Britney Spears loses custody of children

A court has ordered pop singer Britney Spears to give up custody of her children effective Wednesday at noon.

Spears' former husband, Kevin Federline, is to retain custody of their two sons "until further order of the court," according to a ruling by Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon.

It was not clear what led to Monday's decision awarding Federline full custody. A transcript of the court proceedings was ordered sealed.

Last month, a judge ordered Spears, 25, to submit to random drug tests after finding she engaged in "habitual, frequent, and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol."

That order, also by Gordon, provided no details and did not name any drugs.

The former couple has been embroiled in a bitter custody fight over their sons, Sean Preston and Jayden. The parents had split custody 50-50, but Federline then asked for the arrangements to be shifted to 70-30 in his favor.

In addition to ordering the twice-weekly drug tests, Gordon ordered Spears to spend eight hours per week working with a "parenting coach," who was to observe her interactions with her children.

Gordon also told both parents to avoid alcohol or "other non-prescription controlled substances" 12 hours before taking custody of the children.

He also barred the exes from making "derogatory remarks about the other party and the other party's family or significant other" during the case.

And he ordered the parents to go through "joint co-parenting counseling" and barred them from using corporal punishment on the boys.

Spears and Federline were married for two years before their divorce became final in July.

Monday's order comes amid a career freefall for Spears, whose new album is due to be released November 13.

After her September 9 "comeback" performance on the MTV Video Music Awards, critics derided her singing and dancing as lackluster and said she appeared overweight in her sequined two-piece costume. Her former divorce lawyer, Laura Wasser, resigned last month as her legal representative after telling reporters the singer "just wants to be a mom."

Spears' management company, the Firm, recently quit after representing the singer for little over a month.

Terrorists: We'll cut off head of 'prostitute' Britney Spears

Muslim terrorist leaders threatened to forcibly convert Britney Spears and Madonna to Islam and warned if they resist, their heads would be cut off for "spreading Satanic culture," according to a new book released today.

The threats, recorded on audio, come as Madonna is due to arrive in Israel Wednesday to celebrate the Jewish new year with fellow Kabbalah practitioners.

"If I meet these whores I will have the honor – I repeat, I will have the honor – to be the first one to cut the heads off Madonna and Britney Spears if they will keep spreading their satanic culture against Islam," said Muhammad Abdel-Al, spokesman and senior leader of the Popular Resistance Committees terror organization.

The Committees, largely based in the Gaza Strip, has carried out thousands of rocket attacks against Jewish population centers and scores of shootings and bombings. It is suspected of bombing a U.S. convoy in Gaza in 2003 and took credit for a rocket attack yesterday that hit an Israeli military base wounding 69 – the largest casualty number of any Palestinian rocket attack.

Abu Abdullah, a senior member of Hamas' so-called "military wing" is quoted in "Schmoozing" describing what his group would do with Madonna and Spears if jihad groups took over the U.S.:

"At the beginning, we will try to convince Madonna and Britney Spears to follow Allah's way. But I honestly don't think they will follow. If they persist with their whoring music, we will prevent them by force. I don't think that I can be in the same place with these singers. They might be killed if they do not respect our laws."

The Committees' Abdel-Al accused Madonna and Spears of "spreading this culture by the Americans as part of the war against Islam."

"If these two prostitutes [Madonna and Spears] keep doing what they are doing, we of course will punish them. First we will call them to join Islam. But if they keep what they are doing ... we can stone them or even we can kill them if they keep ... tempting men in order to put them far from Islam. ... A prostitute woman must be stoned or must be eighty times hit with a belt."

Abdel-El said even before Islam takes over America he would personally kill Madonna and Spears if he ran into them. He boasted he would "be the first one to cut the heads of Madonna and Britney Spears."

Kanye West Blames MTV For Britney Spear's Terrible Performance

Kanye West blames MTV for Britney Spears' less than stellar performance at the Video Music Awards. "Man, they were just trying to get ratings, and they knew she wasn't ready and they exploited her," the 29-year-old rapper said Tuesday on Sirius Satellite Radio's "The Morning Mash Up."

The network made a "bad move" by having the troubled pop star open Sunday's event in Las Vegas, said West, who feels he should have kicked off the show with "Stronger," the first single from his new album, "Graduation."

"They exploited her, they played me and I really don't mess with MTV," he said.

Spears, 25, looked unprepared while performing her new song, "Gimme More," to a bewildered audience of her music industry peers. She seemed nervous and, at times, stopped singing altogether.

In a praise-filled statement released Tuesday afternoon, MTV said it "... has a long and collaborative relationship with Kanye and we hope and look forward to continuing that meaningful relationship."

West said he wanted to perform "Stronger" on the show's main stage — where R&B hotshot Chris Brown wowed the crowd with Michael Jackson-esque dance moves — but complied when he was asked to host a suite party.

West said it was a blow to the ego when Justin Timberlake, who also hosted a suite party, ended up "on the big stage" to give the closing performance with Timbaland and Nelly Furtado.

"Those are the big things, and you know what I do man, I really made the song `Stronger,' you know, for stadiums," he said.

West — who threw a tantrum backstage after losing all five categories for which he was nominated — said he has bonded with 50 Cent over what they view as disrespectful behavior from MTV.

"So why do you have me do `Stronger' in a suite, but you end the show with Justin?" he said. "I looked at 50 like, yo, we need to help each other as much as possible."

50 Cent has said he'd stop making solo records if West's new album outsells his "Curtis" CD in their first week out. Both albums were released Tuesday.

Britney Spears Puts on a Craptastic Performance (Video And Pictures)

Britney Spears performing her new single 'Gimme More' at the 2007 MTV MTV Video Music Awards. Dressed in sequined black underpants and bra, an out-of-shape Spears moved tentatively around the stage, getting totally outgrooved by her backup dancers and badly lip-syncing her way through the song whose main lyric was "Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme." Her gyrations were hardly demure, though oddly halfhearted.

Thanks to her annus horribilis — or, more accurately, anni horribiles — she was one of the most anticipated V.M.A. performers in years. Voyeurs around the world were ready to see a fallen star back onstage. She didn’t disappoint: she was awful. Visibly nervous, she tottered around the stage, dancing tentatively and doing nothing that sounded or looked like real live singing.

Designed to drum up excitement for her upcoming album, Spears' kickoff to the Video Music Awards on Sunday night became another example of how far she has fallen.

Britney Spears Cancels Duet With Justin Timberlake?

According to reports, troubled pop star Britney Spears has
pulled out of recording a duet with former boyfriend Justin
Timberlake.

Britney was scheduled to reunite with her old flame to
produce a comeback track produced by Timbaland, but ditched
the idea at the last minute.

A source told PageSix, "Timbaland set aside a week out of
his crazy schedule to do this - and then, just before she was
supposed to fly out, Britney abruptly canceled the session
and refused to do the song.

"It's crazy. She's looking for a comeback, and this would have
not only been a huge hit, but something she could have opened
the MTV Video Awards with and really blown everyone away."

The cancellation has now stalled Brit's comeback ambitions
and has sparked rumors she might be dropped her label Jive.

Another source said, "Listen, everyone is worried. In her
mind, her album is done and she's done enough work.

"People at Jive have been with Britney since album one, and
have an investment in her. They have faith that once the
material is there, she will become focused and step it up.
She's very competitive, but at the end of the day, it's hard.
She has to do the work - no one can do it for her."

Representatives for Spears, Timberlake and Jive declined
to comment.