Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz dies after long illness

The heir to the Saudi throne, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, has died, raising questions about the succession in the oil-rich kingdom and key US ally in the Middle East.

The death of the crown prince – the half-brother of the ailing Saudi King Abdullah – was announced by Saudi state TV.

Sultan, who was 85 and had been suffering from colon cancer, was the kingdom's deputy prime minister and the minister of defence and aviation. He underwent surgery in New York in February 2009 for an undisclosed illness and spent nearly a year abroad recuperating in the United States and at a palace in Agadir, Morocco.    Read More