16/10/2025

THURSDAY | OCT 16, 2025

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Draft law allows German retirees to earn tax-free BERLIN: Germany’s Cabinet agreed on a draft law yesterday to encourage work after retirement by allowing those who do so to earn up to €2,000 (RM9,841) a month tax-free in an effort to combat labour shortages in Europe’s biggest economy. The change is to take effect next year and is expected to cost the state €890 million per year in lost tax revenues from next year to 2030. “We are setting further incentives for economic growth in Germany,” Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said. “For this, business particularly needs older and experienced workers and skilled professionals.” In 2030, Germany’s working population will probably have decreased by 6.3 million people from 2010, according to an Interior Ministry demography report. This will push down gross domestic product (GDP) per person as there will be fewer workers for each retiree. Economy Minister Katherina Reiche said the number of people of working age is decreasing by around 400,000 per year. Eligible are employees who are subject to compulsory social insurance and who have passed the standard retirement age of 67. With the existing obligation to pay social insurance contributions remaining in place, the social system will also benefit from the bonus, the Finance Ministry said. – Reuters diplomatic support at the UN Security Council, it intervened militarily to support Assad in 2015 with heavy air bombardments of rebel-held areas. Despite this, Syria’s new rulers have sought peaceful relations with Russia. Uncertainty has clouded the fate of Russia’s naval base in Tartus and its air base at Hmeimim since Assad’s ouster. – AFP Syria president to ask Russia to hand over Assad DAMASCUS: Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa will ask Russia to hand over former ruler Bashar al Assad during his first visit to Moscow, a government official said. The official, who requested anonymity as they were not allowed to brief the media, told AFP “Sharaa will ask the Russian president to hand over all individuals who committed war crimes and are in Russia, most notably Bashar al-Assad”. The longtime ruler, who was toppled in December, sought refuge in Moscow. SANA news agency said Sharaa arrived in Russia yesterday for “an official visit to hold talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on bilateral relations between the two countries and regional and international developments of common interest”. The official had told AFP on Tuesday that Sharaa and Putin would also discuss “economic issues related to investment, the status of Russian bases in Syria, and the issue of rearming the new Syrian military”. Russia was a key ally of Assad during the 14-year Syrian civil war. After providing him with

Trucks carry aid for Palestinians in Khan Younis on Tuesday. – REUTERSPIC

Aid trucks roll into Gaza o Hamas continues crackdown on gangs bodies still has the potential to upset the ceasefire deal along with other major unresolved issues. that were due to enter the enclave yesterday – the full daily complement required under the ceasefire plan. Aid trucks entered Gaza through other crossings.

country, to any federation. “I really hope that the CAS will give a very strong decision that will intimidate anybody that has such crazy ideas to discriminate against any athlete from any country for any reason.” Indonesia decided not to issue visas to the Israeli athletes, senior Legal Affairs Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said, citing objections from groups and the local government in Jakarta. – Reuters notification from the World Health Organisation to prepare for travel. Several other Palestinian factions present in Gaza have backed the days-long Hamas security crackdown as it battles local clans that had tried to take over areas of the territory during the conflict. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, one of the groups backing the crackdown, described the clans being targeted as “hubs of crime”. The ceasefire envisaged Hamas initially restoring order in Gaza and President Donald Trump who brokered the deal endorsed Hamas’ crackdown on rival gangs, while warning it would face airstrikes if it did not later disarm. Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas condemned the public executions after a video showed gunmen shooting dead seven bound, kneeling men. His office called the killings a crime and a “blatant violation of human rights”. Israeli forces inside Gaza have pulled back to what the truce deal calls a yellow line just outside the main cities. Defence Minister Israel Katz said it would enforce any violation of the line. – Reuters

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed on Tuesday that it had received two appeals submitted by the Israeli federation. CAS dismissed the first appeal over Indonesia’s visa refusal, citing lack of jurisdiction. The second case seeking to compel the International Gymnastics Federation to ensure Israeli participation or move the event remains pending. The court, however, rejected requests for urgent provisional Later phases of the truce call for Hamas to disarm and cede power, which it has so far refused to do. It has launched a security crackdown, parading its power in Gaza through public executions. Longer-term elements of the ceasefire plan including how Gaza will be governed, the make-up of an international force to take over there and moves towards the creation of a Palestinian state have yet to emerge. Twenty-one bodies of hostages remain in Gaza, though some may be very hard to find or recover because of destruction during the conflict. An international task force is meant to find them. The deal also requires Israel to return the bodies of 360 gunmen killed in battle. The first group of 45 was handed over on Tuesday. Reuters video showed a first group of trucks moving from the Egyptian side of the border into the Rafah crossing at dawn yesterday, some tankers carrying fuel and others loaded with pallets of aid. However, it was not clear if that convoy would complete its crossing into Gaza as part of the 600 trucks

measures and IGF General Secretary Sarit Shenar confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday that Israel’s hopes of participation were over. “For this world championship, this is the end of the road. So we cannot, no matter what will happen for the gymnasts, we cannot fix their hearts,” Shenar said. “... for the future of world sports, I want to see a very strong decision that leaves no room for such decisions from any kind to any “Humanitarian aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom Crossing and other crossings after Israeli security inspection,” the Israeli security official said. Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported aid deliveries would include food, medical supplies, fuel, cooking gas and equipment to repair vital infrastructure. Underscoring the political challenges facing the truce, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, an opponent of the ceasefire plan, said on X that the aid delivery was a “disgrace”. “Nazi terrorism understands only force, and the only way to solve problems with it is to wipe it off the face of the Earth,” he said, accusing Hamas of lies and abuse over the return of hostages’ bodies. Rafah is due to be opened to Palestinian inhabitants of Gaza either entering or exiting the enclave. But Gazans awaiting medical evacuation told Reuters they had not yet received

CAIRO: Aid trucks rolled into Gaza yesterday and Israel resumed preparations to open the main Rafah crossing after a dispute over the return of the bodies of dead hostages that had threatened to derail the fragile ceasefire deal with Hamas. Israel had threatened to keep Rafah shut and reduce aid supplies because Hamas was returning bodies too slowly, showing the risks to a truce that has stopped two years of devastating warfare in Gaza and freed all living hostages. However, the group returned more Israeli bodies overnight, and an Israeli security official said yesterday preparations were under way to open Rafah to Gazan citizens, while a second official said that 600 aid trucks would go in. Hamas returned four bodies confirmed as dead hostages on Monday and another four bodies late on Tuesday, though Israeli authorities said one of those bodies was not that of a hostage. The dispute over the return of JAKARTA: Israel confirmed it will not take part in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta after its athletes were denied visas, with the Israel Gymnastics Federation calling the decision shocking and heartbreaking. Indonesia said on Friday it had denied visas to Israeli gymnasts amid an outcry over Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, costing Israeli athletes a spot in the world championships that start on Sunday.

Israel confirms absence from gymnastics meet