German Cold War leader Helmut Schmidt dies

Former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, who led the country for eight years at the height of the Cold War, died on Tuesday at the age of 96, his office said.

Schmidt was West Germany's second centre-left Social Democrat (SPD) chancellor from 1974 to 1982 and a leading proponent of European integration.

He became chancellor at a time of crisis for West Germany, replacing Willy Brandt, who had been forced to resign when his close assistant Guenter Guillaume was uncovered as a Stasi agency spying for the East German intelligence agency.

At the same time, Schmidt had to deal with the consequences of the 1973-74 oil crisis.

German media reported that Schmidt caught an infection after having surgery to remove a blood clot from his leg about two months ago. He died on Tuesday in his hometown of Hamburg.

Man kills, dismembers and burns love rival after he discovers he was seeing one of his girl friends

A man is accused of shooting , dismembering and then burning a love rival after he allegedly discovered he was seeing one of his girlfriends.
Richard Darling allegedly snapped when he found out about the man was sexually involved with his partner, police said.
Officers in Colorado have now revealed in gruesome detail how they believe Darling carried out the alleged murder . 

Couple fatally shot in Philly while having sex in SUV

A man and woman found in a Philadelphia park fatally shot in an SUV were having sex in the back seat and their killer sought the couple out, police said.

Homicide Capt. James Clark said Monday that Shakoor Arline, 25, and Lisa Smith, 32, were together in the SUV early Friday when someone opened the rear door and fired nine times, shooting both multiple times in the head.

Maintenance workers found their bodies around 2 p.m. Friday near Lemon Hill Mansion, a historic building in the city's Fairmount Park. Clark said the shootings happened between midnight and 5 a.m.

Arline and Smith met at work at a previous job and had been seeing each other on and off for several years, Clark said. Both were also in relationships with other people.

Artist arrested for setting fire to Russian secret service HQ

A performance artist managed to strike at the heart of Russia's security establishment this week. Petr Pavlensky set fire to the doors of Russia’s secret service headquarters (the FSB) and even had time to pose for a photo with a petrol canister before he was arrested on Sunday night. Our Observer says the artist was trying to denounce the FSB's increasing encroachment on Russian society.

The Loubianka is the historic headquarters of the Russian secret service. Once known as the KGB, it was renamed the FSB after the fall of the Soviet Union. According to Pavlensky, the infamous spy service is responsible for depriving Russians of their freedom: "The threat of immediate reprisals hovers over citizens who know that they risk being spied on, having their phone calls recorded, or even being eavesdropped on." The commentary accompanies a video showing Pavlensky's latest exploit, uploaded to a Vimeo account in his name created barely hours before he set fire to the door. The account appears to have been taken offline since then. The artist accuses the Russian secret service of using "unending terror" to "hold power over 146 million people."

Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2015: Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Candice Swanepoel and more rule the runway

Strutting their stuff: The VS models dazzled in New York

The 2015 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show saw the world’s most beautiful models take to the runway in New York on Tuesday in a blaze of bright colours, racy outfits, elaborate wings and other fabulous props.

Behati Prinsloo, Adam Levine’s other half, opened the show dressed in a pair of dazzling wings, while VS veteran Alessandra Ambrosio followed close behind in an equally show-stopping outfit.

Kendall Jenner was a total natural as she made her show debut. With her never ending legs on display as well as her trim tummy in a variety lace lingerie looks, the reality star looked simply stunning.

Hollywood superstar with 'long list of famous exes diagnosed with HIV'

The actor reportedly has a long list of famous exes

A high-profile Hollywood star has been diagnosed with HIV, it has been claimed.

The unnamed actor reportedly has a long list of exes who include a TV star, a glamour model, an award-winning actress, a religious movie star, a top Hollywood personality and more.

His lawyers are said to be preparing for a handful of potential legal claims from these previous lovers after being made aware of the situation, according to The Sun.

A source told the newspaper: “It has now become common knowledge that this star is HIV positive, something he has known for a number of years. His lawyers are bracing for the threat of potential action.

“The reality is that if he’s knowingly put women at risk then that’s disgusting and it’s only a matter of time before that becomes public.”

France foils terror attack on Toulon naval base

Authorities in France have arrested a man with links to an Islamic State group jihadist in Syria over a plot to attack military personnel at a major naval base, police and judicial sources said on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old, whom sources said had been monitored by intelligence agencies after trying unsuccessfully twice last year to travel to Syria, was held late last month and charged on November 2.

The interior ministry said in a statement that the man had been under surveillance “because of his radicalisation and public support for jihadist ideology” and had “attempted to acquire material to carry out a violent attack on Navy personnel in Toulon”.

While he was being monitored, he had a parcel delivered by the post office which was found to contain a combat knife and a mask.