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.

NBC's new drama "Awake" has the kind of intricate, high-concept premise that can test viewers. But that's nothing compared with what its producers face.

Howard Gordon, a master at juggling challenging plots ("24" and "The X-Files" among them), puts it flatly: "I learned nothing, and nothing I experienced prepared for me this."

A Los Angeles auction house sold a collection of 15 Oscar statuettes for more than $3 million on Tuesday, two days after this year's Academy Awards show, organizers said.

The gold-plated prizes, sold despite an official protest by Oscars organizers, included a Best Screenplay Academy Award for the iconic movie "Citizen Kane," given to Herman Mankiewicz in 1941.

Organizers of the Cannes Film Festival have chosen to honor Marilyn Monroe by selecting a photo of the Hollywood sex goddess for the poster of this year's event.

The organizers said in a statement Tuesday that "50 years after her death, Marilyn remains one of the major figures of world cinema, an eternal and contemporary reference of grace, mystery and seduction."

Grammy-winning singer Celine Dion announced Tuesday she had canceled a string of upcoming shows in Las Vegas due to a virus-triggered problem with her vocal chords.

The Canadian-born star was due to sing at Caesars Palace in a series of shows through March 18, but has called them off after being ordered to rest her voice for six to eight weeks.

Paris Fashion Week kicked off Tuesday with the in-crowd abuzz at the prospect of style icon Hedi Slimane designing for Yves Saint Laurent, and rumors putting a newly-free Raf Simons in the wings at Dior.

Opening with a day devoted to young designers, the Paris autumn-winter collections round off a month of women swear shows that have sent fashionistas, models and media trooping on a style trail from New York to London and Milan.