Vladimir Putin has lost one of his top nuclear submarine force commanders after his vehicle was hit by heavy machine gun fire while he was on a peacekeeping mission in Azerbaijan. 

Captain Ivan Kovgan, 52, was gunned down in the disputed Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, where he was seconded as deputy commander of a peacekeeping force. 

The 52-year-old military leader was also deputy commander of Russia‘s Northern Fleet submarine force based in the Arctic.

He died alongside Colonel Tagir-Murod Karaev, from Russia’s Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defence Forces, along with four other Russian servicemen, when their UAZ Patriot vehicle was riddled with bullets by the Azerbaijani army.

‘Their vehicle came under fire. Everyone was killed,’ a source said. 

Captain Ivan Kovgan (pictured) was killed by machine gun fire in Azerbaijan

His 4×4 vehicle was riddled with machine gun bullets

He and five other Russian servicemen were killed in the attack 

Photos of the 4×4 vehicle that held the military figures show it was riddled with bullets. 

Those responsible for the shooting of the submarine commander and other peacekeepers have been detained, and are expected to face criminal action.

Their commander has been suspended.

Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev personally apologised to Putin for the killing of Kovgan and the other peacekeepers, and promised financial compensation for their families.

‘In order to investigate all the causes of the incident, the investigative authorities of Azerbaijan and Russia are working on the spot,’ said the defence ministry in Baku.

Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev has personally apologised for the killings

Kovgan (pictured left) was deputy commander of Russia’s Northern Fleet submarine force based in the Arctic

It called for ‘patience’ during the probe and expressed condolences to the Russian military and the soldiers’ relatives.

The killings came as ceasefire between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenians in the region was declared, just 24 hours after Azerbaijan launched a military operation to gain full control over Nagorno-Karabakh, a mainly Armenia province.

The area lies in the mountains of the South Caucasus region of eastern Europe and Asia, between the Black Sea and the Caspian, and has been at the centre of one of the world’s longest running conflicts. 

Russian peacekeepers were sent to the region after thousands of people were reportedly killed in six weeks of fighting between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the self-declared breakaway region of Artsakh.

A British woman has been stabbed to death on Spain‘s Costa Blanca.

The 76-year-old’s Norwegian partner, 82, has been arrested on suspicion of killing her at a property in Orihuela, a spokesperson for the Civil Guard said today. 

‘We can confirm that today at 7:40am we were alerted to a possible domestic violence incident at a property in Orihuela Costa which resulted in the death of the victim.

‘The wounds she had could correspond to an attack with a bladed weapon.’

The couple are understood to have lived together at the property. It is not clear if they were married.

A view of Orihuela, a city and municipality in the province of Alicante, Spain, where a woman is believed to have been stabbed to death

A person described as a friend is said to have called the Civil Guard.

One unconfirmed report today said the friend had gone to the property at the request of the man arrested so he could help him hand himself in to police.

Sources close to the investigation said they believed the incident that led to the British woman dying occurred in the early hours of this morning.

Detectives said there were no previous reports of any problems between the alleged aggressor and the victim. 

In March, a British woman was found dead inside her home in Orihuela Costa with stab wounds.

Her 69-year-old husband, also thought to be British, was understood to have been arrested as he tried to flee the scene.

Local reports said an unnamed suspect had been included on a database after being accused of domestic violence in 2019, two years after the couple moved to Spain. 

Also in March, it emerged a British man facing a murder charge over the frenzied stabbing of his wife at their Costa del Sol flat had died in hospital and was set to be given a pauper’s funeral.

David Cadwallader, 80, passed away in December last year, less than a month after being remanded in custody following the brutal killing of his wife Lesley who was also from the UK.

News of his death on December 2 last year was only made public four months later.

Reports at the time of the killing said she had phoned the emergency services in a desperate SOS call to say she had been knifed four times before the line went dead.

Her husband, who was thought to have Alzheimer’s, was discovered lying on a bed at their beachfront apartment in Torremolinos and arrested after police forced entry with the help of firefighters.

