Sideshow: Stevie makes anti-poverty plea

Stevie Wonder

gave an electrifying performance in New York's Central Park before thousands of fans and several world leaders Saturday, singing hits and calling for an end to poverty at the Global Citizen Festival. After a rousing intro by

Bono

, he wowed the audiences at the second annual event; last year's featured

Neil Young and Crazy Horse

, the

Foo Fighters,

and the

Black Keys

and drew pledges of $1.3 billion.

The festival, which coincides with the U.N. General Assembly, was attended by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Performers included Kings of Leon and Alicia Keys, who said, "I believe if we don't care about each other, who will? Help me celebrate tonight so we never forget."

The christening of Prince William and Kate's firstborn, Prince George, will be marked with a set of commemorative coins, Britain's Royal Mint says. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's son will be christened at the Chapel Royal at St. James's Palace Oct. 23, just over three months after his birth.

The commemorative coins will be the first to mark a royal christening in Britain. Buying them may be the only way the public can take part in celebrating the christening, which will be private.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, the animated sequel from Sony Corp., took first place at the U.S. and Canadian box office in its debut, collecting $35 million in sales over the weekend.

Rush, Ron Howard's Formula 1 racing movie, rose to third with $10.3 million in its second week, expanding broadly after a limited debut. Prisoners, starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal, was second with $11.3 million.

Cloudy 2, the follow-up to Sony's 2009 hit, marks the fourth No. 1 debut this year for the studio, which has seen its U.S. ticket sales slide 32 percent, leaving it ranked fifth. Sony Pictures removed its head of marketing last week over criticism of the performance of its entertainment division.

Romcom Baggage Claim from Fox Searchlight debuted in fourth place, collecting $9.3 million, against a projected $8 million. Paula Patton plays a woman who embarks on a 30-day, 30,000-mile expedition to charm a potential suitor into becoming her fiancé. Don Jon, a dramatic comedy from Relativity Media LLC, was fifth with $9 million in its weekend debut. Directed by and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it also stars Scarlett Johansson.