Reuters, LOS ANGELES: Eliminated "American Idol" hopeful Chris Medina's inspirational story prompted super-producer Rodney Jerkins (Britney Spears, Michael Jackson) to put pen to paper. The result: a just recorded single, "What Are Words," and an accompanying video premiering on Friday at 2 p.m. EST on aol.com.
"The song embodied what I'm going through and the promises that I kept," explained Medina, who pledged to take care of his fiancee Juliana following crippling car accident.
Medina's Milwaukee audition made him a instant household name, but his fan favorite status didn't save him from the judges' wrath -- which, in Jennifer Lopez's case, turned into a full-on meltdown.
THR caught up with the Oak Park, Illinois native 24 hours after his farewell episode aired, and just before he went shopping for a new blazer to wear on Friday's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
THR: How hard has it been to be home and keep all of your "Idol" experiences a secret?
Chris Medina: It was pretty easy. I didn't go out. I just stayed in my house and didn't talk to anybody. Every week, I'd get a phone call saying "Hey, this is so-and-so from TMZ, is this Chris Medina from 'American Idol?'" And I'm, like, "No! But I've been getting that all week." I kind of pretended I wasn't myself and just ignored them.
THR: Every 'Idol' hopeful has that moment when he/she realizes the show is much bigger than they ever imagined, when was yours?
Medina: The day that my audition aired. I was at a bar with my family watching (the show) and my buddy pulls me aside and says, "You're the number one trending topic on Twitter and Google." It was this weird "Twilight Zone" stuff, like it isn't real." The a few days after it aired, Juliana's cousin, who's a volleyball coach, invites my whole family to this grammar school game, and as soon as I walk through the parking lot, someone recognized me. In the gym, this kid asked me to sign his arm. I look at the stands and everyone is going berserk. I hugged a kid and he started crying. A mom got red in the face telling me, "You need to take a picture with my daughter!" That's when I realized that this was way bigger than anything I'd ever done.
THR: What was your impression of the judges?
Medina: Steven Tyler is a maniac and so cool. It's amazing that someone so iconic with such superstar power can be so down-to-earth. He has an aura about him, he makes you feel comfortable. On the very first audition, he gave me a kiss. In Vegas, when he was walking by me, he touched my face... He's like a hippie with a mission -- just a free spirit, rock 'n rollin man who loves people.
THR: And Jennifer?
Medina: She's just really sweet. I'd heard all these rumors about her being this diva. Like, you can't call her (J Lo), don't look at her in the eyes or you'll turn into a statue but she's not that way at all! She's just super kind and her comments have substance. She'll tell you "You're almost there, you're doing good. Just a little more less of this, a little bit more of that. I felt you, you gotta sing like you own it."
THR: How about Randy?
Medina: What you see on TV, that's the way he is.
THR: You and Ryan Seacrest seemed to get along well
Medina: Ryan is very cool. He's a master at delivery and I love the way he holds his cool.
THR: Ryan was surprised by your exit, but Jennifer had a total meltdown.
Medina: Ryan seemed shocked, but he's seen it happen a hundred times. I heard about Jennifer, but I didn't get to see it in person, otherwise I probably would've started crying. She was really concerned with how she gave me the axe. But actually the way she said it, I was just, like, "cool." And then she gave me a hug that made it all better. I don't think Jennifer could have said it better, she was being too hard on herself. She hit it right on the head: I had some good performances and some not-so good performances, and there were people there who've had consistently really awesome performances
THR: Do you still plan to get married?
Medina: I sure hope so, that's the goal. I've already told myself that it's okay that she's in a wheelchair. It doesn't mean anything to me. It's okay if she has a hard time speaking. What's not okay is if in a couple years, she's not 100% and we can't could have a conversation with each other, because that's the essence of a relationship. I don't mind helping her into her car, but I don't want to be feeding her or taking her to the bathroom everyday from this day forward. I want her to become somewhat independent. Those are more my own personal issues, and I know that it might be rough for a lot of people to hear, but that's the truth of the matter. To me, Juliana is still beautiful, but I want to be able to sit down and have a meaningful conversation with my wife I want to get to a point where I feel less like a caretaker and more like a fiancé. But to say, "We're not going to get married until you get better" is unfair to her, too. So the only thing I say is: "Babe, if you keep trying, I'll keep trying." And that's the truth.
THR: Does Juliana have decent health insurance?
Medina: She's on my health insurance from (working at) Starbucks. They recognized her as my domestic partner because I had been living with her for eight years. After (the audition episode) aired, I had no idea that it was going to blow up the way it did. People donated equipment, a van, money, offered to pay for hospital bills, a few doctors offered their services for free. It wasn't like I wanted to be an "American Idol," I just wanted to help her and had to figure out a way to do it. Because steaming foamy milk is not going to cut it. And I think I did something really good for her and her family. I accomplished it.
THR: How was your experience recording this song?
Medina: Rodney Jerkins was too cool. He made me do things I didn't think I was capable of. I'd be, like, "Man, that's too high," and he'd say, "No, you just think it is. Your emotion is going to bring it out and you're going to hit those notes." In the vocal booth, I told him, "It's really hard to be sad when I'm so happy to be here!" There was a point when I lost it and started crying just thinking about the lyrics. "Every promise I'll keep / You'll see / I'll be there wherever you are / I'll be near / Wherever you go."
THR: So what's your goal at this point?
Medina: I want to write music and see what happens with this single. I want to work on my stage presence. I want to play 250 shows a year. I want to be a complete artist. I want to take care of my fiancé. I have this fantasy that I make enough money to build us a house where she can get around and I could take care of her for the rest of our lives, whether we get married or we don't. I want her to just be happy. That's all.
Charlie Sheen denies anti-Semitism in TV row
AFP, LOS ANGELES: Troubled actor Charlie Sheen denied Friday being anti-Semitic in an attack on the producer of hit TV series "Two and a Half Men," which has been canceled for the season due to Sheen's latest outburst.
Sheen also insisted he is sober and plans to turn up for work next week for the top-rated TV series, in which he stars. Four shows remain to be filmed this season.
CBS and Warner Brothers announced the cancelation on Thursday after Sheen, who was briefly hospitalized last month following his latest reported booze and drugs-fueled partying mishap, denounced the show's co-creator Chuck Lorre.
In a series of statements to radio and the TMZ celebrity website in the last few days, Sheen railed against Lorre, referring to him as Chaim Levine, the Hebrew translation of the TV producer's name.
"There's something this side of deplorable that a certain Chaim Levine -- yeah, that's Chuck's real name -- mistook this rock star for his own selfish exit strategy, bro," he said, apparently referring to himself.
"Last I checked, Chaim, I spent close to the last decade effortlessly and magically converting your tin cans into pure gold. And the gratitude I get is this charlatan chose not to do his job, which is to write," he added.
After the TV series was canceled Thursday, he added: "I wish him nothing but pain in his silly travels, especially if they wind up in my octagon. Clearly, I have defeated this earthworm with my words.
"Imagine what I would have done with my fire-breathing fists."
Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti Defamation League lobby group, condemned Sheen's comments.
"By invoking television producer Chuck Lorre's Jewish name in the context of an angry tirade against him, Charlie Sheen left the impression that another reason for his dislike of Mr. Lorre is his Jewishness," he said in a statement.
"This fact has no relevance to Mr. Sheen's complaint or disagreement, and his words are at best bizarre, and at worst, borderline anti-Semitism," he added in a statement.
But speaking from the Bahamas, where he is reportedly vacationing with a new girlfriend, Sheen denied Friday being anti-Semitic.
"I was referring to Chuck by his real name, because I wanted to address the man, not the b (expletive) TV persona," he told TMZ, which said Lorre's birth name is Charles Levine.
Sheen, whose birth name is Carlos Estevez, added: "So you're telling me, anytime someone calls me Carlos Estevez, I can claim they are anti-Latino?"
Separately, ABC television cited text messages from Sheen insisting he plans to go to work next week on "Two and a Half Men," despite its cancelation announced Thursday by producers Warner Bros and CBS.
The TV series about hedonistic jingle writer Charlie Harper -- played by Sheen -- has been a hit since it was launched in 2003 and has been nominated for numerous awards, including nods for Sheen at the Emmys and Golden Globes.
The Nielsen ratings agency listed it in fifth place in its latest TV shows survey, with 14.5 million viewers for its last aired episode.
Sheen was reported as saying that he was close to signing a deal with Home Box Office for a new series called "Sheen's Corner," but an HBO spokesman denied there was a deal in place.
The star filed for divorce from his wife of two years in November, days after being taken to hospital following a reported drunken incident at a luxury New York hotel involving another porn star.
In addition to his reported substance abuse, Sheen had several run-ins with the law in the 1990s in cases related to drugs, domestic violence and prostitution.
Sheen also insisted he is sober and plans to turn up for work next week for the top-rated TV series, in which he stars. Four shows remain to be filmed this season.
CBS and Warner Brothers announced the cancelation on Thursday after Sheen, who was briefly hospitalized last month following his latest reported booze and drugs-fueled partying mishap, denounced the show's co-creator Chuck Lorre.
In a series of statements to radio and the TMZ celebrity website in the last few days, Sheen railed against Lorre, referring to him as Chaim Levine, the Hebrew translation of the TV producer's name.
"There's something this side of deplorable that a certain Chaim Levine -- yeah, that's Chuck's real name -- mistook this rock star for his own selfish exit strategy, bro," he said, apparently referring to himself.
"Last I checked, Chaim, I spent close to the last decade effortlessly and magically converting your tin cans into pure gold. And the gratitude I get is this charlatan chose not to do his job, which is to write," he added.
After the TV series was canceled Thursday, he added: "I wish him nothing but pain in his silly travels, especially if they wind up in my octagon. Clearly, I have defeated this earthworm with my words.
"Imagine what I would have done with my fire-breathing fists."
Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti Defamation League lobby group, condemned Sheen's comments.
"By invoking television producer Chuck Lorre's Jewish name in the context of an angry tirade against him, Charlie Sheen left the impression that another reason for his dislike of Mr. Lorre is his Jewishness," he said in a statement.
"This fact has no relevance to Mr. Sheen's complaint or disagreement, and his words are at best bizarre, and at worst, borderline anti-Semitism," he added in a statement.
But speaking from the Bahamas, where he is reportedly vacationing with a new girlfriend, Sheen denied Friday being anti-Semitic.
"I was referring to Chuck by his real name, because I wanted to address the man, not the b (expletive) TV persona," he told TMZ, which said Lorre's birth name is Charles Levine.
Sheen, whose birth name is Carlos Estevez, added: "So you're telling me, anytime someone calls me Carlos Estevez, I can claim they are anti-Latino?"
Separately, ABC television cited text messages from Sheen insisting he plans to go to work next week on "Two and a Half Men," despite its cancelation announced Thursday by producers Warner Bros and CBS.
The TV series about hedonistic jingle writer Charlie Harper -- played by Sheen -- has been a hit since it was launched in 2003 and has been nominated for numerous awards, including nods for Sheen at the Emmys and Golden Globes.
