AMNESTY SAYS LARGE SPIKE IN EXECUTIONS IN IRAN

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International said it recorded an "alarming spike" in executions in Iran since the disputed presidential election in June. "In just over 50 days we recorded 115 executions, an average of more than two each day," Amnesty secretary general Irene Khan said. "This is a significant increase, even compared to the appallingly high rate of executions that has been so long a feature of the human rights scene in Iran."