One of the usual Paris highlights, Alexander McQueen’s show, has been taken from the official catwalk schedule and transformed into a subdued presentation following the designer’s death, but there will be plenty of other flamboyant events happening at and around Paris fashion week. While brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermès will be giving attendees an update on what’s new in French luxury, international designers including the Dutch Dries van Noten or Viktor & Rolf, British Gareth Pugh or Japanese label Comme des Garçons will present more forward-thinking fashion avantgarde. Designers to watch are the French capital’s rising star Damir Doma as well as former Dior Homme designer Nicolas Andreas Taralis, who now shows under his own name. Sonia Rykiel will have to prove that she didn’t forget how to do high fashion after her successful ranges for H&M, but while no one would seriously doubt that, Ungaro’s resurrection after last season’s Lindsay Lohan disaster is far more uncertain. It will also be interesting to see whether labels such as Balmain stick to their highly popular rock’n’roll chic instead of risking a new look, and if the ‘curvier model’ trend as seen in Italy (Prada) and London (Mark Fast) and an increased booking of Victoria’s Secret girls or high fashion colleagues like Lara Stone persist. Trade fair Première Classe will run concurrently to the fashion week, as will the edgier Tranoi, which for the first time features Tokyoeye, an initiative to promote Japanese brands in Paris. As for gossip, it has emerged on deadline.com that Zoolander writer Justin Theroux will be on site to “immerse himself on what is current in fashion” for the long-awaited sequel of the fashion parody. Also, French Vogue and luxe palace, Hôtel Crillon are collaborating for a meeting hub with low-calorie meals and a make-up pit stop, while party mogul Jean Roch is planning the launch of his VIP Room Theater – an expansion of his legendary nightclub, featuring an Italian trattoria, a café and a concept store – for March 5.

Russia is willing to back sanctions against Iran so long as they are targeted and do not affect the civilian poupulation, President Dimitri Medvedev said at a news conference with his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy.
Speaking in Paris, Medvedev said he hoped that negotiations with Iran would come to an agreement without sanctions. But if we don’t get there, Russia is ready, with its partners, I have already said it, to have sanctions introduced, he said. These sanctions must be carefully weighed and must be sanctions that are intelligent ones. They must not be directed against the civilian population. He said that if sanctions were to be applied, they could not be punitive to the point of preventing further dialogue with the Iranian regime, which says its nuclear programme is purely for peaceful purposes. Significantly, Medvedev did not mention Iran in his opening comments, while the question was the first point that Sarkozy made in his. Asked about negotiations under way with the United States to cut nuclear weapons stockpiles, Medvedev said talks were advancing well and that negotiators were down to the fine print, with most substantive issues agreed.

MELBOURNE: Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt will be out of action for at least three months after undergoing hip surgery following his exit from the Australian Open.

The Australian world number 22, who was beaten in straight sets by top seed Roger Federer in the fourth round, hopes to return in time to play some European clay court tournaments ahead of the French Open in late May.

“After I finished the Australian Open, I had to go in and have hip surgery on my right hip,” said the 28-year-old dual Grand Slam winner, who hobbled into his press conference Saturday on crutches.

“It’s been causing a few problems since the Hopman Cup at the start of the year. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but one that I felt was necessary right at the moment.”

It is the second time Hewitt has had to undergo hip surgery.

The last operation, on his left hip, was immediately after the Beijing Olympics in August 2008, and he was out of action until January last year.

Despite the latest setback, Hewitt said he “absolutely” had the desire to keep playing.

“I could have waited a couple of weeks, see if it settled down a little bit better straight after playing a tournament,” he said.

“At the end of the day, from the scans I had before the Australian Open, speaking to the experts that I had around me, we pretty much knew that the decision was out of my hands at the moment.

“Obviously, what I play for these days are the Grand Slams.

“If I waited any longer to have anything done, it would have been very similar to 2008 where I prolonged it because I didn’t exactly know what was going on and ended up missing the US Open because of it.

“For me having it done right now, I’ll be back ready for the French Open.”

Hewitt will now be unavailable to lead Australia in their Group I Asia/Oceania Davis Cup tie against Taiwan in Melbourne on March 5-7.

BEIRUT: Ethiopian Airlines Crash, An Ethiopian Airlines plane with 90 people on board crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from Beirut in stormy weather early on Monday and the airline’s chief executive said there was no word of survivors.

The Boeing (BA.N) 737-800, heading for Addis Ababa, disappeared off the radar some five minutes after taking off at 2:37 a.m. (0037 GMT) during a thunder storm and heavy rain. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said he did not think the plane had been brought down deliberately.

“As of now, a sabotage act is unlikely. The investigation will uncover the cause,” Suleiman told a news conference.

Fourteen bodies have so far been recovered near the crash site three-and-a-half km (two miles) west of the coastal village of Na’ameh. Eighty-three passengers and seven crew were on the flight, Transport Minister Ghazi al-Aridi said at the airport.

Ethiopian Airlines CEO Girma Wake said he had spoken with Lebanese authorities who did not confirm there were survivors.

Fifty-four of those on board were Lebanese, 22 were Ethiopian, two were British and there were also Canadian, Russian, French, Iraqi and Syrian nationals.

Marla Pietton, wife of the French ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pietton, was on the plane, the French embassy said.

