UNITED STATES

Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC), the second largest U.S. bank by assets, said its first-quarter earnings fell 68 percent due to a $4.8 billion accounting charge related to debt valuation.

DuPont's first-quarter profit beat Wall Street's expectations, helped by price hikes and sales of insecticides and genetically modified seeds.

U.S. existing home sales fell 2.6 percent in March to an annual rate of 4.48 million, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday, missing expectations and highlighting continued weakness in the housing market.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM), the largest U.S. oil company, and one of the major players in reviving the Iraqi oil industry, has been excluded from that country's next energy auction amid a dispute between Baghdad and the Kurds.

The index of U.S. leading economic indicators rose 0.3 percent in March, extending its upward trend for a sixth month. Thursday's data points to a more positive outlook despite subdued consumer expectations and weakness in manufacturing new orders.

The Chinese government Thursday reacted diplomatically to India's successful launch of the nuclear capable long-range ballistic missile Agni-V while the government-controlled media lashed out at India for attempting to compete with China.

Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE: DOW), the second-largest chemical company by revenue, said Thursday it will build an ethylene plant in Texas to take advantage of the sharply lower costs of natural gas feedstock, something its foreign rivals cannot take advantage of.

A watchdog group within the Vatican said they plan a major crackdown for nuns in the United States, accusing them of taking positions that undermine Roman Catholic traditions and teachings.

Researchers restored sight to night blind mice by transplanting immature light-detecting cells, giving hope that the treatment may one day help restore sight in humans.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday called for an accelerated and full transition of security responsibilities to Afghan forces following the release of photos of U.S. soldiers posing with the corpses of Afghan insurgents.

New York Times Co reported a better-than-expected profit on Thursday as investors brushed past the company's drop in print and digital advertising revenue and focused more on the company's ability to manage costs.

Tax refunds will be given to most Americans who filed income taxes in 2012. But after serious glitches and delays earlier this year, when can you expect yours?

The European Union parliament approved a deal on Thursday that will allow U.S. authorities to store sensitive data on trans-Atlantic airline passengers.

Human Genome Sciences Inc has rejected an unsolicited bid worth around $2.6 billion from long-time partner GlaxoSmithKline Plc, marking a new takeover battle in a drugs sector that has been swept by M&A recently.

DuPont's first-quarter profit beat Wall Street expectations, helped by price hikes and strong sales of insecticides and genetically modified seeds.

Chinese workers who are exposed to silica dust in mines, and pottery and gemstone factories suffer not only from respiratory illnesses, but are at higher risk of contracting heart and infectious diseases and cancer, researchers in China have found.

French drugmaker Sanofi said on Thursday it would collaborate with the Michael J. Fox Foundation to test an early- stage experimental treatment for Parkinson's disease.

Silver enjoyed a record 2011, as investors turned to physical bars and coins of the precious metal to piggyback a strong year for gold, according to The Silver Institute's World Silver Survey 2012 released on Thursday.

More Americans than expected filed for jobless benefits last week, which also happens to coincide with the April payroll employment survey week, echoing the International Monetary Fund's view that job creation this year and next will be modest at best.

Bank of America Corp reported lower first-quarter profit as the second-largest U.S. bank took accounting charges related to its debt, but results topped analysts' estimates as credit quality improved.

Some celebrity obsessions have turned deadly.