Israel: Strapped for cash in a Tokyo hotel, Albert Einstein wrote his take on life on a note and handed it to the bellboy instead of a tip. The physicist's formula for happy living has fetched US$1.3 million at an auction in Jerusalem. In 1922, Einstein was en route to Japan when the announcement came that he would be awarded the 1921 Nobel prize in physics, Winner's Auctions and Exhibitions said. Upon his arrival in Tokyo, he holed up in his hotel room trying to put his thoughts to paper. When an attendant came to his room to make a delivery, Einstein found himself without any money for a tip. Instead, he handed him a signed note with one sentence, written in German: "A calm and humble life will bring more happiness than the pursuit of success and the constant restlessness that comes with it". According to the auction house, Einstein advised the bellboy to keep the note, saying that some day its value will surpass the amount of a standard tip. He was proved right.
United States: New rules on all US-bound flights are set to come into effect, including stricter passenger screening to comply with government security measures. The move is designed to avoid expanding an in-cabin ban on laptops. Airlines say the new measures, which could include short security interviews with passengers, would be in place by Friday.
United States: The father of a missing toddler whose body was found in a culvert under a road in suburban Dallas, Texas, has changed his story to say the girl didn't wander off two weeks ago, but that she choked to death while drinking milk in the family's garage. Richardson police said that the Dallas County medical examiner's office used dental records to identify 3-year-old Sherin Mathew. The girl was reported missing by her father, Wesley Mathews, on October 7. Police said the cause of death is unknown.
Britain: A pair of floral-patterned satin shoes worn by Prince has stepped into the collection of Britain's Victoria & Albert Museum. The art and design museum says the "exquisitely crafted" shoes illustrate the imagery and industry of Prince, who died in 2016 aged 57. The zippers feature "love symbol #2," the logo to which Prince changed his name in 1993. The shoes also have metal braces inserted between heel and sole to help support his vigorous leaps. The shoes went on display today at the museum, which also holds costumes from Elton John, Mick Jagger and The Beatles.
Australia: Two koalas spotted in a National Park on the NSW Central Coast are the first confirmed sightings in the area for decades. The pair was caught on remote night-vision cameras in the Dharug National Park in August and September, the first time a koala has ever starred on the devices. Park ranger Sarah Brooks has worked in the park for more than 20 years and has never spotted a koala.
