Round-up: US lawmakers question Saudi explanation on Khashoggi's death

United States (US) lawmakers on Sunday voiced scepticism over the Saudi explanation in connection with the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, calling on Washington to take action in response.

The Washington Post columnist has been missing since entering the Saudi consulate in Turkey's Istanbul on Oct 2.

According to Xinhua news agency, the Saudi authorities said early Saturday that Khashoggi had died in a "brawl" in its consulate. In a Fox interview Sunday, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said the kingdom was unaware where Khashoggi's body was, calling the killing a "tremendous mistake."

The Saudi explanation has drawn criticism from US senators and congressmen.

Republican senator Rand Paul said he did not believe Saudi's words, calling them "insulting". "I think we really need to discontinue our arms sales to Saudi Arabia and have a long and serious discussion on whether or not they want to be an ally or they want to be an enemy," Paul told Fox News Sunday.

Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, raised the question on Sunday over Trump's "financial motives" that may influence his administration's Saudi Arabia policy, urging Congress to look into the matter.