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Kim Jong-un appears in public - state media Kim Jong-un appears in public, North Korean state media report
(32 minutes later)
Kim Jong-un has appeared in public for the first time in 20 days, North Korean state media says.Kim Jong-un has appeared in public for the first time in 20 days, North Korean state media says.
KCNA news agency reports that the North Korean leader cut the ribbon at the opening of a fertiliser factory.KCNA news agency reports that the North Korean leader cut the ribbon at the opening of a fertiliser factory.
It adds that people at the factory "broke into thunderous cheers of hurrah" when he appeared.It adds that people at the factory "broke into thunderous cheers of hurrah" when he appeared.
The reported appearance - his first since a state media appearance on 12 April - comes amid global speculation over his health. The reported appearance - his first since a state media event on 12 April - comes amid global speculation over his health.
Mr Kim was accompanied by several senior North Korean officials, including his sister Kim Yo Jong, KCNA added.
The latest reports from state media could not be independently confirmed and no pictures were provided.The latest reports from state media could not be independently confirmed and no pictures were provided.
Speculation began when Mr Kim missed the birth anniversary celebrations of state founder Kim Il Sung on 15 April. Asked about Mr Kim's reported reappearance, US President Donald Trump told reporters that he didn't want to comment yet.
It then grew on Wednesday, when US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said officials in the country "hadn't seen" Mr Kim recently. What started the speculation?
South Korea said reports that Mr Kim was seriously ill were untrue. Speculation about Mr Kim's health began after he missed the birth anniversary celebrations of his grandfather, state founder Kim Il Sung on 15 April.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. The anniversary is one of the biggest events in the North Korean calendar, and Mr Kim usually marks it by visiting the mausoleum where his grandfather lies. Mr Kim had never missed this event before.
You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts. Claims about Mr Kim's ill-health then surfaced in a report for a website run by North Korean defectors.
An anonymous source told the Daily NK that they understood he had been struggling with cardiovascular problems since last August "but it worsened after repeated visits to Mount Paektu".
This led to a chain of reporting by international media on a single-sourced story.
News agencies then began to run with that claim, and it was all they had until some reports emerged that intelligence agencies in South Korea and the US were monitoring the claim.
But then came a more sensational headline in US media that the North Korean leader was in a critical condition after heart surgery.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appeared to stoke the rumours on 29 April, by saying US officials "hadn't seen" Mr Kim recently.
However, a statement from the South Korean government, and sources at Chinese intelligence - speaking to the Reuters news agency - said this was not true.