Cliche has it that behind every great man stands a woman—and as it happens, the same also applies to murderous dictators. Syria’s fallen tyrant, Bashar al-Assad, fled to friendly Moscow after his regime was toppled by rebels two weeks ago.

The wife of deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad is severely ill with leukaemia and has been given a 50/50 chance of survival, media reports have claimed. Asma Assad is being isolated to prevent infection and cannot be in the same room as other people, the Telegraph newspaper also reported.

Assad, is reportedly battling leukemia, an aggressive cancer of the bone marrow and blood, and has a 50-50 chance of survival.

Asma al-Assad is severely ill with leukaemia and has been isolated by doctors who have given her a “50/50” chance of survival, The Telegraph understands. The British wife of the ousted Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad, is being kept away from others to prevent infection and cannot be in the same room as anyone else.

Syria's presidency announced that the then-first lady of the Middle Eastern country had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia - an aggressive cancer of the bone marrow and the blood.

Asma Assad, the wife of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, is reportedly battling for her life against leukemia while living in exile. Sources in direct contact with Asma’s British family told the Telegraph on Wednesday that the former first lady is so sick she often “can’t be in the same room” with others and is