Displaying items by tag: illness

It is well known that Vladimir Putin has had back surgery more than once. He has cultivated a strong action-man image and does not want to appear weak or sick. However, there is talk of Parkinson’s, based on his recent twitches and shaking. An American magazine has released a recorded interview of an unnamed oligarch saying he had to have treatment for blood cancer shortly before ordering the Ukraine invasion. There is evidence of repeated visits by a senior cancer specialist, and a video is being circulated showing him shaking. He appeared frail at Victory Day celebrations, with speculation he is ill with something serious. His erratic, impatient behaviour lately could account for Russia’s many military blunders. It is believed that Moscow has lost a third of its ground forces; there are critical shortages of bridging equipment and surveillance drones, plus increasingly low morale.

Oil pollution accumulates in the air, in the soil, and in people’s bodies. When it reaches a certain level, it causes illness or death. The Kurds of northeast Syria were valiant against IS, but today they face a potentially even more deadly scourge, putting the lives of four million local residents at risk. Syria’s contested crude oil is leaking from dilapidated pipelines and contaminating rivers and streams. When the rivers flood, as they did in April, they spread their poison over agricultural crops, just as thousands of rudimentary refineries belch their own toxic fumes into the air. Sporadic protests have resulted in makeshift refineries being shut down, only for them to pop up elsewhere. Locals in affected areas say that many dangerous illnesses caused by the pollution are multiplying. Residents requested anonymity, fearing retribution from authorities - a telling sign of how caustic the danger is.