Stars appear in Haiti telethon

The world's stars of studio and screen appeared on Friday in the "Hope for Haiti" telethon to raise money to aid victims of last week's earthquake.

The world's stars of studio and screen appeared on Friday in the "Hope for Haiti" telethon to raise money to aid victims of last week's earthquake.

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Organised by Hollywood actor and activist George Clooney and featuring an unprecedented array of artists, the broadcast aired live on major US networks, cable channels and internet sites late on Friday.

"This is a tragedy that reaches across all borders and boundaries," Clooney said after Alicia Keys opened the telethon. "The Haitian people need our help. They need to know we still care."

The broadcast featured live performances from London, New York and Los Angeles and was set to feature songs by pop legend Madonna as well as Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J Blige, Shakira and Sting in New York.

The Los Angeles venue featured Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder and Taylor Swift. Coldplay opened the London performances, which were to include Beyonce and a collaboration between Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z and Rihanna.

Among the actors appealing for donations and manning banks of phones were Brad Pitt, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jon Stewart, Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman, Robert Pattinson, Samuel L Jackson, Tom Hanks and Will Smith.