British royal couple arrive in US (AFP)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Prince William and his new bride Catherine arrived in Los Angeles on Friday for a weekend of Hollywood glamour and Californian sun, after a nine-day tour of Canada.

The heir to the British crown is also due to play polo up the Pacific coast in Santa Barbara, and visit an inner-city project in downtown Los Angeles during the three-day stay, Catherine's first ever trip to the United States.

The couple were greeted by California Governor Jerry Brown and other dignitaries after flying in on a gray Canadian Air Force plane direct from Calgary, where they had capped their Canadian tour at the world-famous Stampede.

Their first engagement was at the Beverly Hilton hotel, a conference supporting UK trade and investment, followed by a reception at the British consul-general's residence, where they will stay during the trip.

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Monaco royal newlyweds arrive in S.Africa (AFP)

DURBAN, South Africa (AFP) – Newlyweds Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco arrived in her home country South Africa Tuesday after their weekend wedding, according to the hotel where they are hosting a reception.

The couple are in the eastern port city of Durban for the annual session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and are planning a lavish dinner reception for 400 guests Thursday night at a hotel in the nearby resort town of Umhlanga.

The five-star Oyster Box Hotel said the princess had dropped by shortly after arriving to go over plans for the party.

"She arrived today, to discuss arrangements for Thursday's reception," General Manager Wayne Coetzer, told AFP.

"Obviously we are delighted, it is wonderful for Umhlanga and of course the Oyster Box."

South African media have reported that the couple are staying in the hotel's lavish presidential suite, but the Oyster Box declined to confirm if they are guests.

"The whereabouts of our guests and who is staying at the hotel is private information which we do not divulge," spokeswoman Joanne Hayes said.

Both Albert and Charlene are former Olympians -- he a bobsleigh racer for Monaco, she a backstroke swimmer for South Africa.

Charlene, 33, trained in Durban ahead of the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

The couple moved their wedding up by six days to be able to attend the IOC meeting, where the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics will be decided on Wednesday.

Albert, the 53-year-old son of late Hollywood star Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III, has been a member of the IOC since 1985.

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Prince William and Princess Catherine arrive in Canada (AFP)

OTTAWA (AFP) – Britain's Prince William and new bride Princess Catherine arrived in the Canadian capital on Thursday to begin their first official foreign trip as a couple, AFP journalists saw.

Thousands desperate to glimpse the pair lined the streets of Ottawa ahead of their first scheduled event, a wreath-laying ceremony at a World War I memorial at 1835 GMT.

During a nine-day tour packed with pomp and pageantry they will also celebrate Canada's national holiday and take in lighter events such as a cooking class, aboriginal sports and a rodeo.

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First fans arrive for Eurovision final (AP)

DUESSELDORF, Germany – Europeans will ditch financial worries to rally behind their favorite performers in the continent's annual Eurovision Song Contest as finalists from 25 countries take the stage Saturday night.

By midday, the first fans had started arriving at the Fortuna Duesseldorf Arena, selected as Germany's venue for the international pop music extravaganza because of its size. Some 38,000 people will watch the event live, while millions of others from Finland to Albania, Poland to Portugal, will watch on TV.

More than 120 million viewers are expected to tune in to see if Germany's Lena Meyer-Landruth can defend her title against acts such as French tenor Amaury Vassili and Irish twins "Jedward," both of which are predicted to have a strong chances at a win.

Asked by reporters after Friday's dress rehearsal whether the pressure was getting to her, 19-year-old Lena insisted she was simply having fun.

"I don't feel any pressure," she said. "I'm not putting any pressure on myself."

If she were to win, Lena could write history as the first contestant to take back-to-back Eurovision titles since the event was founded in 1951 — though strictly speaking it's the song that wins, not the peformer.

Competing against Lena are 20 finalists who were selected in semi-final rounds earlier in the week, along with contestants from France, Britain, Spain and Italy — who along with Germany shoulder the bulk of the event's cost and automatically qualify.

Viewers can cast votes by SMS or phone, which count for 50 percent of the contestants' final score. The other 50 percent are determined by panels of juries selected by each nation.

British bookmakers have tipped Vassili to take this year's title, with his operatic track "Sognu," sung in Corsican.

Irish twins John and Edward Grimes, who go by "Jedward" have also been popular — as much for their electro-pop song "Lipstick" as their quiffy blond hair.

Yet British boy band Blue has also attracted a following for their pop number, "I Can." Speaking to reporters on Friday, singer Lee Ryan said he was surprised at how much fun the competition had been.

"This contest brings Europe together and it brings people together," Ryan said. "And that's the reason I went into music."

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David and Victoria Beckham Arrive Dressed to the Nines at Royal Wedding

David and Victoria Beckham arrived dressed to the nines at the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey on Friday.

According to UsMagazine.com, a pregnant Victoria donned a navy dress and heels, with a fashionable "fascinator" hat designed by Philip Treacy. David looked daper in a Ralph Lauren suit, complete with a top hat.

"It really is amazing. Our country needs it. Our country wants it. The British public love the royal family," the soccer stud recently said in a video message on his Facebook page.

"I was brought up around the royal family and around loving the royal family with my granddad, with my nan," he continued.

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