Saudi crown prince warns against 'exploiting' Khashoggi murder
Riyadh: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has warned against "exploiting" the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi for political gains, in what appeared to be a veiled attack on Turkey.
Turkey's ties with Saudi Arabia have come under strain since the brutal murder last October of Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, which tarnished the international reputation of the crown prince.
Turkish officials were the first to report the murder and have continued to press Saudi Arabia for information on the whereabouts of his dismembered body, which has yet to be found.
"The death of Jamal Khashoggi is a very painful crime," Prince Mohammed told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat in an interview published Sunday.
"Any party exploiting the case politically should stop doing so, and present evidence to the (Saudi) court, which will contribute in achieving justice," he added, without directly naming Turkey.
The prince, however, added that he wants strong relations with "all Islamic countries including Turkey".
The CIA has reportedly said the murder was likely ordered by Prince Mohammed, the de facto ruler and heir to the Arab world's most powerful throne.
Saudi authorities strongly deny the allegation.
Saudi prosecutors have absolved the prince and said around two dozen people implicated in the murder are in custody, with death penalties sought against five men.
Khashoggi, a US resident, had written critically of Prince Mohammed and was killed in what Riyadh described as a rogue operation.
Prince Mohammed said the kingdom was committed to "full justice and accountability" in the case, as he faces international pressure to punish the culprits.
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Mitchell scripts New Zealand's series-levelling win
Rajkot (PTI): Daryl Mitchell (131) struck a composed unbeaten hundred and shared a 162-run stand with Will Young (87) to guide New Zealand to a series-levelling seven-wicket win over India in the second ODI here Wednesday.
Chasing a stiff 285 on a slowish pitch, New Zealand romped home in 47.3 overs with Mitchell anchoring the chase.
The series-decider will be played in Indore on Sunday.
Earlier, KL Rahul hit a combative 112 to lead India to a competitive 284 for seven.
India were off to a confident start with Rohit Sharma (24) and skipper Shubhman Gil (56) adding 70 runs for the first wicket but Kiwi spinners snatched the momentum with disciplined bowling in middle overs.
Virat Kohli (23), Ravindra Jadeja (27) got starts but could not convert them into big knocks.
Brief Scores:
India: 284 for 7 in 50 overs. (KL Rahul 112 not out, S Gill 56; Kristian Clarke 3/56).
New Zealand: 286 for 3 in overs. (D Mitchell 131 not out, W Young 87; P Krishna 1/49).
