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Now aliens declare their presence on census

(AGENCY)

Census bosses in Serbia have included a new section for visitors from space to declare their presence in an upcoming population questionnaire, reports Metro.

Extraterrestrial visitors will be able to list themselves as ETs/aliens but will not have to give details of their sex, religion or ethnicity, confirmed the country’s Statistical Office, revealed the newspaper. 
 
 
Hindus, Sikhs 'bedrock' of Middle Britain

(AFP)

Long-established Hindu and Sikh families now have an above average likelihood of being classed 'Middle Britons', reports Daily Mail.

Britain's Hindu and Sikh communities with high education levels, jobs and house ownership are increasingly likely to be classified as 'Middle Britons', wide-ranging research says.

They are now being categorised as part of the country's middle-class, according to a survey that also revealed the changing societal lifestyles.

The surprising focus on Hindu and Sikh communities is part of the lifestyle of a typical middle-class Briton revealed in the research by credit rating company Experian, the Daily Mail reported.

The Berkshire town of Slough – known as the setting for Ricky Gervais’ sitcom, The Office – has been revealed as the social group’s heartland.

The research was carried out by analysts at Experian, who examined nationwide data ranging from income and housing type to favourite internet sites and shopping habits.

It identified over 400 social and economic factors to define middle-class Britain and produced a detailed picture of the country's largest group, accounting for 13.1 million people, or one in five of the population.
 

 
Punjab to allow women to stay with husbands in jails

(AFP)

Wives of prisoners in Punjab will soon be allowed a brief stay with their husbands in jails, a minister told Press Trust of India.

The new jails, which are under construction in the state, are having special barracks for the purpose, Jail Minister Hira Singh Gabria said.

He said this facility will be extended on humanitarian grounds to those prisoners who had been staying in jail for several years and even the newly-weds who landed themselves in prison.

Jobless after 426 attempts 

(AGENCY)
 
Malcolm Holt is the face of an unemployment crisis that is affecting Australia’s most experienced workers.

Despite decades working in senior management roles, the 55-year-old has been rejected after applying for 426 jobs across the nation in 14 months - all since relocating to Surfers Paradise.

Holt is so desperate for work he said he was willing to sweep gutters or work in traffic control in order to pay his way.

"Once people see my resume, nobody is going to give me a job as a storeman or packer," he told The Gold Coast Bulletin.

"They think I'm far too qualified and experienced.

"They don't realise I just want  to work and get my pride back."

 
 
Inmates' cook-off serves up cheer in Peru prison

(REUTERS)
 
A women's prison in Peru might not be the first place to look for holiday cheer, but a group of incarcerated ladies from around the world staged an international cook-off Tuesday that warmed hearts.

Most of the inmates are in on drug smuggling charges, and few likely imagined their work as drug "mules" would land them in the Chorrillos Women's Prison, missing holidays year after year.

Yet there they were - 24 women from the Philippines, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Iceland, Peru, Colombia, Spain and Bolivia - firing up national dishes to bring the holiday season to life despite their lack of freedom.

The competition was bubbling hot.

And Germany's Nicole Vantscher, 38, came out on top with a stew of pork, beef and potatoes, served with a side of red cabbage salad. Her prize was free cooking classes.

Of the 854 women at the South American facility, 137 are foreigners, most jailed for drug trafficking.

 
Hackers dine on data from McDonald's

(AP)

Global fast-food giant McDonald's and gossip website Gawker on Monday said that hackers had helped themselves to data about people who take part in their offerings.

McDonald's was quick to note that no financial or sensitive personal information was swiped by cyber criminals who broke into computer systems operated by an outside firm used to manage a customer email database.

"Limited customer information collected in connection with certain McDonald's websites and promotions was obtained by an unauthorized third party," McDonald's said in an email response to an AFP inquiry.

"The limited information includes what was required to confirm the customer's age, methods to contact the customer, and other general preference information."

Gawker Media said hackers looted passwords from servers handling nine of its websites including Gizmodo and Fleshbot. People who log-in at Gawker Media online properties were advised to change passwords immediately.

"We're deeply sorry for and embarrassed about this breach of security and of trust," Gawker said in a message posted online.

"We're working around the clock to ensure our security (and our commenters' account security) moving forward."

A group calling itself "Gnosis" claimed responsibility for the Gawker hack, according to the New York based Internet firm.

No evidence available on Monday indicated links to hacker attacks launched in support of whistle-blower website WikiLeaks.

McDonald's said it is taking the data breach seriously and working with law enforcement agencies to identify the culprits.
 

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