U.S. President Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he saw no reason to block Saudi Arabian investments in the United States despite concern over a missing Saudi journalist, saying the Gulf nation would then just move its money into Russia and China.
Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, also said the United States was expecting a report soon on the journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, but gave no other details.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, has not been heard from since Oct. 2 when he visited the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, amid speculation he was killed by Saudi authorities.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he saw no reason to block Saudi Arabian investments in the United States despite concern over a missing Saudi journalist, saying the Gulf nation would then just move its money into Russia and China.
Trump: Khashoggi disappearance no reason to stop Saudi investments
On the same day, 15 Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggiwas also inside, police sources said. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.
Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of Khashoggi’s fate, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S. and the UK -- have expressed their desire that the matter should be elucidated as soon as possible.
Media companies are pulling out of a Saudi investment conference as outrage grows over the journalist who went missing inside a Saudi consulate in Turkey earlier this month.Economist Editor-In-Chief Zanny Minton Beddoes will not participate in the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, spokeswoman Lauren Hackett said in an email.Andrew Ross Sorkin, a CNBC anchor and New York Times business journalist, tweeted that he was also not attending the conference, saying he was "terribly distressed by the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and reports of his murder."The New York Times Co has also decided to pull out of the event as a media sponsor, spokeswoman Eileen Murphy said. The Financial Times said in a statement that it was reviewing its involvement as a media partner.Uber CEO to skip Saudi conference over Khashoggi caseViacom Inc, whose Chief Executive Officer Bob Bakish is slated to speak at the conference, said it was closely monitoring the situation in Saudi Arabia.Other media companies slated to appear at the conference include CNN and Bloomberg according to the event's website.The disappearance of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Oct. 2 has cast a shadow over the three-day conference known as "Davos in the desert," which is scheduled to begin on Oct. 23. The Post is owned by Amazon.com Inc founder and Chief Executive Jeff Bezos.The event, in its sophomore year, attracts some of the world's business elite including Wall Street's top bosses and executives from multinational media, tech and financial services companies.Turkish officials have alleged that Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where he went to get documents for his planned marriage. Riyadh has said the claims are baseless.JPMorgan Chase & Co CEO Jamie Dimon is scheduled to speak, as is Mastercard Inc CEO Ajay Banga. Representatives for both companies did not respond to requests for comment.Khashoggi's disappearance has led officials and business leaders to drop out of another one of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's large projects.On Wednesday, former U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said that he had suspended his role on the board of Saudi Arabia's planned mega business zone NEOM until more is known about what happened.Moniz was named on Tuesday as one of 18 people advising the $500 billion NEOM project. The Crown Prince said last week that the NEOM business zone would build two to three towns each year starting in 2020 and be completed by 2025. Video: Footage shows Saudi journalist walking into consulate before disappearing
Media companies, journalists drop out of Saudi event after Khashoggi disappearance
The European Commission said Thursday it had conveyed its expectation of a transparent and comprehensive investigation into the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi to authorities in the Kingdom.“We’ve passed this message very clearly, not just publicly but also in direct contact,” Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said in press briefing in Brussels.On Tuesday, EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said: “We expect a thorough investigation and full transparency from the Saudi authorities on what has happened.”Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has been missing since Oct. 2, when he visited the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation on the fate of Khashoggi as several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S. and the U.K. -- press for clarification.'US appointing investigator on Saudi journalist untrue'Turkey wants to work with Saudi Arabia in Khashoggi probe: FMTrump: US working with Turkey, Saudis on journalist probeSaudi royal family linked to 15-member squad suspected in Khashoggi’s deathMissing Saudi journalist dismembered with bone saw: NYT
Europe wants full probe over missing Saudi journalist
