Students told: Join the army

Chile is giving nearly 57,000 18-year-olds one month to report for potential military duty, saying the government needs to fill gaps in its armed forces because a nationwide student protest has reduced the number of volunteers it usually gets.

Military service is obligatory in Chile, but there are usually enough volunteers so no-one has to serve against their will.

So far this year, only 14,127 men and women born in 1993 have signed up, and armed forces deputy secretary Alfonso Vargas said they need a bigger pool to choose from to fill 11,340 spots.