Khashoggi, 'Guardians of truth' named Time Person of the Year

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered in October at his country's Istanbul consulate, was named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" on Tuesday, an honour he shared with other persecuted journalists dubbed as "guardians" of the truth.

Among those named with Khashoggi were Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo - currently imprisoned in Myanmar - and the staff of the Capital Gazette in the US city of Annapolis, including five members killed in a June shooting.

Khashoggi, a Saudi contributor to The Washington Post, was killed shortly after entering Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

His gruesome murder has damaged Riyadh's international reputation and western countries including the United States, France and Canada have placed sanctions on nearly 20 Saudi nationals.

Time, which has awarded the "Person of the Year" title annually since 1927, published four different magazine covers for this week's edition, each one spotlighting different honorees.

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It is the first time someone has been chosen posthumously for the prestigious cover.

US President Donald Trump, the 2016 "Person of the Year," was the bookmakers' favourite this year but in the end was runner-up.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller, investigating possible collusion between Russia and Trump's 2016 election campaign, was ranked third.