Famous Hollywood actor Heath Ledger was found dead in his apartment yesterday.

Twenty eight year old Ledger was booked in for a massage at his home when his housekeeper walked in on him to tell him, but found him lying unconscious next to a bottle of pills.

Police are investigating the possibility that the Brokeback Mountain star took an overdose.

Heath Ledger’s father, Kim Ledger is devastated and said the death of his son had been “tragic” and “accidental”. Speaking from Heath’s home town in Perth, Australia, he said:  ”Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life,” he said.

Fellow Hollywood actor Mel Gibson said: “I had such great hope for him. He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss.”

The people of Australia are also shocked and saddened to hear the news. The Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, described the death as a tragedy, and said: “Heath Ledger’s diverse and challenging roles will be remembered as some of the great performances by an Australian actor.”

The successful American actor John Travolta said: “I adored him. He’s my favourite actor. I don’t know how to compare his talent to others but he’s touched me deeply as a talent and it’s a great loss.”

The star leaves behind a daughter, Matilda, 2, whom he had with former Dawson’s Creek star, Michelle Williams, who he spilt up with in September. Michelle’s father, Larry Williams said: “My heart goes out to everyone in his family and my family. The saddest thing is that his daughter whom he loved dearly, Matilda will grow up without knowing her father.”

Ledger has starred in many Hollywood films such as 10 Things I Hate About You, Monster’s Ball and A Knight’s Tale, and had been nominated for an Oscar in his role in Brokeback Mountain.

An autopsy is due to be carried out today.

Scientists have found that living a healthy life can increase an individuals life span by up to 14 years.

Doing frequent exercise, not smoking, drinking in moderation and eating more fruit and vegetables were the key factor in increasing a person’s life, a study by the University of Cambridge and the Medical Research Council based in Norfolk found.

The Public Library of Science Medicine study involved research on 20,000 people over a time span of ten years.

Participants, who were between the age of 45 and 79, were given a point for each of the four healthy behaviours, which were not smoking, exercising, drinking no more than than 15 units of alcohol per week, (which is less than five large glasses of wine) and eating five servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

The results showed that the participants who were aged between 45 and 79, and who followed all four rules were more likely to have lived longer than those who didn’t. In fact of those that didn’t, some died. The results also showed that smokers were 77% more likely to have died during the ten year period.

Professor Kay-Tee Khaw a gerontologist at Cambridge University who led the study said: “The results strongly suggest that these four achievable lifestyle changes could have a marked improvement on the health of middle-aged and older people, which is particularly important given the ageing population in the UK and other European countries.”

Health organisations welcomed the study and encourage people to take note of the findings. Judy O’Sullivan, who works at the British Heart Foundation said: “This is good news and shows that by living a healthy life, people can reduce their risk of dying from heart and circulatory disease.

“By not smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation, taking regular physical activity and eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, people can improve their chances of living longer.”

I am not a smoker, but I do tend to abuse alcohol on weekends and I should eat more fruit and vegetables, and this research has encouraged me to look after my body more. What better time to start than the New Year- this should help you keep your resolutions!

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.

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.”

Several universities in the UK have announced they will be charging thousands of students as much of £7,000 a year for their tuition fees.

The news comes as several universities say government ministers have cut their funding.

Instead, the money that is due to be cut from universities will be used to provide an extra 20,000 full-time places for undergraduates who have not already studied for degrees.

The cuts of around 100m a year will affect about 170,000 part-time students, as well as many others studying shorter full-time courses. The government say they are also cutting funding for those studying for their second degree.

The universities which have been hit worst by the cuts, which are due to come into force in September 2008 are Oxford University, who will lose £4m, and the Open University, set to lose over £30m.

Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell said: ”For the tax payer, funding people for a first degree has to be a higher priority than supporting those studying for a second degree.

“We have however been consulting on the detail of implementation and a whole range of second degrees such as vocational foundation degrees to help people re-skill will be protected. No university will lose in cash terms.”

