True Stories

Independent toddler!
A2-year-old left alone in an apartment for nearly three weeks after her mother was jailed survived by eating mustard, ketchup and raw pasta, police said Monday. The toddler was watching cartoons when found by her father. Dakeysha Telita Lee, the mother, was in jail on charges of petty theft was later charged once again, this time for child abuse because she didn't let anyone know that her daughter was left alone in her apartment.

Ogden Lee, the father, said he had been trying to contact his child the two for weeks. (the parents are separated) Lee, 33, said the girl had dragged the food, toys and other things into her mother's bedroom, where he found her. He did not know until Sunday that his wife had been arrested. He said he talked to her by telephone and was told his daughter was with neighbors, but not which neighbor.

Lee spent Sunday night knocking on neighbors' doors, then got a manager to open the door to his wife's apartment, where he found the child. When the manager let him into the apartment, the youngster was lying in a baby's bathtub with a towel pulled over her and was watching a TV cartoon channel, he said. She was filthy and covered with dried ketchup!
(source: The St. Petersburg Times)

Madonna's Gift
She is the most commercially successful female artist of all time, with worldwide record sales of more than 140 million including albums True Blue, Immaculate Collection and Ray of Light. But there is also another side to Madonna, the diva who only recently changed her name.

It began with Madonna granting a dying teen's wish. But it blossomed into an unlikely friendship between the pop music star and an aspiring Canadian actress and dancer.

Seventeen-year-old Kerri Yascheshyn from the Ontario border city of Windsor died of liver cancer.

During her last days, Madonna had been calling Kerri daily, chatting about everything from dancing to the afterlife. The first call was arranged by the Children's Wish Foundation, but Madonna chose to keep in touch after that. The entertainer sent Kerri books and a case of what she called "healing water." Madonna lost her mother, a French Canadian, to cancer in 1963. Kerri's mom says the singer was positive and encouraged her daughter to pray.
(Source: CNN.com)

Teen Returns Home
Missing teenager Elizabeth Smart was found alive in a Salt Lake City suburb and has been reunited with her family. Fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart, vanished from her home nearly nine months ago. Elizabeth was discovered in the car of a drifter during a traffic stop in Sandy, Utah. The drifter once worked at the Smart family home. This girl disappeared on June 5, 2002. She was 14 at the time, she's now 15.

Police were tipped off by two women who called law enforcement and said they saw the subject, they called "Emmanuel." His real name is Brian David Mitchell. He apparently had done some work at the Smarts' home as a handyman and is also a religious fanatic.

When police pulled him over in a small town, he was in the company of a woman and Elizabeth. She had on a wig at the time she was found by police. Apparently Mary Katherine, who is Elizabeth's 9-year-old sister, said that he resembled the man who came in to their bedroom that night of June 5 and took Elizabeth by gunpoint. She was either taken as reported by force from her home on June 5 or she went voluntarily with this Brian David Mitchell, because she knew him from doing work at the home.
(source: CNN.com)

Compiled by Shoaib Alam

Book review
Oboneel

Md. Zafar Iqbal is well known for his sci-fi, and "Oboneel" is yet another one of his creations, this one with a twist as it is also a romantic love story.

As is usual with Iqbal, the protagonists in the story have unusual names Rira and Kushan. Rira is a human being, while Kushan is a 'neel-manob, or blue human (probably inspired by the Blue Man band). Neel-manobs are blue-skinned mutants, the result of a genetic experiment gone wrong. A war-loving species, they are viewed as inferior to humans, although they are physically stronger and have night vision. They are also better strategists, believing in the importance of teamwork over the individual.

The novel is set in the future, where the neel-manobs live on their own planet, and are trying to colonise others, while trying to defend themselves against humans who wish to annihilate them. The story begins on a space ship transporting a troop of neel-manobs captured in battle. The vessel is piloted by a woman named Rira.

