Mourners gather in Vietnam for leader's funeral

This picture taken and released by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on July 25, 2024 shows Vietnamese President To Lam paying his respects for the late general secretary of the Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong in Hanoi. FILE - Vietnam's General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivers remarks at the Communist Party of Vietnam Headquarters, in Hanoi, Sept. 10, 2023.

Thousands of black-clad mourners including top Vietnamese officials gathered Thursday in Hanoi for the funeral of Communist party leader Nguyen Phu Trong as two days of national mourning began.