A judge decided to send him to prison while he continued to investigate him over the November 4 2022 killing, although officials confirmed at the time he had been transferred to a specialist psychiatric wing.

Although the expat had officially been placed under investigation he had yet to be formally charged with any crime at the time of his death.

In December last year a 56-year-old British man was arrested on suspicion of killing his wife of the same nationality at their home near Mazarron in the south-east Spanish province of Murcia.

She was found dead on the ground outside the bungalow they purchased earlier this year.

It was not immediately clear today how far the criminal investigation into that incident has progressed and whether the man arrested remains in custody.

David Foster said that his wife Katharine McPhee has been ‘managing’ emotionally in the wake of the tragic death of their family nanny Yadira Calito in a car crash last month.

‘It’s been tough for her,’ the famed music producer, 73, said of his spouse, 39, in a joint interview for Entertainment Tonight Thursday.

The Grammy-winning producer said that ‘it’s been tough’ for McPhee in the wake of Calito’s death, as McPhee prematurely departed their musical tour August 11, citing a ‘horrible tragedy.’

McPhee thanked her husband for speaking on her behalf about the emotional issue.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Calito was fatally struck by a vehicle August 9 while she was at a Toyota dealership service center in Mission Hills, California.

David Foster, 73, said that his wife Katharine McPhee, 39, has been ‘managing’ emotionally in the wake of the tragic death of their 

Shock death: The couple’s family nanny Yadira Calito, 55, (pictured) was killed in a car crash last month

Police said that an 84-year-old woman driving a Toyota RAV4 careened into the building, hitting Calito and multiple other people inside.

Calito was pronounced dead at the hospital while two employees at the dealership were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries in the incident, authorities said.

The driver did not suffer any injuries in the incident, authorities said.

Foster and McPhee have resumed their tour since she took a break following the tragic death of Calito, who took care of their couple’s two-year-old son, Rennie Foster.

McPhee at the time released a statement saying that she was leaving the tour early in the wake of the horrific incident.

‘Dearest Jakarta fans, it’s with heavy heart I announce I have to miss our final two shows of our Asia run,’ she said. ‘David and I have had a horrible tragedy in our family and at least one of us need to get back home to our family.

‘Please know how sorry I am and how much I wish to return one day and perform for you all. Love Katharine.’

A source told the outlet last month that the celeb couple had been ‘devastated by her passing’ and ‘willing to do anything they can for their [Calito’s] family during this very difficult time.’

McPhee last month released a statement saying that she was leaving their tour early in the wake of the horrific incident 

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Calito was fatally struck by a vehicle August 9 while she was at a Toyota dealership service center in Mission Hills, California . 

An online obituary for Calito said that she was survived by her ‘fiancé Jamie; children Diana, Luis, Juan and Pamela; and 8 grandchildren and 3 more that are on the way’

Foster and McPhee ‘just want to be there for her loved ones however they can be and support them through this,’ said the source.

An online obituary for Calito said that she was survived by her ‘fiancé Jamie; children Diana, Luis, Juan and Pamela; and 8 grandchildren and 3 more that are on the way.’

The memorial continued: ‘Yaya’s journey through life was marked by her strength, love for family, and an unwavering passion for helping others,’ adding that she ‘dedicated 20+ years of her life to service many families as a dedicated and loving nanny.

‘She leaves behind a family that loved her dearly and will forever cherish the moments they shared.’

This is the horrifying moment a passenger was pushed into the sea to his death by ferry crew after he tried to leap on to the departing vessel at a Greek port.

Shocking footage shows the 36-year-old man, who has not been named, sprinting towards the Blue Horizon ferry and frantically jumping on to the ramp just as the vessel was starting to pull away from the port of Piraeus last night.  

But two crew members, who were standing on the ramp, prevented the man from boarding and appeared to push him backwards. 

The latecomer tried for a second time to board the vessel – bound for Heraklion in Crete – this time with devastating consequences as the crew members violently shoved him backwards. 

