World
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy signs new army draft law to boost conscription
Law obliges men to update their draft data, increases payments to volunteers and adds new punishments for draft dodging.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed into law a bill overhauling army mobilisation rules as Ukraine seeks to address acute troop shortages in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
The law will come into force a month after its publication on Ukraine’s parliamentary website on Tuesday.
It obliges men to update their draft data with the authorities, boosts payments to those who volunteer and adds new punishments for draft dodging.
It remains unclear how many soldiers could be mobilised under the new provisions although some serving military personnel and analysts have expressed concern that the law will not be enough to address shortages.
The law lacks much tougher sanctions for draft evasion that were contained in the initial version of the legislation.
The draft caused a public outcry, and there were more than 4,000 amendments before the final reading in parliament.
Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Lyman in eastern Ukraine, said the law was expected to make it easier to boost conscription amid fears that Russia could launch a new offensive in the coming months.
“Western intelligence agencies and the Ukrainian military say they expect the Russian forces to mount what is being described as ‘a concerted push’ in the next few weeks, certainly by early summer,” he said.
“This is very important when we already know that Ukraine is suffering a severe manpower shortage,” he said.
Draft age lowered
Zelenskyy recently signed a separate law cutting the draft age to 25 from 27 to try to secure more fighting power.
Ukraine began mobilisation immediately after Russia’s invasion in February 2022. The country initially saw a significant influx of volunteer fighters, but numbers later plunged, and thousands of cases of draft evasion have been reported since.
Kyiv’s troops are facing a shortage of ammunition as vital funding from the United States has been blocked by Republicans in Congress for months and the European Union is failing to deliver munitions on time while Russian forces are inching forward.
Army chief Oleksandr Syrskyii said last week that the situation on the eastern front had significantly escalated recently and Russian troops aimed to capture the town of Chasiv Yar by May 9.
new video loaded: Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican Reggae Icon, Is Dead
transcript
transcript
Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican Reggae Icon, Is Dead
Jimmy Cliff, the Jamaican reggae singer who helped popularize the genre around the world with songs like “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “The Harder They Come,” has died. He was 81.
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Music is like air that we breathe. And once it’s there, everybody breathes it. The industry, to me, is the first time I came out of my mother’s womb. And I say [screaming] — and I started making my sound and I never stopped. Music can highlight awareness. And from that awareness, people can take some kind of action to better the situation. I think that’s the role music has played through the ages. And I think it’s the role that it is playing now. And I think that is the role that it can play.
By Chevaz Clarke
November 24, 2025
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Several major airlines have pulled Venezuelan flights following a U.S. aviation safety warning, disrupting travel to the country and as the Trump administration escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro.
According to Reuters, at least three airlines, Brazil’s Gol, Colombia’s Avianca, and TAP Air Portugal, canceled departures from Caracas Saturday, with other international carriers making changes through Monday.
The flight disruption also impacted the U.K. and Europe, coinciding with the administration’s decision to designate the Venezuelan group known as the Cartel de los Soles, as a foreign terrorist organization.
TRUMP’S STRIKE ON CARTEL VESSEL OFF VENEZUELA SENDS WARNING TO MADURO: ‘NO SANCTUARY’
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned airlines about flying over Venezuela, issuing a notice urging them to “exercise caution” due to the “potentially hazardous situation” in the region. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
TAP said its flight decision followed U.S. advisories indicating that safety could not be guaranteed, Reuters reported.
Spain’s Iberia said it would suspend flights to Caracas starting Monday “until further notice,” though its Saturday service to Madrid operated as planned, per the report.
Copa Airlines and Wingo continued operations, while LATAM canceled its Sunday Bogotá-bound flight.
The airline changes primarily came after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning to aircraft operating in or over Venezuelan airspace.
TRUMP ENDS VENEZUELA TALKS, MILITARY OPTIONS LOOM, NEW REPORT
American Airlines plane sits on the tarmac at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela. (AP)
As reported by Fox News Digital, the FAA had warned airlines Nov. 22, about flying over Venezuela, issuing a notice urging them to “exercise caution” due to the “potentially hazardous situation” in the region.
The advisory comes as the U.S. has significantly increased its military presence across the Caribbean deploying bombers, warships, and Marines as part of a campaign targeting drug-trafficking operating near the region and airstrikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels.
On Monday, the State Department went on to formally announce the designation of the Cartel de los Soles in the Federal Register.
MARCO RUBIO SAYS NICOLÁS MADURO’S CARTEL DE LOS SOLES TO BE DESIGNATED A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
USS Gravely and several other destroyers have been deployed to U.S. Southern Command as the Trump administration takes on drug cartels and President Nicolás Maduro. (Getty Images)
The Cartel de los Soles, or “Cartel of the Suns,” refers to a network of government and military officials in Venezuela engaged in drug trafficking.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said in a statement last week that the Cartel de los Soles and other cartels in Venezuela were “responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe.”
On Monday, European governments quickly updated their travel guidance. Germany warned that Venezuela’s situation remained “tense” and could deteriorate further.
Meanwhile, the U.K. advised travelers Sunday that flights were being canceled on short notice.
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“Some airlines have canceled flights at short notice,” the U.K. government advised. “If you have an upcoming flight to or from Venezuela, you should stay in touch with your airline or travel agency,” it said.
“You don’t have the cards” — that is what US President Donald Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this year. But Brussels thought it held an ace: the frozen Russian assets. Now, the 28-point US peace plan has called out Europe’s hand.
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