IZMIR, Turkey: NATO is not considering establishing a no-fly zone in northern Syria, something Turkey has been calling for to alleviate security and humanitarian pressures on its southeastern borders, one of the alliances top generals has told Reuters. Turkey is host for Land Command, which is charged with improving the effectiveness and response time of the alliances land forces. Although Turkey has made no formal request to NATO for help in establishing a no-fly zone, it has repeatedly said that willing nations should put one in place to create safe areas in Syria, allowing some of an estimated 1.6 million Syrian refugees to be repatriated. A no-fly zone is a resource intensive undertaking... Thats not something were looking at right now in this context, Lt. Gen. John Nicholson, the new head of LANDCOM, told Reuters in an interview at his headquarters in the Turkish coastal city of Izmir. Meanwhile, Algerias military has killed a militant involved in the abduction and beheading of French tourist Herve Gourdel in September, Justice Minister Tayeb Louh said on Wednesday. The Caliphate Soldiers, a splinter group which has allied itself to Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for Gourdels killing, saying it was in retaliation for Frances intervention in Iraq. It emerges from the investigation on the assassination of French national Herve Gourdel that one of those who committed this murder, ... was killed by the army during an anti-terrorist operation in October, he said.

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NATO not considering Syria no-fly zone

It's cold, dark and the bed is oh-so comfy. Surely the dog doesn't need a walk every day.

Sound familiar?

Edmonton's annual six-month cold snap also known as winter sends many dogs and theirowners scurrying for the blankets and hanging up the leash.

PHOTOS: Edmonton AM goes to the dogs

Master dog trainerBev KerrofHound Sensesays lack of activity,during any season,can cause several problems in dogs, including:

Luckily, you can get Fido up and moving in the comfort of your own living room. Here are Kerr's top ten tipsto poop out your pooch during the colder months:

1.Tire your dog mentally:Teach her new things. Make her think through challenging games or puzzles. This can go further than even the most vigorous run or walk. Ten minutes is enough to tire out some dog for hours.

2.Practice obedience:Try new commands or practice old ones from a distance, using hand signals only.

3.Take up nose-work:Get a treat or your dog's favourite toy. Get him to sit and stay. Show him the treat/toy, place it a few feet away in clear sight. Command him to "find it" then praise when he gets it. After he gets the hang of it, place the treat/toy further away, then in a different room. Perfect to do inside while a blizzard flies.

4.Hide treats or toy in the snow:Do same activity as above, or throw a toy into a snowbank and have Rover dig it out.

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10 tips to keep your dog active this winter