Saudi Arabia’s King dies

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah ibn Adbulaziz has died. He passed away early on Friday and his half -brother Deputy Prime Minister Salman bin Abdul Aziz became king, the royal court said in a statement carried by state television. The cause of his death was not immediately released by the state.

King Salman, 79, who is taught to be in bad health with speculation he is suffering from dementia or Parkinson’s disease has named his half-brother Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz as his crown prince and heir. Salman has been crown prince and defense minister since 2012. He was governor of Riyadh province for five decades before that

Abdullah, was born in 1923, and took power in 2005 after the death of his brother King Fahd who suffered a debilitating stroke.

King Abdullah’s body will be washed, as is the Islamic tradition, and then dressed in the last robe he wore. His body will be taken to the main mosque in Riyadh, the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque, and funeral prayers will be held at that mosque and mosques throughout the country. The body will then be taken to the Al Oud cemetery in Riyadh for burial at 3:15 p.m. Friday local time