State funeral for Viet president
HANOI • Vietnam yesterday announced a state funeral and two days of national mourning for President Tran Dai Quang, who died on Friday aged 61.
Flags will be flown at half-mast and entertainment venues shut for two days starting on Sept 26, when Mr Quang's body will lie in state in Hanoi before being buried in his home town in Ninh Binh province the next day.
The cause of death was identified in state media as a "rare virus" but no details were provided.
Vice-President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh will take over as head of state - the first female in the position - until a replacement is decided by lawmakers at an unspecified date.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Macron's popularity hits record low: poll
PARIS • The popularity of French President Emmanuel Macron has hit its lowest level since the start of his term, according to a major tracker poll published yesterday, with just 29 per cent of respondents satisfied with his leadership.
The poll, by research group Ifop and published in the Journal Du Dimanche, showed an overall fall of five points in September compared with August, reflecting the 40-year-old's battle with a series of domestic and foreign setbacks.
The results of the widely watched poll are broadly in line with other surveys that have shown the approval ratings of the centrist President falling sharply following a scandal involving a security aide in July.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Four sharks killed after tourist attacks
SYDNEY • Four large sharks have been killed in Australia after a woman and a 12-year-old girl were attacked at a popular Great Barrier Reef tourist spot.
Both were still in hospital yesterday after being mauled in separate incidents a day apart last week at the Whitsunday Islands.
Drum lines, which use baited hooks to catch the predators, ensnared four tiger sharks, one 3.7m long and the others between 2m and 3m, a Fisheries Queensland spokesman said. The drumlines are to remain in place this week.
Shark attacks are very rare in the Whitsundays, a collection of tropical islands at the heart of the Barrier Reef.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
