A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The study concluded that the statements “were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses.”

The study was posted Tuesday site on the website of the Center for Public Integrity, which worked with the Fund for Independence in Journalism.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel did not comment on the merits of the study Tuesday night but reiterated the administration’s position that the world community viewed Iraq’s leader, Saddam Hussein, as a threat.

“The actions taken in 2003 were based on the collective judgment of intelligence agencies around the world,” Stanzel said.

The study counted 935 false statements in the two-year period. It found that in speeches, briefings, interviews and other venues, Bush and administration officials stated unequivocally on at least 532 occasions that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction or was trying to produce or obtain them or had links to al-Qaida or both.

“It is now beyond dispute that Iraq did not possess any weapons of mass destruction or have meaningful ties to al-Qaida,” according to Charles Lewis and Mark Reading-Smith of the Fund for Independence in Journalism staff members, writing an overview of the study. “In short, the Bush administration led the nation to war on the basis of erroneous information that it methodically propagated and that culminated in military action against Iraq on March 19, 2003.” Read the rest of this entry »

Heath Ledger was found by his maid and masseuse, who have been identified as Theresa Solomon, 56, and Diane Lee, 40. Lee had arrived for Ledger’s regularly scheduled massage appointment at 3:00 PM, when she and Solomon found him unresponsive. Read the rest of this entry »

Desperate Housewives star, Eva Longoria has revealed that her husband, basketball player, Tony Parker often fakes his on-court injuries.

Longoria reveal that Tony Parker often exaggerates his injuries during games saying, “Sometimes he acts to get the flagrant foul or, to sell the foul more, he’ll throw himself on the floor and really play it up more than what it is.”

She added: “I really don’t know what the difference is so I’m like, ‘Stop laying on the ground if you’re not hurt. Just get up!’ He’s like, ‘Honey, I have to stay on the ground sometimes.’ ‘But I get really nervous, it’s nail biting.” Read the rest of this entry »

An autopsy on Heath Ledger was inclusive, and more tests are needed, the medical examiner’s office said Wednesday, a day after the 28-year-old actor was found dead with sleeping pills nearby.

It will take about 10 days to complete the investigation, said Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner.

Earlier, police said the death was caused by a possible drug overdose and appeared to be accidental.

Fans left flowers and candles Wednesday outside the apartment building in Manhattan’s SoHo where the body of the Oscar-nominated star of “Brokeback Mountain” was found.

Although Heath Ledger’s career was cut tragically short with his death on Tuesday, he remains an inspiration to fellow actors whose thoughts turned to him that very night.

“My feeling about Heath is that I don’t want to lose him at any age – 28 or 88. … He’s a real valuable guy. So I’m truly sorry and my heart goes out to everyone that knew him and loved him,” John Travolta, 53, told PEOPLE at the G’Day USA: Australia Week event at Time Warner Center in New York just hours after the shocking news of Ledger’s death broke.

“Actors need other actors to be inspired by. He was my actor,” said Travolta, who also likened Ledger’s death to the loss of James Dean, who died, age 24, in a 1955 car crash, just as he was on the crest of stardom.

Added Travolta, “He was very modest. He was almost bashful when accepting compliments. He didn’t want to make a big deal out of himself. He’s a big deal.”

Ledger, nominated for an Academy Award for 2005’s Brokeback Mountain, appears as the Joker in the Batman feature set to open July 18, The Dark Knight; he was shooting The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus at the time of his death.

Fellow Australian, Transformers actress Rachael Taylor, 23, echoed Travolta’s sentiments and praise for Ledger’s craft. “I was really impressed by his early Australian film, Two Hands, and his film Candy and, of course, it would be remiss of me not to mention the performance in Brokeback Mountain. He was extraordinary. It was a monumental moment in cinema.”

Travolta also said: “I thought he was extraordinary and had a depth and ability and a sense of humanity that I’ve never seen on screen … I really don’t like it at all that he’s gone.”

Michelle Williams was on location in Sweden, believed to be with 2-year-old daughter Matilda, when she got the news: Heath Ledger was found dead in New York at age 28.

“She’s devastated,” says a source close to the 27-year-old actress.

Although their three-year relationship didn’t last, Williams and Ledger could always agree that their daughter comes first.

“He was absolutely in love with his daughter,” says another source. “And he really liked what he did [acting]. He spoiled [Matilda] rotten. He was playful and very funny with her.”