In harrowing scenes, the man lost his balance and toppled into the churning sea below where he fought to stay above the water.

In separate video, the man can be seen being sucked below the foaming water due to the power of the ferry’s propellers. It is not known whether the victim hit his head as a result of falling from the ferry but his body was pulled from the sea a short time later, reports Protothema.

Shocking footage shows the 36-year-old man, who has not been named, sprinting towards the Blue Horizon ferry

The man can be seen reaching the ramp and jumping on to it where he is met by crew members 

Several crew appear to confront the man on the ferry ramp just as the vessel leaves Piraeus

Two of them prevent the man from boarding and seem to push him backwards

The two crew members can be seen looking down into the water at the man, as the ferry continues to sail away from the port. 

Witnesses appeared to suggest that the crew members had shoved the latecomer off the vessel’s ramp because he didn’t have a ticket – despite the fact that passengers are able to buy one on board.

‘Come on, did he throw him off the [ramp] and die?’ one witness asked, while another added: ‘He was probably taken by the propeller and sank.’ 

The Greek coastguard said the victim was plucked from the water unconscious and rushed to the General State Hospital of Nikaia where he was pronounced dead. 

The Blue Horizon ferry was ordered to return to the port of Piraeus after the horrifying incident where the captain and crew members were arrested, the Greek newspaper Protothema reported.

But the latecomer tries for a second time to board the vessel towards Heraklion in Crete – this time with devastating consequences as the crew members shove him backwards

In a harrowing scene, the man, circled, loses his balance and topples into the churning sea where he fights to stay above the water

‘A man fell in the port of Piraeus during the sailing of the Blue Horizon. He was recovered unconscious and taken to the General State Hospital of Nikaia. The ship is returning to Piraeus,’ the coastguard said. 

Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, Greece’s shipping minister, said: ‘I express my sadness for the tragic incident in the port of Piraeus in which one person lost his life. 

‘All the necessary actions are being taken by the Piraeus Port Authority to clarify the case and assign responsibility.’ 

A woman in Germany accused of luring her beauty-blogger lookalike to her death did so by offering her a free skin treatment, it has been alleged.

Shahraban K. and boyfriend Sheqir K., both 24 – are accused of targeting blogger Khadidja O. because of her striking resemblance to Shahraban – sharing the same dark hair and complexion.

Shahraban K. is said to have tracked down her lookalike on social media and, along with her boyfriend, stabbed her 50 times in a bid fake her own death.

Prosecutors said the couple aimed many of the slashes and stab wounds at Khadidja O’s face, apparently to make it easier to fool a investigation.

A court in Ingolstadt, Bavaria State, heard how they believed they could pass off their victim’s body as Shahraban K. so she could escape her strict Iraqi family.

ALLEGED KILLER: Shahraban K (pictured). and boyfriend Sheqir K., both 24 – are accused of specially selecting blogger Khadidja O. because of her striking resemblance to Shahraban

VICTIM: Algerian beauty blogger Khadidja O (pictured) was stabbed 50 times in the German city of Ingolstadt, her face completely disfigured from the number of stab wounds

Prosecutors say the killer couple had been contacting random girls on social media who looked enough like Shahraban K. to convince a coroner.

‘We have determined that the female suspect had decided to go into hiding due to family-internal arguments,’ state prosecutor Veronika Grieser told local media on Thursday. ‘She wanted to fake her own death and start a new life.’

On August 9 last year, the killers sent their victim a message via social media offering her the opportunity to be in a video for German rapper Lune.

The pair – who named their fake account ‘lunee.officiel’ – told her: ‘You don’t have to do much. Would be great to hear from you. Would take place in Offenburg.’

And they added: ‘Must be kept a secret though until the song is released.’

But Khadidja grew suspicious and sent a message to the star’s official account. Lune replied saying: ‘It’s fake, sis. Don’t reply!’

Just two days later, the defendants used another Instagram account to get in touch.

