Islam Times - Bahrain Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa Dies Aged 84

Islam Times - Bahrain's Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa has died, the royal palace announced on Wednesday on Twitter.

“The Royal Court mourns his royal highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman, the prime minister, who passed away this morning at the Mayo Clinic, USA,” the state-run Bahrain News Agency reported.

“The burial ceremony will take place after the arrival of his body, and will be limited to a specific number of relatives,” it added.

Official mourning has been declared for a week.

Sheikh Khalifa had served as prime minister since 1970, taking office over a year before Bahrain's independence on August 15, 1971.

At the time of his death, he was the longest-serving prime minister of any government in the world.