NEWS LITE : NOT THEIR KIND OF TOWN.

Forget Paris head waiters. Forget New York junkies. Forget war-torn Belfast and snowy Buffalo. The world's most hostile city? It's right here, according to Conde Nast Traveler.

The upscale New York-based magazine for world travelers, citing a survey of more than 35,000 readers, published its list of the world's top cities, islands, hotels, resorts, cruise lines, spas, airlines and car rentals in the October issue.

Sydney, Australia was voted top city; Maui, Hawaii, the best island; and the Inn at Spanish Bay, in Pebble Beach, Calif., the best resort.

``And last as well as least, the world's most hostile city is Atlantic City, N.J., which this year spares Los Angeles and Miami their annual outrage at being voted the least friendly spots on planet Earth,'' the magazine said.

Butler fights dependency

Comedian Brett Butler, a recovering alcoholic and star of ABC's ``Grace Under Fire,'' said Thursday she is being treated for a dependency on painkillers.

Butler said she came to depend on prescription painkillers after suffering from a bad back and will seek treatment as an outpatient, according to a one-paragraph statement released by publicist Lisa Kasteler.

``My production schedule on `Grace Under Fire' will continue as scheduled. I appreciate the wonderful support I have received from (producers) Carsey-Werner and ABC,'' Butler said.

Kasteler said she did not know what kind of painkillers Butler was addicted to, and declined to answer further questions.

Butler, 38, published her autobiography, ``Knee Deep In Paradise,'' earlier this year. Also a stand-up comic, Butler has mined her own experiences with alcohol, spousal abuse and poverty for her routines.

``Grace Under Fire,'' seen Wednesdays, chronicles the life of a blue-collar single mom.

The show must go on

Cirque du Soleil has extended its production of ``Quidam'' at the Santa Monica Pier through Dec. 21, putting 74,375 more tickets on sale, it was announced Thursday.

``Quidam'' - a Latin word meaning stranger - is the latest show by the artsy French-Canadian circus. Under a blue-striped big top, the production features an array of acrobats, contortionists and freaky clowns performing to original music.

Tickets for the extended run go on sale at 10 a.m. Sunday at Admission Network USA outlets, which are located in Tempo Music and Video stores. Customers can also call [phone]. Seats range from $45.50 to $16.50 for adults and $31.75 to $8.25 for children.

Caught with our pants down

We goofed in our call for all models yesterday, and all you guys eager to nearly bare your bottoms kept folks at Structure busy all day. Put your pants back on - until noon. The men's clothing store's search for a new underwear model is holding its open casting from noon to 6 p.m. today - yes, today - at Billboard Live, 9039 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. For more information, call the Structure Underwear Hotline at [phone].

Not music to their ears

For country star Shania Twain, nothing could be more natural than making music in the mountains.

But officials are investigating whether wetlands were destroyed to build her studio in the Adirondack Mountains, near Ray Brook, N.Y., and whether it is in tune with local zoning restrictions.

Twain and her husband-producer, Robert ``Mutt'' Lange, claim their studio is being used for artisan's activity, which would exempt it from the need for a permit.

``What do you do there? That's what we're trying to find out,'' said William Curran of the Adirondack Park Agency, the local zoning authority.

Twain's multiplatinum ``The Woman in Me'' has produced four No. 1 singles, including ``Any Man of Mine.''

A wee upset at Leno

Jay Leno is taking flak from Kimberly-Clark Corp. for his frequent monologue jabs at Depends and its TV spokeswoman, June Allyson. ``There are 16 million people in the United States alone with incontinence, and to them it's not funny at all,'' said KCC spokeswoman Angie McCoy. ``It's not something to make fun of or to be laughed at.''

Leno, who says he's never had a viewer letter complaining about the Depends jokes, counters that ``most of the jokes are just silly. They're not about people with a problem. They're about a product. . . . Depends is a fine product. . . . Not once have we ever said that their product is . . . inferior. . . . Sales go up every time we do a Depends joke. . . . I hope to wear them myself someday.''

As for Allyson, Leno added: ``I never said she was incontinent, but she sells the product.''

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

PHOTO (1) Brett Butler: Will keep working

(2) Shania Twa in is singing the bureaucrat blues after the Adirondack Park Agency decided to investigate the construction of her mountain studio.

Associated Press