Trump says to call Putin 'very soon' on plague reports

US President Donald Trump said that he was due to speak shortly with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday after a technician at a laboratory in Siberia reportedly died of the plague. "He had a call scheduled, yes," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if he had spoken to Putin on the issue yet, adding that it would happen "very soon."

Russian authorities said the cause of death is not confirmed and health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor has denied claims circulating in a document online that special measures had been put in place.