New drug combo in town

Ohio inmate Dennis McGuire appeared to gasp and convulse for roughly 10 minutes before he died on Thursday by lethal injection using a new combination of drugs, reporters who witnessed it said. McGuire was convicted in 1994 of the rape and murder of 22-year-old Joy Stewart, who was seven months pregnant. Her relatives were at Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville to witness his death, according to tweets from television reporter Sheila Gray. Columbus Dispatch reporter Alan Johnson said that the whole execution process took 24 minutes, and that McGuire appeared to be gasping for air for 10 to 13 minutes. "He gasped deeply. It was kind of a rattling, guttural sound. There was kind of a snorting through his nose. A couple of times, he definitely appeared to be choking," Johnson was quoted as saying. The convicted murderer was pronounced dead at 10:53 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. The execution generated controversy because, like many states, Ohio has been forced to find new drug protocols after European-based manufacturers banned US prisons from using their drugs in executions - among them, Danish-based Lundbeck, which manufactures pentobarbital. According to Ohio's corrections department, the state used a combination of the drugs midazolam, a sedative; and the painkiller hydromorphone. It may have taken them 20 years to dispense with McGuire, but at least that scumbag is finally somewhere where he won't be able to rape or murder any more pregnant women. Enough about that new turning-point in execution history now because a Chinese mother, desperate for her son to come home for the upcoming Lunar New Year, has placed a full page ad in a newspaper in Australia, saying she won't pressure him to get married anymore. The ad, which appeared on the front page of the Chinese Melbourne Daily on Tuesday, would cost $2,796.80 Australian dollars (almost NZ$3000), according to its advertising rate card. "Dear Peng, I've called you many times but you don't pick up, maybe you will see this," the anonymous mother wrote, according to a copy of the ad provided to CNN by the newspaper. "Dad and mom won't ever force you to get married anymore, come home for Chinese New Year! From your mom who loves you." Every year around this time, many Chinese prepare to head home for China's most important festival. But many of the younger generation dread facing family confrontations about their love life. There is a way around that for those who can't handle the pressure of nagging parents - you can rent a boyfriend for the day through China's online shopping giant, Taobao.com. Rental counterfeit boyfriends come with services such as meeting the parents, shopping, and watching movies. One customer left a satisfied review for her purchase. "He was very nice and humorous. He knows how to cook and offers to carry things when shopping. Dad and mom are very happy," the anonymous reviewer wrote. But for those prepared to go into battle with their family over the potentially thorny issue, an Indian state-run gunmaker has introduced a light-weight gun named after an Indian gang rape victim. The .32-calibre revolver, made of titanium alloy, has been called a "valuable contribution to women's security." The 500-gram firearm is called Nirbheek, meaning fearless in Hindi. The name was "inspired by Nirbhaya," said Abdul Hamied, the general manager of the Indian Ordnance Field Gun Factory. Nirbhaya is the name given by the Indian media to the 23-year-old woman who was raped and beaten by several men aboard a public bus on December 16, 2012. She later died. The brutal attack provoked outrage across India and led to calls for improved safety and treatment of women.