Japan Can’t Get Through to ISIS

The Japanese government says it’s been trying to communicate with ISIS but has had no contact since a video was released in which a jihadi threatened to kill two of its nationals. The militant group asked for $200 million in ransom to spare the hostages’ lives, and demanded it be delivered within 72 hours. That timeframe is estimated to expire early Friday morning. According to top Japanese officials, Tokyo doesn’t know the current state of the hostages and will attempt to reach their captors through other governments and local leaders.