The Syrian government says the wife of President Bashar al-Assad has been diagnosed with breast cancer.<br /> Photos posted on social media show British-born Asma al-Assad sitting alongside the president with an IV line in her arm, while apparently undergoing treatment. <br />The public disclosure of a serious health issue in the top echelons of an Arab state is quite rare as such matters are usually shrouded in secrecy. <br />Syria's First Lady was placed under EU sanctions in 2012 over the government's violent response to the Syrian uprising.<br />She has consistently stood by her husband despite allegations of war crimes. <br />
