The Latest: US praises Dutch for expanding airstrikes on IS

UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, sits after arriving for the round of negotiation between the Syrian government and the opposition in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 29, 2016. The United Nation's Syria envoy says he has "good reason to believe" that the main Syrian opposition group will join Geneva peace talks Sunday. Staffan de Mistura says he is still waiting for "formal indication" that the opposition coalition, known as the Higher Negotiating Committee, will attend the talks. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP) SWITZERLAND OUT UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, sits after arriving for the round of negotiation between the Syrian government and the opposition in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 29, 2016. The United Nation's Syria envoy says he has "good reason to believe" that the main Syrian opposition group will join Geneva peace talks Sunday. Staffan de Mistura says he is still waiting for "formal indication" that the opposition coalition, known as the Higher Negotiating Committee, will attend the talks. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP) SWITZERLAND OUT

By Associated Press January 29, 2016 4 min read

GENEVA (AP) – The Latest on U.N.-hosted peace talks for the Syrian civil war in Geneva (all times local):

9:30 p.m.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is praising the Netherlands for expanding its airstrikes against Islamic State militants to include targets in Syria as well as Iraq.

In a statement Friday from Washington, Carter says “the lasting defeat of ISIL must be a global undertaking, because it is a global threat.” He also praised the commitment of the Dutch people toward fighting Islamic extremists.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s coalition government decided Friday to broaden its fighter jets’ mandate to eastern Syria after requests from the U.S. and France.