The Nielsen ratings agency listed it in fifth place in its latest TV shows survey, with 14.5 million viewers for its last aired episode.
Sheen was reported as saying that he was close to signing a deal with Home Box Office for a new series called "Sheen's Corner," but an HBO spokesman denied there was a deal in place.
The star filed for divorce from his wife of two years in November, days after being taken to hospital following a reported drunken incident at a luxury New York hotel involving another porn star.
In addition to his reported substance abuse, Sheen had several run-ins with the law in the 1990s in cases related to drugs, domestic violence and prostitution.
William, Kate visit university where love blossomed
AFP, ST ANDREWS, Scotland: Prince William and his fiancee Catherine Middleton were greeted by thousands of well-wishers on Friday as they returned to the Scottish university where their romance began.
As excitement mounts ahead of their April 29 wedding, crowds lined the streets of St Andrews on Scotland's east coast as the royal couple paid an official visit to the historic university where they studied.
Despite a wet and rainy start, the clouds later parted and the sun shone as they walked through the town, smiling and shaking hands with onlookers as people leaned out of windows to catch a glimpse of them.
Middleton was dressed in a vibrant two-piece red suit with a black belt, black gloves and boots, which royal officials stressed was taken from her wardrobe and was not new, while William wore a dark blue suit.
The prince was launching the 600th anniversary celebrations of Scotland's oldest university, on the couple's second official engagement in as many days after the launch of a lifeboat in Wales on Thursday.
"This is a very special moment for Catherine and me, it feels like coming home," William, second in line to the throne, told a crowd of about 600 students and staff at St Salvator's Quad, the historic heart of the university.
"St Andrews still has that uncanny knack of feeling like home, and so it must have done for generations of undergraduates before us."
Joyce Robertson, 60, who turned out to see the royal couple, said: "I've come to see William and Kate because I love the royal family -- I think they will be a wonderful asset to the monarchy."
Commentators said that Middleton's outfit was further evidence that she is shunning new clothes as Britons tighten their belts amid public spending cuts.
On Thursday's first joint official engagement on Anglesey, northwest Wales, she wore a three-quarter length beige coat that she has owned for several years.
The coat was a "perfectly judged touch of austerity chic" that proved she was a royal in the making, commented The Times newspaper.
William, 28, and his fiancee, 29, began dating while sharing a house in the picturesque Scottish seaside town renowned as the home of golf.
They both studied for history of art degrees before the prince switched to geography, with some reports crediting Middleton for encouraging him to change track rather than quit university.
Almost a decade on, they are to marry at Westminster Abbey in a wedding that has captured the world's attention.
Founded in the 15th century, St Andrews is the third oldest university in the English-speaking world.
As excitement mounts ahead of their April 29 wedding, crowds lined the streets of St Andrews on Scotland's east coast as the royal couple paid an official visit to the historic university where they studied.
Despite a wet and rainy start, the clouds later parted and the sun shone as they walked through the town, smiling and shaking hands with onlookers as people leaned out of windows to catch a glimpse of them.
Middleton was dressed in a vibrant two-piece red suit with a black belt, black gloves and boots, which royal officials stressed was taken from her wardrobe and was not new, while William wore a dark blue suit.
The prince was launching the 600th anniversary celebrations of Scotland's oldest university, on the couple's second official engagement in as many days after the launch of a lifeboat in Wales on Thursday.
"This is a very special moment for Catherine and me, it feels like coming home," William, second in line to the throne, told a crowd of about 600 students and staff at St Salvator's Quad, the historic heart of the university.
"St Andrews still has that uncanny knack of feeling like home, and so it must have done for generations of undergraduates before us."
Joyce Robertson, 60, who turned out to see the royal couple, said: "I've come to see William and Kate because I love the royal family -- I think they will be a wonderful asset to the monarchy."
Commentators said that Middleton's outfit was further evidence that she is shunning new clothes as Britons tighten their belts amid public spending cuts.
On Thursday's first joint official engagement on Anglesey, northwest Wales, she wore a three-quarter length beige coat that she has owned for several years.
The coat was a "perfectly judged touch of austerity chic" that proved she was a royal in the making, commented The Times newspaper.
William, 28, and his fiancee, 29, began dating while sharing a house in the picturesque Scottish seaside town renowned as the home of golf.
They both studied for history of art degrees before the prince switched to geography, with some reports crediting Middleton for encouraging him to change track rather than quit university.
Almost a decade on, they are to marry at Westminster Abbey in a wedding that has captured the world's attention.
Founded in the 15th century, St Andrews is the third oldest university in the English-speaking world.
Jerry Seinfeld and wife win cookbook battle
Reuters, NEW YORK: Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has been cleared of defaming an author who contended that his wife's cookbook stole her ideas, in what his lawyers hailed as as a victory for the right to tell jokes.
In a decision made public on Friday, New York State Supreme Court Justice Marcy Friedman found that Seinfeld's mocking tirade on television against cookbook author Missy Chase Lapine could not be considered defamation.
Friedman also dismissed Lapine's plagiarism claims against HarperCollins, the publisher of Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets To Get Your Kids Eating Good Food."
"Seinfeld's statements are protected not because they were made in a comedic context nor because they are themselves comedic, but because, as the context and content demonstrate, they are not defamatory as a matter of law," Friedman said, referring to comments Seinfeld made on "The Late Show with David Letterman" in 2007.
Seinfeld's law firm Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher said the decision "is a complete victory for Jerry - and also a victory for the First Amendment and the right of comedians to tell jokes."