The Lebanese government declared a day of mourning. Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri visited the airport to meet distraught relatives waiting for news of survivors, some of whom were angry that the plane was allowed to take off in bad weather.

“They should have delayed the flight for an hour or two to protect the passengers. There had been strong lightning bolts and we hear that lighting strikes at planes especially during take offs,” a relative of one of the passengers told a local television station.

“BALL OF FIRE”

Lebanese army patrol boats and helicopters were searching a small area off Na’ameh, 10 km (six miles) south of Beirut.

The military spokesman for U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon, Colonel Diego Fulco, said two ships from its maritime task force were at the crash site and a third was on its way. Two U.N. helicopters were also at the scene, he said.

A Cypriot police helicopter and another from the British military stationed in Cyprus were also involved in the search.

According to one source, residents on the coast saw a “ball of fire” crashing off Na’ameh.

State-owned Ethiopian Airlines has positioned itself as a major player in international air traffic in Africa and has recently expanded its Asian network.

It has regular flights to Lebanon, catering for business clients and the hundreds of Ethiopians who work there as domestic helpers. Lebanese aviation sources said some of the passengers had been en route to Angola.

Last Friday the airline announced an order for 10 of Boeing’s Next-Generation 737-800s for a total price of $767 million.

I Think I Love My Wife is a romantic comedy-drama 2007 film directed by and starring Chris Rock and Kerry Washington. Rock also co-wrote and produced the film. It is a remake of the 1972 French film, Chloe in the Afternoon by Éric Rohmer. Rock also co-wrote the screenplay with Louis C.K..

Nadal Wins Capitala World Tennis Championship: Rafael Nadal got 2010 off to a winning start when he captured the Capitala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi.
The world number two defeated Robin Soderling of Sweden in Saturday’s final, giving the Spaniard revenge of sorts after Soderling ended his run of success in the French Open last spring.
In a hard-fought contest, Nadal took the opening set on a tie-break and went a break up in the second before Soderling hit back to level at 4-4.
The Swede saved three match points in his next service game but was broken again in the 12th game as Nadal wrapped up victory 7-6 (7-3) 7-5.
Earlier, Roger Federer bounced back from a surprise defeat to Soderling with a 6-1 7-5 success against David Ferrer. Federer and Nadal now head to nearby Doha for the official curtain-raiser on the men’s tour with the Australian Open less than three weeks away.

Lady Antebellum Lyrics, Lady Antebellum performed the national anthem at the Sugar Bowl 2010 in New Orleans tonight. The country trio will also headline a free New Year’s Eve concert in the French Quarter as part of the Allstate Fan Fest.

In addition, Lady Antebellum will release their second single ‘American Honey’ from their album ‘Need You Now’ on January 26.

To hear the new single ‘American Honey,’ go to AOL Radio’s New Country First station.

GILGIT-BALTISTAN, Pakistan News :- PPP candidates are ahead in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly elections according to the unofficial results reported Thursday.

Three PPP candidates, one PML-N candidate, one MQM’s and one independent candidate have won their seats according to the unofficial results in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly elections. On the other hand, opposition parties have accused the government of rigging in the elections.

According to unofficial results, PML-N’s Jaffarullah has won with 5,663 votes for LA-1 Gilgit. Form LA-2 Gilgit, independent candidate Dedaar Ali remained successful with 4,787 votes. From LA-6 Hunza, PPP’s Wazeer Baig was at the top with 4,875 votes. From LA-7 Gilgit, PPP’a Mehdi Shah has won with 5,295 votes while from LA-9 Sakardu, PPP’s Wazeer Shakeel defeated his opponents with 6,002 votes.

From LA-12 Sakardu, MQM’s Raja Azam won his seat with 9,415 votes. Independent candidate Muhammad Shah is ahead of opponents in LA-8 Sakardu. According to sources, independent candidate Nuratullah in LA-14, PMN-L’s Ibrahim Sanai in LA-22 Ganchay and PPP’s Ghulam Hussain in LA-23 Ganchay remained successful.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Suicide Blast in Peshawar, 10 killed, Bombs tore through security offices in Peshawar on Friday, killing at least 10 people and injuring more then 30.

Majority of the schools have been closed and papers scheduled today have been postponed.

A suicide bomber traveling in a car was trying to reach intelligence agency office at Kyber Road. When stopped at security check post by security officials, he blew up himself. The loud explosion heard throughout the city after the blast with huge clouds of smoke spewing into the sky and debris littering the ground. The building was almost destroyed.

IG Police Malik Naveed said it was a suicide blast in which 10 people including security men were killed and more then 30 wounded. The injured were rushed to Lady Reading Hospital and Combined Military Hospital as emergency has been imposed in local hospitals.The Khyber Road has been closed for traffic and area has been sealed.

Burqa Has no Place in France: Sarkozy, French President Nicolas Sarkozy says there is no place for full face and body veils such as the burqa, or for the debasement of women, in France.
Sarkozy says all beliefs will be respected in France but says “becoming French means adhering to a form of civilization, to values, to morals.” Sarkozy said during a speech on national identity that “France is a country where there is no place for the burqa.” Earlier, French President criticized burqa in June and formed a 32-member panel to do legislation to ban burqa.