Putin reappears after 10-day absence (video)
President Vladimir Putin has made his first public appearance for over ten days, scotching rumours of a Kremlin coup and even his own death. All eyes were on him as Mr Putin met with the President of Kyrgyzstan, Almazbek Atambayev, for talks as planned. Life "would be boring without gossip", he told Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev at talks in St Petersburg. The 62-year-old appeared relaxed and smiled before the television cameras. His disappearance from public view had sparked rumours that he might have fallen ill, died, been removed in a coup, or once again become a father. An AFP correspondent reported that Mr Putin looked "somewhat pale". But Reuters reported: "There was nothing in his appearance that indicated any obvious health problems." Mr Putin's last public appearance was on 5 March when he met Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
