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BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO leaders could take a step this week to protect member nations against potential aggression by Russia. The alliance's secretary-general says leaders will be asked to approve the creation of a high-readiness task force, and the stockpiling of military equipment and supplies in Eastern Europe. President Barack Obama and leaders of other NATO member countries open a summit Thursday in Wales. It's expected to be dominated by the question of how the alliance should react in the long term to Russian actions toward Ukraine.
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's outgoing prime minister has paid a visit to a small Shiite town in northern Iraq that had been the target of two months of attacks by Sunni militants. The siege of the town was broken yesterday by security forces with the help of Shiite militias linked to Iran -- and U.S. airstrikes. Relief supplies are now flowing into the town.
KIBBUTZ SAAD, Israel (AP) — An education official in Gaza says it will be about two more weeks before classes can resume there. More than 200 Gaza schools -- some that were run by a U.N. refugee agency, and others that were operated by the Hamas government -- were hit during the 50 days of fighting with Israel, which accused Hamas of using schools and other civilian buildings for military purposes. In southern Israel, meanwhile, classes have resumed today in communities near the Gaza Strip. In some cases, school officials have been removing evidence of the rocket and mortar attacks that rained down on the communities during 50 days of fighting.
LONDON (AP) — The grandmother of a 5-year-old British boy with a severe brain tumor is accusing British authorities of cruelty for seeking an arrest warrant for the family outside the U.K., after the boy's parents removed him from a British hospital against medical advice. The grandmother tells the BBC it's an "absolute disgrace" that the parents were accused of child neglect after taking the boy from a hospital last week. The family has criticized Britain's health care system, and says the boy needs an advanced treatment option called proton beam therapy. A judge in Spain today ordered the parents to be held for 72 hours while a court considers whether to grant a British extradition request.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Safety advocates worry that more drivers high on pot will lead to a big increase in traffic deaths as states liberalize their marijuana laws. But researchers who have studied the issue are divided. Marijuana can slow decision-making, decrease peripheral vision and impede multitasking — and those are all important driving skills. But unlike with alcohol, stoned drivers tend to be aware they're impaired. And they try to compensate by driving slowly, avoiding risky actions such as passing other cars, and allowing extra room between vehicles.
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