Headlines

Some headlines from RT.

Florida set to expedite executions

Florida’s state senate has approved a new package of capital punishment reforms aimed at expediting death sentences. The Timely Justice Act will set deadlines for condemned killers to file appeals and set competency standards for lawyers handling those cases. The average time between sentence and execution since Florida resumed executions in 1979 has been 13 years, according to Reuters. The state currently has 400 men and five women under death sentence, with the next execution set for May 29. "Only God can judge," said Matt Gaetz, a Republican who sponsored the bill during House debate, "but we sure can set up the meeting." Governor Scott is expected to sign the changes into law.

Ricin found on items belonging to Mississippi suspect

A new suspect linked to the mailing of letters to President Obama, a US senator and a Mississippi judge containing deadly ricin is now being held without bail. J. Everett Dutschke, a 41-year-old martial arts instructor and former political candidate, was declared "a flight risk and a danger to the community" by US Magistrate Judge S. Allan Alexander. On Tuesday, an affidavit charged that Dutschke removed several items from his former martial arts studio in Tupelo, Mississippi, including a dust mask, which tested positive for ricin. That document also states that trace amounts of ricin were found in the studio, and that the suspect had purchased castor beans online; castor beans are used to produce the ricin toxin.

Moody’s cut’s Slovenia’s govt bond rating to “junk”

Moody's Investors Service cut Slovenia's government bond rating by two notches to Ba1 – its highest "junk" bond rating – forcing the country to abandon plans to raise money through a bonds sale. Moody's said the rating’s outlook remained negative, citing Slovenia’s troubled banking sector, deterioration in the government's balance sheet and uncertain funding prospects. The downgrade might force the country to appeal to its eurozone partners for a bailout following weeks of criticism the government has been too slow in releasing details of a planned banking sector cleanup and other austerity measures meant to tackle the country’s sizeable budget deficit.

Sarkozy’s former minister denies alleged Gaddafi funding

Former French Interior minister Claude Guéant, has denied receiving Libyan money in 2007, allegedly used to fund Nicolas Sarkozy’s presidential campaign, AFP reports. Guéant denied allegations that 500,000 euro’s were donated by Muammar Gaddafi’s regime, claiming he made the money by selling 17th century Dutch paintings that he owned. A French court issued a search warrant for Guéant’s home and offices during the probe, following claims last December, by Franco-Libyan businessman Ziad Takieddine, that he had proof of the transaction. Guéant said he is lodging two complaints for “the lies [Takieddine] is spreading, and defamation against [Guéant].”

Egypt's Morsi calls halt to privatizations

Egypt will keep all state-owned firms in public hands, President Mohamed Morsi said in a speech on Tuesday."There will not be any more selling of the public sector again. That is over," Reuters quoted Morsi as saying in a speech to metal industry workers in a Cairo suburb during celebrations ahead of Labor Day. Egypt's economy has slowed rapidly since the popular uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak in 2011. The country has neither undertaken nor planned any major privatizations since 2008.