ABRACADABRA

Italy has lowest graduation rate

Rome: Italy has the lowest graduation rates in Europe with just one-fifth of people aged 30-34 holding a university degree, according to a study.

A total of 31 percent of Italian families cannot afford to pay for their children's university studies, and must take out loans or have their offspring seek jobs to help fund tuition and living costs, said the report by charity Save the Children.

It said Italy was jeopardizing the future of its youth by spending just 1.1 percent of its economic output on children and families, putting the country in 18th place out of Europe's 27 nations.

Almost 29 percent of children during the crucial early years from 0-6 are living in poverty and 23.7 percent endure hardship in terms of nutrition, clothing, holidays, sport, books, equipment and school charges, according to the study.

When jail bird chose honesty

Houston: In a bizarre incident, a prisoner in the US state of Oklahoma chose honesty over freedom and called up emergency number 911 to politely report his own escape. A cross-country trip transporting prisoners turned wild when two of them stole the van which had a total of eight prison inmates. But it was a phone call from one of their own that landed the prisoners back behind bars.

Joshua Silverman, a prisoner, along with five other inmates watched as the two prisoners stole the van after it stopped at a hospital in Weatherford. Michael Coleman and Lester Burns worked together to steal that van, police said. They escaped while two guards were inside the hospital with another prisoner. Silverman called 911 and alerted police after the prisoners stopped the van at a distance, ABC News-affiliate KOCO TV reported. "Uh, yes, ma'am, you're probably not going to believe this, but I'm a prisoner in a van, and I'm here with a couple of these other cats," Silverman politely explained to the 911 operator.

"A couple of the guys that were in the van jacked the van ... at the hospital," he said during the nearly four-minute audio clip that Weatherford police released.

“Rubbish to call Maharashtra progressive” 

said noted actor Amrapurkar

Right enough “Aged couple ostracised by caste Panchayat”

Bhayandar: An elderly couple living in Tembhi-Pada village in Virar, have become strangers in the own village, after they were socially boycotted by the local “Caste Panchayat”. 

Their Crime: keeping construction material outside their house, leading to an oral complaint by one of their neighbours with the panchayat members. As per information – Anant Nijai (70) is a small time labour contractor who lives with his wife Bhavna (65) in Tembhi-Pada village. Nijai had kept some construction material outside his house inviting the ire of neighbours who sought the intervention of the local caste panchayat. In open defiance of the law of the land, the panchayat members allegedly issued a diktat, ordering the couple to tender an apology to the complaint.

When the elderly couple refused to tender an apology, the panchayat banished them from the community issuing a verbal diktat forbidding villagers not to interact with the couple. 

“We have gone into exile in our own village as nobody is ready to talk to us. Everybody is behaving like strangers.” alleges Nijai. When contacted, API S. D. Barge, said, “Even as a non-cognisance complaint had been registered on the issue of dumping the construction material, as of now no such case of banishing has come to our notice. We have taken statements of Nijai and also the panchayat members.

However, strict action will be taken if anyone is found issuing such illegal diktats.”  

A casual song & luck came calling 

Thiruvananthapuram: Casual singing of a popular Malayalam song has elevated a poor housewife in Kerala to the cine world. Chandralekha from Vadaseikkara village in Pathanamhitta district made a foray as a playback singer by lending her voice to a duet in ‘Love Story’, a feature film being directed by M Prashant.

The 31-year-old woman, who was noted after a video showing her singing the song from movie ‘Chamayam’ hit the ‘YouTube, paired the song composed by newcomer David Shon with Hariharan. Though the video showing the song Chandralekha singing the song ‘Rajahamsame’ with her child in her arms was uploaded by her husband’s nephew in YouTube none took notice. Those who heard the song did not believe it original. After many comments like that appeared in the social networking sites, Chandralekha added her mobile number to the video resulting in a flood of calls from within India and abroad. The video suddenly went viral. In just four days as many 350,000 people viewed it. The composers, who heard her voice, came forward with offers to sing in their films. Chandralekha has so far got offers from five composers. She has also an offer to sing a devotional album being produced by a Thiruvananthapuram-based music company.

Shon has taken the credit for initiating Chandralekha into the playback singing by giving the song set aside for Shreya Ghosal. Chandralekha, who could not make use of forums available for using her hereditary talent due to the burdens of life, is stunned by the outpourings of love, affection and encouragement she is receiving. 

Talking to reporters after completing the song at a studio in Kochi, the gifted singer said her biggest wish was to see in person K S Chithra, who sang the original song that has transformed her life. Chandralekha had sung the popular song without any instrument, including a microphone.

Chandralekha, wife of Raghunath, wanted to pursue music but the conditions did not allow her to join a music college.

Though teachers in the school and college, where she studied, encouraged her, the poverty at home tied her down to her dilapidate house.

Raghunath’s nephew, who heard her singing at home, believed that the world will one day notice her voice. He did his bit by posting her song in the YouTube.It has transformed Chandralekha’s life and may help her fulfill her long-cherished dream to become a playback singer.