EUROPE: The European Court of Human Rights upheld lower court decisions that defaming Islam’s Muhammad “could stir up prejudice” and thus exceeds the limits of free expression. The ruling—stemming from a nearly decade-old case in which an Austrian woman was accused of disparaging Muhammad’s marriage to 9-year-old Aisha—in effect sides with blasphemy laws in Islamic-led countries. Download and read the decision and case details.

Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor, Sheikh Saud al-Mojeg, is set to fly to Istanbul on Sunday to meet with Turkish officials to continue the investigation into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. On Thursday, the prosecutor said new information from the joint Saudi-Turkish investigation suggested that Khashoggi’s killing was premeditated, the latest shift in Saudi attempts to explain the killing.

Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor said Thursday that new information indicated journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s death was premeditated. The announcement on pro-government TV said the information came from the joint Saudi-Turkish investigation but did not offer details about the alleged death plot, The New York Times reported.

NORWAY: The largest military exercise in NATO history gets underway Thursday. Dubbed Trident Juncture, the two-week show of force features all 29 NATO members, plus Finland and Sweden, involving 50,000 troops and 10,000 vehicles. Days ahead of its start, the USS Harry S.

WASHINGTON—Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that the United States will revoke the visas of Saudi government and security officials believed to be involved in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi national who was a Washington Post columnist and U.S. resident. President Donald Trump also said the United States will hold Saudi Arabia accountable for Khashoggi’s death at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. The Oct. 2 incident has prompted international scrutiny and strained Saudi diplomatic relations with the Western world.

Saudi officials carefully plotted journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder at the country’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday in a televised speech contradicting Saudi Arabia’s claim that the killing was accidental. Erdogan called for accountability and asked that the suspects be tried in Turkish courts. Erdogan did not directly accuse the Saudi royal family of involvement but hinted that the initial arrests did not go high enough in the ranks.

It didn’t take Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal murder to know the House of Saud is full of violent, merciless rulers. Ask the dissidents and non-Muslims. Ask Raif Badawi, Lalia Bint Abdul Muttablib Basim, or untold others.

Badawi is the well-known 34-year-old Saudi blogger whose “Free Saudi Liberals” website earned him a 10-year prison sentence for apostasy and 1,000 lashes—50 times a week for 20 consecutive weeks. The first week’s lashes so crippled Badawi, authorities reportedly postponed the rest.