LONDON

Asian shares and the euro eased Thursday as concerns about the ability of euro zone countries to refinance their huge public debt dampened investor risk appetite ahead of a French bond auction later in the day.

Fans took to Twitter on Wednesday to write a Happy Birthday Mama Tina to Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles. The hashtag began trending late Wednesday afternoon.

With only four days to go until Kate Middleton turns 30, her sister Pippa and brother-in-law Prince Harry, have become planning for a birthday party in a secret location in London that will only be open to close friends and family, the Daily Mail reported.

Twitter apologized Tuesday for mistakenly verifying what was a fake account for Wendi Deng Murdoch, wife of News Corp. Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch, reports Reuters.

Yahoo is poised to name PayPal President Scott Thompson as chief executive after firing former CEO Carol Bartz in September, Web site AllThingsD reported, citing sources close to the situation.

To kick sales of its ultra-low-cost Nano into higher gear, Tata Motors needs a lot more buyers like Vijay Govind Pisal, a sugar cane farmer in Ozarde in Maharashtra.

British police have launched a murder investigation after a woman's body was discovered on Queen Elizabeth's Sandringham country estate in eastern England.

A teaser video about Hewlett-Packard Spectre has been leaked and it is circulating around the Internet. If a person clicks the video, he/she might find that HP's newest laptop looking like a thin ultrabook. As a result, many people can't help wondering whether HP ultrabook will launch in the next week's tech trade show - CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2012 - in Las Vegas.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's weight is in question after the Victoria's Secret supermodel paraded a super-skinny frame in Miami over the weekend.

Paris-based Louvre Museum has reinstated its position as the most-visited art museum in the world with a record 8.8 million visitors last year.

Caterpillar Inc's Electro-Motive unit has decided to lock out locomotive manufacturing workers in London, Ontario, after finding out the Canadian Auto Workers told members not to strike following the breakdown of contract negotiations.

With no prenuptial agreement, Katy Perry's divorce could mean Russell Brand gets $20 million from the split.

Caterpillar Inc is unilaterally implementing lower wage and benefit terms for locomotive manufacturing workers in London, Ontario after Canadian Auto Workers negotiations failed in the days leading up to a contract expiration.

Although some believe the world will come to an end in 2012, there are still many other important dates and events to take note of this year.

Beyoncé was supposed to perform at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve 2012 in New York City on Saturday night, but co-host Ryan Seacrest announced that she could not make it because she's about to give birth.

Jonathan Ive, Apple's design chief who holds more then 400 patents, has been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, 85, an iPod user.

Members of the Canadian Auto Workers union overwhelmingly voted in favor of staging a strike against Caterpillar Inc at an Ontario locomotive factory should the company implement unilateral changes to existing employment terms.

I'll always adore her and I know we'll remain friends, Brand said in a statement.

To culminate a spectacular year, Pippa Middleton will celebrate the end of 2011 by throwing what will surely be one of the most fabulous New Year's Eve parties around.

Europe's markets closed slightly higher Friday, but ended 2011 with large losses. In 2011 London's FTSE 100 declined 5.6 percent, Germany's DAX fell 14.7 percent, and France's CAC 40 finished the year with a 17 percent decline.

Rioting erupted in the poor and largely black neighborhood of Toxteth in Liverpool as an expression of frustration over poverty, economic disadvantages, racism and police brutality.