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　　The US defence secretary Ash Carter has signaled a change in American strategy against theIslamic State group in the Iraq and Syria. Testifying before the Senate Armed ServicesCommittee, Mr. Carter said the US-led coalition would intensify airstrikes and it would not holdback from performing ground operations. We won't hold back from supporting capablepartners in opportunistic attacks against the ISIL or conducting such missions directly, whetherby strikes in the air or direct action on the ground. Last week, US troops worked alongsideKurdish forces to free prisoners from an IS jail in northern Iraq.

　　The US State Department spokesman John Kirby says Iran will very likely be invited toparticipate in multilateral talks in Syria later this week. The spokesman John Kirby was speakingat the State Department briefing about the talks that are due to take place in Vienna. They areexpected to be invited, whether they accept that invitation is up to them. And if they doaccept, at what level they want to stand in terms of the participant is up to Tehran. Allprevious mediations efforts have failed, but the BBC Middle East analyst says there is hopethat for the first time, all key countries with a stake in Syria may begin to move towards theshared vision of the country's future.

　　The Dominican Republic says it will seek the extradition of two French pilots who fled thecountry after being convicted of drug trafficking. The pilots Bosca Forry and Bruno Rondo weresentenced to twenty years in prison. Police have found nearly 700 kilograms of cocaine on theirplane. They spent 15 months in detention but were released under supervision while theappeal was processed. It was then that the pilots returned to France. At a news conference inParis, Mr. Forry denied the charges and said he had no choice but to return to his homeland.When we are dealing with a judicial system that does not investigate, does not listen to us,then condemned us to twenty years for the sole reason we are French, I’m sorry, but myreaction was to go home to my country where I can explain my story to justice, and close thiscase and eventually return to my peaceful life that I had before this catastrophe befell myfamily and me.

　　As thousands of Afghans and Pakistanis affected by Monday’s earthquake spent a secondnight without shelter. There are warnings some may die of exposure, and officials say there isan urgent need for tents and blankets. The UN Children’s Fund said its conditions of extremecold and insecurity were cutting off some communities and children were especially at risk as itis coming to the elements. At least 360 people are known to have died in both countries. Worldnews from the BBC.

　　The candidate who has finished third in the first round of Argentina’s presidential election hashinted that he may throw his support behind Bolicci Makery, the main opposition candidate innext month’s run-off. Seleucia Massa is a former ally turn rival of President ChristinaFernandez de Kirchner.

　　The Pentagon has awarded a multi-billion-dollar contract to build a new long-range strikebomber to the Northrop Grumman Corporation. The deal is valued as up to 80 billion dollars.Northrop will provide 100 planes to replace the aging B52 and B1 aircraft. They will be the firstnew US bombers in almost three decades.

　　The World Bank says developing countries have quickened the pace of reforms to make it easierfor local businesses to start and operate. In the Bank’s annual survey on the ease of doingbusiness rich countries dominated the top as usual, but the leading ten improvers included fiveAfrican countries and two Central Asian nations. Singapore came first in the World Bank’sassessment.

　　The flat in London where the musician Jimi Hendrix lived in the late 1960s is to be openpermanently to the public. Pollen Paterson has been there. The blue plaque outside 23 BrookStreet reads, Jimi Hendrix, guitarists and song writer, lived here 1968-1969. Now the top-floorflat is being restored to hollow walls where he called it home and will open as stores nextFebruary. Hendrix himself was interested in the building’s history. Handel lived next door for 15years until his death in 1759. When Hendrix found out, he bought a copy of the Messiah. Somecritics argue that Handel’s choruses may even have influenced Hendrix’s cords. Pollen PatersonReporting, BBC news