Former Qatari Emir dies aged 84

DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar's former emir, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani died on Sunday, aged 84, Qatar's state news agency QNA reported. He ruled Qatar from 1972 until 1995 when he was deposed in a bloodless palace coup by his son Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the father of Qatar's current emir Sheikh Tamim. Sheikh Hamad handed power in 2013 to Sheikh Tamim in a rare abdication by a hereditary Gulf Arab ruler to try to ensure a smooth succession. The U.S.-allied state is small, with 2. ...