Article 19

Obama Defends US Surveillance Programs
U.S. President Barack Obama has defended for the first time the National Security Agency's surveillance of telephone and Internet records, saying Americans should trust those who conduct the programs who are working to prevent new terrorist attacks. ...

US Spy Chief Slams Leaks on Surveillance Program
The top U.S. spy chief has slammed the leak of top-secret documents that have shed light on how the government collects information on people's telephone records and Internet use. ...

Russia Tests 'Missile Defense Killer'
The US missile defense system is no match for the new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that Russia tested this week, a senior Russian official said Friday. ...

UN announces largest ever humanitarian appeal for conflict-torn Syria
The United Nations launched a $4.4 billion humanitarian appeal – the largest aid request in the Organization's history – to assist the growing number of people suffering the effects of the crisis in Syria, which began two years ago with peaceful demonstrations but has since turned into a bloody conflict. ...

Iranian candidates hold final live debate on domestic, foreign policy
Iran presidential candidates have held their third and final live debate on television, discussing their domestic and foreign policies ahead of the upcoming presidential poll. ...

First Inter-Korean Talks in Two Years Imminent
Working-level talks between the two Koreas will apparently take place Sunday. This would mark a significant thawing of the chill on the peninsula where tension has been high in recent months amid Pyongyang's war rhetoric and its nuclear and missile tests. ...