Nayef bin Abdel-Aziz named new crown prince of Saudi Arabia

Ultraconservative Prince Nayef bin Abdel-Aziz Al Saud has been named the new crown prince of Saudi Arabia, state TV announced. Nayef, a member of the most powerful of the Saudi ruling families, was named as heir to the Saudi throne following the death last week of the previous second-in-line, Crown Prince Sultan. The Saudi interior minister 78, is in charge of the security forces and is close to Islamic ultraconservatives. He would assume the throne upon the death of King Abdullah, 87, who is recovering from his third operation to treat back problems in less than a year.