German bosses prepare to cut Cold War-era benefits to workers
RT, 6/22–The German government is preparing to back sweeping pension reforms that would gradually raise the retirement age to 70, end popular early-retirement schemes, and introduce additional contributions to a state-run investment fund…The popular option of retiring without deductions after 45 years of contributions – known as the ‘pension at 63’ – would also be abolished. The commission said these early retirees burden pension funds and deprive the labor market of urgently needed skilled workers…The new scheme would also require workers and their employers to contribute another 2 percent of gross wages to a new state-run investment fund, on top of the current 18.6% rate.
Small Fascist judge goes after protestors, even surprising prosecutor
The Guardian, 6/23–A group of Texas protesters convicted of terrorism charges received unusually harsh sentences of at least 50 years in prison on Tuesday in a closely watched case that was widely seen as a test case of the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on dissent…The sentences handed down on Tuesday were unusually long, said Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor who served as the US attorney for the eastern district of Michigan during the Obama administration. “Most often, judges will sentence defendants for separate counts concurrently. Here, it appears that the judge stacked the sentences for each count consecutively. I would have expected lengthy sentences here, more in the ballpark at 15 to 25 years, but nothing like 50 to 100 years”...
Trump demands communism!
Semafor, 6/26–President Donald Trump urged religious conservatives to prevent a “communist” victory in the midterms, telling members of the Faith and Freedom Coalition that his pro-Christian policies would be reversed if Democrats returned to power. “Communism is very easy to sell,” he said, condemning New York City’s rent stabilization board for freezing what landlords could demand from renters: “They’re basically confiscating their property… these buildings will turn into ghettos and slums.” House Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP legislators echoed the president, describing the victories of Democratic Socialist candidates in New York’s primaries as a threat to families, businesses, and the state of Israel.
Pakistan and Afghanistan bosses fight for control of Central Asia
Al Jazeera, 6/29–Pakistan struck targets of what it claimed were hideouts of an armed group in three Afghan provinces overnight and summoned Kabul’s envoy on Monday morning, after an assault on a Sindh Rangers base in Karachi over the weekend killed three paramilitary personnel and wounded four others…A separate ground operation in Bajaur in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday night killed several members of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), including a senior commander, Tarar said, adding that large quantities of weapons and ammunition were also destroyed…
Europe begins process of re-arming for the fights ahead
Foreign Affairs, 6/29–Europeans have been humiliated, disparaged, and sidelined since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office in 2025…Europe has come to recognize that its old paradigm—wealth without military strength, influence without sacrifice, and protection without obligation—is no longer sustainable. To dismiss Europe as permanently irrelevant is to ignore the scale and depth of the changes that are now underway. For decades, European countries reflexively aligned themselves with Washington’s priorities. They were even willing to send their soldiers to fight in U.S.-led wars…Given the Russian threat and U.S. unreliability, many Europeans now support military buildups…majorities in France, Germany, and Poland now support reinstating mandatory military service, which is already in place in countries such as Denmark, Estonia, and Switzerland.
South Africa bosses prepare to kick out migrant workers
France24, 6/29–Anti-immigrant groups in South Africa have set a June 30 “deadline” for undocumented immigrants to leave the country, planning widespread demonstrations on that date and threatening a “national shutdown” if the government does not take significant action on immigration. Anti-foreigner sentiment has been on the rise in recent months, with protests in several major cities across the country…Three people, including a Malawian man and two Mozambican nationals, were killed during recent anti-immigration protests in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape provinces...