Putin ‘made Gordon Brown sit in a small chair’
And other stories from the stranger side of life

Gordon Brown believes Vladimir Putin once deliberately belittled him by making him sit on a small chair during a visit to Moscow. Remembering a meeting in 2006, when Brown was then Tony Blair’s chancellor, the politician said: “I was put in a very low seat so that I was looking up at him.” He described Putin as “a relatively small man” who wears “stacked heels”. Brown said Putin read out information about him “as though he wanted to prove he knew more about me than I knew about myself”. Speaking to The Telegraph, Brown added: “I can tell you he was threatening me even then.”
Balance test can signal early death
An inability to stand on one leg for ten seconds after the age of 50 could indicate you are facing an early death, according to a new study. Researchers found that people who failed the simple balance test had double the risk of dying from any cause in the next ten years than those who passed it. Some 1,702 participants aged 51-75 were asked to undertake a balance test and then monitored between February 2009 and December 2020, for research published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Unusual items found in man’s stomach
Doctors found hundreds of coins, nails, batteries, magnets, stones, screws and shards of glass inside a man’s stomach, reported The Metro. When medics in Turkey performed an endoscopy with ultrasound and X-ray scans, they were stunned to discover 233 items in the 35-year-old’s stomach. After the objects were removed, the man’s brother said: “I thank the doctors for their attention and support.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
JD Vance steps into the spotlight as MAGA heir apparent
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The vice president is taking an increasingly proactive role in a MAGA movement roiled by scandal and anxious about a post-Trump future
-
Why does the US want to put nuclear reactors on the moon?
Today's Big Question The plans come as NASA is facing significant budget cuts
-
Congress should 'step in' to block Trump's White House ballroom makeover
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Who wins from a Trump-Putin meeting?
Today's Big Question Trump might get the leaders together for a photo op but brokering a peace deal won’t be easy
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Russia's 'shared values' visa
The Explainer The 'anti-woke' scheme is aimed at foreigners who reject LGBTQ+ rights and 'non-traditional' values – and who can provide Moscow with online clout and skilled workers
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
Trump says Putin vowed retaliation for Kyiv strike
speed read The Russian president intends to respond to Ukraine's weekend drone strikes on Moscow's warplanes
-
Why are military experts so interested in Ukraine's drone attack?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The Zelenskyy government's massive surprise assault on Russian airfields was a decisive tactical victory — could it also be the start of a new era in autonomous warfare?
-
Is Trump giving up on Ukraine-Russia peace?
Today's Big Question White House says president is 'weary and frustrated' with conflict
-
Trump drops ceasefire demand after Putin call
speed read Following a phone call with Russia's president, Trump backed off an earlier demand that Putin agree to an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine