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Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Feb 8, 2008

Family members attended a memorial ceremony in Los Angeles last weekend, but the funeral arrangements have been kept a closely guarded secret.

Among those reportedly due to attend are Ledger's "Brokeback Mountain" co-star Jake Gylenhaal and a former girlfriend, Australian model Gemma Ward.

Two bouquets of red orchids were delivered Thursday to the Perth home of Ledger's mother, Sally Ledger-Bell, where relatives have been keeping a low profile since their return from the United Sates.

Kim Ledger's statement asked that the family be allowed to grieve without media intrusion.

Williams, 27, and Ledger became a couple during the filming of "Brokeback Mountain" in which they played a husband and wife. Ledger was nominated for an Oscar. They moved to New York and Matilda was born in October 2005.

"To most of the world Heath was an actor of immeasurable talent and promise," the actor's father said. "To those who knew him personally, Heath was a consummate artist whose passions also included photography, music, chess and directing.

"We knew Heath as a loving father, as our devoted son, and as a loyal and generous brother and friend," the statement said.

The family was profoundly touched and eternally grateful for the expressions of support that have come from all over the world, he said.

Alan Carpenter, the premier of Western Australia state, urged the news media to heed the family's appeals for privacy.

"One of the great things that Heath Ledger was able to reflect upon was that when he came back to Western Australia it was a haven where he could just walk around like a normal citizen," he said.

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There was no jackpot winner; six tickets matched five numbers but not the Powerball to win $200,000 each.

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WORLD

EXPERTS SAY IRAN HAS STARTED CENTRIFUGE TESTING: Iran's nuclear project has developed its own version of an advanced centrifuge to churn out enriched uranium much faster than its previous machines, diplomats and experts said Thursday in Vienna, Austria.

They said that few of the IR-2 centrifuges were operating and that testing appeared to be in an early phase, with the new machines rotating without processing any uranium gas.

More significant, the officials said, is the fact that Iran appears to have used know-how and equipment bought on the black market .

Compiled by Kelly Adams from wire reportsNATION

STUDY SAYS ETHANOL USE COULD WORSEN EMISSIONS: The widespread use of ethanol from corn could result in nearly twice the greenhouse gas emissions as the gasoline it would replace because of expected land use changes, researchers concluded Thursday in Science magazine. The study challenges the rush to biofuels as a response to global warming.