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China Plans Gradual Retirement Age Increase Amid Aging Population and Pension Concerns
In response to its rapidly aging population and a stressed pension system, China has announced plans to gradually raise its statutory retirement age over the next five years. This decision comes as part of a series of resolutions adopted during the recent Third Plenum, a significant top-level meeting of the Communist Party.
China’s life expectancy has increased significantly, now surpassing that of the United States at 78 years, up from just 36 years in 1949. However, the country maintains one of the world’s lowest retirement ages, with men retiring at 60, women in white-collar jobs at 55, and working-class women at 50.
The party’s central committee emphasized a flexible and voluntary approach to this reform, stating, “In line with the principle of voluntary participation with appropriate flexibility, we will advance reform to gradually raise the statutory retirement age in a prudent and orderly manner.” Although specific details about the exact increase and timeline were not disclosed, a China Pension Development Report from 2023 suggested that the retirement age could eventually reach 65.
This reform has been under consideration for several years due to the diminishing state pension budget. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences warned in 2019 that the country’s main state pension fund could be depleted by 2035. This prediction was made before the COVID-19 pandemic, which further impacted China’s economy.
Concurrently, China is experiencing a decline in its population for the second consecutive year in 2023, with birth rates continuing to fall. The Global Times, a state-run newspaper, reported that Chinese demographers see the retirement age plan’s focus on “voluntariness” and “flexibility” as an acknowledgment that a one-size-fits-all approach is unsuitable for retirement policies.
Despite the government’s intentions, the plan has sparked skepticism and debate on Chinese social media. One Weibo user expressed concerns, stating, “Those who wish to retire early are burnt out from their laborious jobs, but those who are in comfortable, lucrative roles will not choose to retire. What kind of jobs will the younger generation end up with?”
News
Referee Michael Salisbury Dropped After Controversial Man Utd-Forest Decision
Referee Michael Salisbury has not been selected for any match in the final round of Premier League fixtures following controversy over a key decision during Manchester United F.C.’s victory over Nottingham Forest F.C. last weekend.
Salisbury allowed Matheus Cunha’s goal for United to stand despite the ball appearing to strike the hand of Bryan Mbeumo during the build-up.
After being advised to review the incident by the video assistant referee (VAR), Salisbury chose not to overturn the goal. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited later admitted the goal should have been disallowed.
Referees in English football generally apply a more lenient interpretation of handball laws compared with some other countries, although decisions must still remain within the official laws of the game.
Referees’ chief Howard Webb reportedly told Forest there were arguments supporting the decision not to award handball, but acknowledged that “football’s expectation” would have been for the goal to be ruled out.
The incident marked only the 17th occasion in seven Premier League seasons — and the fourth time this campaign — that a referee has rejected the recommendation of the VAR after reviewing footage at the pitchside monitor.
Salisbury, who has officiated 13 Premier League matches this season, has not been assigned to any of Sunday’s final-day fixtures, all of which kick off simultaneously.
Meanwhile, James Bell has still been appointed as VAR for Fulham F.C.’s match against Newcastle United F.C. despite criticism surrounding another recent VAR decision.
Bell faced scrutiny after not recommending a review of a challenge by Kai Havertz on Lesley Ugochukwu during Arsenal F.C.’s game against Burnley F.C. on Monday.
News
WHO Warns Ebola Cases in DR Congo Likely to Rise Further
The World Health Organization has warned that Ebola infections and deaths linked to the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are expected to rise further as health officials continue tracing the spread of the virus.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday that there are now 600 suspected Ebola cases and 139 suspected deaths connected to the outbreak.
So far, 51 cases have been confirmed in DR Congo, where the outbreak began, while neighbouring Uganda has recorded two confirmed cases in its capital, Kampala. One of the infected travellers from DR Congo has died.
Speaking in Geneva, Ghebreyesus said the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola likely began spreading “a couple of months ago” before being detected.
Although the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday, the agency stressed that the situation does not currently meet the threshold for a pandemic.
“WHO assesses the risk of the epidemic as high at the national and regional levels and low at the global level,” Ghebreyesus said after the organisation’s emergency committee reviewed the situation.
Health officials say the epicentre of the outbreak remains eastern DR Congo, particularly Ituri province, where confirmed cases have been reported in Mongwalu, Bunia, Rwampara and Nyakunde. Cases have also emerged in North Kivu province, including the cities of Goma and Butembo.
According to WHO officials, healthcare workers are among those who have died, increasing concerns over the outbreak’s severity and the risk of wider transmission.
Investigators are still trying to determine how long the virus circulated before being identified. The first known patient was reportedly a nurse in Bunia who developed symptoms and died on 24 April. Her body was later taken to Mongwalu, one of two gold-mining towns heavily affected by the outbreak.
The current outbreak marks DR Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak, but officials say the Bundibugyo species presents unique challenges because it has not been seen for more than a decade.
Bundibugyo has previously caused only two known outbreaks and historically killed around one-third of infected patients.
There are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments for the Bundibugyo strain, although experimental vaccines are under development. Health experts say vaccines designed for the more common Zaire strain of Ebola may offer limited protection, but this has not yet been confirmed.
News
Train Driver in Deadly Bangkok Crash Tested Positive for Drugs
The driver of a freight train involved in a deadly collision with a public bus in Bangkok has tested positive for drugs and now faces charges of reckless driving, Thai police have confirmed.
The crash occurred on Saturday afternoon at the busy Asoke-Din Daeng railway crossing when the freight train slammed into a public bus that had reportedly become stranded on the tracks.
The impact caused the bus to burst into flames, killing eight people and leaving dozens injured.
Initial investigations suggest heavy traffic prevented the bus from clearing the crossing in time. Authorities also believe the congestion stopped the manually operated railway barriers from closing properly before the train approached.
The Asoke-Din Daeng crossing is known as one of the busiest and most congested traffic points in Bangkok.
Police said both the bus driver and the railway guard responsible for lowering the barriers have also been charged in connection with the incident.
Pichet Kunadhamraks, director-general of Thailand’s rail transport department, announced that mandatory drug and alcohol testing would now be required for all train drivers and railway personnel before starting work shifts.
Authorities have not disclosed which substances were detected in the train driver’s urine test.
According to preliminary findings from the train’s black box, the emergency braking system was activated only about 100 metres (330 feet) before impact — a distance investigators say was too short to prevent the collision.
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