WASHINGTON | Fri Dec 21, 2012 12:41pm EST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - State and local government spending grew at a 0.3 percent annual rate in the third quarter, after 11 straight quarters of contraction, the U.S. Commerce Department said on Thursday.The

Commander Job Price, 42, of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, shown in this Naval Special Warfare Group TWO handout photograph, died of a non-combat related injury in central Afghanistan's Uruzgan Province, the Pentagon said in a statement. A senior member

KABUL | Mon Dec 24, 2012 12:26am EST KABUL (Reuters) - Pakistan is genuine about backing the nascent Afghan peace process and shares the Kabul government's goal of transforming the Taliban insurgency into a political movement, a senior Afghan government

1 of 2. Italian caretaker Prime Minister Mario Monti gestures during an end of the year news conference in Rome December 23, 2012. Monti said on Sunday that he would be ready to offer his leadership to political forces that adopt his agenda of reforms

BEIRUT | Sun Dec 23, 2012 3:34pm EST BEIRUT (Reuters) - Dozens of people were killed and many more wounded in a Syrian government air strike that hit a bakery where a crowd was queuing for bread on Sunday, activists said.If confirmed, the attack on Halfaya