Russia will not attend a Friends of Syria meeting in Paris on Friday which seeks to coordinate Western and Arab efforts to stop the violence in the country, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said.

"Russia was invited. They made it known that they did not want to participate, which is not a surprise," he told reporters.

Speaker Nabih Berri received on Tuesday a cable from French President Francois Hollande, confirming to him his country’s support for Lebanon.

He said: “Maintaining stability, peace, and democracy in Lebanon will be one of my top priorities.”

President Michel Suleiman and his French counterpart Francois Hollande are expected to discuss the repercussions of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon over dinner at the Elysee palace on July 12, An Nahar daily reported on Tuesday.

Suleiman will travel to Paris on July 11 on a two-day business visit, it said.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati received on Monday a telephone call from French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who hoped that Lebanon would enjoy “complete stability”, especially in the South.

He told the premier: “France understands Lebanon’s policy of distancing itself from the Syrian crisis.”

Versace got the haute couture ball off to a bold start Sunday night in Paris, as the Italian house sent out creations of aerial chiffon, body-hugging leather and rich crystal embroidery.

For the first of two dozen haute couture shows taking place until Wednesday night, the platinum blonde, perma-tanned designer Donatella Versace said she drew inspiration from the imagery of tarot cards.

In the latest American food craze to catch on in France, Parisians are flocking to U.S.-style food trucks for gourmet burgers, artisanal tacos and other decidedly non-French street foods.

Usually uber-traditionalists when it comes to dining, Parisians have fallen hard for the food trucks, with some queuing for up to two hours at lunch time to sample their wares.

Both official media and an opposition group on Sunday branded as a failure a world powers deal on a transition plan for Syria a day after more than 80 people were reported killed in violence nationwide.

World powers meeting in Geneva on Saturday agreed a transition plan that could include current regime members, but the West did not see any role for President Bashar Assad in a new unity government.

A gunman shot dead two people at a nightclub in northern France early Sunday in what appeared to be a revenge attack after he was kicked out of the disco, police and local officials said.

The unidentified man, who was "known to police", had been thrown out of the Theatro disco in the heart of Lille but returned about 3 a.m and opened fire with a Kalashnikov-style weapon, a local official said.

President Michel Suleiman is scheduled to head to Paris in July to meet with French President Francois Hollande at the Elysee.

According to al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Friday, preparations are ongoing to set the official appointments during his visit to France.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will meet the head of the opposition Syrian National Council, Abdel Basset Sayda, on Friday before international talks in Geneva on Syria's conflict, the ministry said.

It will be the first meeting between Fabius and Sayda since he was chosen to lead the umbrella Syrian opposition group on June 10.