A car burns during a protest in downtown Rio de Janeiro June 17, 2013. REUTERS/Sergio Moraes

Brazilian protests see 200,000 take to the streets

SAO PAULO - As many as 200,000 demonstrators marched through the streets of Brazil's biggest cities on Monday in a swelling wave of protest tapping into widespread anger at poor public services, police violence and government corruption.  Full Article | Video 

Asian shares ease as Fed meeting keeps markets on edge 2:15am EDT

TOKYO - Asian shares eased on Tuesday as investors waited for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to clarify the U.S. central bank's plans for its stimulus program - with the mere suggestion of fine-tuning it enough to unnerve market sentiment.

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G8 Summit at Lough Erne in Enniskillen,  Northern Ireland June 17, 2013. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Putin faces isolation on Syria as pressure grows

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland - Vladimir Putin faces further isolation as world leaders line up to pressure him into toning down his support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.  Full Article 

United States Army Specialist Robert Orcutt prays near a makeshift memorial for victims of the shootings at Fort Hood Army post in Fort Hood, Texas November 9, 2009.

FBI's reliance on secret surveillance law

WASHINGTON - The FBI has used secret evidence obtained under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to prosecute at least 27 accused terrorists since 2007, according to a Reuters review of public records.  Full Article 

Iranian President-elect Hassan Rohani gestures to the media during a news conference in Tehran June 17, 2013. REUTERS/Fars News/Majid Hagdost

Iran's Rohani hopes for friendly ties

DUBAI - President-elect Hassan Rohani held out the prospect on Monday of better relations between Iran and the world, including the United States, and progress on resolving the nuclear dispute.  Full Article 

A man walks past a Citibank branch in lower Manhattan, New York October 16, 2012.   REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

Why Citi wants to rack up U.S. taxes

Citigroup has been grappling with an unusual problem - how to incur more U.S. taxes. Citigroup is reclassifying overseas profit as money that it might bring back to the U.S.  Full Article 

The shadow of former President George W. Bush is cast upon the backdrop as he speaks about education at J.E.B. Stuart High School in Falls Church, Virginia, January 12, 2005. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Quality of teachers impacted by rookies: report

The U.S. teacher training system is badly broken, turning out rookie educators who have little hands-on experience running classrooms and are quickly overwhelmed by the job, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Council on Teacher Quality.  Full Article 

The executive offices of Smithfield Foods are seen in Smithfield, Virginia May 30, 2013. REUTERS/Rich-Joseph Facun

Smithfield battle the latest of many for Starboard

NEW YORK - Starboard Value LP has been fast gaining a reputation for aggressive shareholder activism, pushing for change in household names including AOL and Office Depot Inc .  Full Article 

Hugo Dixon

Turkey’s economy is vulnerable

Tayyip Erdogan’s harsh actions against protesters could backfire economically. Turkey depends on foreign investors to fund its big current account deficit. If they turn tail, interest rates will rise, hurting the economy and undermining one of Erdogan’s sources of popularity.  Commentary 

Chrystia Freeland

Economic worries and the global elite

Here’s one sign the global elite is starting to get worried that capitalism isn’t working for the Western middle class. At the TED Global gathering in Scotland’s elegant capital city this week, much of the spotlight was on what’s going wrong with the 21st-century economy.  Commentary 

Yousaf Butt

Why Russia won’t deal on NATO missile defense

The diplomatic dance around missile defense cooperation has always been like Kabuki theater. Moscow is unlikely to cooperate on a seriously flawed, expensive system against an Iranian threat it doesn't see as imminent.  Commentary 

Herman Schwartz

The real IRS scandal

Though the courts have ruled that a tax-exempt group’s political activity must be "insubstantial," lawyers have argued this means as much as 49 percent – and the IRS has gone along. Even that has been flagrantly violated.   Commentary 

Zachary Karabell

Surveilling a double standard

Why are we willing to give private corporations data, but we refuse to offer government agencies the same courtesy? That contradiction highlights a muddled, overwrought and inconsistent attitude towards privacy and freedom.  Commentary 

Lindsay Beyerstein

In defense of publishing leaks

No U.S. journalist has ever been successfully prosecuted for publishing classified information. This may seem counterintuitive. If it’s against the law to leak classified information, why is it legal for journalists to publish it?   Commentary