IN BRIEF (Page 12)

IRAQ

Pentagon chief in Baghdad for talks

Pentagon chief Ashton Carter flew into Baghdad on Monday for talks on the fight against the Islamic State group and the strategy to recapture Iraq's second city Mosul from the jihadists. Carter's trip comes two days after Iraq announced the recapture of a base to the south of Mosul that is seen as an important step toward the eventual battle for the city, which has been under IS control since June 2014.