Universities claim they have no other option but to charge students £7000 for a year of tuition, the same as what overseas students pay. But not everyone agrees with their decision.

The University and College Union’s (UCU) general secretary Sally Hunt said: “We fully support initiatives to encourage new learners into higher education but we cannot support doors being slammed in the faces of others who wish to develop their skills. These cuts completely undermine the Government’s desire to provide the workforce with accessible part-time provision.”

As a student myself, I am against increasing tuition fees, I think they are already high enough. The government claims they would like 50% of young adults to go to university, but I think they are being hypocrits by increasing the fees and putting off those bright, poor students out there who simply can not afford the governments hefty fees.

More than 250,000 teachers have left their careers due to being unsatisfied with it, a government report has found.

The Conservative Party thinks the main reason for teachers wanting to leave their jobs is because of poor discipline in schools.

Almost 100,000 teachers quit between 2000 and 2005- which is double the amount that quit between 1995 and 2000.

The Tories are blaming the findings on Labour and believe that teachers cannot stand teaching under their rule.

Shadow schools secretary Michael Gove said “Not only are our children not achieving as they should, talented teachers are not where they should be – in the classroom, opening young minds to new horizons.

“With more than quarter of a million gifted professionals no longer in teaching, we have to ask why they’ve given up on education under Labour. I fear that classroom bureaucracy, Government micromanagement and poor discipline has encouraged a drift away from teaching.”

But not all believe Labour is to blame for this current trend. Jim Knight, the Schools Minister, said that Labour has supported teachers more than any other previous government.

He said “Recruitment into the profession has never been more buoyant, and teaching is now the career of choice for many highly qualified and talented individuals. Indeed, Ofsted has said this is the best generation of teachers ever.”

I am not so convinced however. I cannot blame teachers for wanting to leave their jobs. It was only recently I was speaking to an old teacher of mine and he told me how he had gone to teach abroad as he didn’t like the school system in the UK and thought discipline was poor. The fact is children are becoming more disobedient than ever, and the government aren’t helping by reducing the amount of punishment teachers can give. Something needs to be done soon so teaching can become an attractive profession again, like it should be.

The BBC has discovered that women are still having back street abortions even though they were made legal over 40 years ago.

A BBC undercover reporter posed as an illegal immigrant who was 6 weeks pregnant and went ‘for help’ to special Chinese herb shops in East London. One of the staff who worked at the Shanghai Herbal and Acupuncture Centre offered to help her. He said:

“If you see the bleeding come out, that’s fine, some people don’t. I need to call another company, from China, [they will] deliver it to here, you understand?”

He then sold her a drink for £40 so she would have a miscarriage.

Currently in the UK, an abortion is only legal up to 24 weeks. Some desperate women, often teenagers and younger women, feel they have to turn to illegal abortions to get the help they need. Professional private abortions can cost between £350 and £750, so you can imagine it can be difficult for some to find this kind of money.

Whilst I do not agree with illegal back street abortions, I do think the waiting list for abortions is far too long on the NHS and needs to be looked at. Abortion can be a traumatic experience for any woman to go through, and women shouldn’t have to feel they have to turn away from their healthcare service in order to get one.

The England football team are out of Euro 2008 after they were beaten 3-2 by Croatia, leaving the nation in a state of mourning.

England’s manager Steve McClaren has also been sacked as has his Assistant coach Terry Venables.

The England manager said: “It is a sad day to have been relieved of my duties but I understand the decision of the FA. I have huge been a disappointment for the nation and fans. But I will learn from my failure.”

Chief Executive of the FA who sacked McClaren, said: “I’d like to apologise to the fans personally. I care about this passionately, it has never been just a job. I’m in it because I care about football, football fans and football teams.”

Peter Crouch, England’s striker, was very disappointed with the result. He said: “The fact we expected to qualify and we haven’t done is the most disappointing thing. Once we get it out of the system we can look at where we went wrong in the other games as well.”

