Cuba declares 3 days of mourning for Kim
Cuba has declared three days of mourning for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, a reliable ally in a world in which Havana has become increasingly isolated since the end of the Cold War.
Cuba and North Korea are among the world's five communist nations - the others being China, Laos and Vietnam - and Cuba is the only one-party communist regime in the Americas.
"Cuba's Council of State has declared official mourning due to the passing of comrade Kim Jong-Il," an official statement said, noting that Cuba's flag would be flown at half mast from December 20-22.
A tearful North Korean state TV announcer delivered the news of Kim's demise at 69 from a heart attack yesterday, and Pyongyang urged the country to rally behind Kim's youngest son, Jong-Un, who is in his late 20s.
AFP