Australia withdraws from Saudi investment summit over Khashoggi death

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia has pulled out of an investment summit in Saudi Arabia in protest at the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Australian government minister said on Saturday.

Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and Washington Post columnist critical of Riyadh's policies, died inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Saudi state media said.

"In light of this new information, we have determined that official Australian representation at the forthcoming Future Investment Initiative event in Riyadh is no longer appropriate," a joint statement from Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said.

(Reporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Sam Holmes)