Hostage

A still image from a video posted by the Taliban on social media on Dec. 19, 2016, shows American Caitlan Coleman, left, speaking next to her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle and their sons.

Pakistan describes freeing US Canadian family from the Taliban, but officials doubt the story

Conflict

American Caitlan Coleman and her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle, who were kidnapped while backpacking in Afghanistan in 2012 and had three children while in captivity, have left Pakistan after being freed.

Journalist Sulome Anderson is based in Beirut, Lebanon and New York City.

Terry Anderson’s daughter comes face-to-face with her father’s kidnapper

Books
“I’m free and I can talk to you and ride my bike around Paris,” says former hostage Theo Padnos. “It’s better than the alternative.”

A former hostage of extremists in Syria thinks the US needs to talk to Assad

Justice
A man holds up a knife as he rides on the back of a motorcycle touring the streets of Tabqa in celebration after ISIS militants took over Tabqa air base in Syria, on August 24, 2014.

This could be the end of reporting from Syria

Conflict
A sign outside a shop remembers James Foley in his hometown of Rochester, New Hampshire. Islamic State militants killed the journalist in a brutal videotaped beheading in revenge for US air strikes in Iraq.

They’ll never admit it, but many countries pay ransoms to get their hostages back

Conflict

Algeria Gas Facility Attack May Have Been an Inside Job

Conflict & Justice

Algeria has allowed journalists to visit the gas facility attacked by Islamic militants last month. The BBC’s Richard Galpin was among them, and describes the scene to anchor Marco Werman, and brings us up to date on the investigation.

The World

30 years later, Tehran hostage can’t forget

Arts, Culture & Media

Thursday marks 30 years since the release of 52 American hostages who were held in the US embassy in Tehran for 444 days by a group of Iranian students and militants. Barry Rosen was one of those hostages.

The World

Concern for the hostages left behind

Three Americans held captive for more than five years in the jungles of Colombia have returned home, but now that they are free, the former captives are expressing concern for the people still being held hostage, as The World’s Matthew Bell reports.

The World

Former hostage reunited with family

Conflict & Justice

Anchor Marco Werman has details on today’s emotional reunion between former Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt and her children: the reunion took place in Bogota.