White House advisors have warned that US spy agencies are too focused on anti-terror operations and pay inadequate attention to China, the Middle East and other flashpoints, a news report said Thursday.

Cyprus politicians Thursday agreed to set up an investment fund as part of a Plan B to secure a bailout deal with eurozone lenders, while ruling out a tax on bank deposits that sank an earlier deal.

Cyprus was on Thursday fine-tuning a "Plan B" aimed at securing a eurozone bailout that the European Central Bank warned should be adopted by the weekend to avoid a banking meltdown on the debt-hit island.

Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem said Thursday that the Cyprus debt crisis poses a "systemic risk" that threatens to ricochet right through the eurozone.

Here's a mess with no easy fix: American crops going unpicked -- it's backbreaking work Americans won't touch -- and poor migrants in need of work shying from it for fear of being abused.

Chinese netizens praised the US Treasury chief for eating a cheap dumpling lunch after meeting new President Xi Jinping, comparing his modest bill to the lavish spending habits of domestic officials.

Cypriot leaders are to decide on Thursday on a newly drawn up plan aimed at securing a bailout for the near-bankrupt eurozone member, after parliament rejected a controversial tax on savings.

Lawmakers from both sides of the US political divide expressed optimism this week about striking a deal on immigration reform in 2013, but a potential pathway to citizenship remains a hurdle.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades is to present on Thursday to party leaders a Plan B aimed at securing an EU-IMF bailout for the near-bankrupt island, state television said.

Colorado's governor signed landmark gun laws Wednesday following the Aurora theater massacre, hours after the US state's prison chief was shot and killed on his own doorstep.

US stocks recorded solid gains Wednesday as the Federal Reserve held steady on its policy of economic stimulus.

The Federal Reserve kept its easy monetary policies in place Wednesday, saying high unemployment and the government's sharp spending cuts remain barriers to full recovery from the 2008 crash.

Cyprus ordered banks to stay shut for another five days as ministers scrambled Wednesday to draw up a Plan B aimed at securing a bailout after parliament rejected a controversial tax on savings.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned Wednesday that broad-based US government spending cuts could curb the economic and jobs recovery.

Cyprus on Tuesday ordered banks to stay shut for another five days as ministers scrambled to draw up a Plan B aimed at securing a bailout after parliament rejected a controversial tax on savings.

Police in Colorado were hunting a gunman Wednesday who shot dead the US state's prisons chief, even as its governor signed new gun laws into force following the Aurora theater massacre.

The Federal Reserve kept its monetary easing policies in place Wednesday as it trimmed its 2013 and 2014 economic growth forecasts for the US economy.

Debt-hit Cyprus scrambled on Wednesday to draw up a Plan B to secure an EU bailout after MPs rejected an unprecedented bank deposit levy, while also seeking to limit the amount of money leaving the island.

Most European stock markets rebounded on Wednesday following two days of losses caused by Cyprus' bailout drama.

London shares closed lower on Wednesday as the government announced its intention to stick firmly to a barrage of austerity measures while unveiling the budget.