CHICAGO - In addition to pledging an "irreversible transition" in Afghanistan, NATO's 28 partner nations agreed at their Chicago summit on steps to ensure the alliance's viability, and its ability to respond effectively to future threats and challenges in tight economic times.   NATO leaders came to Chicago with the objectives of improving the efficiency of NATO operations, increasing burden-sharing and positioning the alliance as a reliable global security hub. ...

An independent panel of U.S. public health officials is recommending that physicians no longer use a blood test to screen men for prostate cancer.  The Congressionally-created advisory group, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, says the widely-used test does more harm than good. Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the U.S.  Last year, more than 240,000 mostly older men in their 60s got the news.  An estimated 33,000 died of the ...