Hundreds of prisoners across England and Wales are being released early today under a new scheme designed to free-up prison space.

Offenders serving sentences of up to 19 months are now eligible for release after a third of their term.

Prisoners being released early today will include those convicted of fraud, domestic abuse and coercive control.

Restriction zones will control the movements of the most serious offenders, while the UK government promises a record roll-out of ankle monitors.

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Last week, Tennessee attempted to carry out the execution of Christa Pike, a convicted murderer who had spent three decades on death row. But the execution did not go as planned: After she was injected with two lethal doses of pentobarbital, Pike remained alive. She was then taken to hospital by ambulance.

This isn’t the first time an American execution hasn’t gone as planned. One reason is that the drugs needed for lethal injection have become increasingly difficult for US prison officials to obtain. Pharmaceutical companies don’t want their medicines used in executions — particularly manufacturers in Europe, where governments have opposed the death penalty for decades.

So, without access to regulated drugs, American prisons have had to improvise — sometimes with horrifying results.

The Global Story’s Tristan Redman speaks with investigative reporter Livvy Haydock about the consequences when the pharmaceutical supply chain refuses to feed the machinery of American executions.

Listen to Livvy’s podcast, Killing Death Row: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001rjdp

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00:00 Introduction
00:38 How a lethal injection is supposed to work
05:05 What went wrong in Christa Pike’s execution
07:16 Why America is struggling to get execution drugs
09:00 The drugs used in lethal injections
10:15 Why European drugmakers stopped supplying the US
12:38 America’s secret hunt for execution drugs
14:47 What happens when execution drugs expire
15:07 The London chemist supplying America
16:58 How the drug shortage can cause botched executions
17:30 Are lethal injections causing suffering?
19:05 Why the US can’t simply make its own execution drugs
21:21 Could prisons start making their own drugs?
21:46 Why Europe rejects the death penalty
22:32 Why Americans still support executions
23:17 When executions fail victims’ families

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Brazilians have begun voting in a general election, where the most prominent candidates are current president, left-wing leader Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva, and right-wing Flávio Bolsonaro.

The election has raised questions about US influence, trade tariffs, organised crime and Brazil’s sovereignty.

Here’s what you need to know about Brazil’s general election, and the two candidates leading the polls.

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Boris Johnson’s top adviser Dominic Cummings is facing new allegations that he committed further breaches of the government’s lockdown rules.

Mr Cummings was already facing calls for his resignation after admitting travelling more than 250 miles with his wife, who had suspected coronavirus infection, to County Durham.

Now there are new claims that he left the home where he was staying in Durham and was seen by witnesses visiting a town 30 miles away.

Mr Cummings has said he went to Durham with his wife and child to be close to relatives while in lockdown. Downing Street had earlier insisted that he acted within the lockdown rules.

Mr Cummings has been unapologetic, saying he had done the right thing, and had behaved reasonably and legally. Cabinet ministers have backed him and said he has Boris Johnson’s full support.

Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News reporting from Political Correspondent Iain Watson.

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After a strong week at Labour Party conference has the prime minister made his first foul? Downing Street has said Manchester …

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