Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

'A Russian President with nothing to loose is more dangerous'

'A Russian President with nothing to loose is more dangerous'

THE health of Vladimir Putin is a double-edged weapon. A British tabloid is reporting that Putin is “very ill with blood cancer”.

If the Russian president really is going down, he may calculate he has nothing to lose by taking everyone else down with him.


The source for the claim about Putin’s health is apparently a Russian oligarch named only as “Yuri”. The tabloid was relaying a disclosure first made in New Lines, an American magazine focusing on “the Middle East and beyond”.

The oligarch, who is said to have close ties to the Kremlin, “claimed a number of the health problems Putin is believed to be suffering from are linked to him having blood cancer.

“One example given was Putin’s lower back problems, New Lines reported. The Russian tyrant underwent surgery on his back in October 2021, just a few months before he ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

“Other examples cited by the magazine included Putin’s increasingly puffy face – a possible indicator of steroid use in his recovery – and the fact that he appears to be walking with a limp.

“Other sources have claimed in recent months that Putin, 69, is suffering from Parkinson’s.”

The west may calculate the invasion of Ukraine was very much Putin’s personal decision and if he is no longer in charge of Russia, his successor may not wish to continue the war. However, a Putin with nothing to lose is even more dangerous  and perhaps less hesitant to use the nuclear option against Ukraine and other countries.

If his intention in invading Ukraine was to discourage the expansion of Nato, his actions have had precisely the opposite effect.

Finland and Sweden, who have been careful to remain outside Nato, are now applying to join it.

Putin has warned his Finnish counterpart that relations between the two neighbours could be “negatively affected” if Finland follows through with plans to apply for Nato membership. No one in the west really knows how he will react except that a presenter on a BBC World Service programme I was listening to on Sunday said most experts had been confident that Putin wouldn’t actually invade Ukraine.

We are told on a daily basis that “plucky” Ukraine is being very brave in holding out against the Russians, who are not winning the war. But despite Russian losses, Putin looks set to carry on a war in which thousands of Ukrainian men, women and children have been killed.

How does the west bring this devastation to an end? Since Putin won’t budge there seems little point in telling him of his failures. Perhaps the time has come to talk over his head directly to the Russian people, who are being fed only Putin’s version of events.

The west’s message should be: “We have no quarrel with the Russian people. But you must prevail on your president to call off this senseless war.”

At the start of the war, Boris Johnson did tell the Russians in Russian: “I do not believe this war is in your name.”

His message now needs repeating: “This is a tragedy for Ukraine. And so, too, it is a tragedy for Russia. Like Ukraine, Russia is a great country with a rich history, and a proud people like Ukraine.”

The prime minister praised Russia’s contribution to world civilisation: “Russia’s poets and artists and authors have shaped our culture, and Russia’s soldiers fought so bravely with us in the struggle against fascism. But Putin’s actions are leading to complete isolation for Russia, shunned by the rest of the international community, hit by immense economic sanctions, and facing a needless and bloody war that is already costing countless lives from innocent Ukrainians, to your Russian soldiers, who will never see their families again.”

More For You

We are what we eat: How ending malnutrition could save millions of lives around the world

Malnutrition is the underlying cause of almost 50 per cent of child deaths around the world

Getty Images

We are what we eat: How ending malnutrition could save millions of lives around the world

Baroness Chapman and Afshan Khan

The word “nutrition” can mean many things. In the UK, the word might conjure images of protein powders or our five-a-day of fruit and veg. But nutrition is much more than that. Nutrition plays a crucial role in shaping the health and life chances of people around the world.

Malnutrition is the underlying cause of almost 50 per cent of child deaths around the world as it weakens the immune system, reducing resilience to disease outbreaks such as cholera and measles. This is equivalent to approximately 2.25 million children dying annually - more than the number of children under five in Spain, Poland, Greece, or Portugal.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dynamic dance passion

Mevy Qureshi conducting a Bollywoodinspired exercise programme

Dynamic dance passion

Mevy Qureshi

IN 2014, I pursued my passion for belly dancing at the Fleur Estelle Dance School in Covent Garden, London. Over the next three years, I mastered techniques ranging from foundational movements to advanced choreography and performance skills. This dedication to dance led to performing in front of audiences, including a memorable solo rendition of Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk, which showcased dynamic stage presence and delighted the crowd.

However, my connection to dance began much earlier. The energy, vibrancy, and storytelling of Bollywood captivated me from a very young age. The expressive movements, lively music, and colourful costumes offered a sense of joy and empowerment that became the foundation of my dance passion.

Keep ReadingShow less
How Aga Khan led a quiet revolution

The late Prince Karim Aga Khan IV

How Aga Khan led a quiet revolution

THE late Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, who passed away in Lisbon last month, succeeded his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan 111, as the spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims in July 1957, when massive changes were taking place globally.

Having taken a year off from his studies at Harvard University, the Aga Khan IV decided to travel all over the world to gain a first-hand understanding of his followers’ needs and what would be required to ensure quality of life for them and the people among whom they lived, regardless of race, faith, gender or ethnicity.

Keep ReadingShow less
‘Will Gaza surrender if brutal strategy of famine is forced?’

A boy looks on as he eats at a camp sheltering displaced Palestinians set up at a landfil in the Yarmuk area in Gaza City on March 20, 2025. Israel bombarded Gaza and pressed its ground operations on March 20, after issuing what it called a "last warning" for Palestinians to return hostages and remove Hamas from power.

Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP via Getty Images

‘Will Gaza surrender if brutal strategy of famine is forced?’

THERE was supposed to be a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict, yet Israel appears to have turned to a new and deadly weapon – starvation of the besieged population.

Is this a cunning way to avoid accusations of breaking the peace agreement? Instead of re-starting the bombardment, is mass famine the new tactic?

Keep ReadingShow less
Bollywood meets Hollywood: A fusion of glamour, identity, and rebellion

Shiveena Haque

Bollywood meets Hollywood: A fusion of glamour, identity, and rebellion

Shiveena Haque

BOLLYWOOD and Hollywood are so similar, yet worlds apart, but their influences run deep. While each is celebrated for being unique, what isn’t often discussed or acknowledged are the times when they have beautifully blended, including in everyday life.

Many of these influences will always run deep. From vintage Hollywood to sparkles of Hindi cinema, their romance has created many passionate, brave spirits, with a dash of rebellion, adorned with diamantes and dramatic gestures. One of them is me! It’s a flame that will never go out.

Keep ReadingShow less