Video portrait of mankind on display in Paris

PARIS -- What does Hollywood movie star Martin Sheen have in common with an Afghan farmer, a Brazilian fisherman, a Bolivian miner, a German artist, and a Rwandan refugee?

They all took part in the latest project of French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand, "6 Billion Others," a video portrait of mankind currently showing at Paris' Grand Palais, and with ambitions to travel the globe.

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Luxury goods maker LVMH 2008 profit stagnates

PARIS - LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the Paris-based luxury goods empire, said full year net profit stagnated as the economic crisis crimped sales of Moet & Chandon champagne and TAG Heuer watches.

But sales of Louis Vuitton's Damier Graphite handbags and popular scents such as J'Adore and Dior Homme Sport continued to resist the gloom and led to a growth in fourth-quarter revenue.

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French farmers protests US duties on Roquefort

PARIS (AP) -- French farmers called Wednesday on President Barack Obama to stop holding Roquefort cheese "hostage" in a trans-Atlantic trade fight.
Militant farmer Jose Bove -- known for attacking McDonalds -- and others protested outside the U.S. Embassy in Paris, hoping to reverse a decision by the former Bush administration to slap new sanctions on some European foods. Those sanctions include a tripling of import duties for the pungent Roquefort.
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Airbus retains title as world's largest planemaker

Airbus claimed the title of the world's largest planemaker on Thursday after delivering a record number of aircraft in 2008, but predicted a difficult year ahead for the industry as airlines curb spending amid the economic crisis.
Airbus CEO Tom Enders said he expects orders to dip below deliveries in 2009 for the first time in six years.
Looking into a crystal ball in a press conference stunt, Chief Salesman John Leahy said he expects between 300 and 400 new aircraft orders, likely at the "low end" of that range.
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Airbus, Boeing heading for tough 2009

For many of us, the New Year is about making resolutions -- but for rival planemakers Airbus SA and Boeing Co., 2009 will be about keeping promises.
Both face production challenges in getting their delayed flagship jets to airline customers who are eager to put newer, less fuel-hungry jets into service.
The Chicago-based planemaker is beset by problems with its 787, which analysts say look greater than the troubles Airbus faced with its A380 superjumbo.
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Crisis widens appeal of Islamic finance

PARIS – France is becoming the latest country to woo Islamic banks, which avoided much of the damage from the subprime mortgage crisis by following strict principles laid out in the Quran — as the global financial crisis broadens the appeal of Islamic finance.
French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has promised to make adjustments to the regulatory and legal arsenal to enable Paris to become a major marketplace in Islamic finance.
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France Unveils 26-Billion-Euro Stimulus Plan

DOUAI, France -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Thursday he plans to spend his way out of recession with a euro26 billion ($33 billion) stimulus plan designed to boost growth by 0.6%age points in 2009.

The measures -- announced in Douai, Northern France, near a Renault factory -- include around 1.3 billion euros for French carmakers to avoid more layoffs as car sales tumble.

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