The chief executive officer of ride-sharing company Uber said late Thursday he will withdraw from a major business conference in Saudi Arabia as questions mount over the country’s role in the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, CNN Business reported."I'm very troubled by the reports to date about Jamal Khashoggi," Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement."We are following the situation closely, and unless a substantially different set of facts emerges, I won't be attending the FII conference in Riyadh," he added.The report noted his announcement is significant because Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund is a big shareholder in Uber, investing $3.5 billion in the ride-hailing startup in 2016.The Future Investment Initiative is hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and is part of his Vision 2030 plan to break the country's reliance on oil. Khosrowshahi was scheduled to speak about the future of transportation at the event, the report said.Possible last moments of missing Saudi journalist revealed Khosrowshahi is the latest high-profile figure to pull out of the conference due to increasing concerns about Washington Post journalist Khashoggi, who was also a critic of the Saudi regime. Other big names include Viacom CEO Bob Bakish and Ariana Huffington of The Huffington Post, according to the report.British billionaire Richard Branson said earlier Thursday that he was cutting business ties with the Saudi government over Khashoggi’s disappearance.Branson and his Virgin Group have suspended talks with Saudi Arabia on a proposed $1 billion investment in Virgin’s space companies.He said he would also be stepping down from his role as director of two Saudi tourism projects.Pompeo calls on Saudi govt to investigate Khashoggi disappearancePressure Saudis on Khashoggi case: Yemeni Nobel winner"What has reportedly happened in Turkey around the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, if proved true, would clearly change the ability of any of us in the West to do business with the Saudi Government," Branson said.Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, has not been heard from since Oct. 2 when he visited the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, amid speculation he was killed by Saudi authorities.On the same day, 15 Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggi was also inside, police sources said. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey. Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of Khashoggi’s fate, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S. and the UK -- have expressed their desire that the matter should be elucidated as soon as possible.
Uber CEO to skip Saudi conference over Khashoggi case
A joint Turkish-Saudi team will investigate the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi upon the Kingdom's request, said the Turkish president's aide on Thursday.Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ibrahim Kalın said: “Within the framework of a close cooperation between Turkey and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and upon the suggestion of the Kingdom, a joint working team between Turkey and Saudi Arabia will be formed to investigate the case of Jamal in all its aspects."Khashoggi has been missing since Oct. 2, when he visited the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation on the fate of Khashoggi as several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S. and the U.K. -- press for clarification.'US appointing investigator on Saudi journalist untrue'Turkey wants to work with Saudi Arabia in Khashoggi probe: FMSaudi royal family linked to 15-member squad suspected in Khashoggi’s death
'Joint Turkish-Saudi team to probe missing journo case'
British billionaire Richard Branson said Thursday he is cutting business ties with the Saudi government over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.Branson and his Virgin Group have suspended talks with Saudi Arabia on a proposed $1 billion investment in Virgin’s space companies.He said he would also be stepping down from his role as director of two Saudi tourism projects.In a statement on Virgin Group's website, Branson said he had "high hopes" for the Saudi government and its leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.'US appointing investigator on Saudi journalist untrue'"It is why I was delighted to accept two directorships in the tourism projects around the Red Sea. I felt that I could give practical development advice and also help protect the precious environment around the coastline and islands."Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, has not been heard from since Oct. 2 when he visited the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, amid speculation he was killed by Saudi authorities.On the same day, 15 Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggi was also inside, police sources said. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.Turkey wants to work with Saudi Arabia in Khashoggi probe: FM"What has reportedly happened in Turkey around the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, if proved true, would clearly change the ability of any of us in the West to do business with the Saudi Government," Branson said.Branson is currently seeking more information from Saudi authorities and has asked them to clarify their position on the Khashoggi case."While those investigations are ongoing and Mr. Khashoggi’s whereabouts are not known, I will suspend my directorships of the two tourism projects.Trump: US working with Turkey, Saudis on journalist probe"Virgin will also suspend its discussions with the Public Investment Fund over the proposed investment in our space companies Virgin Galactic and Virgin Orbit," he added.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of Khashoggi’s fate, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S. and the UK -- have expressed their desire that the matter should be elucidated as soon as possible.US senator calls for arms sales halt to Saudi ArabiaSaudi royal family linked to 15-member squad suspected in Khashoggi’s death
Branson halts Saudi business talks over Khashoggi case