Reporters, editors, broadcasters, photographers, editorial cartoonists and historians participated in the balloting for the Virginia Newseum's stories of the century. President Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky and his subsequent impeachment barely made a ripple, rating a mere 53rd.

The only events from the past decade to register among the top 50 stories were the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the 1993 end of apartheid in South Africa, and the advent of the World Wide Web on the Internet in 1989.But more sublime moments of the 20th century, such as the Wright Brothers' first powered airplane flight in 1903, American women winningthe vote in 1920 and the discovery of penicillin in 1928 also received high priority.

Flower power

Madonna sailed to Grammy success in Los Angeles with a song written almost 30 years ago by a British `flower power' singer who had given up composing and gone to work in a laundry. ``I'm absolutely delighted,'' Dave Curtiss said after the singer had won one of the coveted music industry awards with her recording of his song Ray of Light.

The song, originally called Sepheryn, was first released in 1971 by Curtiss and his late musical partner Clive Maldoon. Maldoon's niece resurrected the song and worked on it with British producer William Orbit who first played it to Madonna. Curtiss has quit his job in a laundry and started writing songs again. His royalties could top $400,100. ``I've had reasonable eating money for the past year,'' he told London Times.

``It's allowed me to keep alive decorate the flat and buy some recording equipment. But the big stuff comes through next month. I thought Godwants me to be a songwriter so I started writing again,'' he added.

Extended family

Dogged since last week by claims from an 18-year-old beauty queen that he is her father, Philippine President Joseph Estrada has said that more urgent matters call for his attention.

``That's not what's important now,'' he told reporters. Josephine Rose Estrada, a local beauty pageant winner, claims she was born as a result of a brief relationship between Estrada and her mother, Rose Dungca, a former Miss Manila finalist.

``I'm only asking her to prove it,'' said Estrada, a former movie actor who has admitted to being a womaniser. He has said he fathered seven children with five different women out of wedlock. He also has three children with his wife, Eloisa, a doctor. Since being elected President last year, he has complained about the many people who have come forward claiming to be his relatives.