Saudi Attorney General Sheikh Saud Al Mojeb said on Saturday that the writer and critic Jamal Khashoggi died after talks at the consulate degenerated into a fight.
Eighteen days after the mysterious disappearance of Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia admitted the 59-year-old was killed inside the kingdom's Istanbul consulate. The admission came after claims by the Saudi authorities that the journalist had left the consulate alive.
Eighteen suspects have been detained in relation to the case. Deputy intelligence chief Ahmad Al Assiri and royal court media adviser Saud Al Qahtani, both part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's inner circle, were sacked.
"Discussions that took place between him and the persons who met him … at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul led to a brawl and a fist fight with the citizen, Jamal Khashoggi, which led to his death," the attorney general said in a statement.
An official Saudi source said the Kingdom “expresses its deep regret at the painful developments that have taken place and stresses the commitment of the authorities in the Kingdom to bring the facts to the public”.
The kingdom's investigation had so far shown that the suspected killer travelled to Istanbul to meet Khashoggi to discuss the possibility of the writer's return to Saudi Arabia.
The victim had been living in exile.
"The discussions that took place with the citizen … during his presence in the consulate did not go as required and developed in a negative way," the anonymous Saudi official said in a statement.
The saga has put the kingdom and its young crown prince under pressure to offer a feasible explanation for the death of Khashoggi. Saudi officials have roundly denied that Prince Mohammed had any involvement.
The UAE maintains its support for the Saudi handling of the investigation into the death of Mr Khashoggi, which state media WAM described as an “unfortunate and tragic incident”.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, commended King Salman for “his great efforts to explore the truth and seek legal accountability,” which he said “reflects the transparency and justice in his decision-making on the case.”
The governments of Egypt and Yemen also expressed support for the decisions made by the Saudi king concerning the death of Khashoggi
President Donald Trump endorsed Saudi Arabia's story, terming it an "important first step" and telling reporters on Friday that he found it to be credible. Other leaders have expressed doubt about the new version of events.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she didn't accept Saudi Arabia’s explanation. The “horrific events” surrounding Khashoggi's death "still haven’t been cleared up and of course we demand that they be cleared up," she told a regional convention of her Christian Democratic Union party on Saturday.
Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen also said he was unconvinced.
“The fact that the Saudis last night confirmed that he died, after previously insisting he left the consulate alive, shows that we haven’t been told the full truth, and we must insist on getting that,” Mr Rasmussen said.
US legislators, Republican and Democrat, have expressed their doubts.
UN chief Antonio Gutterres said he was "deeply troubled" by the kingdom's disclosure on Saturday, adding there needed to be "full accountability for those responsible".
Senior scholars in Saudi meanwhile have praised the kingdom's response. The country's highest religious body, the Council of Senior Scholars, on Saturday said the king's decisions on the death of Khashoggi would "achieve justice and equality in accordance with Islamic law", according to a statement on state news agency SPA.
Walid Al-Sama'ani, Saudi's justice minister, said on Saturday that the judiciary had "full independence" to deal with the Khashoggi case and that "the issue will take its regular course...and will reach the judiciary after the completion of the prosecution requirements", according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The minister warned that the judicial process would not be destabilised by any "aggressive behavior, practiced by others via reckless means of media and lack of professionalism and credibility" and that accountability in this matter would be proven.
Saudi Arabia's admission comes after Turkish authorities widened their investigation on Friday, searching a forest in Istanbul where the body might have been dumped, and interviewing the consulate's staff.
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software Publisher: Activision Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S Rating: 3.5/5
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Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need. Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
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Scoreline
Switzerland 5
RESULTS
Dubai Kahayla Classic – Group 1 (PA) $750,000 (Dirt) 2,000m Winner: Deryan, Ioritz Mendizabal (jockey), Didier Guillemin (trainer).
Godolphin Mile – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,600m Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
Dubai Gold Cup – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (Turf) 3,200m Winner: Subjectivist, Joe Fanning, Mark Johnston
Al Quoz Sprint – Group 1 (TB) $1million (T) 1,200m Winner: Extravagant Kid, Ryan Moore, Brendan Walsh
UAE Derby – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,900m Winner: Rebel’s Romance, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
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Dubai Turf – Group 1 (TB) $4million (T) 1,800m Winner: Lord North, Frankie Dettori, John Gosden
Dubai Sheema Classic – Group 1 (TB) $5million (T) 2,410m Winner: Mishriff, John Egan, John Gosden
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 4/5
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
