A strike stopped ferry services to the Greek islands and disrupted public transport in the capital Athens ahead of May Day protests Wednesday against Greece's prolonged economic austerity policies.

Ferry services were expected to be halted the entire day as the Panhellenic Seamens' Union took part in the general strike called for by the country's two main unions.

Turkish riot police used water canon and tear gas on Wednesday in a bid to disperse hundreds of protesters who defied a Labor Day ban on demonstrations in a central part of Istanbul.

The ban was imposed to avoid trouble during renovation work taking place at the symbolic Taksim square, a traditional rallying point.

U.S. auto giant General Motors is withdrawing a global advertisement which refers to China as the land where people say "ching-ching, chop suey" after admitting it contains "offensive content", a report said Wednesday.

The television advert for the Chevrolet Trax SUV, one of GM's latest car models, had been running in Canada since early April and was also posted onto Chevrolet's European website, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

The building collapse in Bangladesh that killed hundreds of clothing factory workers last week put a spotlight on the sobering fact that people in poor countries often risk their lives working in unsafe conditions to make the cheap T-shirts and underwear that Westerners covet.

The disaster, which comes after a fire in another Bangladesh factory killed 112 people in November, also highlights something troubling for socially conscious shoppers: It's nearly impossible to make sure clothes come from factories with safe working conditions.

Apple Inc. sold $17 billion in bonds Tuesday in a record deal spurred by the company's plan to placate its frustrated shareholders.

The Cupertino, California-based company sold the bonds in its first debt issue since the 1990s to raise money to pass along to shareholders through dividend payments and stock buybacks. The payments are part of an effort to reverse a 37 percent drop in Apple's stock price during the past seven months amid intensifying concerns about the company's shrinking profit margins as it faces more competition in a mobile computing market that Apple revolutionized with its iPhone and iPad lines.

Japan manufacturing and employment showed slight improvements in March, buttressing hopes that the economy may be headed for a moderate recovery.

Factory output rose 0.2 percent, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said Tuesday, in the fourth straight monthly increase. It pointed to strength in chemicals, electrical components, telecommunications equipment and steam turbines.

The Cypriot parliament begins a debate Tuesday on a 10-billion-euro EU-IMF bailout which Finance Minister Haris Georgiades has described as a tough but necessary measure that has to be ratified without delay.

Speaking on the eve of the parliament meeting, Georgiades warned that without a positive vote on the bailout deal, the eastern Mediterranean island would be driven to full economic collapse and could be forced to exit the eurozone.

German consumer confidence remains robust, apparently shrugging off -- at least for now -- fears of a possible resurgence of the euro crisis, a poll found on Tuesday.

Political gridlock in Italy and the Cyprus crisis have not substantially soured sentiment in Europe's biggest economy so far, market research company GfK said in a statement.

China committed more than $75 billion to Africa in the past decade, coming close to the level of U.S. money although the nature of Beijing's support was far different, a study said Monday.

The database released by the Center for Global Development aims to be the most comprehensive account yet of foreign assistance by China, which has faced criticism in Western countries suspicious of Beijing's motives.

Italy's new Prime Minister Enrico Letta said Monday his coalition government would act fast to reverse an austerity policy he argued was killing Italy and called on Europe to become a motor for growth.

"Italy is dying from austerity alone. Growth policies cannot wait," Letta said during his inaugural speech to parliament, under the watchful gaze of European partners.