The doctor accused of administering a powerful anesthetic that killed pop star Michael Jackson helped stabilize a young woman who fell unconscious on a US Airways jet yesterday.

Dr. Conrad Murray determined that the woman on Flight 641 from Houston had a very weak pulse, hooked her up to an IV line he got from the plane's medical bag and monitored her while the jet was diverted to Albuquerque, where she was taken to a hospital, his spokeswoman said.

The plane then continued on to Phoenix.

Murray was on his way to Los Angeles to confer with his lawyers.

Jackson, 50, died in June with Murray at his bedside in a Beverly Hills mansion. Murray, 57, was charged in February with felony involuntary manslaughter. He has pleaded not guilty, and remains free on $75,000 bail.

EX-TV CHEF SUSPECTED IN MURDER PLOT

A former television chef and Food Network host is under arrest in California in an alleged murder-for-hire plot involving homeless people, Santa Monica police said.

Juan-Carlos Cruz, one-time host of "Calorie Commando," was arrested Thursday and booked on suspicion of solicitation to commit murder, Sgt. Jay Trisler said. He's scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow.

Homeless people told city homeless liaison officers that Cruz asked them to kill someone, Trisler said. They agreed to help police investigate.

Cruz, 48, is being held on $5 million bail. Trisler said the bail was raised because of information discovered during the investigation.

CLAUDIA SCHIFFER GIVES BIRTH TO GIRL

German supermodel Claudia Schiffer and her husband, British film producer and director Matthew Vaughn, have welcomed their third child — a baby girl.

A statement released yesterday by the couple announced the birth of their daughter but did not give a name for her.

The baby was born in a London hospital Friday afternoon.

The statement says the 39-year-old model and baby "are doing well."

'WINNIE' FILMING DEFIES LEGAL THREAT

Jennifer Hudson's film biography of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is about to start production, despite threats of legal action by the ex-wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela, the film's producer said yesterday.

At a news conference at the Cannes Film Festival in France, Andre Pieterse said he received a letter from lawyers for Madikizela-Mandela that "contained the threat of an interdict that could stop production" of "Winnie."

The letter said that "she would like to see the script and approve," but Pieterse said he and director Darrell Roodt had decided against that.

Production on "Winnie" is slated to begin in South Africa on May 31 and last 10 weeks. No release date has yet been set for the film, in which Terrence Howard portrays Nelson Mandela.

— Advertiser News Services