Bahrain prime minister Khalifa bin Salman dies

Bahrain’s Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman has died, the Royal Palace announced on Wednesday.

“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 statement did not indicate the treatment Prince Khalifa, 84, had been undergoing.

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

The king announced a week of mourning with flags lowered to half staff and the closure of government departments for three days from Thursday.

Prince Khalifa served as prime minister to the kingdom since a year before independence in 1971, making him the longest-serving head of government in the world.

He was the paternal uncle of King Hamad bin Isa and was married with four children.

The Mayo Clinic has a long history of treating high-ranking Gulf officials, including Sheikh Sabah of Kuwait who died at the Rochdale hospital on September 29 at the age of 91.

In 2004, Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father of the UAE, donated $25 million to establish cardiovascular treatment at the Mayo Clinic that was named after him.

This is a developing story …