity, Rubio said Wednesday during a visit to Central America.”We have a nominee for that position who will be the permanent person who runs that division,” Rubio told reporters.Beattie worked as a speechwriter for Trump during his first term, but left the administration in 2018 after US media revealed he had attended a conference two years earlier where white supremacists were present.Reports of his latest appointment have sparked outrage among many, particularly over an October 4, 2024 post on X, in which he wrote: “Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work.”Unfortunately, our entire national ideology is predicated on coddling the feelings of women and minorities, and demoralizing competent white men.”America’s top diplomat said Beattie has been hired for now because he is committed to ending what Rubio called anti-US censorship programs being operated out of the State Department.Rubio said “elements in the State Department are being used to censor American voices.”

At least five US citizens remain in detention in Venezuela since the liberation last week of six others who flew back home with President Donald Trump’s special envoy, a local rights group said Wednesday.Along with the five, there were also two people with other nationalities but who maintain permanent residency in the United States, non-governmental organization Foro Penal said in a statement.They were among 54 foreigners in total held in Venezuela, including 11 people from Spain, nine from Italy, and one French-American, it added.Special envoy Richard Grenell has said there were “at least six” US citizens left in Venezuela after another six were freed following his talks with President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas last week.They were “in essence hostages” held on “really lame charges,” Grenell told “The Megyn Kelly Show” this week.”It’s Nicolas Maduro’s position that some of these individuals were arrested because of terrorism charges or individuals that were trying to kill the president of Venezuela or the vice president,” Grenell said. “Our information doesn’t say that.”Grenell noted that two of the six freed last week were last-minute replacements for two other US prisoners who had refused their jailers’ orders to get ready to depart, not believing their liberation was real.The other four had recounted that “We were released into this room, and we had the other two guys with us, and they asked us to shave and to get ready, get cleaned up. And two of the individuals said: ‘We’re not doing this again. We’ve done this four or five times. This is fake’,” Grenell said.”We only learned later… that the Venezuelan government found two other Americans to replace them.”The envoy said work continues for the liberation of the last prisoners, adding: “We will absolutely go back.”Trump said over the weekend that Venezuela had agreed to accept illegal migrants deported from the United States following the Grenell meeting.The president has pledged to carry out the largest deportation campaign in US history, vowing to expel millions of undocumented immigrants, many from Latin American nations.Grenell travelled to Caracas despite the United States not recognizing Maduro’s claim of victory in July elections that the opposition and much of the international community say he stole.After the meeting, Maduro called for a “new beginning” in bilateral ties.