SAUDI ARABIA: 5 EXECUTED AS TOLL HITS 69

A Qatari and a Jordanian were among five people executed in Saudi Arabia, bringing to 69 the number of people it has put to death this year.
The Qatari, Mohammed Jarboui, was executed in the eastern region of Al-Ahsa after being convicted of murdering a Saudi, the interior ministry said.
Sliman and Ahmed Messoudi were put to death in the northern Tabuk region for trafficking amphetamines, the ministry said in a separate statement.
The Jordanian, Abdallah Tayaha, was also convicted of amphetamine trafficking. He was put to death in the northwestern Jawf region, it said.
Amphetamines are stimulants most often targeted at students and labourers in the kingdom, interior ministry spokesman General Mansour al-Turki told reporters last week.
He added that war-ravaged Syria has become one of the biggest producers of the drug.
The fifth person to be executed was Kassadi Atoudi, put to death in the southern region of Jazan following his conviction for murder.