Richard Burton got his wife Elizabeth Taylor a Cartier diamond after they had a dispute at a restaurant

Vladimir Putin wants the Ukrainian counteroffensive halted by early October and has instructed Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu to improve the situation, according to a Kremlin insider cited by a US-based think-tank monitoring the war. “Putin reportedly gave Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu a deadline of one month until early October 2023 to improve the situation on the frontlines, stop Ukrainian counteroffensives, and have Russian forces regain the initiative to launch an offensive operation against a larger city,” the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in an intelligence update on Sunday. It said the Russian military command is likely ordering relentless attacks with the hope of forcing the Ukrainian counteroffensive to culminate, even at a high cost to Russian military capabilities, if the claims are true. The ISW said it has previously seen situations wherein the Russian defence ministry, “fearing the imminent loss of Putin’s favour”, has amped up its efforts to purge commanders offering honest but negative views. Russia launched what it called a “special military operation” in Ukraine in February last year, bringing its neighbour under a full-scale invasion and causing thousands of deaths and displacing millions. Mr Putin had first acknowledged the Ukrainian counteroffensive in June this year and claimed that the war-hit nation’s troops will not make significant gains against the strong Russian defences. He had also claimed Ukrainian troops would suffer heavy losses of personnel and western military equipment. But the initiative in which Kyiv is looking to push back all Russian forces from Ukraine’s territory, including the occupied areas, is now well into its fourth month and has registered some important territorial gains this month. President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged the counteroffensive was slow, but added that is was “important that we are moving forward every day and liberating territory”. A study by the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think-tank, found Ukrainian forces average 700-1,200m of progress every five days. That gives Russian forces time to dig in and especially to mine territory as they pull back. The 3rd Assault Brigade, composed entirely of volunteers and considered one of Ukraine’s best and most experienced corps, has been fighting almost nonstop in the east since January, while less-experienced units received new training and modern weapons to fight in the south. Read More ‘Panic’ grips Putin’s military and milbloggers over Ukraine’s advances on battlefield Ukraine-Russia war – live: ‘Panic’ among Putin’s troops as they ‘face threat of encirclement’ in Verbove Drones attack Black Sea, Crimea and parts of Russia where thousands suffered power cuts Russia ‘weaponised food and deliberately caused starvation’ in Ukraine Ukraine is building an advanced army of drones. For now, pilots improvise with duct tape and bombs

Billy Milligan was arrested in 1979 for the rape of three women on the Ohio State campus

WAKEFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 19, 2023--

While there are several other time travel movies that have been talked about after James Gunn’s tweet, ‘Somewhere in Time’ emerged as the winner

'The Voice' 2023 Finale will bid adieu to Blake Shelton

Matt Olson said the right things Atlanta Braves fans needed to hear after a dreadful series.For the first time in months, the Atlanta Braves have actually lost a series.I know, it stinks, but these things do happen all the time, even to the best teams in baseball. After dominating in Game 1 ...

Food prices in South Africa are on a tear yet again, underscoring central bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago’s resolve

Framber Valdez retired the first 10 Boston batters on Wednesday and took a shutout into the sixth inning to help the Houston Astros beat the Red Sox 7-4 and complete their first sweep at Fenway Park

Roy Herron, a longtime Tennessee state lawmaker and former chairperson of the state Democratic Party, died Sunday from injuries sustained in a jet ski accident. He was 69. Herron died at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, according to a statement from his family. He had been hospitalised since a 1 July accident on Kentucky Lake, in which he suffered internal bleeding and extensive injuries to his arm and pelvis, according to his family's Caring Bridge website. “Roy loved his family with all his might,” Herron's wife, Rev. Nancy Carol Miller-Herron, said. “He passed doing what he loved most — spending time with our sons and their friends in the Tennessee outdoors where his spirit was always most free.” Herron, an attorney from Dresden, Tennessee, served a combined 26 years in the state's House and Senate, where he became floor leader and caucus chair for the Democrats. He never missed a day of session, except for when his youngest son was born, according to his website. He chaired the state Democratic Party from 2013 to 2015. A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin, Herron was also one of the first students to earn joint degrees in divinity and law from Vanderbilt University. An ordained Methodist minister, Herron also authored three books, including one titled, “God and Politics: How Can a Christian Be in Politics?” Funeral services were planned for Saturday at First United Methodist Church in Martin. Condolences poured in on Sunday. On Twitter, former Vice President Al Gore called his fellow Tennessee Democrat “a dear friend and one of Tennessee’s most devoted citizens.” Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen called Herron “bright, diligent, and honest. A politician destined for greatness.” Republican Rep. David Kustoff said Herron ”dedicated his life to serving West Tennessee, and the entire Volunteer State." Tennessee House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison said on Twitter he was “the kind of guy that you couldn’t help but like.” Joe Hill, a longtime Tennessee Democratic political operative who worked with Herron on multiple campaigns, said he “brought a zeal for making health care more accessible to disadvantaged Tennesseans” when he was elected to the state House. Hill said he also brought that commitment to “education, victims' rights, environmental quality and so many other things that affect average people.” “His legacy of advocating for ‘the least among us’ will represent the gold standard of service for Democrats and Republicans in Tennessee's future,” Hill told The Associated Press on Sunday. That nature applied to Herron's friendships as well, Hill said. He recalled how Herron drove 140 miles (225 kilometers) to be with him and his family in Memphis, after one of Hill's children was involved in a car crash. “We left home in such a hurry and didn’t bring extra clothes,” Hill said. “My wife, Susan, was freezing in the cold hospital waiting room, and Roy gave her his shirt so she could be warm. That’s the kind of genuine human being he was.” In 2010, after briefly running for governor, Herron became the Democratic nominee in Tennessee's 8th Congressional District, when then-Rep. John Tanner announced his retirement, after more than 20 years in the seat. Herron ultimately lost the general election to Republican Stephen Fincher. “I was hoping when I retired, that he would win the seat,” Tanner told the AP on Sunday. After a tornado devastated his hometown of Dresden just before Christmas in 2021, Herron marshaled a fundraising effort, amassing more than $100,000 to aid recovery efforts. “It's an overused term — that he was a dedicated public servant — but that really was Roy,” Tanner said. “He worked tirelessly for causes that he took up, and he had a good heart.” Read More Biden news – live: UK-US relationship ‘rock solid’, says US president at Downing Street meeting with Rishi Sunak Republican lawmaker claims US is ‘hiding evidence’ of UFOs which ‘defy physics as we know it’ Roy Herron, longtime Tennessee Democratic lawmaker, dies after injuries from jet ski accident Watch live as Joe Biden meets King Charles at Windsor Castle Biden’s biggest gaffes: Muddling up wars, dozing off mid-event and several tumbles

Reform-minded incumbent Prosecutor Buta Biberaj has won her Democratic primary over challenger Elizabeth Lancaster in Virginia

France is at risk of flouting European Union fiscal guidance while Germany and Italy aren’t seen to be