Chancellor Merz's praise of Israeli strikes sparks criticism – DW – 06/18/2025
06/18/2025
June 18, 2025
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has praised Israel for attacking Iranian nuclear sites, saying Israel is doing the "dirty work" for the West. His comments on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada raised eyebrows at home.
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DW
2 hours ago
- DW
Indonesia inks strategic partnership with Russia – DW – 06/19/2025
The leaders of Russia and Indonesia met in St Petersburg, where they lauded strong bilateral ties and Jakarta's new role in the BRICS grouping. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto signed a strategic partnership agreement with Russia on Thursday following talks in St Petersburg with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The agreement comes as Indonesia enters the BRICS grouping as a full member, and Prabowo on Thursday thanked Putin for his support on Indonesia's BRICS bid. "Today we have met and our relationship is getting stronger again," Prabowo said in a statement. "My meeting with President Putin today was intense, warm and productive. In all fields of economics, technical cooperation, trade, investment, agriculture, they all have experienced significant improvements," the statement said. Putin called Indonesia one of Russia's "key partners" in the Asia Pacific. "Our relations are mutually beneficial and are steadily developing on the basis of long-standing traditions of friendship and mutual assistance," he said. Another BRIC in the wall The BRICS grouping was conceived as a counter to Western-led forums like the G7, and has provided Putin with an avenue out of international diplomatic isolation over his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Moscow's deepening of ties with Indonesia is seen as part of a bid to partner with more global south countries. During the meeting Thursday at St Petersburg's Constantine Palace, Putin said he was confident Indonesia would make a significant contribution to the BRICS grouping, whose other members include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Russia has also proposed deepening military, security, trade and nuclear ties with Indonesia. During the meeting, sovereign wealth fund Danantara Indonesia and the Russian Direct Investment Fund agreed to create an investment fund worth $2.29 billion (€2 billion). Indonesia's non-alignment Indonesia's president maintains a non-aligned foreign policy, vowing to share close ties with any country, including Russia and the United States. Prabowo's government has already announced trade concessions to avert the threat of tariffs from US President Donald Trump. He also insists Indonesia will not join any military bloc, although it conducted joint naval exercises with Russia in the Java Sea last November. In 2023, it upgraded its relationship with the US to a comprehensive strategic partnership. And Prabowo's government has already announced trade concessions to avert the threat of tariffs from US President Donald Trump. What is BRICS and what does it want? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Nevertheless, Jakarta's close ties with Russia have caused concern among Indonesia's Western allies. Prabowo skipped the G7 summit in Canada this week in favor of meeting Putin in Russia. His last visit to Russia was in August 2024, as Indonesian defense minister and president-elect. At the time he described Russia as a "great friend." Edited by: Zac Crellin
Local Germany
6 hours ago
- Local Germany
Q&A: What we know about Germany's plan to give kids pensions
With the planned introduction of an early start pension ( Frühstart-Rente ), the federal government wants to encourage school children in Germany to think about saving for retirement from an early age. Originally described in the black-red coalition agreement between the conservative Union and the centre-left Social Democrat parties as something the new government 'wanted' to do, ministers have decided to press ahead with legislation, with a view to launching the scheme in January 2026. The announcement raises a number of questions for international residents in Germany – not least whether children who attend German schools, but don't have German citizenship, will be eligible for the scheme. What exactly is being proposed? The plan is that every child attending school in Germany will get €10 per month paid into an individual pension portfolio in their name. This means every child from the ages of six to 17 - not just those starting school next year. When children turn 18, the government contributions would stop but individuals could make further contribution on their own if they wish. Savings in the accounts will remain tax-free until retirement, when individuals with accounts in their name would be able to access the pension funds. READ ALSO: '€10 a month' - Germany to set up pension accounts for all children from age 6 Will foreign children who attend German schools be included in the scheme? Under current plans, all children aged six to 17 who are enrolled in a German school – regardless of nationality – are expected to qualify for the new pension accounts. Advertisement This is consistent with the way other child-related benefits in Germany are structured, where residency and participation in the German education system are