Bay Ledger News Zonebill@blnz.comtag:www.blnz.com,2009:people/mohammad_zarghamtag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/05/Iran_dismisses_execution_sentence_US-Iranian_00a8

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's supreme court on Monday dismissed an execution sentence passed by a revolutionary court against an Iranian-American national accused of spying for the CIA, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

2012-03-05T19:36:08ZReuters US Online Report World NewsBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/05/UN_gravely_concerned_Somalia_threats_7ef4

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council expressed grave concern on Monday at the threat posed by Somali pirates and extremist groups as U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon warned the African state's humanitarian situation would likely deteriorate again in the coming months.

2012-03-05T18:37:43ZReuters US Online Report World News Michelle Nicholstag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/05/US-Afghan_strategic_partnership_talks_stalled_7480

KABUL (Reuters) - Doubts grew on Monday that the United States and Afghanistan could narrow sharp differences in negotiations and reach a long-term strategic partnership deal.

2012-03-05T14:47:27ZReuters US Online Report Top News Hamid Shalizitag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/04/Romney_gains_strength_ahead_Super_56b9

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney closed in on Rick Santorum in Ohio and picked up a crucial endorsement in Virginia on Sunday as he grows in strength ahead of "Super Tuesday," the biggest day yet in the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

2012-03-04T17:28:38ZReuters US Online Report Politics News Steve Holland and Jeremy Pelofskytag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/05/Romney_gains_strength_ahead_Super_56b9

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mitt Romney closed in on Rick Santorum in Ohio and picked up a crucial endorsement in Virginia on Sunday as he grows in strength ahead of "Super Tuesday," the biggest day yet in the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

2012-03-04T17:28:38ZReuters US Online Report Politics News Steve Holland and Jeremy Pelofskytag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/05/Romney_Santorum_hunt_Super_Tuesday_759f

DAYTON, Ohio (Reuters) - Rivals Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum made their final pitch for support in the vital battleground state of Ohio on Monday, the day before 10 states hold Super Tuesday nominating contests that could be pivotal in an unpredictable Republican presidential race.

2012-03-04T17:28:38ZReuters US Online Report Politics News Steve Hollandtag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/01/rate_among_US_injection_drug_a8d8

CHICAGO (Reuters) - HIV infections among injection drug users in the United States have fallen by half in the past decade, but HIV testing is also down and risky behaviors such as needle-sharing persist, raising worries that progress may be short-lived, U.S. health experts said on Thursday.

2012-03-01T20:52:32ZReuters US Online Report Health News Julie Steenhuysentag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/01/rate_among_intravenous_drug_users_5d05

CHICAGO (Reuters) - HIV infections among intravenous drug users in the United States have fallen by half in the past decade, but HIV testing is also down and risky behaviors such as needle-sharing persist, U.S. health experts said on Thursday.

2012-03-01T20:52:32ZReuters US Online Report Health News Julie Steenhuysentag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/02/rate_among_intravenous_drug_users_5d05

CHICAGO (Reuters) - HIV infections among intravenous drug users in the United States have fallen by half in the past decade, but HIV testing is also down and risky behaviors such as needle-sharing persist, U.S. health experts said on Thursday.

2012-03-01T20:52:32ZReuters US Online Report Health News Julie Steenhuysentag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/01/White_House_Obama_suggest_Afghan_4af0

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama did not suggest that violence had dissipated entirely in Afghanistan when he said that his apology to Afghanistan's leader had calmed furious protests over the burning of copies of the Koran, an Obama aide said on Thursday.

2012-03-01T18:28:32ZReuters US Online Report Politics NewsBy Staff Reportertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/03/01/Venezuelas_Chavez_working_after_Cuba_6374

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is back working on government affairs from Cuba after a successful operation for his suspected recurrence of cancer, allies said on Thursday.

2012-03-01T15:21:39ZReuters US Online Report World News Andrew Cawthornetag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/28/US-raised_captive_plead_guilty_Guantanamo_08fe

GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) - A U.S.-raised prisoner is set to plead guilty at the Guantanamo war crimes tribunal on Wednesday, admitting he was an al Qaeda operative and agreeing to help prosecute other terrorism suspects in exchange for leniency.

2012-02-28T22:26:02ZReuters US Online Report World News Jane Suttontag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/28/Venezuela_says_Chavezs_lesion_completely_3c70

CARACAS (Reuters) - Surgeons "completely" removed a lesion from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's pelvis and the socialist leader is in good physical condition after the operation in Cuba, Venezuela's vice president said on Tuesday.

2012-02-28T14:15:29ZReuters US Online Report Top News Daniel Wallistag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/27/US_investors_lack_interest_companies_d96d

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top U.S. chief executives lamented on Monday a lack of interest from investors in their efforts to do social good and suggested the creation of a social responsibility index of companies that would help educate shareholders on the value of philanthropy.

2012-02-28T00:24:22ZReuters Life! Online Report Michelle Nicholstag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/28/US_investors_lack_interest_companies_d96d

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top U.S. chief executives lamented on Monday a lack of interest from investors in their efforts to do social good and suggested the creation of a social responsibility index of companies that would help educate shareholders on the value of philanthropy.

2012-02-28T00:24:22ZReuters Life! Online Report Michelle Nicholstag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/27/US_rejects_strategy_shift_after_1d12

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration will not swerve from plans to move into an advisory role in Afghanistan, U.S. officials said on Monday, despite the killing of U.S. advisers over the weekend that underscored the risks foreign soldiers will face as they rush to train Afghan forces.

2012-02-27T23:58:06ZReuters US Online Report Politics News Missy Ryantag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/28/Ohio_school_suspect_confesses_death_c8e8

CHARDON, Ohio (Reuters) - The 17-year-old boy held in a shooting rampage at an Ohio high school has confessed to opening fire on fellow students he picked at random, prosecutors said on Tuesday, as two more teenagers died, bringing the death toll to three.

2012-02-27T13:54:34ZReuters US Online Report Top News Kim Palmertag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/27/Iraq_militia_hands_over_last_aa25

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A Shi'ite militia has handed over the body of the last U.S. soldier missing in Iraq, closing a final chapter of the war two months after U.S. troops left and more than five years after the soldier vanished while secretly visiting his wife in Baghdad.

2012-02-27T12:17:20ZReuters US Online Report Domestic News Peter Graff and Suadad al-Salhytag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/23/US_blocks_yakuza_godfather_from_914c

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday moved to block seven international organized crime leaders from the country's financial markets, including a Japanese yakuza godfather and key members of a gang operating in four continents.

2012-02-23T20:26:34ZReuters US Online Report Business News Rachelle Younglaitag:www.blnz.com,2009:2012/02/23/Debt_would_swell_under_Republican_c95c

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. national debt will swell further under tax-cut plans floated by three of the top four Republican presidential candidates, according to an independent analysis of their fiscal policy proposals released on Thursday.

2012-02-23T18:28:44ZReuters US Online Report Politics News David Lawder