HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam Sunday announced a state funeral and two days of national mourning for President Tran Dai Quang, who died Friday aged 61. ADVERTISEMENT“His passing away is a great loss for our party, state and people,” the Communist Party of Vietnam said in a statement Sunday, adding that the funeral would be broadcast live. Condolences have poured in from across geopolitical divides, with Cuba announcing its own mourning period and US President Donald Trump calling him a “great friend of the United States” in a statement Friday. The cause of death was identified in state media as a “rare virus” though no further details were provided. Analysts do not expect his death to shake up politics in the one-party state and rights groups said his legacy was one of repression.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 23, 2018 11:14 UTC