After London and Milan, Paris on Wednesday picks up the fashion baton with the start of nine days of catwalk collections for 2014 kicking off with menswear and ending with haute couture.
The week begins notably with shows by Tokyo-based French designer Julien David and Belgium's Raf Simons, the artistic director of Christian Dior who will be showing his own label's latest collection.

There are few experiences which compare to the life-affirming thrill of a live music event, knowing that you are one of a privileged few being treated to a display of raw artistic skill and power.
But just as the atmosphere reaches fever pitch, a sea of illuminated smartphones obscures the view and shatters the intimacy, reducing your memories to a shaky YouTube clip drowned out by off-key gig-goers.

French movie star Gerard Depardieu was slightly injured in a traffic accident in central Moscow, where he is shooting scenes of his latest film, Russian media reported Tuesday.
Depardieu, who recently gained Russian citizenship after denouncing exorbitant taxes in his native France, was riding in a minivan with five others en route to the lavish Metropol hotel when a taxi crashed into the side, Izvestia daily reported.

Lucky Don Rickles: The Friars Club holds a night in his honor and everyone plays nice.
Almost everyone.

Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes' reinterpretation of "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory" is set to open in London's West End.
Mendes' show based on the much-loved children's book by Roald Dahl features new songs along with sets and costumes designed to recreate the world of the factory run by the flamboyant yet secretive Willy Wonka.

Thousands of Gazans gave an ecstatic welcome to Abdelmalek Sellal on Tuesday as the 23-year-old Palestinian singer returned home after winning this year's Arab Idol talent competition.
Young and old waved Palestinian flags and held up posters of Mohammed Assaf, raising banners congratulating him on his win in Beirut on Saturday, when he beat off stiff competition from fellow singers from across the Arab world.

Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise hailed veteran producer Jerry Bruckheimer on Monday, as the man behind "Top Gun" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" got a star on Hollywood's storied Walk of Fame.
The A-listers joined Bruckheimer at a ceremony adding his name on the famous stretch of Hollywood Boulevard sidewalk, which is lined with stars in tribute to generations of entertainment celebrities.

Earth, Wind and Fire initially wanted to release its new album around the 2012 presidential election, but the band realized it wasn't satisfied with the songs it created.
"Now, Then & Forever," the group's first album in eight years, will be released September 10. Singer Philip Bailey says the band called co-founding member Larry Dunn and others to help produce its latest sound.

Bobby "Blue" Bland, a distinguished singer who blended Southern blues and soul in songs such as "Turn on your Love Light" and "Further on up the Road," died Sunday. He was 83.
Rodd Bland said his father died about 5:30 p.m. Sunday due to complications from an ongoing illness at his Memphis, Tenn., home surrounded by relatives.

Turns out zombies and Superman are no match for monsters.
Disney's "Monsters University" is the weekend box-office winner, according to studio estimates released Sunday. The animated family film, which reunites stars Billy Crystal and John Goodman and their characters from the 2001 hit "Monsters, Inc.," debuted in first place with $82 million, beating out swarming zombies in "World War Z" and Superman himself in "Man of Steel."
