Kerry to head to France for talks on extremist violence

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday he would travel to Paris this week for talks on countering extremist violence, following sharp criticism of the Obama administration for not sending a senior official to Sunday's rally for unity in Paris that was attended by some 40 world leaders and more than a million people.

Kerry said he is going to France to reaffirm US solidarity with America's oldest ally. He said as soon as he heard about the march, he asked his team what the earliest time was that he could go.