"The decision also vindicates HarperCollins and Jessica Seinfeld yet again, confirming what the two different federal courts have already ruled: Jessica independently created her bestselling book 'Deceptively Delicious'," the attorneys added.
Lapine's attorney, Howard Miller, said "we are evaluating the opinion for an appeal."
Lapine also lost a 2008 lawsuit in a New York federal appeals court in April in which she claimed Jessica Seinfeld plagiarized her book.
Seinfeld's book, published in 2007, showcases techniques for sneaking healthy foods into child-friendly dishes.
Lapine's book, published a few months earlier, was titled "The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals."
In his "Late Show" appearance, Seinfeld joked that Lapine was a "whacko" who had accused his wife of "vegetable plagiarism."
(Reporting by Basil Katz; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Christine Kearney)
In a decision made public on Friday, New York State Supreme Court Justice Marcy Friedman found that Seinfeld's mocking tirade on television against cookbook author Missy Chase Lapine could not be considered defamation.
Friedman also dismissed Lapine's plagiarism claims against HarperCollins, the publisher of Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets To Get Your Kids Eating Good Food."
"Seinfeld's statements are protected not because they were made in a comedic context nor because they are themselves comedic, but because, as the context and content demonstrate, they are not defamatory as a matter of law," Friedman said, referring to comments Seinfeld made on "The Late Show with David Letterman" in 2007.
Seinfeld's law firm Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher said the decision "is a complete victory for Jerry - and also a victory for the First Amendment and the right of comedians to tell jokes."
"The decision also vindicates HarperCollins and Jessica Seinfeld yet again, confirming what the two different federal courts have already ruled: Jessica independently created her bestselling book 'Deceptively Delicious'," the attorneys added.
Lapine's attorney, Howard Miller, said "we are evaluating the opinion for an appeal."
Lapine also lost a 2008 lawsuit in a New York federal appeals court in April in which she claimed Jessica Seinfeld plagiarized her book.
Seinfeld's book, published in 2007, showcases techniques for sneaking healthy foods into child-friendly dishes.
Lapine's book, published a few months earlier, was titled "The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals."
In his "Late Show" appearance, Seinfeld joked that Lapine was a "whacko" who had accused his wife of "vegetable plagiarism."
(Reporting by Basil Katz; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Christine Kearney)
NY judge: Seinfeld can mock cookbook author on TV
AP, NEW YORK: A judge has thrown out a lawsuit by a cookbook author who accused Jerry Seinfeld of hurting her reputation by mocking her on national television.
In a ruling filed with the court Friday, state Justice Marcy Friedman said it was clear the comedian was joking when he called author Missy Chase Lapine a "wacko" during an appearance on the "Late Show with David Letterman" in 2007.
The judge said Seinfeld also has a constitutional right to express his opinion.
The suit stemmed from a legal battle in which Lapine accused Seinfeld's wife, Jessica, of stealing her idea for a book on how to get children to eat healthy. Both women had published their books that year. Lapine's was called, "The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals." Jessica Seinfeld's was titled "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food."
The case became tabloid fodder, and Seinfeld addressed it on Letterman with a heaping of ridicule.
"One of the fun facts of celebrity life is wackos will wait in the woodwork to pop out at certain moments of your life to inject a little adrenaline into your life experience," Seinfeld told Letterman.
"So there's another woman who had another cookbook," he continued. "My wife never saw the book, read the book, used the book ... But the books came out at the same time. So this woman says, 'I sense this could be my wacko moment.'"
Seinfeld said Lapine was accusing his wife of "vegetable plagiarism."
"She comes out and says, 'You stole my mushed-up carrots. You can't put mushed-up carrots in a casserole. I put mushed-up carrots in the casserole.'"
A federal court eventually agreed with Seinfeld that the copyright suit was baseless and tossed it out last year. The judges said there was nothing original about the idea of "stockpiling vegetable purees for covert use in children's food."
Friedman's ruling, signed Wednesday but filed Friday, noted that you can't sue someone for libel in the U.S. merely for hurling an insult. You must show that a person lied about facts in order to damage a person's reputation and did so in such a way that a reasonable person would have believed that those false statements were true.
Given all of the hyperbole in his jokes — one of which implied that people who went by three names, like Lapin, were predisposed to become assassins — the judge said she found it "inconceivable" that a reasonable viewer thought he was serious about fearing for his safety. And as for Seinfeld's suggestion that Lapine was an opportunist making up baseless plagiarism claims, the judge wrote that he was entitled to voice his opinion.
"If the law were to the contrary, the protection of the First Amendment would be unacceptably denied to persons who publicly defend themselves against what they believe to be baseless charges or lawsuits," she wrote.
The judge also absolved "Deceptively Delicious" publisher HarperCollins of any wrongdoing. Lapine had accused the company of lifting ideas from a book proposal she sent the company in 2006.
Lapine's lawyer, Howard Miller, said he and his client were evaluating the opinion and would decide later whether to appeal. He had no other comment.
Seinfeld's attorney, Orin Snyder, called the decision "a complete victory for Jerry, and also a victory for the First Amendment and the right of comedians to tell jokes."
In a ruling filed with the court Friday, state Justice Marcy Friedman said it was clear the comedian was joking when he called author Missy Chase Lapine a "wacko" during an appearance on the "Late Show with David Letterman" in 2007.
The judge said Seinfeld also has a constitutional right to express his opinion.
The suit stemmed from a legal battle in which Lapine accused Seinfeld's wife, Jessica, of stealing her idea for a book on how to get children to eat healthy. Both women had published their books that year. Lapine's was called, "The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals." Jessica Seinfeld's was titled "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food."
