HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam will hold a state funeral and national mourning this week for President Tran Dai Quang, who died last week of a viral illness at age 61. Flags will fly at half-staff and entertainment activities will be cancelled during the two-day funeral that starts Wednesday, the Communist Party and government announced. Quang will be buried in his home village in northern Ninh Binh province, some 115 kilometres (72 miles) south of Hanoi on Thursday. His passing is a “great loss to our Party, state and people,” the announcement said. State media quoted a government doctor as saying he died due to a rare virus but the reports did not identify it.

Source: National Post September 24, 2018 02:27 UTC