PARIS (Reuters) – French feminist Simone Veil, who survived the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and went on to become one of France’s most popular politicians, joined the elite Academie Francaise Thursday.

The Academie, a kind of linguistic supreme court that rules on issues such as finding French words for “computer” or “Internet,” has only admitted six women including Veil since it was founded by Cardinal Richelieu in 1635.

PARIS (Reuters) – Funding to combat malaria must be more than tripled if the mosquito-borne disease which kills nearly a million people a year is to be fought effectively, health campaigners said on Thursday.

Presenting a report covering the past decade, the Roll Back Malaria Partnership said a jump in financing had helped to contain the disease but more needed to be done.

PARIS (Reuters) – British designer Alexander McQueen’s dazzling final collection was shown in a somber setting Monday, weeks after his suicide, with the fashion house’s chief executive saying there was no talk of a successor.

Inspired by the Old Masters of painting, the autumn collection of dramatic red and gold gowns, gold feathers and Venetian capes paid homage to his extraordinary skill and love of the theatrical.

PARIS (Reuters) – If green is the color of hope, John Galliano’s latest collection for Dior perfectly captured the mood at Paris fashion week Friday as designers and fans dared to show optimism.

From Dior, where soft dresses in greens and pinks were spiced up with riding jackets and flirty stockings, to Vivienne Westwood, who matched princess gowns with paupers’ rags, fashionistas acknowledged the tough times while allowing themselves to have some fun.

PARIS/VIENNA (Reuters) – Russia will back new sanctions against Iran as long as they do not create a humanitarian crisis, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Monday after talks with Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev.

Medvedev said he still hoped to avoid new punitive measures, but added Russia could not wait forever for cooperation by Tehran, suspected by the West of developing nuclear weapons.

PARIS (Reuters) – Afghan opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah said a plan to lure Taliban fighters away from the insurgency risked alienating the peaceful population by rewarding those involved in violence.

Abdullah told Reuters in an interview in Paris that NATO’s major military offensive could push some Taliban foot soldiers toward talks, but said Pakistan was jeopardizing the initiative.

PARIS (Reuters) – French retail giant PPR, one of the world’s top luxury goods groups, plans to develop the Alexander McQueen fashion brand even after the suicide of its charismatic and rebellious founder.

Fashionistas have been snapping up McQueen’s skull-encrusted bags and punky dresses since the designer’s death earlier this month, but questions remain over the label’s long-term success without his vision.

PARIS/BERLIN, Feb 4 (Reuters) – France and Germany called
for urgent solutions to a funding crisis over Europe’s biggest
military project, the A400M troop plane, but talks on Thursday
between Airbus <EAD.PA> and NATO nations failed to agree a quick
bailout.

Technical problems have pushed the 20 billion euro ($27.75
billion) project four years behind schedule and 11.2 billion
euros over budget, threatening up to 10,000 jobs and sparking
testy exchanges between the leading buyer Germany and Airbus.

PARIS (Reuters) – Parisian haute couture designers mixed skill and science Tuesday in a celebration of the “petites mains,” the nimble-fingered seamstresses who stitch together the world’s most expensive evening wear.

At the Chanel fashion show, Karl Lagerfeld indulged in the ancient craft of embroidery from metal-encrusted shoulders on dresses to silver shoes embellished with pearls.

PARIS (Reuters) – Swathes of silk and clouds of tulle charmed pop stars and the super-rich at Paris haute couture shows this week, while off the catwalk the talk was of ways to create luxury with meager means.

As big names like Christian Dior and Giorgio Armani flew in celebrities for an hour of opulence, newcomers revealed a somewhat less glamorous side of fashion — such as personally sewing together gowns to save money.