The case became tabloid fodder, and Seinfeld addressed it on Letterman with a heaping of ridicule.
"One of the fun facts of celebrity life is wackos will wait in the woodwork to pop out at certain moments of your life to inject a little adrenaline into your life experience," Seinfeld told Letterman.
"So there's another woman who had another cookbook," he continued. "My wife never saw the book, read the book, used the book ... But the books came out at the same time. So this woman says, 'I sense this could be my wacko moment.'"
Seinfeld said Lapine was accusing his wife of "vegetable plagiarism."
"She comes out and says, 'You stole my mushed-up carrots. You can't put mushed-up carrots in a casserole. I put mushed-up carrots in the casserole.'"
A federal court eventually agreed with Seinfeld that the copyright suit was baseless and tossed it out last year. The judges said there was nothing original about the idea of "stockpiling vegetable purees for covert use in children's food."
Friedman's ruling, signed Wednesday but filed Friday, noted that you can't sue someone for libel in the U.S. merely for hurling an insult. You must show that a person lied about facts in order to damage a person's reputation and did so in such a way that a reasonable person would have believed that those false statements were true.
Given all of the hyperbole in his jokes — one of which implied that people who went by three names, like Lapin, were predisposed to become assassins — the judge said she found it "inconceivable" that a reasonable viewer thought he was serious about fearing for his safety. And as for Seinfeld's suggestion that Lapine was an opportunist making up baseless plagiarism claims, the judge wrote that he was entitled to voice his opinion.
"If the law were to the contrary, the protection of the First Amendment would be unacceptably denied to persons who publicly defend themselves against what they believe to be baseless charges or lawsuits," she wrote.
The judge also absolved "Deceptively Delicious" publisher HarperCollins of any wrongdoing. Lapine had accused the company of lifting ideas from a book proposal she sent the company in 2006.
Lapine's lawyer, Howard Miller, said he and his client were evaluating the opinion and would decide later whether to appeal. He had no other comment.
Seinfeld's attorney, Orin Snyder, called the decision "a complete victory for Jerry, and also a victory for the First Amendment and the right of comedians to tell jokes."
NHRC to monitor Bangladesh health sector
National Human Rights Commission would monitor the health services across the country with support from the students to ensure doctors’ presence at workplace, the commission chairman Mizanur Rahman said on Thursday.
‘The commission will also monitor the drug supply and distribution system of the government hospitals,’ he said.
Rahman was addressing at the national conference on ‘Health Rights : Peoples’ Expectations’ organised by Shastha Andolan at the auditorium of Islamic Development Bank Bhaban in the city.
He said the government should introduce one month training at village level for medical students as part of their studies.
‘The government should introduce such a course curriculum where the medical students should stay at the villages every year for one month as part of their studies. Otherwise, he or she should not get the promotion,’ Mizanur Rahman said.
The NHRC chairman also alleged that many doctors were doing business making the ordinary people fool and they were doing this knowingly.
He cited an example that a few days back physicians at Mitford Hospital suggested a pregnant women to immediately go for caesarean operation for delivery saying that she had complicacy. But while the doctors were taking preparation for the surgery, the women delivered a baby normally.
Speaking on the occasion, Zafrullah Chowdhury, trustee of Gonoshasthaya Kendra, said constructing hospital buildings did not define the health service of a country. ‘At the same time we cannot get a total picture of the health sector through some numbers.’
He said the state-owned Essential Drugs Company Limited can produce quality drugs, but the government has no initiative to promote the company.
Rashid E Mahbub, president of Health Rights Movement, said the healthcare system in Bangladesh is based on diseases, drugs and doctors. Public health is totally ignored in our health system, he said.
The government should ensure primary and emergency medical care to all the country’s people, Mahbub added.
Makhduma Nargis, project director of community clinic project, Naila Zaman Khan, director of Shishu Bikash Kendra of Dhaka Shishu Hospital, MQK Talukder, chairman of Women and Children Health Centre and Farida Akhter, executive director of Shastha Andolan, among others, were present at the conference.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
‘The commission will also monitor the drug supply and distribution system of the government hospitals,’ he said.
Rahman was addressing at the national conference on ‘Health Rights : Peoples’ Expectations’ organised by Shastha Andolan at the auditorium of Islamic Development Bank Bhaban in the city.
He said the government should introduce one month training at village level for medical students as part of their studies.
‘The government should introduce such a course curriculum where the medical students should stay at the villages every year for one month as part of their studies. Otherwise, he or she should not get the promotion,’ Mizanur Rahman said.
The NHRC chairman also alleged that many doctors were doing business making the ordinary people fool and they were doing this knowingly.
He cited an example that a few days back physicians at Mitford Hospital suggested a pregnant women to immediately go for caesarean operation for delivery saying that she had complicacy. But while the doctors were taking preparation for the surgery, the women delivered a baby normally.
Speaking on the occasion, Zafrullah Chowdhury, trustee of Gonoshasthaya Kendra, said constructing hospital buildings did not define the health service of a country. ‘At the same time we cannot get a total picture of the health sector through some numbers.’
He said the state-owned Essential Drugs Company Limited can produce quality drugs, but the government has no initiative to promote the company.
Rashid E Mahbub, president of Health Rights Movement, said the healthcare system in Bangladesh is based on diseases, drugs and doctors. Public health is totally ignored in our health system, he said.
The government should ensure primary and emergency medical care to all the country’s people, Mahbub added.
