The former Emir led Qatar's transformation from a small Gulf state into one of the world's wealthiest nations and oversaw the launch of Al Jazeera and the country's World Cup bid.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the emir who guided the transformation of Qatar into a major global player, has died at the age of 74.
"The Amiri Diwan announced the death of HH the Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani on Sunday morning," Qatar'... [2324 chars]