The latest on Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo just left a meeting with Trump, where he briefed the President on his recent travels to Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Pompeo had met with Turkish and Saudi officials concerning the disappearance and apparent death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

He said Saudi officials are working on a "complete, thorough investigation" that will be completed "in a timely fashion."

"This report itself will be transparent for everyone to see, to ask questions about," he said. "I told President Trump this morning we ought to give them a few more days to complete that, so that we, too, have a complete understanding of the facts surrounding that."

He added: "At which point, we can make decisions about how or if the United States should respond to the incident surrounding Mr. Khashoggi."

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Karen Attiah, who edited Jamal Khashoggi's final piece in the Washington Post, said the journalist's last column highlighted what he cared about most: Bringing freedom of expression to the Arab world.

The column — titled "What the Arab world needs most is free expression" — bemoaned the lack of free expression in region, leaving the majority of its population "unable to adequately address" issues that matter to them.

"This particular column just really does illustrate what he was most passionate about," Attiah told CNN. "He really just felt that the Arab world needed independent, trustworthy platforms for these voices and for these journalists."

The Washington Post published Khashoggi's final column last night, in both English and Arabic, Attiah said. She said it was a way to "honor him and his audience."

Watch more from Attiah in the clip below:

Liam Fox, the UK's Secretary of State for International Trade, pulled out of the Future Investment Initiative conference in Saudi Arabia Thursday due to concerns over the disappearance and apparent murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.  

A government spokesperson told CNN that Fox "decided the time is not right for him to attend." 

On the ongoing investigation into the disappearance and apparent killing of Khashoggi, the spokesperson added that “the UK remains very concerned.” 

Some context: Fox’s decision to cancel his trip to Saudi Arabia follows that of a number of big names who recently pulled out of the conference, which is dubbed the “Davos of the desert."

Those business A-listers include IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde and London Stock Exchange CEO David Schwimmer.

The office of Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor said Thursday that the investigation into Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance complies with all its dimensions with respect to international law and agreements, according to state news agency Anadolu. 

The public will be informed about the ongoing Khashoggi investigation “when necessary," a statement from the prosecutor's office added, according to Anadolu. 

The Washington Post published what the newspaper describes as the "last piece" written by missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was allegedly killed and dismembered in his country's consulate in Istanbul earlier this month.

In the piece, Khashoggi bemoaned the lack of free expression in the Arab world, leaving the majority of its population "unable to adequately address, much less publicly discuss, matters that affect the region and their day-to-day lives."

In a note at the top of the column, published late Wednesday, Post Global Opinions editor Karen Attiah wrote that she "held off publishing it because we hoped Jamal would come back to us."

"Now I have to accept: That is not going to happen," she said. "This is the last piece of his I will edit for The Post. This column perfectly captures his commitment and passion for freedom in the Arab world. A freedom he apparently gave his life for."

President Trump will meet Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday as the White House struggles to contain a spiraling crisis over a journalist's apparent death at a Saudi consulate.

Pompeo returned to Washington on Wednesday after an emergency diplomatic mission to meet Saudi and Turkish leaders.

What Trump's been saying: Trump stressed Wednesday that he does not want to abandon Riyadh as it comes under increasing pressure to explain the disappearance of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who has not been seen since entering the consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 2.

Trump denied that he was "giving cover" to Saudi Arabia, insisting that he wants to get to the bottom of what happened.

Dr. Salah Muhammad al-Tubaiqi, one of 15 Saudi men who Turkish officials believe are connected to Khashoggi's apparent death, spent three months studying at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) in Australia starting in June 2015.

Deb Withers, a spokeswoman for VIFM, told CNN on Thursday that Tubaiqi was at the institute as a forensic pathologist and that his study was paid for by the government of Saudi Arabia. 

He was the head of Saudi Arabia's Forensic Commission at the time of his visit to Australia, VIFM’s annual report from 2014-2015 notes. 

Withers told CNN that Tubaiqi’s focus while at the institute was on methods in mass body identification, particularly related to the Hajj, according to his application for the placement at the VIFM. His application included a focus on CT scanning in autopsy, or "bloodless autopsy," that is, being able to identify cause of death without cutting up a cadaver.

Withers said Tubaiqi spent time viewing autopsies, viewing procedures in the mortuary and learning from radiologists concerning CT scans. He was not permitted to perform autopsies or any other procedures.

Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül said that the investigation into the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is ongoing but is expected to be concluded "soon."

Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul October 2 but has not been seen since. Turkish authorities believe that 15 Saudi men who arrived in Istanbul on October 2 were connected to the Saudi journalist's likely death. At least some of them appear to have high-level connections in the Saudi government.

"This will be an important case in International law and discussed since it is a unique case. A very detailed and deep investigations is ongoing," Gül said.

"Right now, after many hours it is our investigators that are continuing the investigation and we are waiting for the results. I trust our police force, intelligence and criminal investigators that they are executing the job well."

French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire is the latest world leader to drop out of a Saudi-sponsored global finance and business forum amid the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

“The conditions have not yet been met for me to go to Riyadh,” Le Maire told French television’s Public Senate.  “The facts are serious and we want to know the truth," the minister said.

Other high-profile attendees who pulled out include JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford, IMF managing director Christine Lagarde and Wold Bank President Jim Yong Kim.

A list of other participants who have pulled out can be found here