When the precious Pink Panther diamond is stolen again, police inspector Jacques Clouseau embarks on a round-the-world pursuit of its elusive thief in action-comedy The Pink Panther 2.

By EVELYN MAK

Police inspector Jacques Clouseau (Steve Martin) is summoned to duty again when the Pink Panther diamond gets stolen for the second time. Together with partner Ponton (Jean Reno) and object of affections Nicole (Emily Mortimer), the bumbling Frenchman tries to recover the treasure and nab the thief named Tornado.

The unlikely trio seeks help from an international team of investigators, which include Inspector Pepperidge from the UK (Alfred Molina), wealthy Italian businessman Vicenzo (Andy Garcia), Japanese electronics expert Kenzo (Yuki Matsuzaki), and a detective Sonia (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan).

Based on a live-action movie that starred Peter Sellers in 1963, the remake featuring Hollywood funnyman Steve became a box offi ce hit in 2006. This sequel is directed by Dutch-born filmmaker Harald Zwart (Agent Cody Banks, One Night At McCool’s).

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
Named after the engineer that designed it, Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower is a Parisian landmark that is impossible to miss.

Built between 1887 and 1889, the 18,000 iron pieces of the tower were built at a workshop before being put together by 132 workers using over 2.5 million rivets. The tower’s construction initially faced strong protests from artists and citizens, who felt that it was a monstrosity, but it is now regarded as an integral part of Parisian landscape and architecture.

The Eiffel Tower towers at 312m (at the top of the flagpole), but visitors can take in the magnifi cent city scenery at 276m, via a lift on the second floor. Those afraid of heights can take the stairs or elevators to the first (57m) or second (115m) fl oor platforms.

Musée D’Orsay, Paris, France
The Orsay Museum, or Musée D’Orsay, is perhaps Paris’s most popular museum after the Louvre Museum. It boasts over 4,000 paintings, sculptures, photographs and other works from 1848 to 1914 by famous French impressionist and postimpressionist artists, including Monet, Manet, Renoir, as well as sculptors Rodin and Maillol.

Turin Cathedral, Turin, Italy
A business and cultural hub in Northern Italy and the fi rst capital of modern Italy, Turin is also the third most important economic centre in the country, after Rome and Milan.

Among Turin’s famous attractions is the Turin Cathedral, dedicated to St John the Baptist and also known as the Cathedral of St John the Baptist. Construction started in 1491, with the Chapel of the Holy Shroud added in 1688. The Chapel of the Holy Shroud houses the Shroud of Turin, a linen cloth that bears the image of a man that was crucifi ed; some believe that the Shroud is the cloth that covered Jesus when he was placed in his tomb.

British Library, London, UK
Once part of the British Museum, the British Library was created in 1973 by the British Library Act.

It has three locations – the St Pancras and Colindale branches in London, and Boston Spa in Yorkshire. Its main collection is at St Pancras, which also happens to be the largest public building built during the 20th century.

The British Library’s collection contains over 150 million items, which include manuscripts, books, newspapers, patents, CDs, DVDs, stamps and even 3,000-year old Chinese oracle bones. The collection grows continually, with 12 km of shelves added to house three million new items every year.

Kyoto National Museum, Kyoto, Japan
Originally called the Imperial Museum of Kyoto, construction for this museum began in 1892 and held its fi rst exhibition in 1897. The name was changed to “Kyoto National Museum” in 1952, and was designated to be an institution for the collection and preservation of cultural properties.

The museum houses over 12,000 treasures, categorised into Fine Arts (paintings, sculptures and calligraphy), Handicrafts (pottery, fabrics, lacquer wares and metal works), and Archaeological artefacts (items of archaeological and historical significance). The museum also has a photographical archive of more than 200,000 photographic negatives and colour transparencies.

Vatican City
The smallest independent state in the world, both in terms of size (0.44 sq km) and population (about 800 people live in the city), this walled municipality is located within the city of Rome, just beyond the right bank of the River Tiber. Since 1929, the city has been home to the Pope, who is also the sovereign of the state.

The only state to be listed in the UNESCO list of World History Sites in its entirety, the Vatican City is a popular tourist destination because of its unique works of art. Drop by the Sistine Chapel, which The chapel is famous for its painted ceiling, comprising nine paintings by Michelangelo, and magnificent frescoed panels by Boticelli and Perugino.

The Pink Panther 2 opens in cinemas islandwide on 19 February 2009.

For the full story, check out escape! Feb/Mar 09