#CHINA: Hike In Retirement Age Stirs Controversy

[world politics news] 

Chinese are venting anger at a move to raise China's retirement age, which is among the world’s lowest. It has remained unchanged for more than 40 years at 60 for men and 55 for women white-collar workers.

China is trying to cope with a rapidly aging population, but the proposal is fueling public discontent and will test the Communist Party’s ability to implement reforms. 

Officials say the age increase is necessary because the nation's pension fund will run dry in the year 2035 unless it's raised. That's not stopped the outrage.  Their have been tens of thousands of angry comments about the change posted on Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ROMANIA: Parliament Votes To Increase Pensions By 40% Ahead Of Local, Parliamentary Elections

[world politics news] 

Romania’s Parliament voted for a bill that forces an immediate 40% hike in public pensions, as opposed to a milder 14% increase proposed by the Government. Critics warn that the increase could seriously hike the nation's budget deficit in the near future.

The decision, which comes just five days ahead of the local elections on September 27 and two months ahead of the December 6 parliamentary elections, highlights the fierce battle for votes between the Social Democrats (PSD), who occasionally hold the majority in the Parliament, and the Liberals (PNL), who run the Government.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#JAPAN: Gov't To Cut Senior Benefits, Urge Elderly To Work Longer, Amid Aging Crisis

[world politics news]

The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to cut benefits given to employees aged between 60 and 64, whose salaries drastically drop when they turn 60. Japan is facing an increased demographic burden after decades of rapid ageing of the population and falling birth rates. Critics argue Abe’s government has done little to reverse the trend. People aged 65 or older are expected to reach nearly 40 per cent of the population by 2060, according to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

Abe’s cabinet has approved bills to call on businesses to allow their employees to work until the age of 70.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CAMBODIA: Retirement Age Raised From 55 To 60 For All Civil Servants

[world politics news]

Cambodia will increase their retirement ages as the aging population in the country keeps increasing. It joins Vietnam, who also recently raised its civil servants' retirement age.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Civil Service has increase the retirement age of all civil servants to 60 years and with this, nearly 2,000 civil servants who are set to retire by year’s end will continue working.

Its current retirement age for civil servants varies from 55 to 60 years old, according to their positions. The Phnom Penh Post said that with the new ruling, the retirement age has been standardized to 60 years.

Pictured: Ministry of Civil Service, 
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#SINGAPORE: Retirement Age Set To Rise To 65 By 2030

[world politics news]

The statutory retirement age will go up to 63 in 2022, and eventually to 65 by 2030.

The re-employment age will also go up from 67 now to 68 in 2022, and eventually to 70 by 2030.

Workers in Singapore cannot be dismissed on the grounds of age before they reach the retirement age. Employers must also offer eligible staff work up to the re-employment age but with the flexibility to adjust contract terms.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#JAPAN: Gov't Considers Splitting Massive Health, Labor & Welfare Ministry

[world politics news]

The Japanese government is considering splitting the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, concluding that the mammoth bureaucracy with an extensive portfolio is incapable of responding to the complex needs of an aging society. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party will submit a proposal as early as this month recommending a split, which will be part of a broader government review of its 13 agencies and ministries created through a reorganization 20 years ago.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#RUSSIA: Communist Party Organizes Mass Protests Against Gov't Plan To Raise Retirement Age

[world politics news]

The opposition Communist Party of the Russian Federation organized nationwide rallies this week to oppose the government's plan to raise the retirement age. The government says it needs to raise the pension age from 60 to 65 for men, and from 55 to 63 for women, to help cope with a shrinking workforce. But unions warn many people will not live long enough to claim a pension. Russian men have a life expectancy of just 66, while for women it is 77 , the World Health Organization says.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#GERMANY: Parliament Votes To Allow Expanded Dementia Research

[world politics news]

Germany's parliament has passed a controversial law on dementia treatments that will allow doctors to conduct more expansive clinical research on patients suffering from dementia. Lauded by medical experts, the new law has attracted criticism from elderly care groups and religious institutions.

#JAPAN: Gov't Approves Funding Plan To Deal With Rapidly Aging Population

[world politics news]

Lawmakers have approved health care reforms to address the rising costs of elderly care, with increased cost-sharing by high-income workers and prefectures taking over the running of loss-making public insurance bodies from municipalities. Japan funds medical costs with a mix of disbursements from public health care plans, tax revenues and payments by patients.

#THENETHERLANDS: Former "50Plus Party" MP Forms "Freethinking" Party

[world politics news]

Member of Parliament Norbert Klein, formerly a member of the small 50PLUS party has created the Freethinking Party, which he says stands for "independent creative people who are involved in a free and caring society." He left 50PLUS in June because it was a single-issue party focused on the aging.

#FRANCE: Bill Would Allow Doctors To Put Terminally Ill Into Comas Until Dead

[world politics news]

#CANADA: Court Challenge to #Quebec's Assisted Death Legislation

[world politics news]

#AUSTRALIA

Survey Shows Over-50s Willing to Push Wealthy Off Gov't Pensions [world politics news]