A scuffle breaks out on board, human versus neel-manob, which results in heavy casualties, with the only survivors being Rira and Kushan. The latter is wounded and held captive by the former, and perhaps their isolation is what causes a romance to flower between them.

The pair share many adventures together, and their love grows stronger, pretty much in a Star-Wars kind of way.

Whether they end up together or not, is for you to read and find out. Long-time readers of Iqbal's work complain that his newer novels lack the bite of his older sci-fi thrillers. If you like your science fiction with a dash of romance, however, you are sure to like Oboneel right away!

By Durdana Ghias

A Guide for the Bangladeshi students planning to study in the United States

Many Bangladeshi students want to pursue their higher studies abroad in the United Sates. However the process of applying to a college or a university maybe complicated and cumbersome if the correct procedures are not known. To help prospective students understand the process of applying more clearly, answers to the most commonly asked questions are outlined below.

Who is eligible to apply for admission into a US university or college?
Anyone who has:
A consistently good academic record
Sufficient financial support
Proficiency in English

To be eligible for undergraduate study (Bachelors degree) one must have completed 12 years of formal education. For admission into graduate study (Masters / Doctorate degrees) one must have completed 16 years of formal education.

How should one go about while deciding which college or university to apply to?

There are many steps involved in the process of going to the US to study. First of all, one must have a strong academic background, solid financial support and very good English language skills. One must also have completed at least that many yeas of formal studies as each programme requires one to have.

Next, one must decide which colleges or universities he/she wants to apply to. For this one might have to consider many different aspects of all of these colleges and universities. Some of the important factors that have to be taken into consideration are:

Does the school offer a good degree programme in the filed of your choice
How competitive it is
How much does it cost
Does it offer financial aid to foreign students
Is it accredited or not

After selecting at least ten to fifteen institutions, you should write to each of them requesting application form and of course more information about admission requirements and the specific programme you are interested in. Then after you have received the required information, you have to select four or five institutions to formally apply to. The person applying has to make sure to send the completed application forms along with all other required documents directly to the college or university, well before the deadline. The required documents usually include: certified copies of your school transcripts (certificates and mark sheets) test scores, letters of recommendations, the application fee and financial documents. Eventually you will receive a letter from the university or college either accepting or rejecting your application. If you are accepted, then the college or university will send you a letter of acceptance and an I-20 form (i.e. a Certificate of Eligibility for Student Status Visa.) You must have this form before you can apply for visa.

How much money does one require to study in the US for one year?

The amount of money depends upon the college or university you have chosen to apply for. Tuition fee for one year may range from U.S. $16000 to $20000 and in the cases of the more expensive private colleges and universities, about $30000 or more per year. Additional funds are also required in order to cover living expenses. This will vary from place to place.

Is it possible to get financial aid from the college or universities?

It is extremely difficult for a foreign student to obtain financial aid for undergraduate studies. The competition is intense and one has to be an outstanding student in order to receive such privileges. Usually only the private colleges and universities offer financial aid to undergraduates. The students studying for a graduate degree have more opportunities for financial aid from both public and private universities. One should apply for financial aid while applying for admission in to that college or university.

[The information has been compiled from brochures printed by The American Center, Dhaka. For further information please contact The American Center, Dhaka or log on to www.usembassy-dhaka.org]

Compiled by Nusrat

O word yet on when the next Harry Potter book comes out, but at least there's a title: ``Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.'' ``Well the door opened at last and I showed you the title of book six - the genuine title, the title that will appear on the published book, the title I have been using in my head for ages and ages,'' author J.K. Rowling wrote on her Web site. The British author's U.S. publisher, Scholastic, confirmed the title on Tuesday. A previous posting on Rowling's site, listed under ``Gossip,'' had led some fans to believe the book would be called ``Harry Potter and the Pillar of Storge.'' Rowling dismissed that title as laughable. The most recent Potter book, ``Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,'' was released last summer. The paperback comes out Aug. 10 with a first printing of 2 million.

NEW York AP