The charismatic military leader of Salafist rebels in Mali may just be helping to found an Islamic caliphate, but he is also taking apart an ancient city’s heritage
Al-Qaeda
Exclusive: French Officials Detail “Big Coup” Bust of Key Al-Qaeda Enabler
French counter-terror authorities tell TIME about a Tunisian arrested on suspicion of being a central figure in al-Qaeda’s activity on the internet and in the terrorist network’s recruitment, and fund-raising.
Countering al-Shabab: How the War on Terrorism Is Being Fought in East Africa
Two bombings of churches in Kenya pointed to the resurgence al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups in East Africa. But a TIME investigation into how the region’s countries (and the U.S.) are handling groups like Somalia’s al-Shabab …
What French Anti-Terrorism Forces Learned from the Toulouse Killing Spree
More young radicals are following in the footsteps of Toulouse killer Mohamed Merah by traveling from Europe to al-Qaeda training spots on their own, instead of through established terrorist networks
Dispatch from Somalia: War, but a Glimmer of Hope
TIME’s Africa correspondent writes from the front lines in war-ravaged Somalia, where an African Union offensive against al-Shabab is offering a tenuous glimpse of progress
Must-Reads from Around the World, June 6, 2012
Beijing Impasse — The Washington Post provides a comprehensive look at the challenge China’s economic slowdown is presenting to Communist Party leaders seemingly unsure how to proceed. “Unlike in past slowdowns, Chinese …
Must-Reads from Around the World, May 11, 2012
Fruit Flare-Up – China’s turned to a new weapon in its dispute with the Philippines over contested South China Sea islands. State-run People’s Daily gleefully reports that “fruit from the Philippines will receive stricter …
Must-Reads from Around the World, May 4, 2012
Mid-Term Blues – The U.K.’s two ruling coalition parties, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, both suffered setbacks in local elections Thursday. The Guardian is live-blogging the results — including for the London …
Mali’s Fog of War: Refugees Tell of Terror, Hunger and Rape
It took Ibrahim Touré three weeks to escape from Timbuktu after rebels seized the desert town, but, in his heart, he hasn’t really left. The 26-year-old shopkeeper studies the floor as he talks, cradling a welter of scabs and …
Must-Reads From Around the World: April 26, 2012
Life For Death? – The five-year trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor, accused of 11 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other offenses, is finally coming to a close in The Hague on Thursday, with a …
Must-Reads From Around the World: April 10, 2012
Brazil Matters — A day after Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff visited Barack Obama at the White House, The New York Times explores the evidence of a palpable disconnect between the Latin American giant’s self image as a …
Escape from Timbuktu: Foreigners Flee as Mali’s Rebels Declare Independence
Caked in dust and bristling with weaponry, the Tuareg rebels smiled at Neil Whitehead and Diane English. “It’s O.K., we’re here for your protection,” one of the veiled warriors grinned at the nervous couple. Caught up in …
Mali’s Crisis: Terror Stalks the Historic Treasures of Timbuktu
The historic city of Timbuktu, once a byword for a place lost to obscurity and myth, is now in the grip of very real political events. As a military coup unseated Mali’s democratically-elected government in late March, a …