Makhduma Nargis, project director of community clinic project, Naila Zaman Khan, director of Shishu Bikash Kendra of Dhaka Shishu Hospital, MQK Talukder, chairman of Women and Children Health Centre and Farida Akhter, executive director of Shastha Andolan, among others, were present at the conference.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
Dhaka University impossible for English medium students no more
HAPPINESS isn’t something you experience, it’s something you remember (Oscar Levant, American actor, pianist and composer, 1906-1972). The experience of getting admitted to Dhaka University’s business studies faculty despite being an English medium student will always play a significant role in my life. The biggest role in this success was that of my parents, who supported me during the pressure I was going through at that time.
The education system in Bangladesh has three segments until the twelfth standard - Bangla, English and Madrassah mediums. While the Bangla and Madrassah medium students have an established admission procedure for the fiercely competitive and esteemed DU admission tests, English medium students face difficulty. The main reasons include lack of information, no guidance, a completely different curriculum, no access to study materials and sample questions papers for the admission test and misconception among English medium students regarding access to DU. Due to the mediocre quality of most local private universities and the increased costs of education locally and globally, talented English medium students suffer poorly.
Consequently, it seemed difficult to fulfil my parents’ dream of getting myself admitted into DU after my A Level examination. Then I came across BridgeWee, which prepares English medium students for DU admission test. It provided me with all the resources and inspiration that were required for the admission test. During the preparation, I had to think about all the other options. ‘Was I making the right choice?’ — this particular question used to roam around in my head all the time. There were times when I even thought of applying abroad and almost did, but at the end I decided to stay and study here. Since then, I had always had a doubt about my decision. I had also prepared for IBA admission test because I did not want to put all my eggs in one basket. I was very confident about both the exams, but unfortunately, couldn’t make it to IBA. However, when I got my admission result for the business faculty, I felt like the whole world was in my hands. I was selected from more than 32,000 candidates! I felt like I was the happiest person in the world. After one week of classes in the University of Dhaka, I knew my answer, and it was a big YES — I had made the right decision.
DU has a vibrant campus life with an amazing learning culture. Indeed, you can learn a lot even by walking through the campus where the brightest minds of the country unite. I am proud that I study in a university which played pivotal role in our language movement as well as in our liberation war. Moreover, the business studies faculty stands apart from other business schools of the country. It won Battle of Minds and DCCI Vision 2030 Competition last year. It has also performed wonderfully in HSBC Young Entrepreneurs Award and other international competitions such as Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition. Today, the whole world depends on business; this very competitive sector provides lots of job opportunities. So, my message to A Level students would be to unleash and utilise their potentials for this faculty — one of the best business schools of the country.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
The education system in Bangladesh has three segments until the twelfth standard - Bangla, English and Madrassah mediums. While the Bangla and Madrassah medium students have an established admission procedure for the fiercely competitive and esteemed DU admission tests, English medium students face difficulty. The main reasons include lack of information, no guidance, a completely different curriculum, no access to study materials and sample questions papers for the admission test and misconception among English medium students regarding access to DU. Due to the mediocre quality of most local private universities and the increased costs of education locally and globally, talented English medium students suffer poorly.
Consequently, it seemed difficult to fulfil my parents’ dream of getting myself admitted into DU after my A Level examination. Then I came across BridgeWee, which prepares English medium students for DU admission test. It provided me with all the resources and inspiration that were required for the admission test. During the preparation, I had to think about all the other options. ‘Was I making the right choice?’ — this particular question used to roam around in my head all the time. There were times when I even thought of applying abroad and almost did, but at the end I decided to stay and study here. Since then, I had always had a doubt about my decision. I had also prepared for IBA admission test because I did not want to put all my eggs in one basket. I was very confident about both the exams, but unfortunately, couldn’t make it to IBA. However, when I got my admission result for the business faculty, I felt like the whole world was in my hands. I was selected from more than 32,000 candidates! I felt like I was the happiest person in the world. After one week of classes in the University of Dhaka, I knew my answer, and it was a big YES — I had made the right decision.
DU has a vibrant campus life with an amazing learning culture. Indeed, you can learn a lot even by walking through the campus where the brightest minds of the country unite. I am proud that I study in a university which played pivotal role in our language movement as well as in our liberation war. Moreover, the business studies faculty stands apart from other business schools of the country. It won Battle of Minds and DCCI Vision 2030 Competition last year. It has also performed wonderfully in HSBC Young Entrepreneurs Award and other international competitions such as Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition. Today, the whole world depends on business; this very competitive sector provides lots of job opportunities. So, my message to A Level students would be to unleash and utilise their potentials for this faculty — one of the best business schools of the country.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
Bangladesh govt adopts satellite town projects
The state minister for housing and public works, Abdul Mannan Khan, on Thursday said the government has taken a project for setting up four satellite towns adjacent to the capital to reduce existing housing crisis in the Dhaka city.
‘We initially have selected a place in Savar for setting up a satellite city and the implementation works will be started soon,’ said the state minister in reply to a question of Asma Zerin Jhumu during the question-answer session at the National Parliament.
He also said that after taking opinions from the local people and their representatives, the works for land acquisition would be started as per the government policy.
The state minister said that the government also had adopted a plan to set up three other towns soon.
According to the plan, a satellite town, named Ichhamati, would be set up at Sirajdikhan in Munshiganj while two other satellite towns, named Dhaleswari and Bangshi, would be set up at Singair in Manikganj and at Dhamrai in Dhaka.
Answering to a question of lawmaker Waresat Hossain Belal, the state minister said that the buildings constructed illegally on government lands in the city would be removed in phases and the lands would be freed from the illegal occupants.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
‘We initially have selected a place in Savar for setting up a satellite city and the implementation works will be started soon,’ said the state minister in reply to a question of Asma Zerin Jhumu during the question-answer session at the National Parliament.
