Veteran prime minister Sheikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa chaired his first cabinet meetings of the year in mid-April, dispelling rumours he might be sidelined following an extended bout of ill-health. Official statements highlighted Khalifa’s leadership of meetings also attended by Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, who chaired most of the weekly cabinet sessions while the king’s uncle was absent. Salman was even tipped by some to take over from the world’s longest serving premier.
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