United Nations: The world's nations have paid tribute to Saudi Arabia's late King Abdullah, praising his development of the oil-rich nation, his generosity to the needy and his promotion of peace in the Middle East.
At the start of Monday's ceremony, diplomats from the U.N. General Assembly's 193 member states stood for a minute in silent tribute to his memory.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Abdullah, who died Jan. 23 at the age of 90, “a wise and compassionate leader” and “a champion against global hunger” who sought reconciliation among people of different cultures.
U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said Abdullah “planted many seeds for Saudi Arabia's future,” especially in education with a scholarship program that today has 87,000 Saudis studying in the United States and 33,000 elsewhere in the world.
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