It's been dubbed "the biggest cat-centric pop culture event in the world": CatCon, a two-day festival where promoters estimate a record number of humans will gather to celebrate their favourite things -- felines. The event, held this weekend just outside Los Angeles in nearby Pasadena, is the brainchild of Susan Michals, who was surprised by the big response she got to a cat art show she put on some years ago and began seeking the means to put on a cat convention.

World's largest cat-centric event taking place in Pasadena

CatCon, a two-day festival where promoters estimate a record number of humans will gather to celebrate their favorite things – felines. The event, held this weekend (29-30 June 2019) just outside Los Angeles in nearby Pasadena, is the brainchild of Susan Michals.

Months before meeting the Queen for the first time and having a "cuppa" with her Majesty, Meghan Markle brushed up on tea drinking etiquette at a cottage near Los Angeles -- where she was apparently a natural.

"Well, she learned it all here," Edmund Fry, the British-born owner of Rose Tree Cottage in Pasadena, told AFP in an interview this week. "On a scale of one to 10, by the time she finished coming to us, I would say she would probably be a 9.5.

"But I have to say that because I want her to come back for the other half point."&nbsp

Fry said the California-born actress, who will marry Prince Harry this weekend, on several occasions visited the picturesque tea room -- decked out with all things British -- where she was given the inside track on tea drinking.

"She came with friends and was very relaxed and very much in control," he recalled.

Also read:&nbsp<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-why-meghan-markles-sister-is-upset-with-her-130199">Why is Meghan Markle's sister upset with her?</a>

He said he shared some tips on the quintessential tea experience with the soon-to-be new member of the royal family, as she munched on traditional finger sandwiches and scones.

No slurping or dribbling 
"I do believe that I mentioned, as I always do, that the handle of the cup is always left at three o'clock of course ... and the spoon always needs to be left at six o'clock and 12 o'clock," said the 77-year-old, who dresses in tails and white gloves while serving and educating his customers.

He added that Markle seemed like a natural on her repeated visits and was unlikely to make any faux pas -- like slurping or using her napkin to blow her nose or wipe her glasses &nbsp-- while sipping tea with the Queen.

"I remember telling her one of the habits in this country is people tend to get much more palsy walsy with their cup ... and they move it in front of them," Fry said, raising his eyebrows in despair.&nbsp

"Maybe it's because they have a tendency to dribble, I'm not sure," he added.

"But this is not a good thing to do."

Another no-no he shared with Markle, he said, was changing the table setting.

"If you were at the palace, you wouldn't dream of moving the cutlery and the silver or the china away from the place where it should be," he said.

Traditional English scones served with tea should also be sliced sideways and topped with jam and clotted cream before each half is eaten separately, pleaded Fry, who looks like a character straight out of "Downton Abbey."

"You don't want to put the two halves together because it ends up looking like a quarter pound hamburger, and the last thing you want is people having cream come down their jowls," he said in his cut-glass British accent.&nbsp

And please, when drinking tea, refrain from slurping or clinking the cup with the spoon when stirring, he added.

As for crooking the little finger while holding the cup and saucer, Fry said that was optional.

"It's not wrong to have your finger in, but ladies tend to leave the pinky slightly crooked," he said.

Fry said he will be celebrating Harry and Meghan's nuptials on Saturday with a wedding party, and will always keep a table open for the newlyweds.

"She will always have a table here, and Harry of course," he said. "There will be the time when he wants real bacon and he'll come here for it."

Before having a 'cuppa' with her Majesty, Markle brushed up on tea-drinking etiquette at a cottage near Los Angeles — where she was apparently a natural

Months before meeting the Queen for the first time and having a "cuppa" with her Majesty, Meghan Markle brushed up on tea drinking etiquette at a cottage near Los Angeles -- where she was apparently a natural. "Well, she learned it all here," Edmund Fry, the British-born owner of Rose Tree Cottage in Pasadena, told AFP in an interview this week. "On a scale of one to 10, by the time she finished coming to us, I would say she would probably be a 9.5. "But I have to say that because I want her to come back for the other half point." Fry said the California-born actress, who will marry Prince Harry this weekend, on several occasions visited the picturesque tea room -- decked out with all things British -- where she was given the inside track on tea drinking. "She came with friends and was very relaxed and very much in control," he recalled. Also read: Why is Meghan Markle's sister upset with her? He said he shared some tips on the quintessential tea experience with the soon-to-be new member of the royal family, as she munched on traditional finger sandwiches and scones. No slurping or dribbling "I do believe that I mentioned, as I always do, that the handle of the cup is always left at three o'clock of course ... and the spoon always needs to be left at six o'clock and 12 o'clock," said the 77-year-old, who dresses in tails and white gloves while serving and educating his customers. He added that Markle seemed like a natural on her repeated visits and was unlikely to make any faux pas -- like slurping or using her napkin to blow her nose or wipe her glasses -- while sipping tea with the Queen. "I remember telling her one of the habits in this country is people tend to get much more palsy walsy with their cup ... and they move it in front of them," Fry said, raising his eyebrows in despair. "Maybe it's because they have a tendency to dribble, I'm not sure," he added. "But this is not a good thing to do." Another no-no he shared with Markle, he said, was changing the table setting. "If you were at the palace, you wouldn't dream of moving the cutlery and the silver or the china away from the place where it should be," he said. Traditional English scones served with tea should also be sliced sideways and topped with jam and clotted cream before each half is eaten separately, pleaded Fry, who looks like a character straight out of "Downton Abbey." "You don't want to put the two halves together because it ends up looking like a quarter pound hamburger, and the last thing you want is people having cream come down their jowls," he said in his cut-glass British accent. And please, when drinking tea, refrain from slurping or clinking the cup with the spoon when stirring, he added. As for crooking the little finger while holding the cup and saucer, Fry said that was optional. "It's not wrong to have your finger in, but ladies tend to leave the pinky slightly crooked," he said. Fry said he will be celebrating Harry and Meghan's nuptials on Saturday with a wedding party, and will always keep a table open for the newlyweds. "She will always have a table here, and Harry of course," he said. "There will be the time when he wants real bacon and he'll come here for it."