The England players were saddened to hear the news that McClaren had been sacked. Micah Richards, England defender said: “I was sorry to see Steve McClaren sacked as England manager but, after we failed to qualify for Euro 2008, I wasn’t shocked. The players definitely thought he was the right man for the job but when you are England manager you get assessed on results.”

Even the Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe had something to say about the game: “It’s hugely disappointing not to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals.”

Fans are not so forgiving however and many are blaming the performance of England on Steve McClaren, and are angry he has been given a £2 million payout. Peter Cooper, a football fan from Manchester said: “McClaren was rubbish; everyone knew it from the start.”

England haven’t failed to qualify for a major tournament since the 1994 World Cup.

The FA have now started to recruit for the next England manager. Potential candidates include Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill, former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, and even Alan Shearer.

When it comes to the World Cup and the Euro, I think we all want the boys to do well. It is very unfortunate we will not be in the competition next summer. Let’s just hope the boys work hard and we get a good manager who will lead us into the World Cup in 2010.

For more Football news – please visit TalkFootball.co.uk

The online bookseller Amazon has created a digital bookreader – The Kindle- which can store up to 200 books.

Amazon’s aim was to create a devicethat could provide its consumers with a wider variety of entertainment, like the Ipod does with music.

The device is about about the same size as a standard paperback, weighs around 290g, and offers access to about 90,000 books and 11 daily newspapers.

“We’ve been working on Kindle for more than three years,” said Amazon boss Jeff Bezos. “Our top design objective was for Kindle to disappear in your hands -to get out of the way so you can enjoy your reading.”

Once you have bought a Kindle, however, (which is £195) that doesn’t mean you get to read these books for free. Costs range from 75 cents to download a national newspaper and classic books cost around $1.99 each. Best sellers are naturally pricier, and can be downloaded for $9.99, but it is still cheaper than books bought in a store.

The device also offers access to online encyclopaedia, Wikipedia, and about 300 blogs. It can also play MP3 music files and has a slot so it can store a memory card which enables it to hold hundreds of books.

“We want to make sure everything anyone wants to read is on the Kindle,” said Laura Porco, Amazon’s director of digital text. “We won’t stop until we can offer millions of books.”

Although I think this is a good invention, and is good for book lovers, I myself will not be buying one. Why buy a device that costs almost £200 when you can read the books for free online on your laptop?

Celebrities such as Girls Aloud, Leona Lewis, and Penny Lancaster have all posted personal clips on YouTube aiming to help people who are being bullied.

The clips were made because of the increasing number of ‘happy slapping’ videos that are being filmed with mobile phones and then published online for all to see.

The stars are asking people to use the beat bullying channel on YouTube which is designed to help children who are being bullied. On the channel, children and teenagers can share their own experiences of bullying and can give each other help and advice.

Many people are bullied online, through social networking sites and emails. Many young people have also received death threats by text messages.

Singer Kimberley Walsh from Girls Aloud said:

“Happy-slapping may be funny to you, until it is a member of your family sat at a bus stop being slapped. How would you feel if someone made a humiliating video of you or a member of your family and put it online for everyone to see? This year more than 20 people will take their own lives in the UK alone because of bullying. It’s not funny.”

Penny Lancaster said on her clip: “My main memories of school are when I was bullied. I had one boy race his bike up against the back of my legs and I was bleeding and I couldn’t really hide that so I’d go home crying, it was very traumatic.”

Beatbullying director Sarah Dyer said: “The Beatbullying YouTube channel will revolutionise how young people access information on how to avoid being bullied and, importantly, on how to avoid being a bully. It is frighteningly easy for a young person who would never consider being a bully in real life, to do something online which they think is funny or humorous but in fact is a terrible act of bullying.”

I am really glad celebrities have done these videos. Bullying isn’t acceptable and maybe bullies will think twice when they see their favourite celeb disapproving of their behaviour. Bullying is a serious matter, and many children and teenagers take their own lives because of it. I hope this videos will help tackle bullying in Britain.