The change means that all 18-year-olds in Germany will be sent a questionnaire from January 2026 asking if they are interested and willing to join the armed forces. The form will be mandatory for men and voluntary for women.

The plan leaves the door open for parliament to introduce mandatory service at least for a limited number of people in future, possibly selected at random.

For months, U.S. pressure on Venezuela has included a buildup of military force in the region and threats of military action, along with strikes on alleged drug boats off its coast. Yet it remains ambiguous as to what,

Legal experts call Pentagon's 'double tap' strike on shipwrecked survivors a textbook war crime, questioning military lawyer's role in operation.

The president floated Colombia as a possible target, saying potential strikes wouldn't be limited to "just Venezuela."

Young people have taken to the streets of Berlin to protest against the German parliament's decision to introduce voluntary military service to boost national defences after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Former President Barack Obama suggested resistance within the military is what stopped the Trump administration from completely politicizing the institution.

It stops short of reintroducing conscription, though it leaves open the possibility of compulsory service for at least a limited number should the need arise.

The federal government has disclosed the first eight projects to be managed by the new Defence Investment Agency.

The issue of forcing citizens to serve in the military is back as the war between Russia and Ukraine grinds on.

Russian operatives linked to President Vladimir Putin's intelligence networks used commercial shipping routes to access UK ports and critical infrastructure sites.