New York  - There was a time when people lit a candle in a church, if they wanted their prayers answered. But in the 21st century, that is so 1990.

Sydney  - A relative of the Aboriginal author whose image appears on Australia's 50-dollar notes reckons he's owed millions of dollars in royalties because the person who gave permission for the imprint was an impostor.

It's a complicated case that could be settled easily, if David Unaipon's family were DNA fingerprinted.

However, that is unlikely to happen - and it might even be illegal under draft legislation before parliament.

Tokyo - Humanoid robot guides are being used at a shopping mall in the Japanese city of Osaka to give consumers "a helping hand".

Standing 114 centimetres tall, "Robovie II" whirrs up to customers with tips on where to shop. It can tell from the way they walk whether shoppers have gone astray or are hesitant about entering a particular store, said Takaati Akimoto. He heads the ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communication Laboratories in Seika, which developed the droid.

Rome  - Handiwork is making a big comeback in the Italian capital as the global financial crisis pinches pocketbooks, the La Repubblica newspaper reported.

Johannesburg  - Santa Claus has arrived to open the Christmas season in Johannesburg, but on a Harley Davidson motorcycle rather than in a reindeer-driven sleigh.

An estimated 38,000 people on more than 23,000 motorcycles took part in South Africa's 26th annual Toy Run from Pretoria to Johannesburg on the first Sunday of Advent.

Vienna - A Vienna woman, Ellen Mueller, is offering "laughter-yoga" seminars to help Austrians cope with the global financial crisis. She has also written a book on her exercise method.

"Laughter yoga is a wonderful way to achieve a cheerful prevailing mood and thus better cope with everyday challenges," Mueller said. The trick, she explained, was simply to draw up the corners of one's mouth to cheer up, even when things were most dismal.