Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia executed at least 40 people between January and July this year, according to a tally from rights group Amnesty International - more than were executed in the whole of the previous year. Amnesty drew a link between the reduction in 2020 and Saudi’s presidency of the G20 that year. “The brief respite in repression coinciding with Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the G20 summit last November indicates that any illusion of reform was simply a PR drive,” Lynn Maalouf of Amnesty said.
More from Middle East Eye here.
Lebanon
It is one year since a huge blast tore through Lebanon’s capital Beirut, killing at least 214 people and throwing the nation into disarray. Twelve months on, questions are left unanswered and the families of those who died are still searching for justice.
Several pieces worth reading today. Lebanon’s Daily Star here. Al Jazeera here. Middle East Eye here. The New Arab here. Reuters here. The Associated Press here.
Afghanistan
Another day in Afghanistan, more territorial gains for the Taliban.
More from BBC here.