Israeli military gets its first woman general

The Israeli army is to have its first woman general, the military announced on Thursday. "Colonel Orna Barbiva will be promoted to the rank of general to head the army's personnel department," it said in a statement. "Following the recommendation of the chief of staff, General Benny Gantz, her nomination has been approved by Defence Minister Ehud Barak," it added. Barbiva is 49 and currently one of three women colonels in the Israeli army which has 21 generals in all. The mother of three has a social sciences degree and a masters in management. Military service in Israel is compulsory: three years for men and 22 months for women. The army has 180,000 men and women -- conscripts and career soldiers -- and can rapidly mobilise up to 450,000 reservists.