North Korea is to begin two days of funeral services for its late leader Kim Jong-il, with hundreds of thousands expected to attend in Pyongyang.
Few details are known and there will be no foreign delegations but a procession is expected on Wednesday, echoing that for Kim's father, Kim Il-sung, in 1994.
As then, the funeral is expected to be used to cement the succession of new leader, Kim Jong-un.
Kim Jong-il died of a heart attack on 17 December, aged 69, officials said.
He has been lying in state since then.
'Memorial service'If the funeral does mirror 1994, there will be much pomp and military might, with tens of thousands of weeping North Koreans.
Kim Jong-il was not in the funeral motorcade for his father's death and observers will be watching to see how prominent a role Kim Jong-un plays.
Kim Jong-un's name is first in the list of members of the "national funeral committee" published by the main North Korean news agency, and the funeral committee did take part in the Kim Il-sung funeral.
Kim Jong-il's two other sons are not members of the committee and have not been seen during the mourning period.
South Korean media have suggested a start time of around 01:00 GMT, with a 24-gun military salute followed by a march of troops through the centre of the capital.
There will probably be a large photograph of the late leader, smiling, on prominent display.
Citizens will line the streets, with many of the women in traditional black dresses.
There have been many images of distraught citizens released by state media since the death.
Thursday is expected to feature a three-minute silence at noon local time, followed by trains and ships sounding horns.
The national memorial service will then begin.
State media have portrayed Kim Jong-un as leader since his father's death.
He is still in his 20s and has very little political experience.
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper has described Kim Jong-un as the head of the Workers' Party Central Committee, meaning that he now controls one of the country's highest decision-making bodies.
The newspaper earlier gave him the title of "supreme commander" of the armed forces.
Analysts say he will be surrounded by a group of experienced military insiders and relatives, as the Pyongyang elite attempts to hold on to power.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-asia-16342315
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