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.

Rare photographs of Bob Dylan, shot over a year-long period in the mid-1960s, go on show in Paris next week in an exhibit that captures the moment the protest folk singer morphed into cult rock star.

From 1961 to 1966, Dylan wrote seven albums that marked the history of pop, but also underwent a radical transformation between the first, "Bob Dylan," and the last, "Blonde on Blonde.”

The owner of the New Jersey funeral home that handled services for Whitney Houston says the home had nothing to do with a photograph that surfaced showing the singer's body in an open casket.

But Carolyn Whigham of Whigham Funeral Home and two pastors say they do know who took the photo that ran in the National Enquirer. They just aren't identifying the person and say that's up to the Houston family.

If my own friends couldn't afford it, then something is wrong: that is the mantra adopted by Guillaume Henry, the young French designer who put the Carven fashion house back on the map.

On Thursday the 33-year-old sent out a fresh-colored, clean-lined collection, showcased inside a former Paris convent on day three of the French capital's marathon of fashion shows for next autumn-winter.

Veteran singer Engelbert Humperdinck, best known for his 1960s smash hit "Release Me", will represent Britain at this year's Eurovision Song Contest, the BBC announced Thursday.

Humperdinck, who was born in India but brought up in Leicester, central England, will perform a song written by Sacha Skarbek, who achieved success as co-creator of James Blunt's global chart-topper "You're Beautiful".

A former "Desperate Housewives" actress took her ex-employer to court Thursday, claiming unfair dismissal from the hit TV series about lust and scandal in Wisteria Lane.

Nicollette Sheridan claims she was fired for complaining that the show's creator, Marc Cherry, slapped her on the head during rehearsals for a scene in September 2008.

Designers took the fashion crowd time-travelling, from a Renaissance hunting party to the 1970s punk scene via antique kimonos, on day two of Paris' ready-to-wear shows on Wednesday.

Darling of the fashionista pack, the Belgian Dries Van Noten, crafted a trademark blend of feminine and masculine for autumn-winter as he paired Asian-inspired fluid silks with military blazers, slim coats and tapered pants.

Davy Jones, lead singer of 1960s made-for-TV band The Monkees whose hits included "I'm a Believer" and "Last Train to Clarksville," died on Wednesday, the local coroner said. He was 66.

The British-born star, whose TV antics with Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork drew fans but also unflattering comparisons with the Beatles, died of a heart attack in Florida, the TMZ celebrity website said.

The BBC's international World Service radio station turned 80 on Wednesday, as the broadcaster hailed a boom in its Iranian audience despite steep budget cuts.

"The programs will neither be very interesting nor very good," BBC chief John Reith had dismally predicted in 1932 as the World Service, then called the Empire Service, launched using short-wave radio technology.

Pop icon Lady Gaga, known around the globe for her flamboyant music and fashion, told Harvard students Wednesday that "a culture of love" is needed to combat school bullying and low self-esteem among teens.

Appearing at Harvard with TV mega-star Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga launched her Born This Way Foundation -- named after her hit album and single -- which aims to boost teens' self-esteem and encourage adults to help out.