He also said that after taking opinions from the local people and their representatives, the works for land acquisition would be started as per the government policy.
The state minister said that the government also had adopted a plan to set up three other towns soon.
According to the plan, a satellite town, named Ichhamati, would be set up at Sirajdikhan in Munshiganj while two other satellite towns, named Dhaleswari and Bangshi, would be set up at Singair in Manikganj and at Dhamrai in Dhaka.
Answering to a question of lawmaker Waresat Hossain Belal, the state minister said that the buildings constructed illegally on government lands in the city would be removed in phases and the lands would be freed from the illegal occupants.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
500 RUET students sued for damaging property
Principal of Agrani School and College filed a case against 400 to 500 students of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology accusing them of attacking and damaging Tk 52 lakh property of ASC Wednesday night.
ASC principal Tahura Khanam lodged the damage suit with Motihar thana Wednesday night.
At least 50 students were injured in a fierce clash between students of RUET and ASC Wednesday evening.
An emergency meeting, chaired by RUET VC professor Sirajul Karim Chowdhury, at night closed RUET sine die following the violence.
Meanwhile, an inquiry committee was formed by RUET to investigate the incident. The decision came from another emergency meeting, held Thursday afternoon and chaired by the VC. The meeting also reviewed campus situation.
Earlier, resident students of RUET vacated their dormitories by 9:00am Thursday responding to the notice issued by authorities following its closure for indefinite period.
Local sources said as Mokbul Hossain, a student of Agrani School and College situated on RUET campus, smoked cigarette sitting on Shaheed Minar, RUET student Tarek protested at it Wednesday noon, triggering a clash that left 50 injured on both sides.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
ASC principal Tahura Khanam lodged the damage suit with Motihar thana Wednesday night.
At least 50 students were injured in a fierce clash between students of RUET and ASC Wednesday evening.
An emergency meeting, chaired by RUET VC professor Sirajul Karim Chowdhury, at night closed RUET sine die following the violence.
Meanwhile, an inquiry committee was formed by RUET to investigate the incident. The decision came from another emergency meeting, held Thursday afternoon and chaired by the VC. The meeting also reviewed campus situation.
Earlier, resident students of RUET vacated their dormitories by 9:00am Thursday responding to the notice issued by authorities following its closure for indefinite period.
Local sources said as Mokbul Hossain, a student of Agrani School and College situated on RUET campus, smoked cigarette sitting on Shaheed Minar, RUET student Tarek protested at it Wednesday noon, triggering a clash that left 50 injured on both sides.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
71 BGB men jailed
Seventy-one soldiers of Border Guard Bangladesh 17 Battalion were awarded various terms of imprisonment for their involvement in 2009 BDR mutiny.
The special court-16, led by Rangamati sector commander Colonel Md Bashirul Islam, also fined them Tk 100 each.
Among the convicts, 12 jawans were jailed for seven years, 13 jawans for six years, six jawns for five years, four jawans for four years, one jawan for three years, three jawans for two years and six months, 12 jawans for two years, four jawans for six months, 15 jawans for one year and one jawan for six months.
The convicts expressed their solidarity with the mutineers of BDR headquarters at Pilkhana on February 25-26, 2009.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
The special court-16, led by Rangamati sector commander Colonel Md Bashirul Islam, also fined them Tk 100 each.
Among the convicts, 12 jawans were jailed for seven years, 13 jawans for six years, six jawns for five years, four jawans for four years, one jawan for three years, three jawans for two years and six months, 12 jawans for two years, four jawans for six months, 15 jawans for one year and one jawan for six months.
The convicts expressed their solidarity with the mutineers of BDR headquarters at Pilkhana on February 25-26, 2009.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
Housewife gang raped
Four youngsters sneaked into the house of a young housewife in the absence of her husband and raped her at Biswaspara in the town early Wednesday night.
Neighbours said Tushar Hossain, a trader, used to live with his 19-year-old wife in rented house. Ratan Hossain, spoiled son of Abdur Razzak of the same area, and his three associates sneaked into her house at about 9:00pm when Tushar was away on business purpose. They took the young women in their grip, stifled her voice by putting clothe in her mouth and raped her.
As the victim was groaning, neighbours smelt wrong and immediately informed the RAB, who came to the spot.
Sensing trouble, the rapists fled. RAB and neighbours chased them and managed to hold Ratan but three others managed to escape.
Ratan was given a good thrash before handing over to the police along with evidences of rape. The victim filed a case.
RAB official Hafizur Rahman said efforts were on to round up the other rapists.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
Neighbours said Tushar Hossain, a trader, used to live with his 19-year-old wife in rented house. Ratan Hossain, spoiled son of Abdur Razzak of the same area, and his three associates sneaked into her house at about 9:00pm when Tushar was away on business purpose. They took the young women in their grip, stifled her voice by putting clothe in her mouth and raped her.
As the victim was groaning, neighbours smelt wrong and immediately informed the RAB, who came to the spot.
Sensing trouble, the rapists fled. RAB and neighbours chased them and managed to hold Ratan but three others managed to escape.
Ratan was given a good thrash before handing over to the police along with evidences of rape. The victim filed a case.
RAB official Hafizur Rahman said efforts were on to round up the other rapists.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
Deep seaport project on track, says Bangladesh shipping minister
The shipping minister, Shajahan Khan, has said the proposed deep seaport project was on the right track as the government has already hired consultants to turn the dream into reality.
