Where's Putin? Speculation rife online over Russian leader's absence
Chinese state media latest to highlight mystery surrounding Russian leader
Is he dead, sick or has his girlfriend had a baby? Various theories are circulating that attempt to explain the absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been out of public view for more than a week.
Even China's state media is now asking questions about the whereabouts of the leader of one of China's closest allies, whose unusually long hiatus of public appearances was highlighted on Wednesday when news broke that a trilateral summit was postponed for unknown reasons.
Xinhua noted that the most prevailing guess was that the meeting was delayed probably because the Russian head of state had fallen ill - something that the Kremlin has strenuously denied.
Without any clear reason for his absence, a wave of savage mockery has broken across the internet.
State television footage of Putin working at his residence on Friday failed to quell the tide of theories circulating online that the 62-year-old Kremlin leader had died, been deposed or travelled to Switzerland to watch his girlfriend give birth.
Ukrainian children produced a cartoon showing Putin abducted from the Kremlin by aliens.