the key criteria, rather than citizenship. Do I have to opt-in & can I opt out? At present, the government has indicated that it intends to open savings accounts for all children who enrol in German schools automatically , suggesting there will be no need to opt-in to the scheme. It is currently unclear whether parents will be able to opt-out of the scheme on behalf of their children – an option which may be desirable for families who don't plan on staying long in Germany and would rather avoid the hassle of potentially needing to report on foreign investment accounts to the tax authorities in their home countries. EXPLAINED: Is it worthwhile to set up a private pension plan in Germany? What is the scheme supposed to achieve? Beyond giving the next generation something of a financial boost, the early start pension aims to improve the financial literacy and financial education of the population. An analysis by the economic policy publication Wirtschaftsdienst suggests that the plan could also strengthen the private, capital-covered pension provision through the use of compound interest effects. Under current plans, the capital can only be accessed upon reaching retirement age. Advertisement Some commentators have suggested the plan could further widen inequality in Germany, offering substantial additional benefits to people who can continue making contributions once the state stops (when the child reaches the age of 18). If no further payments are made after the age of 18, and assuming a rate of return of six percent a year, the account holder would have access to €36,320 on their 67th birthday. However, the beneficiary can look forward to receiving €374,520 if an additional €100 is added to the account each month from the age of 18. This assumes, of course, that the statutory retirement age in Germany remains 67. There are no current plans to raise the age of retirement in Germany again, but it is impossible to say what will happen over the next 61 years. A similar point holds true for the impact of inflation over the same period. Under current plans, the account holder will be able to access the savings when he or she reaches the age of retirement, whenever that is. Will it work? In some respects, it won't be possible to answer this question until 2087. In other respects, the first real test of the scheme will come 12 years after it begins, when data becomes available on the number of people who continue paying into the accounts. Advertisement Israel and the UK have both previously introduce similar schemes, but their focus was a bit different: Those were designed primarily to provide young adults with a financial cushion, with funds generally accessible from the age of 18. (The UK discontinued it's scheme in 2011, nine years after it was introduced in 2002.) Currently, money that is paid into pension pots today is used to pay at least a portion of the pensions drawn by people who have already retired. This situation is projected to become increasingly unsustainable as the average age in Germany continues to rise. READ ALSO: Why freelancers may have to pay into the German pension fund in future Estimated to cost less than €1 billion per school cohort, the Frühstart-Rente scheme can be seen as a relatively inexpensive, long-term attempt to mitigate the impact of this trend.
Int'l Business Times
6 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Trump Reportedly Freezes Out His Defense Secretary in Iran Planning: 'Nobody Is Talking to Hegseth'
As Donald Trump edges closer to a decision on whether to strike Iran 's nuclear facilities, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been reportedly been excluded from high-level deliberations. "Nobody is talking to Hegseth," an official told The Washington Post. Hegseth was confirmed as defense secretary earlier this year alongside Tulsi Gabbard, who now leads the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Despite early involvement, Hegseth's role appears to have diminished over time, especially following the fallout from "Signalgate"—an incident in which he reportedly shared sensitive information regarding an incoming attack against Yemen's Houthi rebels in a group chat that had mistakenly included a journalist. Now, as Israel bombards Iranian nuclear facilities and Trump weighs joining the offensive, Hegseth is out of the team is advising him: Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine. These four officials, described by insiders as "Tier One," have taken the role as the president's primary military and intelligence counselors, the Washington Post added. Although the Pentagon has claimed Hegseth remains closely involved, three current U.S. officials confirmed that key briefings and war planning are being led by Generals Kurilla and Caine, with no operational coordination involving Hegseth or his staff. "Nobody is talking to Hegseth," one official said. "There is no interface operationally between Hegseth and the White House at all." With the U.S. deploying additional forces to the Middle East and tensions with Iran rising, Trump has relied increasingly on military brass and gut instinct over his formal Cabinet. Gabbard, too, has reportedly fallen out of favor, her recent video warning of nuclear conflict was said to have angered Trump, further fracturing her influence within the national security circle. Originally published on Latin Times
