Iranian, US ships confront each other in Strait of Hormuz, Iran says case of unidentified vessels; US Supreme Court hears lethal injection case...

7 January :: US, Iranian ships nearly engage in hostile conflict in Strait of Hormuz; ABC News reports "Iran's Foreign Ministry said Monday that a confrontation between Iranian boats and U.S. Navy ships in the Persian Gulf over the weekend was "something normal" and was resolved. It suggested the Iranian boats had not recognized the U.S. vessels"... US Supreme Court has heard arguments relating to the implementation of the "three drug" death penalty procedure in Kentucky, where the same process is illegal for euthanizing animals; NY Times reports "The issue in the case of Baze v. Rees is not the constitutionality of lethal injection as such, but a more procedural question: How should judges evaluate claims that the particular combination of drugs used to bring about death causes suffering that amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, in violation of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution"... Man from Edinburgh, Scotland, expected to return home today after spending 21 years on death row in Ohio; prosecution negotiated reduced charges with inmate, allowing him to leave prison after having served the maximum possible sentence for that charge; at one point, his execution was stayed only one hour before he was due to be electrocuted...