Prosecutor Grieser said: ‘This time, they offered a beauty treatment which would come free of charge if their victim advertised it on social media.’

They agreed to meet in Eppingen, the victim’s hometown, according to Grieser, where the killers picked Khadidja up in a Mercedes.

‘They drove towards Ingolstadt but asked the 23-year-old to get out of the car in a forest’ she said. ‘She was hit on the head at least once and then stabbed 56 times.’

Police spokesman Andreas Aichele explained: ‘Her face was seriously injured with the more than 50 knife stabs.’

The killers put their victim’s body back into the car and abandoned the vehicle just a few blocks from where Shahraban K. lived in Ingolstadt.

Her horrified parents discovered the victim’s body in the Mercedes later that day and assumed it was their daughter.

German police officers had initially identified the body, located in the parked Mercedes, as Shahraban K – as the alleged killers had planned.

But suspicions about the body’s identity arose following an autopsy, and the victim has since been identified Khadidja.

Sheqir K, 24, has been charged with murder 

Prosecutors said the couple aimed many of the slashes and stab wounds at Khadidja O’s face (pictured), apparently to make it easier to fool any investigation into her death 

Shahraban and Sheqir were tracked down and arrested after forensic examinations and a check of the victim’s tattoos revealed her true identity.

Prosecutors – who plan to question 190 witnesses in court – charged the duo with murder following extensive DNA checks and the investigation of social media and mobile phone records.

The pair are being held in custody and their full trial is expected to start shortly.

Neither of them have ever made a statement or commented on the accusations.

Ever since the shenanigans at the Confederation of British Industry party hit the front pages, many British corporates have been left terrified about whether the same could happen to them.

So much so that high-level consultants have been advising bosses to cancel summer and Christmas parties in a bid to avoid scandals linked to drunken behaviour.

One partner at a leading consultant told Whispers: ‘These conversations are taking place in every boardroom up and down the country. 

Raising a glass: There are worries that this new age of worthy puritanism could destroy much needed interaction between the different generations

‘We ask them is it a good idea to have people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s all on a boat or in a bar with copious amounts of free alcohol available?’

No doubt this expensive expert advice is being lapped up.

But there are worries that this new age of worthy puritanism could destroy much needed interaction between the different generations.

Has your office party been cancelled? Let Whispers know.

Revolut still waiting for licence 

Another week passes for fintech firm Revolut as it waits for a UK banking licence – to the ever-growing fury of its outburst-prone boss Nik Storonsky. 

It has now been more than half a year since finance boss Mikko Salovaara said a licence would be granted ‘imminently’. 

But Salovaara quit in May and – with Storonsky previously lambasting UK regulators for the ‘long and tiring process’ – he might be better off going for a nap this time. 

Tough month for Freedom Holdings

Freedom Holdings has been having a tough month after the Kazakhstan-based broker was accused by short-seller Hindenburg of evading Russian sanctions.

This won’t come as a surprise to the Ukrainian authorities, who have suspended the firm’s licence, while its tech-savvy founder Timur Turlov has been sanctioned by President Zelensky due to his ties to Russia.

Freedom denies the allegations. And, despite the growing controversy, it is trying to expand its empire.

Whispers hears the firm has applied for a licence to offer brokering services in the UK.

Given Turlov recently said the firm would continue to work with non-sanctioned Russians despite the frosty climate, he may wait a long time for a reply.

Ping An licking wounds over China property woe 

All eyes were on China’s property market last week when one of its largest developers Country Garden posted a record £5.3 billion loss. 

The firm has lost two-thirds of its value this year amid fears over its finances and the state of the housing sector.

One investor licking its wounds is insurer Ping An, with its 5 per cent stake.

City watchers will recall Ping An as a key irritant for HSBC earlier this year when it argued the banking giant should split off its Asian business.

With China’s economy slowing, it may now be Ping An’s turn to suffer, or, as President Xi Jinping recently said, ‘eat bitterness’.

                                                                                                                           Contributor: Mark Shapland