Recently, however, the sheikh had again irked the ruling Al Saud family with a speech marking the death of the long-standing interior minister, Prince Nayef, who had also recently become the crown prince, as well as having been in charge of the religious police since 1975.

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Eddie Teare, the Isle of Man Treasury Minister, said it would "strengthen the close political and business ties between Crown Dependencies".

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Kerry was meeting in Riyadh Monday with the foreign ministers of Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman as well as the Saudi crown prince and foreign minister.

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Among them were French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and Prince Akishino of Japan, the brother of the crown prince.

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Lord McNally, the minister responsible for Britain's Crown Dependencies, said Sark can develop a system of good governance in its own way.

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