Flush figures

Brussels, Feb. 5:

Every Briton flushes 17.6 kg of toilet paper down the lavatory every year, almost two and half times the European average, according to tissue industry figures, reports The Daily Telegraph.

British toilet paper consumption of 110 rolls per capita is 25 times that of Ukraine’s, Europe’s lowest. Americans pull 15.7 kg off the roll, ahead of western Europe’s average flush of 12.4, but still well behind the British. Out of the EU states, new Europe’s Baltic countries trail with 3.9 kg annual consumption, three times less than the Germans.

Bond best

London (AP): Daniel Craig was honoured but Helen Mirren was denied on Sunday at the 34th annual Evening Standard British Film Awards. Craig was named best actor for Casino Royale, his debut outing as super-spy James Bond. Mirren, who is an Academy Awards favourite for her turn as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, lost the best actress prize to Judi Dench, awarded for her portrayal of a predatory schoolteacher in Notes on a Scandal.

Horror box

Los Angeles (Reuters): Horror movie The Messengers opened at number one in the weekend box office in North America as Sony Pictures scored again in its Super Bowl counterprogramming strategy, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday. Messengers, directed by Hong Kong horror experts the Pang brothers and geared toward a young audience with its PG-13 rating, earned $14.5 million since opening on Friday. But close behind was Because I Said So, grossing $13 million.

Paris photo

Los Angeles (AP): A US judge has told a website to stop selling photos, videos, diaries and other items belonging to heiress Paris Hilton that were once kept at a storage facility. Hilton sued www.ParisExposed.com last month, saying it exploited her personal belongings, including a reputed bubble bath video, for commercial gain. The injunction issued on Friday temporarily bars the website from releasing Hilton’s health data and other personal information. Hilton’s spokesman, Elliott Mintz, said he was pleased.