London, January 4: Britney Spears, who is trying to get back on track after her much-publicized meltdown, is reportedly suffering from stage fright, which could put her
2009 world comeback tour in jeopardy.

Mum Lynne revealed that the singer, who put up with two tumultuous years during which she lost the custody of her two sons followed by her trips to rehab, need a push to up her confidence.

"That gut belief she had in herself is what's missing," the Daily Star quoted Lynne as telling a US magazine.

Washington, Jan 4 : Israeli ground forces moved across the border into the northern Gaza Strip killing 30 Hamas militants during the operation, after week-long airstrikes claimed more than 450 Pale

Washington, January 4 : Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder have shown that students learn more when they combine the use of simple audience response devices called clickers and peer discussions in classrooms.

Even though students across the university campus are sharing answers, checking their responses to questions against those of their neighbours, and making adjustments to those answers in hopes of earning a better grade., professors are encouraging the whole activity.

And surprisingly, the students are getting more answers right.

Declining the suggestion of cheating among the students, Associate Professor Tin Tin Su insisted that they were learning from each other in a meaningful way.

Tel Aviv/Gaza  - The first several hours of Israel's long- expected ground invasion saw fierce fighting as tanks arrived early Sunday at Gaza City and troops advanced to Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.

Launched late Saturday, Israeli infantry and armour, backed by air support, moved into the north of the territory after an artillery barrage lasting hours. Early casualty reports were sketchy.

London, January 4 : An international team of scientists has discovered a new syndrome associated with severe congenital neutropenia (SCN), a rare disorder in which children lack sufficient infection-fighting white cells.

The team-consisting of 14 researchers from the Medical School of Hannover in Germany and12 from other research institutions, including the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health-have also identified the genetic cause of the syndrome: mutations in the gene Glucose-6-phosphatase, catalytic subunit 3 (G6PC3).

London, Jan 4 : Actor Matt Smith will be the 11th `Doctor Who' - and the youngest actor ever to play the cult television time traveller.

The 26-year-old's name was unveiled by BBC bosses in a special one-off show.

Smith will be taking over from David Tennant, 37, and is due to first appear on screens as the revered doctor in 2010.

He becomes the 11th Time Lord since the programme first aired in 1963.

"I''ve got this wonderful journey in front of me where I''ve got these six months to build this Time Lord - and that''s such an exciting prospect," The Sun quoted him, as saying.

And current star David Tennant will be on hand to guide him.