Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks to French journalists in Damascus, Syria, in this handout picture provided by SANA on January 9, 2017. SANA/Handout via REUTERS
Reuters: Syrian government denies rumors Assad in poor health
The Syrian government has denied rumors that President Bashar al-Assad is suffering from ill health, saying he was "carrying out his duties quite normally".
Speculation swirled in recent days on social media and some Arab news websites saying Assad, 51, was in critical condition, citing rumors of stroke, or even that he had been shot.
"The presidency denies all these reports. President Assad is in excellent health," his office said in a statement on Friday.
"They (the reports) coincide with the changing circumstances in the field and politically," it said, without elaborating.
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WNU Editor: I mentioned a few weeks ago that Syrian President Assad looked sick. He has clearly lost a lot of weight, and he is now looking gaunt.