All Backchannels
Islamic State beheads 21 Christians in Libya on film, signaling major expansionMasked supporters of the Sunni jihadi group beheaded all 21 men simultaneously, filming the production in much the way the group filmed the torturous death of Jordanian pilot Muath Kassasbeh in January.
Al Jazeera's reporters may go free, but a muzzled press in Egypt is here to stayTwo Al Jazeera English journalists have posted bail, and the government of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has hinted at a pardon. But the press environment is largely hostile.
Kayla Mueller, kidnappings, and doubts about news blackoutsA news blackout has become an orthodox response to kidnappings in war zones. But is it helping captives survive their ordeals?
US closes embassy in Yemen, leaving counterterrorism 'model' in tattersThe Houthis who took control of Yemen's capital hinted they might be willing to work with the US. But there's still the problem of their 'death to America' chants.
Greece PM demands easier bailout terms. Europe: 'Get serious'The game of chicken between Greece and its international creditors is intensifying as the current loan package is set to expire at the end of the month.
ISIS leader Baghdadi cementing reputation as the new Hulagu KhanThe ideology that drives Islamic State has its roots in a reaction to Mongol horrors of hundreds of years ago. But Baghdadi and his followers are looking more and more like the villainous grandson of Genghis Khan.
Jordan mourns murdered fighter pilot, vows revenge on Islamic StateThe self-styled Islamic State was trying to send a message by burning Lt. Muath al-Kassasbeh alive. It seems Jordanians are listening.
Egypt frees Al Jazeera journalist, but its jails still groan with political prisonersAl Jazeera journalists Peter Greste and Mohamed Fahmy are lucky to hold foreign passports. Thousands of others aren't so lucky.
If Jordanian pilot is still alive, will the Islamic State even release him?The situation looks grim for a Jordanian pilot and a Japanese journalist who the Islamic State are trying to use to gain the release of a woman who helped murder 58 people in Amman in 2005.
Jordan would swap a mass murderer for its ISIS-held pilot. Is that a mistake?Not necessarily.
Tsipras vs. Merkel on Greek debt: Unstoppable mandate faces immovable stance?Greece's economic pain propelled its new left-wing prime minister to power, and early signs are he'll push Angela Merkel and the rest of Europe hard on debt forgiveness and a curtailment of the country's austerity program.
Philippines bloodbath: was one of last major Jemaah Islamiyah leaders killed?And if he was, what does it mean?
The liberation of Kobane and other signs of trouble for the Islamic StateThe self-styled Islamic State is losing key battles on the ground in Iraq and Syria and in the propaganda wars as well. A Kurdish victory in Kobane would be a stinging blow.
After Abdullah, a new Saudi king, but little prospect for changeThere may be economic and political rivalries within the dynasty. But its collective interest is in keeping the oil-rich nation on its longstanding course.
In post-Snowden era, NSA maintains surprisingly favorable imageBut that doesn't mean it's popular. A Pew poll released today found that the only federal agency less well-liked among Americans was the Internal Revenue Service.
Death of Argentine prosecutor - what we know and don't knowProsecutor Nisman died of a gunshot wound on Sunday. He was scheduled the next day to make the case that President Kirchner was involved in a cover-up of Iranian involvement in a 1994 terrorist attack in Buenos Aires.
Obama's State of the Union address: foreign policy highlightsOil and Iraq – and Iran, about which Obama issued a rare red line in his largely domestically focused speech.
Yemen's almost coup a sign of more trouble to comeA Houthi rebel leader stopped short of deposing his rival after his forces sacked the presidential palace today in Yemen's capital.
Egypt's President Sisi declares freedom of speech sacrosanctMeanwhile, protesters, journalists, and political opponents continue to go to jail.
It's 'melting': A window on Pentagon construction spending in AfghanistanBuilding a replica of an Afghan village, with Afghan construction workers and Afghan materials, proved too tough a task.