‘The project will be launched certainly within the tenure of the present government. And we have made tremendous progress on it,’ he said at a ‘Meet-the-press’ programme of Shipping and Communication Journalist Forum, Bangladesh in Dhaka Thursday.
The forum organised the programme at the National Press Club to focus on the problems in Bangladesh river routes, especially their safety measures and navigability with journalist Anisur Rahman Khan moderating it.
Shajahan, responding to media queries, said talks were underway with bilateral aid agencies and encouraging responses were coming from them. He expressed the hope that the nation would soon hear a ‘good’ news on deep seaport, a project that aims to integrate Bangladesh with regional trade and commerce.
The minister said massive siltation in major river systems over decades got huge accumulation of silts at riverbeds and those were never removed to allow water vessels move smoothly. The present government, he said, has taken a nine-year project for capital dredging at a cost of Tk 11,473 crore.
‘The dredging has already started in a limited scale,’ he said pointing to the dredging at Mawa-Jazira point, where ferries now take just two hours instead of three and a half hours for a single trip. He, however, said the dredgers were inadequate compared to the necessity.
The minister said the circular waterway around Dhaka city would be made functional at any cost. A total of 13 bridges have been identified and these bridges would be replaced by bridges of higher elevation.
He sought continuous media monitoring to help authorities free the Buriganga from encroachers and infuse a new life into the morbid river.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
‘The project will be launched certainly within the tenure of the present government. And we have made tremendous progress on it,’ he said at a ‘Meet-the-press’ programme of Shipping and Communication Journalist Forum, Bangladesh in Dhaka Thursday.
The forum organised the programme at the National Press Club to focus on the problems in Bangladesh river routes, especially their safety measures and navigability with journalist Anisur Rahman Khan moderating it.
Shajahan, responding to media queries, said talks were underway with bilateral aid agencies and encouraging responses were coming from them. He expressed the hope that the nation would soon hear a ‘good’ news on deep seaport, a project that aims to integrate Bangladesh with regional trade and commerce.
The minister said massive siltation in major river systems over decades got huge accumulation of silts at riverbeds and those were never removed to allow water vessels move smoothly. The present government, he said, has taken a nine-year project for capital dredging at a cost of Tk 11,473 crore.
‘The dredging has already started in a limited scale,’ he said pointing to the dredging at Mawa-Jazira point, where ferries now take just two hours instead of three and a half hours for a single trip. He, however, said the dredgers were inadequate compared to the necessity.
The minister said the circular waterway around Dhaka city would be made functional at any cost. A total of 13 bridges have been identified and these bridges would be replaced by bridges of higher elevation.
He sought continuous media monitoring to help authorities free the Buriganga from encroachers and infuse a new life into the morbid river.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
Chittagong arms haul probe extended for 36 days
A Chittagong court Thursday extended 36 days more time for further comprehensive inquiry into the sensational 10-truckload of arms and ammunition haul case on the ground of special emphasis on ascertaining the vessel which carried the arms into Bangladesh territory from abroad.
Criminal Investigation Department filed a petition before the Court of Chittagong Metropolitan Session Judge Shamsul Islam seeking 90 days time extension on February 20. The court sought case diary for its progress but rebuked the investigation officer of the case and senior assistant superintendent of police Moniruzzaman for failing to submit CD before the court on February 22.
The metropolitan public prosecutor Kamal Uddin Ahmed who recommended the petition informed the court that they need 90 days more time for identifying the foreign vessel which carried the arms as investigation agency failed to dig it out.
The state pleader also informed the court that the earlier interrogation process was delayed because it needed more time to complete interrogation of the individual concerned including former additional secretary of the ministry of industries Nurul Amin, former home secretary Omar Faruk, former director general of DGFI Sadek Hassain Rumi and managing director of Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited Mohosin Uddin Talukdar.
However, the court after hearing the time petition Thursday granted 36 days more time for extensive inquiry into the arms haul.
With the Thursday’s one it is the 12th round of time extension for carrying out detailed investigation into the much-talked-about abortive but the country’s biggest arms and ammunition smuggling case on April 1 in 2004.
Meanwhile, the detained former MD of CUFL Mohosin Uddin Talukdar was taken to Dhaka from Chittagong Wednesday to quiz him in Joint Interrogation cell when the court on February 15 granted five-day remand.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
Criminal Investigation Department filed a petition before the Court of Chittagong Metropolitan Session Judge Shamsul Islam seeking 90 days time extension on February 20. The court sought case diary for its progress but rebuked the investigation officer of the case and senior assistant superintendent of police Moniruzzaman for failing to submit CD before the court on February 22.
The metropolitan public prosecutor Kamal Uddin Ahmed who recommended the petition informed the court that they need 90 days more time for identifying the foreign vessel which carried the arms as investigation agency failed to dig it out.
The state pleader also informed the court that the earlier interrogation process was delayed because it needed more time to complete interrogation of the individual concerned including former additional secretary of the ministry of industries Nurul Amin, former home secretary Omar Faruk, former director general of DGFI Sadek Hassain Rumi and managing director of Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited Mohosin Uddin Talukdar.
However, the court after hearing the time petition Thursday granted 36 days more time for extensive inquiry into the arms haul.
With the Thursday’s one it is the 12th round of time extension for carrying out detailed investigation into the much-talked-about abortive but the country’s biggest arms and ammunition smuggling case on April 1 in 2004.
Meanwhile, the detained former MD of CUFL Mohosin Uddin Talukdar was taken to Dhaka from Chittagong Wednesday to quiz him in Joint Interrogation cell when the court on February 15 granted five-day remand.
Read the original story on the daily New Age
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