This is where Meghan Markle learned how to take tea with the Queen

Colombia became the first side to book a spot in the Copa America Centenario quarter-finals after beating Paraguay in Pasadena yesterday. The United States kept their hopes of advancing alive by thrashing Costa Rica 4-0. 
 
Colombia&#39;s 2-1 win put them top of Group A on six points, with the United States on three and the other two teams on one point each. 
 
After losing their opener 2-0 to Colombia, the United States were in clinical form against the Costa Ricans in Chicago and scored three times in the first half through Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones and Bobby Wood. 
 
Substitute Graham Zusi added a fourth in the 86th minute to cap the win and improve the hosts&#39; goal difference. 
 
&quot;It was important for us to get off to an early start,&quot; said Dempsey. &quot;Once the second went in and the third we got into a bit of a rhythm.&quot; 
 
Dempsey got the first, his 50th international goal, from the penalty spot after Cristian Gamboa was adjudged to have pushed Wood in the box with six minutes gone. 
 
Dempsey was involved in the Americans&#39; second after 36 minutes when his run at the Costa Rica defence saw the ball fall to Jones, who struck a low shot from the edge of the box past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton. 
 
The third goal came five minutes later and once again it was Dempsey who set it up. Wood won the ball in midfield and played a one-two with Dempsey before turning to strike home a low drive from 15 yards out. 
 
Costa Rica, who reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2014, improved in the second half with captain Bryan Ruiz playing a more influential role, but they were ineffective in the last third of the field. 
 
Ruiz hit the post with a header midway through the second half but Costa Rica lost a fourth goal in the dying moments when Zusi stole the ball in midfield and strode forward before slotting the ball home from 15 yards. 
 
In the second Group A game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Colombia took a 2-0 lead in the first half but were pushed hard in the second. 
 
Carlos Bacca scored the opener in the 12th minute with a header before James Rodriguez doubled Colombia&#39;s lead with a left-foot strike on the half-hour mark. 
 
Paraguay gradually played their way back into the match and hit the woodwork before half-time before forcing David Ospina into a world-class save in the 62nd minute. Colombia&#39;s goalkeeper dived full stretch to turn a header around the post. 
 
Paraguay continued to dominate the second half and were rewarded when midfielder Victor Ayala scored with a stunning 30-yard rocket in the 71st minute. 
 
However, they could not force an equaliser and Colombia hung on to take all three points and claim a berth in the next round. Paraguay must now beat the United States on Saturday to have any chance of advancing to the quarters.

United States player Clint Dempsey scored his 50th international goal in this match apart from assisting two other goals

Colombia became the first side to book a spot in the Copa America Centenario quarter-finals after beating Paraguay in Pasadena yesterday. The United States kept their hopes of advancing alive by thrashing Costa Rica 4-0. Colombia's 2-1 win put them top of Group A on six points, with the United States on three and the other two teams on one point each. After losing their opener 2-0 to Colombia, the United States were in clinical form against the Costa Ricans in Chicago and scored three times in the first half through Clint Dempsey, Jermaine Jones and Bobby Wood. Substitute Graham Zusi added a fourth in the 86th minute to cap the win and improve the hosts' goal difference. "It was important for us to get off to an early start," said Dempsey. "Once the second went in and the third we got into a bit of a rhythm." Dempsey got the first, his 50th international goal, from the penalty spot after Cristian Gamboa was adjudged to have pushed Wood in the box with six minutes gone. Dempsey was involved in the Americans' second after 36 minutes when his run at the Costa Rica defence saw the ball fall to Jones, who struck a low shot from the edge of the box past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton. The third goal came five minutes later and once again it was Dempsey who set it up. Wood won the ball in midfield and played a one-two with Dempsey before turning to strike home a low drive from 15 yards out. Costa Rica, who reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2014, improved in the second half with captain Bryan Ruiz playing a more influential role, but they were ineffective in the last third of the field. Ruiz hit the post with a header midway through the second half but Costa Rica lost a fourth goal in the dying moments when Zusi stole the ball in midfield and strode forward before slotting the ball home from 15 yards. In the second Group A game, played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Colombia took a 2-0 lead in the first half but were pushed hard in the second. Carlos Bacca scored the opener in the 12th minute with a header before James Rodriguez doubled Colombia's lead with a left-foot strike on the half-hour mark. Paraguay gradually played their way back into the match and hit the woodwork before half-time before forcing David Ospina into a world-class save in the 62nd minute. Colombia's goalkeeper dived full stretch to turn a header around the post. Paraguay continued to dominate the second half and were rewarded when midfielder Victor Ayala scored with a stunning 30-yard rocket in the 71st minute. However, they could not force an equaliser and Colombia hung on to take all three points and claim a berth in the next round. Paraguay must now beat the United States on Saturday to have any chance of advancing to the quarters.

US hammer Costa Rica, Colombia advance at Copa America

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