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Kayleigh: Britney Spears has gone crazy after losing her court battle against ex husband Kevin Federline to gain sole custody of her two sons Sean Preston and Jayden James.

The famous pop star has also lost the right to visit her young sons.

Police and ambulances were called to her LA mansion after she refused to hand over her sons after a monitored visit to Kevin’s bodyguards on Thursday.

Britney locked herself and her two children in her bathroom and it took four hours for police and medics to get her out.

Britney is now in hospital after being stretchered out of her LA home. Britney may now have to face up to 30 days of mental evaluation, and has been placed on “5150 hold”, meaning she is considered a danger to herself.

A source told us.magazine.com, “They had to strap her down like a mental patient and she was going between laughing and hysterics. She just went crazy.”

According to The Daily Star newspaper, reports showed Britney had attempted to take her own life by mixing drink and drugs.

A friend of Britney’s said: “We’re so worried. She’s acting weird and may never get full custody of her boys again after taking them hostage.

“She desperatley needs help. These are not the actions of a well woman.”

Federline and Spears married in September 2004 and had a rocky marraige before they divorced in July 2007.

Kevin Federline’s lawyer, Mark Kaplan said: “I’m not happy about any of these events. There’s no winners here.”

The events follow after a turbulant year for Britney, who shaved off all her hair in February 2007, before smashing a car up with an umbrella.

The 26 year old’s singers mum, Lynne Spears, said: “Let’s just say prayers.”

A new custody hearing has been set for January 14th.

Whilst I do believe that primarily children should be with their mother, Britney has been going off the rails for some time now. She needs to clean up her act before she can be taken seriously by any US court for custody of her children. The priority in this case is the children’s safety.

Rushda: A new study has found that despite there being many benefits of low-energy lightbulbs in helping the environment, they can in fact be harmful to those with skin conditions by causing painful rashes to develop or worsen. Thousands of people are at risk if they have photosensitive skin problems.

Fluorescent bulbs, which use about a quarter of the energy of conventional bulbs, have long been marketed by the light industry as one of the major things we should all be switching to in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Furthermore, they are part of the government aim which is to stop the sale of ordinary bulbs by 2011 in order to meet its environment aims. This is all particularly worrying as there are more and more low-energy bulbs coming into use in the home and also in public places.

Many experts including British Association of Dermatologists has asked that the switch shouldn’t be made too hastily and people with such skin conditions must be able to continue to use ordinary bulbs and insist that their workplaces use them under the Disability Discrimination Act. After all, the problem is a serious one and it is estimated that 100,000 people in the UK with the condition will be affected in some way. However, representatives from the lighting industry say that there should be no need to carry on using conventional bulbs as they will now develop alternatives to fluorescent bulbs.

Dr Colin Holden, President of the British Association of Dermatologists, said:

“It is important that patients with photosensitive skin eruptions are allowed to use lights that don’t exacerbate their condition. It is essential that such patients are able to protect themselves from specific wavelengths of light emitted by fluorescent bulbs, especially as they are often trapped indoors because they can’t venture out in natural sunlight.”

For those who have long insisted that low energy bulbs are the ultimate way forward, this new piece of news puts them in a problematic position, especially considering that only recently it was announced that low-energy bulbs are bad in other ways, including causing migraines. It seems that as a nation we have become obsessed with saving the environment - at the expense of possible harm to ourselves.

Steve Robinson: A stomach virus that causes vomiting and diarrhoea is currently infecting more than 100,000 people in the UK each week, doctors have warned. They have urged infected people to remain at home for at least 48 hours after the symptoms of the illness – often called winter vomiting disease – have disappeared, in an attempt to stem the rate of new infections.

The illness is caused by an infectious agent called a norovirus (or Norwalk Virus). Infection causes sudden and acute diarrhoea within just 12 hours, along with projectile vomiting. Flu-like symptoms can also occur, hence its nickname ‘Stomach Flu’. It is estimated that around a million people are infected with the stomach bug each year, but the Health Protection Agency have confirmed that the current wave of infections sweeping the nation is at its highest since 2002.

“Surgeries and hospitals have been swamped with people wanting advice. Wash your hands regularly so you don’t infect anyone else and stay at home two days after the symptoms have gone.

The virus can be contracted by being in contact with infected people, surfaces, food or drink. Outbreaks are difficult to contain due to the low-level of immunity that the body establishes and the only form of containment is to disinfect surfaces and wash your hands regularly. Doctors have advised that, although the disease is not dangerous, sufferers should drink plenty of water to keep themselves hydrated, wash their hands to stop the disease spreading to others, and not return to work until 48 hours after symptoms have eased, as individuals may still infect others.

Although official figures have suggested that 100,000 new cases are appearing each week – and that number may even rise further – it is likely that the real number of infections is far higher still, as most people do not report their illness. With potentially millions of people infected with this virus, the message that sufferers should stay at home seems like good advice, otherwise this will spread around offices even quicker. Although the condition is not serious, there is no real treatment apart from letting the illness take its course. Thankfully, if you are unlucky enough to catch the bug, it should relent within a day or so.

Image: MorgueFile

Kayleigh: Drivers have been warned that the freezing temperatures and snow could severely affect Britain’s roads today.

Most of Northern England and Scotland woke up to a blanket of snow this morning, and the weather is expected to continue for the rest of the day.

The Highways Agency have urged drivers to check road conditions before they set out and avoid unnecessary journeys. Motorists have also been advised to wear warm clothing and to carry an emergency pack in their car containing items such as boots and a spade.

Temperatures today are between 0 and 3 Celsius, however the wind will make it seem even colder.

Snowfall is expected to be up to two inches (5cm) deep in parts of England and Wales. Scotland is expected to be the worst hit however, with predictions of up to six inches 20cm (15cm) by tonight.

Helen Chivers, from the Met Office said: “There will be frost and ice all over the country, and we are likely to see some flurries of snow.

“We could finally have a white winter almost anywhere in the country because the temperatures will be low enough, but the east of England and the Midlands are the best bets for a dusting of one to two centimetres. On the Chilterns and in some parts of Scotland, we could see up to five centimetres settling.”

Gritters and snowploughs already began clearing most of the UK’s roads lastnight. Network Rail also said it had staff ready to clear the tracks to reduce disruption to Britain’s rail tracks.

Another Highway Agency spokesman stressed how important it was for drivers to be extra careful in these bad weather conditions. They said: “It can take ten times longer to stop when it is icy, so allow more room to slow down and stop.

“Avoid losing control of your vehicle because of wheel spin, by using the highest gear possible. Avoid sudden braking, acceleration and sharp turns.”

The cold weather is not expected to last, with forecasters predicting temperatures of up to 8 Celsius tommorrow, and double figures by the weekend. However, the freezing temperatures are expected to return next week. Weather-Action said: “The winds from Siberia will return, making it one of the coldest winters for two decades.”