The history of the engagement ring can be reliably traced to ancient Rome, where a Roman bride might receive an iron ring for home and a gold one for public life. Medieval law made a ring given at betrothal binding, and the Church later required marriages to be announced in advance. The first well-documented diamond engagement ring was given by Archduke Maximilian of Austria in 1477. Diamonds only became common after South African mines produced large quantities in the 1870s, and the De Beers marketing campaign from 1938 onward, including the 1947 slogan a diamond is forever, made them an expectation in America. Before World War II only about 10 percent of American engagement rings contained a diamond.

Israeli reports also say the cabinet directed the military to prepare for a possible new attack on Iran.

Angkor, near Siem Reap in northern Cambodia, was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which ruled much of mainland Southeast Asia between roughly the 9th and 15th centuries. At its height the city spread across about 3,000 square kilometres, making it the largest pre-industrial city on Earth by area. Its growth depended on water: huge reservoirs called barays, along with canals and embankments, stored monsoon rain and carried it to rice fields. That system let farmers harvest more than once a year and fed a very large population through the dry season. The temple complex of Angkor Wat, built in the early 12th century, is the best-known monument and still stands at the heart of the park.