General Motors' net income fell sharply in the first quarter, hurt by losses in Europe and a big accounting charge.

LONDON (Reuters) - Africa received its largest ever share of global foreign direct investment in 2011, but potential investors without a business presence in the continent still view it as "the least attractive investment destination in the world", Ernst & Young said on Thursday. A report by the global accounting firm painted a mixed picture for investment prospects in the continent of 1 billion people. Despite the growth in FDI, optimism over economic reforms and a consumer boom, fears over corruption and political instability often affect investors' perceptions, it said. ...

European stocks remained firm Thursday after cash-strapped Spain got through another set of bond auctions unscathed and the European Central Bank kept interest rates unchanged.

French voters who watched the only televised debate before this weekend's presidential election appeared to emerge with two impressions: Nicolas Sarkozy, who trails in the polls, did not pull off the clear victory he needed, and Francois Hollande was surprisingly resilient in the bitter back and forths.

The terror trial of Iraq's fugitive Sunni vice president was postponed Thursday as his lawyers appealed to have parliament create a special court to hear the case that has touched off a political crisis and could deepen the nation's sectarian divide.

The Obama administration's diplomatic predicament deepened Thursday when a blind Chinese legal activist who took refuge in the American Embassy told the U.S. he now wants to go abroad, rejecting a deal that was supposed to keep him safely in China.

A lawyer says a Tunisian court has fined the head of a private TV station for allegedly disrupting public order by airing an animated film that some religious groups claim violates Islamic principles.

The European Central Bank has left its benchmark interest rate unchanged despite worsening growth forecasts for the 17 countries that use the euro.

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - The European Central Bank held interest rates at 1.0 percent on Thursday and will resist calls to do more to fight the euro zone crisis, putting the onus on governments to foster growth and head off anger over austerity policies. Police mounted a heavy presence outside the Barcelona hotel where the policymakers were meeting, ahead of protests expected against the Spanish government's spending cuts that are supported by the ECB. ...

Egypt's ruling military council is committed to handing over power to a civilian administration by July 1 as it promised, one of the council's senior members said Thursday.

Viacom Inc., the owner of Paramount Pictures, MTV and Comedy Central, on Thursday said its net income rose 56 percent in the latest quarter, even though a slate of movies that was lackluster compared with last year held back revenue.

California health officials are investigating the death of a researcher at a Veteran's Affairs infectious diseases lab that may have been caused by a rare strain of bacteria.

Isaac Densu lives in Broadwater Farm, a large, concrete public housing estate in Tottenham, the gritty and deprived district where last year's riots began.

Turkey's prime minister on Thursday accused ratings agency Standard & Poor's of bias for lowering the country's long-term credit outlook on the same day it upgraded Greece's credit grade.

An American businessman is on the verge of buying Scotland's most successful soccer team after administrators running the financially stricken club recommended his bid.

Britain's Serious and Organized Crime Agency says its website has been taken down following a denial-of-service attack.

Syrian security forces stormed dorms at a northwestern university to break up anti-government protests there, killing at least four students and wounding several others with tear gas and live ammunition, activists and opposition groups said Thursday.

MANILA (Reuters) - China, Japan and South Korea took steps on Thursday to tie their markets closer and agreed with their smaller Asian neighbors to boost their emergency protection against financial shocks. The ASEAN+3 regional grouping agreed to double the size of their emergency liquidity program and made it more readily available by adding a preemptive function and reducing its compulsory link to the International Monetary Fund's bailout conditions. ...

Russia's top military officer has threatened to deal a pre-emptive strike on U.S.-led NATO missile defense facilities in Eastern Europe if Washington goes ahead with its controversial missile defense plan.

Booming sales in China and new versions of key models pushed automaker BMW AG's earnings higher by 18 percent in the first quarter to €1.35 billion ($1.77 billion).