Members of the Ghurabaa al-sham brigade prepare homemade missiles at Aleppo's district of al Sakhour June 15, 2013. REUTERS/Muzaffar Salman

Syria's Islamists seize control as moderates dither

ALEPPO, Syria - During a 10-day journey through rebel-held territory in Syria, Reuters journalists found that radical Islamist units are sidelining more moderate groups that do not share the Islamists’ goal of establishing a supreme religious leadership in the country.  Full Article | Slideshow 

Internet monitoring must have proper limits, Merkel tells Obama 7:21am EDT

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel told U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday that government monitoring of Internet communications needed to remain within proper limits.

A sign is seen advertising a weekly rental location in Williston, North Dakota March 14, 2013. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Fed seen keeping monthly pace of bond buying

WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve policymakers will likely announce on Wednesday that they will keep buying bonds at a monthly pace of $85 billion, while keeping their options open to scale back the program later this year if the labor market continues to improve.  Full Article 

Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) U.S. Army General Keith Alexander testifies before a U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on recently disclosed NSA surveillance programs, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington June 18, 2013.  REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

NSA head, lawmakers defend spying programs

WASHINGTON - The head of the National Security Agency said U.S. surveillance programs had helped disrupt more than 50 possible attacks since September 11, 2001, as members of Congress also defended the use of the top-secret spying operations.  Full Article 

NATO soldiers stand with the U.S. flag as a Chinook helicopter takes off after a security handover ceremony at a military academy outside Kabul June 18, 2013. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

U.S. to meet Taliban to seek Afghan peace

WASHINGTON/KABUL - The United States and the Taliban raised hopes for a negotiated peace in Afghanistan with commitments to meet this week after 12 years of bloody and costly war between American-led forces and the insurgents.  Full Article | Video 

France's President Francois Hollande listens to European Parliament President Martin Schulz (R) as they pose for a family photo during an European Union leaders summit meeting to discuss the European Union's long-term budget in Brussels February 7, 2013. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

EU-wariness complicates life for Hollande

PARIS - A feeling in France that the European Union no longer works in its interest is fueling tensions between Paris and Brussels and adding pressure on President Francois Hollande to be more assertive in Europe.  Full Article 

Riot police face off against demonstrators during protests against poor public services, police violence and government corruption in Sao Paulo June 18, 2013. REUTERS/Alex Almeida

Brazil protests put leaders on alert

RIO DE JANEIRO - When more than 200,000 protesters took to Brazil's streets on Monday night, one message stood out: They are no longer willing to accept the rosy outlook that politicians in Latin America's biggest country have been painting for years.  Full Article 

A Tea Party member reaches for a pamphlet titled "The Impact of Obamacare", at a "Food for Free Minds Tea Party Rally" in Littleton, New Hampshire October 27, 2012. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi

Hospital investors sold on health reform

CHICAGO - Shares of U.S. hospital operators have been on a tear this year, on average posting triple the gains of the broader stock market, as investors tallied up the benefits of President Barack Obama's healthcare reform.  Full Article 

Water "the teeth" of climate change - World Bank

June 19 - Growing pressure over water remains the most worrying symptom of climate change, argues the World Bank President, while a projected 2°C rise in temperature by 2030 could submerge Bangkok.

Jack Shafer

Snowden versus the dragons

One measure of our culture's disdain for whistle-blowers like Edward Snowden can be culled from the pages of a thesaurus.  Commentary 

Lynn Parramore

What does Apple really owe taxpayers? A lot.

Even as Apple sizzles in the Senate hot seat for alleged tax evasion and finds itself the object of a Justice Department investigation into price-fixing e-books, the company still enjoys a vast reservoir of good faith with the American people.  Commentary 

Steven Brill

Vetting the Syrian rebels, stock gyrations, and A-Rod's return

If we can't vet American citizens like Edward Snowden for security, how will we be able to prevent arms going to the Syrian rebels from falling into the wrong hands?   Commentary 

Bruce J. Schulman

Weiner: As American a political redemption

Anthony Weiner, now running for mayor of New York, is the latest in a long line of disgraced officials seeking not only absolution, but political resurrection from voters.  Commentary 

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