Officials in Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Saudi Arabia may have agreed to the search in order to appease its Western allies and the international community. U.S. President Donald Trump has said Saudi Arabia could face “severe punishment” if it was proved it was involved in Khashoggi’s disappearance. Trump tweeted Monday that he had spoken with Saudi King Salman, “who denies any knowledge” of what happened to Khashoggi. Benchmark Brent crude is trading at around $80 a barrel, and Trump has criticized OPEC and Saudi Arabia over rising prices.

Source: thestar October 15, 2018 11:47 UTC