North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's absence from key national events over the last few days could be linked to his concerns over the coronavirus.
That's according to South Korea's minister for North Korean affairs, who clarified that it does not imply he is unwell.
Minister Kim Yeon-chul confirmed they have not detected any unusual movements in North Korea.
"It is true that he had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sung’s birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been cancelled because of coronavirus concerns," he said at a parliamentary hearing.
"I don’t think that’s particularly unusual given the current (coronavirus) situation."
Even though North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus, officials in Seoul believe Kim must be trying to avoid exposure to COVID-19.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said he has a good idea how Kim is doing, without elaborating.
Speculation around Kim's health surfaced after he skipped several key events since mid-April.
Iran said on Saturday it could sign the framework for a peace deal with the United States in the coming days, but dismissed a suggestion by mediator Pakistan that it would be signed within the next 24 hours.
An Indian military aircraft crashed on Saturday during a routine flight, killing all five people on board, the Indian Air Force said in a social media post on X.
A Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and sparked a fire at a sea terminal in the southern Russian port of Temryuk, in the Krasnodar region, governor Veniamin Kondratiev said on Saturday on the Telegram messaging app.
President Donald Trump on Friday said US forces carried out a strike that killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero, the leader of Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua.
Qatar’s International Media Office has strongly denied allegations published by The Washington Post claiming that the country’s energy production decisions were coordinated with Iran or intended to influence regional developments.
Hopes grew on Friday for peace between Iran and the US after President Donald Trump said a deal could be signed as soon as this weekend, even as Tehran said it had not made a final decision on a pact.
Families of the 260 people killed when an Air India Boeing 787 crashed in Ahmedabad a year ago gathered on Friday for prayers and a candlelight tribute to mark the anniversary of the disaster.
Two Ebola-related deaths have been confirmed in a displacement camp in eastern Congo, the UN refugee agency said, with aid workers warning the risk of the disease spreading quickly in crowded refugee sites was high and worrying.
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