Donald Trump gave Miss USA a reprieve on Tuesday, allowing the boozing beauty queen to retain her title after she agreed to enter rehab and undergo drug testing.

In a moment of television drama filled with redemptive tears and longing looks, a tough-talking Trump, co-owner of the pageant, turned soft and decided to forgive Tara Conner for her debauched behaviour.

"I've always been a believer in second chances," said Trump, who owns the Miss Universe Organization and Miss USA with NBC. "Tara is going to be given a second chance."

Trump met with Conner earlier on Tuesday morning fully expecting to fire her, he said.

But he walked away convinced the young woman was a "good person" with a "good heart" and not deserving of the boot.

Conner won the title in April and moved to New York.

Since then, she has partied hard, admitting she frequented clubs, where she threw drinks back despite being underage. She turned 21 on Monday.

At a news conference, in a tear-choked voice, Conner said, "In no way did I think it would be possible for a second chance to be given to me."

Overweight man sues Air France over row

An overweight passenger has sued Air France after being told he was too fat and had to pay for a second seat to accommodate his bulk.

Jean-Jacques Jauffret, a French scriptwriter, said yesterday he had felt humiliated by Air France staff who had measured his waist in public at New Dehli Airport in 2005 and decided he was too big for a single seat.

A lawyer representing Air France told a court on Tuesday the company had a clear policy of asking obese passengers to pay for two seats.

"Let's be objective. This man is fat," lawyer Fernand Gamault told the court in Bobigny, according to Le Parisien newspaper. "He barely fits on the courtroom chair. How could he sit in an airplane?"

Gamault was not available for comment but Jauffret confirmed the lawyer's comments and said he was denounced as "fat" and "enormous" on countless occasions during the hearing.

"I felt shocked and humiliated by what he said," Jauffret added.

Jauffret said he weighed more than 160 kilograms and said he had flown numerous times, including on other Air France flights, without ever being asked to pay more.

Air France's website urges overweight passengers to reserve a second seat, adding that failure to do so might mean they are refused access to an aircraft if it is fully booked.

Jauffret has asked for US$10,580 in damages and US$600 reimbursement for the cost of the additional ticket. A verdict in the case is due on February 20.

Cast of 'Grey's Anatomy' tops list

The cast of the television hospital drama "Grey's Anatomy" tops Entertainment Weekly's list of the year's top entertainers because of their cultural impact, the magazine said.

Entertainment Weekly's year-end issue hits US newsstands tomorrow with its widely watched lists of the year's top picks in movies, music, television, books and many other categories.

Entertainment Weekly said the cast of "Grey's" led the chart of top entertainers because they had a cultural impact beyond their show's roughly 20 million weekly viewers. In addition, the episodes filled with sexual affairs and career problems sparked chatter around offices, schools and homes across the US.

"'Grey's' isn't just a show, it's a phenomenom," said Entertainment Weekly Executive Editor Lori Majewski.

Source: China Daily