Britain's Prince William celebrates 30th birthday

In this photo provided by Clarence House on Saturday April 30 2011, Britain's Prince William, left, and his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, pose for a photograph in the throne room at Buckingham Palace, following their wedding at Westminster Abbey, London, on Friday, April 29. (AP Photo/Hugo Burnand, Clarence House)

  GREGORY KATZLONDON -- The man who once was among the world's most eligible bachelors has turned 30 - but things are not so bad for Prince William as he celebrates his birthday with family and friends.

Palace officials say William will mark the milestone in private with his wife, the former Kate Middleton, and perhaps some close friends. They say a low key celebration is planned.

William has been pursuing a military career as a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot while easing into married life and taking on more royal duties. He is stationed at an air base in north Wales and was recently on a temporary deployment in the Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic.

He and his wife have made a number of public appearances in recent weeks, often representing his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, at events to mark her 60 years on the throne, a year-long celebration called the Diamond Jubilee.

He has seemed increasingly comfortable in public, escorting his wife, formally known as the Duchess of Cambridge, to high society soirees and "meet and greet" events.

There has been widespread speculation about the couple possibly starting a family. The talk has been fueled by William indicating that he would like to have children someday.

Along with Prince Harry, they are expected to play a prominent role as special ambassadors at the London Olympics.

William also stands to inherit an estimated 10 million pounds ($15.7 million) on his birthday under the terms of the will of his late mother, Princess Diana.

The precise amount is not known because the current value of the trust set up by his mother has not been made public.

Palace officials decline to comment on William's private finances, and it is possible he may choose to leave the money in a trust.

His brother, Prince Harry, stands to inherit a similar amount when he turns 30 in 2014.

William is second in line for the throne behind his father, Prince Charles.

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Obama celebrates Hanukkah at White House

  Eyewitness NewsWASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is marking Hanukkah as a story of "faith over doubt."

Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden convened a Hanukkah celebration at the White House Thursday in an early celebration of the Jewish Festival of Lights.

Obama said the Hanukkah story was about "right over might, faith over doubt." In the Hanukkah story, a small band of Jews rededicating a Jerusalem temple found that a one-day supply of oil kindled a flame instead for eight.

The president noted "our unshakeable support and commitment to the security of the nation of Israel."

Hanukkah begins at sunset on Dec. 20. Obama joked that everyone needs to be "careful that your kids don't start thinking Hanukkah lasts 20 nights instead of eight."

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Fireworks, parades, 62 hot dogs: US celebrates 4th

  By KAREN ZRAICKNEW YORK -- All across the country, Americans marked the 235th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with parades, fireworks, barbecues - plus presidential campaigning, a White House birthday and competitive eating.

Thousands showed up near the Washington Monument to eagerly await the annual fireworks show on the National Mall, while others were throwing on Hawaiian shirts and shorts to ski the still-snowy slopes at resorts from California to Colorado.

In Boston, the annual Boston Pops concert was a must. In Akron, Ohio, the Rib, White & Blue Food Festival was enticing. And then, there were Nevada's casinos, which promised a pyrotechnics extravaganza that could be a gambler's best bet.

At the mountaintop home of Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville, Va., officials continued a nearly five-decade-old tradition of swearing in new U.S. citizens. Seventy-seven people took their oaths during a naturalization ceremony at Monticello.

The holiday is celebrated as the nation's birthday, but it also was Malia Obama's 13th birthday. The president's eldest daughter had to share her parents with hundreds of others as Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama invited troops and their families to attend a special barbecue and USO concert on the South Lawn.

Speaking to U.S. troops, Obama told them, "America is proud of all of you."

"You represent the latest in a long line of heroes who have served our country with honor, who have made incredible sacrifices to protect the freedoms that we all enjoy," the president said.

Some of the Republicans hoping to replace Obama in the White House spent part of the day campaigning in states where presidential politics are as much a part of the holiday as fireworks and barbecues.

"Aside from the politicking and the handshaking and the enthusiasm that our campaign is determined to generate in this state, we're going to reflect on what it means to be an American," Huntsman told reporters. "To share inalienable rights, to share our Constitutional privileges."

The nation's most extravagant display of July 4 fireworks Monday was a triumphant celebration that turned sober briefly to commemorate the 10-year mark since the Sept. 11 attacks.

Tens of thousands of people from around the world streamed to Manhattan's West Side to see the pyrotechnics show over the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, featuring more than 40,000 shells exploding in choreographed, multicolored progression.

"It's beautiful," said Rosa Riveras, a 57-year-old health educator from Manhattan, as bursts of light filled the sky. "It's amazing. I'm loving it."

NBC ran an exclusive broadcast from a pier along the river, with Nick Lachey of the show "The Sing-Off" hosting. Viewers got pre-recorded performances by Beyonce, filmed in front of the Statue of Liberty, and country music star Brad Paisley. Then the fireworks lit up the sky, tightly choreographed to a half-hour soundtrack from Katy Perry, LeAnn Rimes, Jennifer Hudson and other artists.

Beth Cochran of Scottsdale, Ariz., was with two childhood friends from Fishkill, N.Y. The group of three periodically broke into renditions of "God Bless America" and other patriotic songs.

"We do not take friendship or freedom for granted," said Cochran, wearing an American flag tank top. "I'm proud to be an American."

John Woods, a 52-year-old information technology consultant from Wimbledon, England, said he appreciated the diversity of the crowd, which included many immigrants and tourists from around the country and abroad.

"I think it's just a celebration of being an American," he said.

The show, sponsored by Macy's, paid tribute to the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty's debut in New York Harbor.

Fireworks blasted off from six barges along the river to heights of 1,000 feet.

As "Amazing Grace" was sung, bursts of golden fireworks lit up the sky to pay tribute to victims of 9/11. Big cheers broke out in the crowd during the finale.

Earlier in the day on New York's Coney Island, the annual Nathan's Famous July Fourth hot dog-eating contest brought out the biggest names in competitive eating for a clash that was short in timespan but high in calories.

Joey "Jaws" Chestnut, of San Jose, Calif., wolfed down 62 hot dogs and buns during the 10-minute contest, winning his fifth straight title. Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas chowed her way to victory in the first-ever women-only contest, eating 40 hot dogs, one shy of her 2009 total.

There were also fireworks mishaps Monday, including at least one death in Oklahoma after fire officials said a 20-year-old man was struck in the throat by a rocket-type firecracker. In Kansas, fireworks were blamed for starting at least one house fire in the Topeka area.

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Associated Press writers Verena Dobnik in New York and Holly Ramer in Amherst, N.H., contributed to this report.

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