An Afghan policeman opened fire at a Kabul hospital run by a US charity on Thursday, killing three Americans including a doctor, in the latest deadly attack targeting foreign civilians in the city. The gunman shot himself in the incident outside the CURE International hospital and was detained by police after being treated inside, officials said, adding that the motive for the killing was not clear. The US embassy condemned the deaths of the three Americans, saying that "this act of terror deprives the citizens of Afghanistan of valuable medical expertise. "Our condolences and sympathy to the families of those killed and injured while selflessly working towards better future for Afghanistan," it said.

And excluding the recall-related expenses, GM's operating income in North America improved compared with the 2013 first quarter. "The performance of our core operations was very strong this quarter, reflecting the positive response of customers to the new vehicles we are bringing to market," said GM chief executive Mary Barra. Operating income was lower in the international segment and fell into negative territory in South America. GM delivered 2.4 million vehicles around the world in the first quarter, up two percent from a year ago.

US President Barack Obama vowed Thursday to defend Japan if China attacks over a tense territorial dispute, but also urged Beijing to step in to thwart North Korea's "dangerous" nuclear march. In Tokyo on the first leg of his Asian tour, Obama stopped short however of fully endorsing Japanese sovereignty over disputed East China Sea islands, keeping one eye on Beijing where his trip is being weighed for any hint of US hostility. Hopes that Obama's trip would revive the stalled Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) meanwhile looked doomed when there was little progress on one of the key sticking points -- US access to the Japanese auto market -- after his talks with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.