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.
At least 5 were killed and 35 others injured when a bomber detonated an explosive inside a mosque in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's Borno state, during evening prayers, police said.
A helicopter has crashed on Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, killing five people, the civil aviation authority said on Thursday, while local media reported that the aircraft was on a medical rescue mission.
Fourteen countries including Britain, Canada, and Germany have condemned the Israeli security cabinet's approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, saying they violated international law and risked fuelling instability.
The US Justice Department has found more than a million more documents potentially tied to convicted American financier Jeffrey Epstein, delaying a full release for weeks while officials redact details to protect victims, the Department of Justice said on Wednesday.
Russia plans to put a nuclear power plant on the moon in the next decade to supply its lunar space programme and a joint Russian-Chinese research station, as major powers rush to explore the earth's only natural satellite.