Coldplay and Mumford and Sons were among the performers here late Sunday at an Amnesty International concert organized in defense of freedom of expression.

The show marked the first time that the "Secret Policeman's Ball" -- organized by Amnesty International since 1976 -- was held in the United States.

"Dr. Seuss' The Lorax," the animated fable about the hazards of industrialized society, topped the North American box office on its debut weekend, taking in a stunning $70.7 million, industry figures showed Sunday.

The Seuss movie, featuring the voices of Danny DeVito, Zac Efron, and Taylor Swift, set a record for the highest non-sequel animated film debut, ahead of "The Incredibles."

Chinese stars dot the front rows, a new designer from the country joins the runway calendar, and its retailers scout the city for talent: China's love affair with style is on full view at Paris Fashion Week.

Outside the French capital's Rodin Museum on Friday, paparazzi clustered around after the Dior show poring over a hand-out from the company, matching names to the faces of the Chinese celebrities they had just snapped.

Martin Sheen commanded the stage with his impassioned portrayal of an attorney arguing for gay-marriage rights; Jane Lynch inspired instant response as a vehement same-sex marriage opponent; Brad Pitt dazzled as a judge.

It was all part of the star-studded West Coast premiere of "8," a play about the 2010 federal court fight against Proposition 8, the gay-marriage ban that California voters approved in 2008.

Ralph McQuarrie, the cinematic designer known for the famous "Star Wars" characters such as Darth Vader, Chewbacca and R2-D2, has died at age 82, his website announced Sunday.

McQuarrie, who died Saturday, collaborated with George Lucas on the original "Star Wars" trilogy in the 1970s and with Steven Spielberg on films including "E.T," and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

Fadel Shaker, a Lebanese pop star turned outspoken supporter of Salafism, an ultra-conservative branch of Sunni Islam, on Sunday stressed the “need” for artists to support the beleaguered Syrian people, urging them to “reject the massacres” taking place in Syria.

Speaking at an anti-Syrian regime sit-in organized in Beirut’s Martyrs Square by Salafist Sheikh Ahmed al-Assir, imam of the Sidon’s Bilal bin Rabah Mosque, Shaker said: “Haven’t they seen the massacres in Homs, Daraa, Deir al-Zour and other regions?”

The buzz at Paris' ready-to-wear shows on Friday wasn't just about the clothes.

Bill Gaytten, former designer John Galliano's temporary replacement, was again at the helm of Christian Dior's fashion collection, directing a demure, play-it-safe show that channeled the powerhouse's bread-and-butter New Look-inspired gowns with cinched 1950s waists.

Director Julie Taymor has hit back at her former creative partners in "Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark," arguing in court papers that she was the victim of a conspiracy to unfairly push her out of the production and that her one-time collaborators were secretly working on a rival script behind her back.

Taymor's legal team on Friday defended the Tony Award winner against claims in an earlier countersuit from producers, the latest installment in their bitter legal battle over financial rewards for Broadway's most expensive show.

Oprah Winfrey has landed an interview with Whitney Houston's daughter and other family members for a TV special that will air on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

"Oprah's Next Chapter" will feature an interview with 18-year-oldBobbi Kristina, Houston's only child. It will also include Patricia Houston, who's the singer's sister-in-law and manager, as well as the singer's brother Gary. It is scheduled to air March 11.

Sayed Elham sits at the piano lost in Chopin as he dreams of becoming Afghanistan's first famous concert pianist and one of the original graduates of the country's only musical academy.