Monday’s top story: Retirement age could increase to 70 in wide-ranging pension reform proposal After five months of weekly meetings, the government-appointed Pension Commission has come up with a plan that outlines recommendations to future-proof the country’s pension system, including increasing the age at which people can draw a pension. The experts want to link retirement age to life expectancy meaning that with proposed incremental increases each decade, this could reach the age of 70 by 2092. It is currently set to reach 67 in
the early 2030s. The commission also wants to scrap the current option of taking a full pension at 63. In future, it reportedly proposes that whether or not an individual may retire early will depend on their health rather than how many years they have contributed. Other recommendations to make the system more sustainable detailed a proposal to bring more people – including the self-employed, civil servants and MPs – into the statutory pension system. The experts also proposed a mandatory Swedish-style pension fund. This
would be in addition to the current pay-as-you-go system with employers and employees contributing equally to a state-managed fund. The commission argues that this could boost pension payouts for those retiring after 2040 while the other proposals could slow pension contribution increases. The commission is expected to present its recommendations to Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Labour Minister Bärbel Bas on Tuesday. READ ALSO: Foreign workers increasing in all sectors in Germany as boomers retire German minister blames Trump for Strait of Hormuz closure German Defence
Minister Boris Pistorius on Sunday blamed US President Donald Trump for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, calling for the vital waterway to be reopened. “Ultimately, the cork in the bottle neck of the Strait of Hormuz was pushed in by Donald Trump, not by us, but we have an interest in getting it out again,” Pistorius said in an interview with broadcaster ARD. The Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for oil and gas shipments, was effectively blockaded during the hostilities that began
on February 28th with US-Israeli attacks on Iran. Tehran had agreed to reopen it under a preliminary accord signed by Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, and shipping traffic had begun to recover. But Iran on Saturday said it was once again closing the vital waterway over Israeli attacks in Lebanon. “The opening of the Strait of Hormuz, or rather safe passage through it, is in Europe’s interest, in the interest of our energy supply and our economic recovery,” Pistorius said. The minister added
that any agreement to reopen the strait would need the support of Iran and Oman. Berlin has repeatedly distanced itself from Trump’s campaign against Iran, though officials have stopped short of blaming the US for the conflict. Three missing after cooling off in Rhine Three people are missing after entering the Rhine near the town of Biblis amid high summer temperatures that are encouraging people to cool off in rivers, lakes and outdoor pools. “We have to assume the worst,” a police spokeswoman told DPA
news agency on Sunday, adding that people underestimate the strength of the current. A 50-year-old man who went swimming in the river on Saturday afternoon had not returned by the evening, police reported. During a search, passersby also alerted a police boat crew to two non-swimmers, aged 23 and 27, who had gone under and not resurfaced, police said. Immediate search efforts were unsuccessful. READ ALSO: How to stay safe while swimming outdoors in Germany this summer Despite repeated warnings about the danger of the
currents in the Rhine, people still venture into the water. Cities such as Düsseldorf, Cologne, Neuss, and Duisburg have now banned swimming in the Rhine after repeated incidences of swimmers being swept away by the current and drowning. In Baden-Württemberg, meanwhile, a 23-year-old man drowned on Saturday in a lake in Rheinstetten near Karlsruhe. Emergency services recovered the man’s body from the water, a police spokesman said. More deportation flights to Afghanistan in future Afghan criminals are to be deported more consistently in future with
more flights from Germany to Kabul each month, Taliban government representatives and the German Ministry of the Interior agreed in a confidential meeting. In future, there may be up to three charter flights each month, while serious criminals and dangerous individuals would still be able to be deported at any time using regular scheduled flights, according to tabloid Bild. The almost-weekly frequency should allow the Ministry of the Interior to establish a permanent “deportation air bridge”. “Anyone who abuses our protection and commits serious crimes
here must seek their future in their home country. Our society has a legitimate interest in criminals leaving our country,” said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. But the deal is not without criticism. Last month, immigration advocacy organisation Pro Asyl said that Germany was “normalising an internationally condemned regime” in order to get a deportation deal. “This is devastating from a human rights perspective and foolish from a foreign policy standpoint,” Pro Asyl managing director, Helen Rezene said. READ ALSO: Germany’s CDU slammed for ’empowering AfD’
with plan for deportation centres Global gaming elite gather in Cologne for ‘Counter-Strike’ competition Germany defeated Ivory Coast at the football world cup over the weekend, while Alba Berlin pipped Bayern Munich to the German basketball title. And yet many people in the country actually spent the last few days gripped by a sport where the athletes rarely leave their chairs. Arguably – assuming it was still in doubt – the prestigious Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Cologne Major established that competitive gaming has officially outgrown
the teenage bedroom. The game in question was Counter-Strike 2, in which five-man teams need lightning-fast reflexes and tactical wit to out-shoot competitors. In total, 32 international squads descended on Germany to battle for a slice of a jaw-dropping $1.25 million prize pool. The drama culminated on Sunday in front of a sold-out crowd at the Lanxess Arena, where Team Falcons faced off against Brazil’s FURIA in a grand finale. The Falcons were ultimately crowned champions, leaving the iconic venue – affectionately dubbed the “Cathedral
of Counter-Strike” – with the trophy and a cool half-million dollars. With reporting by AFP and Tom Pugh.
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