Labour Minister Franz Muentefering jokes with Health Minister Ulla Schmidt (front) during a voting for increasing pension age to 67 at the German lower house of parliament Bundestag in Berlin March 9, 2007. Later on Friday German parliament votes on a cabinet decision to send six Tornado reconnaissance jets to Afghanistan as requested by NATO to help boost intelligence gathering ahead of an expected spring offensive by Taliban insurgents.
REUTERS/TOBIAS SCHWARZ