US President Donald Trump has dismissed social media rumours that have swirled about his health as "fake news" during a press conference at the White House.
Mr Trump did not schedule any public appearances or hold any press conferences for several days last week, a noticeable absence from the cameras for the publicity-loving 79-year-old.
Combined with his age - he is the oldest person ever to be elected US president - and recent images of his bruised hand and swollen ankles, the quiet from the Oval Office ignited widespread speculation that something was seriously wrong with Mr Trump's health.
Many users even suggested that the 47th US president may have passed away, and that the White House was covering it up.
"I didn't see that," the Republican said when a reporter asked him jokingly, "How did you find out over the weekend that you were dead?"
"That's fake news," he added as the Fox News reporter told him of the speculation.
In July the White House said that discoloration on Mr Trump's right hand was "tissue irritation from frequent handshaking" and the use of aspirin as part of a standard cardiovascular treatment.
It said his legs were swollen by chronic venous insufficiency, a common, benign vein condition.
The condition involves damaged leg veins that fail to keep blood flowing properly.
Presidential physician Sean Barbabella said Mr Trump "remains in excellent health" despite the condition, in a letter released by the White House at the time.
The Republican frequently boasts of his good health and energy levels while the administration even posted an image depicting him as Superman.
The health of US presidents has always been closely watched, but with the White House seeing its two oldest ever occupants since 2017 the scrutiny is now heavier than ever.
Mr Trump has alleged that Democrats covered up the mental and physical decline of his predecessor, Joe Biden, who was 82 when he left office in January.
Mr Biden's health was a key issue in the 2024 election, and the then-president was forced to drop his campaign for a second term after a disastrous debate performance against Mr Trump.
Trump says 'very disappointed' in Putin
Meanwhile, Mr Trump said in a radio interview he was "very disappointed" by Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin's failure to reach a peace deal on Ukraine after their summit in Alaska.
"I'm very disappointed in President Putin, I can say that," Mr Trump said when asked if he felt betrayed by Putin's response.
"We had a great relationship, I'm very disappointed."
Mr Trump however did not say what, if any, consequences Russia would face, despite recently setting a two-week deadline to reach a peace deal that is due to expire later this week.
The US leader added that he was not worried by a potential axis between Russia and China, despite Mr Putin meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing ahead of a massive military parade.
"I'm not concerned at all, no," Mr Trump said.
"We have the strongest military in the world by far and they would never use their military on us, believe me that would be the worst thing they could ever do."
Yesterday, when asked by Fox News about potential sanctions on Russia, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration would be examining options for a US response this week.
Since their Alaska summit, and a lengthy phone call with Trump while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders were at the White House, Mr Putin "has done the opposite of following through on what he indicated he wanted to do," Mr Bessent said.
"As a matter of fact, he has, in a despicable, despicable manner, increased the bombing campaign. So I think with President Trump, all options are on the table, and I think we'll be examining those very closely this week."
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