ISIS is on the march. Despite some battlefield setbacks in Iraq, the Islamist terrorist group remains unchallenged in Syria and holds sway over an area the size of Great Britain. The group has seized an estimated $2 billion in assets, a stunning sum, and its recruits continue to flow in.

"Our goal is to liberate the 1948 borders of Palestine [Jews] can go back to Germany, or wherever they came from.” That not-so-subtle threat came from a Hezbollah spokesman a dozen years ago. Increasingly, it’s looking like more than bravado.

On Jan. 26, India’s Republic Day, I laid flowers at the base of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue outside the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C. In having that honor, I was reminded of the deep connections between the United States and India. The sight of Gandhi standing in the heart of America’s capital reminds me that the leader of the U.S. civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, was inspired by the father of modern India.

Soheil Arabi will soon have a rope around his neck. The 30-year-old father is languishing on Iran’s death row. Yet Mr. Arabi did not kill anyone. He did not rape or steal. The “crime” Mr. Arabi committed was writing several Facebook posts that were deemed religiously offensive.

Internet governance is at an inflection point and debate about the fundamental structure of the Internet is ramping up. This debate, now being had in the United Nations, Internet Governance Forum, ICANN and other organizations, will affect global business models relying on networked technologies and freedom of expression and privacy. The multi-stakeholder systems of Internet governance — which includes the private sector, civil society, governments, research institutions and non-government organizations in decision making — has made the Internet a transformative technology.

In her junior year of college, Southern California native Rachel Thomas found herself trapped in a sex-trafficking ring after being lured by a pimp claiming to be a talent agent. The pimp threatened to kill Rachel’s family if she attempted to escape.

Words like "landmark" and "historic" are being used to describe this week's U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. More than 40 heads of state, the President, dozens of American CEOs, celebrities, activists and several members of Congress -- myself included -- are participating in the three-day event.

Most of us know of a family member, friend or loved one who suffers or suffered the slow ravages of Alzheimer’s disease, or know someone who has cared for an Alzheimer’s patient. Those who don’t likely will soon, because cases are skyrocketing, and there is no cure or even effective treatment. While the U.S. has been a leader and has launched a national effort, a broader effort is needed to take on this monstrous disease that takes no prisoners. Alzheimer’s is fatal and knows no borders.

It is the Russian Army that has seized control of the Crimean Peninsula, but it is Russia’s considerable energy resources that allow Moscow to hold all of Ukraine hostage. America’s newly developing energy supply could be put into play, denting President Vladimir Putin’s strength to our geopolitical advantage. But first our red tape must go.

"Captain Phillips," Tom Hanks’ latest film, provides a powerful account of the violent toll of piracy off the Horn of Africa. As moviegoers will see in dramatic fashion, Captain Richard Phillips was rescued in 2009 after being held for days at sea by three Somali pirates who had forcibly boarded his cargo ship, the Maersk Alabama.