Sudan's former president Nimeiri dies

Former Sudanese President Jaafar Nimeiri, who took power in a coup in 1969 and brought Islamic rule to Sudan, died on Saturday after a period of illness, government officials said.

He was 79-years-old. "We were expecting this for a time, he had developed an illness. Today he died, two hours ago," Presidential assistant Magdi Abdel Aziz told Reuters. (Reuters)