A Saudi court issued a “final” ruling (WaPo) on the 2018 killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, handing eight unidentified defendants prison sentences between seven and twenty years. The decision overturned the death sentences (Al Jazeera) of five defendants.
 
Khashoggi went missing during a visit to Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul, where Turkey said a Saudi hit team murdered him. U.S. intelligence concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman likely ordered the killing. Though many Saudis celebrated the ruling, the UN human rights office raised concerns (Reuters) about transparency and accountability. Turkey emphasized the case’s unresolved questions, such as the location of Khashoggi’s remains, and encouraged Saudi Arabia to assist (WSJ) with its ongoing probe.

Two Australian journalists left China after reportedly being questioned about detained journalist Cheng Lei, who Chinese officials said (BBC) is being held on national security grounds. For the first time in nearly half a century, Australian media lack any credentialed journalists (SMH) in China.
 
Philippines: President Rodrigo Duterte pardoned a U.S. Marine convicted of killing a transgender woman in 2014. A spokesperson for Duterte said the pardon erased (Straits Times) the service member’s jail sentence but did not reverse his conviction.

China and India each accused (SCMP) the other of firing shots in a clash along their shared border, charges both sides denied. Firing shots would violate an agreement the countries signed in 1996.
 
CFR’s Alyssa Ayres explains the China-India border dispute.
 
India: India’s coronavirus caseload surpassed Brazil’s, making it the country with the world’s second-highest number of cases after the United States. Still, India’s government is moving to end (TOLO) pandemic-related restrictions, which have hamstrung the economy.

While meeting with Russian officials, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he wants to deepen business ties (Reuters) with Russia to help offset U.S. sanctions. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said he expects an economic agreement to be finalized in December.
 
This CFR In Brief looks at the U.S. sanctions threatening the Assad regime.

Authorities confiscated identification cards and equipment (Nation) from journalists and other passengers attempting to fly from Addis Ababa to the semi-autonomous region of Tigray. Tigray plans to hold local elections tomorrow, a move Ethiopia’s parliament has suggested is illegal.
 
Somalia: A car bombing killed three Somali military officers and injured three other people, including a U.S. service member. The attack occurred (NYT) in a part of southern Somalia reclaimed from the militant group al-Shabab days earlier.
 
This CFR Backgrounder looks at al-Shabab.

Belarusian authorities detained (BBC) opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova today while she attempted to enter Ukraine, according to state media. Ukraine and opposition activists disputed this version of events, saying Kolesnikova was trying to prevent her forced expulsion from Belarus. Yesterday, she was seen being forced into a van.
 
Germany: Russian dissident Alexey Navalny was taken out (DW) of a medically induced coma and is responding to speech, according to the Berlin hospital treating Navalny after his poisoning in Russia.

Judges denied an appeal (MercoPress) from former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa requesting the annulment of his eight-year prison sentence for breaking campaign finance laws. The decision blocks Correa’s bid to run for vice president in Ecuador’s 2021 election.
 
El Salvador: Prosecutors searched two prisons for evidence supporting reports that President Nayib Bukele’s administration negotiated (AP) with the notorious Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang. Bukele, who has projected a law-and-order image, denied the allegations.

Wildfires have blazed through (AP) over two million acres of California in 2020, setting a record as the state enters its most fire-prone season. Crews are fighting dozens of fires, including one in the Sierra National Forest that has forced evacuations.