Quite apart from the principle of capital punishment, which we utterly reject, the death sentence passed by an Indonesian court on a British cocaine-smuggler in Bali looks excessive on at least two counts. First, it seems out of all proportion to the 20-year prison term received by the bomb-maker for the 2002 Bali nightclub atrocity in which more than 200 people died, and second, it is of quite a different order from the 15-year term requested by the prosecution. An appeal is to be launched, but we hope there is some way that the Indonesian judiciary can commute the sentence sooner.

Until the fateful moment when customs officers at Bali airport ripped open Lindsay Sandiford’s suitcase, her greatest claim to fame was appearing in her local newspaper twice complaining about her son Eliot being mistreated.

Lindsay Sandiford, 56, had expected jail term for cocaine offence

Britain will tomorrow host high-level talks aimed at co-ordinating international action against religious intolerance.

The ethics of the sportswear giant Nike are under scrutiny yet again following claims that its supplier factories in Indonesia have pressured workers into renouncing their right to a minimum wage.

In 2010, 27 migrant workers were executed in Saudi Arabia and, according to Amnesty International, more than 45 foreign maids are currently on death row

The Bakrie family has threatened to withdraw an offer to exit the London-listed miner Bumi by buying back some of their Indonesian coal assets as their dispute with Nat Rothschild deepens.

Sky-high ticket prices keep families away, but clowns need kids' gasps or it's just plain silly

Where to go and what to know

British forces are to be armed with a new combat sidearm for the first time in more than half a century to protect themselves against new types of threats. The Browning Hi-Power pistol, which first came into service in 1954, will be replaced by the Glock 17, which has been chosen after intensive trials.

Kingdom breaching global treaty as Rizana Nafeek was 17 when baby died in her care

Lindsay Sandiford was arrested in May when customs officials found 10.6lb of cocaine sown into the lining of her suitcase as she arrived in Indonesia

Sydney's skyline erupted with tons of exploding fireworks as revellers cheered in the new year from the city's crammed harbour in the world's first major celebration for 2013.

David Cameron today used his New Year's message to declare that Britain is "heading in the right direction" on all the big issues and can look forward to 2013 with "realism and optimism".