JERUSALEM: Israel's army on Wednesday staged a surprise drill on the country's northern border, the military said, amid tensions over Iran's nuclear drive and the fate of Syria's chemical weapons. The one-day exercise was ordered by army chief Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, a military statement said, “in order to examine the competence and preparedness of several units in the army, led by (the) artillery corps.” The drill was not previously announced, but the military said it had been scheduled. “The drill is a part of routine inspection in the army,” the statement said.—AFP

Opinion

Editorial

Budget presser
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Budget presser

OFFICIAL post-budget media briefings in Pakistan are carefully choreographed affairs, full of reassuring phrases ...
Muharram precautions
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Muharram precautions

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Blood bequests
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Blood bequests

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Sustainable path?
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Sustainable path?

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Prioritising education
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Prioritising education

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Poverty’s rise
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Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...