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Berlin ‘relieved’ by release of Hamas hostages, including 4 German-Israelis

Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said early Sunday she was "relieved" over the release of a second group of Hamas hostages, including four German-Israelis.

Published: 26 November 2023 08:57 CET

Berlin 'relieved' by release of Hamas hostages, including 4 German-Israelis

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock addresses guests during the opening of the NATO Cyber Defence Conference in Berlin. Photo: John MACDOUGALL/AFP.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said early Sunday she was “relieved” over the release of a second group of Hamas hostages, including four German-Israelis.

“I am thinking of them and of those who are still in the hands of Hamas. We are working with all our might to ensure that they too will soon be free,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Erleichterung und Bangen liegen auch heute so nah beieinander. Unter den freigelassenen Geiseln sind erneut vier deutsche Doppelstaater. Ich denke an sie und an die, die noch in den Händen der Hamas sind. Wir arbeiten mit aller Kraft daran, dass auch sie bald in Freiheit sind.

— Außenministerin Annalena Baerbock (@ABaerbock) November 25, 2023

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Germany's Scholz rejects calls for later retirement in Labour Day message

“For me, it is a question of decency not to deny those who have worked for a long time the retirement they deserve,” said Scholz.

Employees in Germany worked more hours in 2023 than ever before: “That’s why it annoys me when some people talk disparagingly about ‘Germany’s theme park’ – or when people call for raising the retirement age,” he said.

Scholz also warned of creating uncertainty due to new debates about the retirement age. “Younger people who are just starting out in their working lives also have the right to know how long they have to work,” he said.

Scholz did not explicitly say who the criticism was targeted at, but at its party conference last weekend, the coalition partner FDP called for the abolition of pensions at 63 for those with long-term insurance, angering its government partners SPD and the Greens.

Scholz saw the introduction of the minimum wage nine years ago – and its increase to twelve euros per hour by his government – as a “great success”. “The proportion of poorly paid jobs in our country has shrunk as a result,” he said.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Is it worthwhile to set up a private pension plan in Germany?

However, he said there were still too many people “who work hard for too little money,” highlighting the additional support available through housing benefit, child allowance and the reduction of social security contributions for low earners.

“Good collective wage agreements also ensure that many employees finally have more money in their pockets again,” he added.

And he said that the country wouldn’t “run out of work” in the coming years.

“On the contrary! We need more workers,” he said, explaining that that’s why his government is ensuring “that those who fled to us from Russia’s war in Ukraine get work more quickly.”

Work means “more than making money,” said Scholz. “Work also means: belonging, having colleagues, experiencing recognition and appreciation.”

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