The source adds: “I can’t believe Matilda is going to grow up without a dad, without knowing her father. And that Michelle will have to deal with having a daughter who’s lost her father. She’s a survivor. She’ll make it, but it’s going to be hard. Her first concern is going to be Matilda.”

Simon Cowell is worth an estimated $200 million dollars.  Simon has announced that he plans on donating almost all of his fortune to children’s and animal charities when he dies.  How much exactly?  $180 million!

Cowell claimed he was inspired to write the will by his mother during a Christmas holiday in the West Indies.

“Mum asked, ‘Have you ever made a will?’ I said, ‘Thanks a lot!’. But it got me thinking,” he explained.

The reality TV show star said that he didn’t think his family or girlfriend Terri Seymour would be bothered by the decision because he won’t be making the donation for a long while yet.

He added: “Hopefully I’ll be a lot older when it happens, so it won’t affect them much!”

Heath Ledger’s father, Kim Ledger, flanked by his family, released a statement on Australian television.

We, Heath’s family, confirm, the very tragic, untimely and accidental passing of our dearly loved son, brother and doting father of Matilda. He was found peacefully asleep in his New York apartment by his housekeeper at 3:30 p.m. U.S. time.

We would like to thank our friends and everyone around the world for their well wishes and kind thoughts at this time. Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life but few had the pleasure of truly knowing him.

He was a down to earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving and selfless individual who was extremely inspirational to many. Please now respect our families need to grieve and come to terms with our loss privately.

Our heart goes out to Heath’s parents, Michelle Williams, and daughter Matilda Rose who is only 2 years old.  Heath will be missed.  This is such a tragic and sad loss.

Just two months ago, The New York Times published an article that seems to shed some light on the shocking death of Heath Ledger, who was found dead in his NYC apartment earlier today with pills strewn all around his body.

“I stressed out a little too much,” Mr. Ledger said.

He tends to do that. He is here in London filming the latest episode of the “Batman”franchise, “The Dark Knight.” (Mr. Bale, as it happens, plays Batman; Mr. Ledger plays the Joker.) It is a physically and mentally draining role — his Joker is a “psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy” he said cheerfully — and, as often happens when he throws himself into a part, he is not sleeping much.

“Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night,” he said. “I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.” One night he took an Ambien, which failed to work. He took a second one and fell into a stupor, only to wake up an hour later, his mind still racing.

Even as he spoke, Mr. Ledger was hard-pressed to keep still. He got up and poured more coffee. He stepped outside into the courtyard and smoked a cigarette. He shook his hair out from under its hood, put a rubber band around it, took out the rubber band, put on a hat, took off the hat, put the hood back up. He went outside and had another cigarette. Polite and charming, he nonetheless gave off the sense that the last thing he wanted to do was delve deep into himself for public consumption. “It can be a little distressing to have to overintellectualize yourself,” is how he put it, a little apologetically.

Ledger had a two year old daughter, Matilda Rose, with actress Michelle Williams.  Williams and Ledger ended their marriage in September 2007.  The two met in 2005 while filming Brokeback Mountain, for which Heath received an Oscar nomination for his role.

An autopsy is scheduled to help resolve the untimely death of Heath Ledger for Wednesday, but it will be weeks at least before we have a conclusive answer as to his passing.

What is known now is that police are saying sleeping pills were found in the room where his body was discovered naked and dead on Tuesday.

Two bottles of sleeping aids were found, it’s being reported, one prescription bottle and one over-the-counter, which would make an accidental overdose more likely. Experts say that it is harder to overdose on just prescription sleeping pills.

Our heart aches for Heath’s little daughter, Matilda, aged 2.

So tragic.

While it remains uncertain if Heath Ledger’s tragic death on Tuesday was the result of an accidental overdose or a suicide….It has now become apparent that the actor kept a substance abuse issue hidden very well. Ledger may have also been suffering from depression.Watch this shocking video of Heath being interviewed just two months ago, and appearing to be clearly under the influence of drugs.

When paramedics responded, the actor was in full cardiac arrest. They attempted to perform CPR on him, but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Law enforcement are saying Ledger’s body was found face down on the bedroom floor. There were no visible signs of any trauma. Law enforcement have confirmed prescription sleeping pills were strewn around Heath Ledger’s bed.  It is too early to determine if Ledger’s death was accidental or suicide.
Law enforcement are saying that Heath Ledger’s autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow.

Read the full story on Heath Ledger’s death here.

See the last photograph of Heath Ledger here.