World Vignettes

Hands-on supermodelMELBOURNE: Australian fans of supermodel Elle Macpherson can't seem to keep their hands off her. After only three months ...

Hands-on supermodel

MELBOURNE: Australian fans of supermodel Elle Macpherson can8217;t seem to keep their hands off her. After only three months in a Melbourne display, Madame Tussaud8217;s has been forced to give Macpherson a much-needed holiday and wash because fans couldn8217;t keep their hands off a wax replica of the Australian supermodel, the wax museum said on Tuesday. 8220;She was taken out two days ago for repairs, but she8217;s back tomorrow,8221; said Vicky Brown, general manager of Madame Tussaud8217;s Australia. Since the exhibition opened in October, thousands have posed with Elle for souvenir pictures, rubbing off her skin colouring, scratching her arms and leaving a greasy residue from sweaty palms on her scant clothing.

The model was the most popular item in the exhibition and popular with both sexes, Brown said. 8220;Obviously the guys love her but the girls egg on their boyfriends to have their pictures taken with her,8221; she said. Macpherson8217;s replica and the rest of the wax celebrities in the exhibition leave Melbourne at the end of February to tour Southeast Asia.

Trumpeting feats

ATLANTA: Musicians Kenneth Babyface8217; Edmonds, Whitney Houston and Wynton Marsalis were among those honoured at the sixth annual Trumpet Awards honouring black achievers. Retired General Colin Powell received the Living Legend award at the ceremony sponsored by Turner Broadcasting System. Houston and Marsalis were given special honours. 8220;All of the awards and honours I receive are important to me,8221; Houston said while accepting her Pinnacle8217; award. 8220;The ones I treasure most are those which are a result of my contributions to the well-being of children.8221;

The Tsar, by far

MOSCOW: A Russian government panel which studied human remains found in Yekaterinburg in 1979 has concluded that they are those of Tsar Nicholas II and his family, first deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov has said. The finding removes the last obstacle to the remains8217; being buried, he said on Monday. 8220;We can solemnly announce that the remains examined belong to the family of Nicholas II, and no further doubt can now exist on the subject,8221; Nemtsov told NTV Television.

Blockbuster ahoy!

NEW YORK: The movie Titanic, the most expensive film in US history, has earned back its production costs, raking in 198 million dollars in 25 days, the newspaper USA Today said on Monday. Titanic has dominated the weekly box office sales for four consecutive weeks. Only two films, Independence Day and Jurassic Park reached the 200-million-dollar mark faster. Last week, the film Good Will Hunting, starring Robin Williams and Matt Damon held down the second spot in the weekly statistics, earning 10.3 million dollars. As Good As It Gets, a comedy starring Jack Nicholson, was third.

Wag The Dog, a comedy about the White House starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro was fourth, reeling in 8.2 million dollars, while the latest James Bond Movie, Tomorrow Never Dies finished fifth for the week, totalling 7.5 million dollars.