The Latest: Denmark halts military exports to Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the fallout from the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi (all times local):

4:10 a.m.

Denmark is halting exports of military equipment to Saudi Arabia, citing "the continued worsening of the already terrible situation in Yemen and the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi."

Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen said the kingdom "right now is simply destructive in many fields." He spoke in a live television interview on Thursday.

Samuelsen says he hoped "the Danish decision can create further momentum and get more European Union countries to support tight implementation of the EU's regulatory framework in this area."

The ban would also include so-called dual-use exports of items that can be used both for military and civilian purposes.

In 2017, Denmark's overall exports to Saudi Arabia were of 5.08 billion kroner ($763 million), according to the Danish Chamber of Commerce.

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3 a.m.

President Donald Trump's embrace of Saudi Arabia has exposed a foreign policy rift in the Republican Party, as some of his GOP colleagues warn that not punishing the kingdom for its role in killing a U.S.-based columnist will have dangerous consequences.

Many Republicans — even Sens. Lindsey Graham and Rand Paul, who share their views on the matter with the president — have denounced Trump's decision not to levy harsher penalties on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the death and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

Sen. Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on Wednesday that he was "astounded" by Trump's statement and likened it to a press release for Saudi Arabia.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended Trump's decision, saying the U.S. has already placed sanctions on 17 Saudi officials suspected of involvement in the Oct. 2 killing of The Washington Post columnist, who had been critical of the royal family.