Cyclone Freddy record claim in the eye of the storm

Robin MILLARD
Sun, 26 March 2023 


Cyclone Freddy's extraordinary journey will be reviewed in minute detail to verify whether its deadly track counts as the longest-lasting tropical storm, the world extreme weather records chief told AFP.

The cyclone crossed the entire southern Indian Ocean before wreaking death and destruction on southeastern Africa in February and March.

An international panel of experts will now spend months poring over the data to decide if it constitutes a new record in the Weather and Climate Extremes Archive run by the UN's World Meteorological Organization.

Randall Cerveny, the WMO's gatekeeper for world weather records, said the verdict rests on assessing the times when Freddy dipped below 34 knots -- 63 kilometres (39 miles) per hour -- before picking up speed again.

"The fundamental question will be: do we count the time when it was below tropical storm status?" said Cerveny, a professor of Geographical Sciences at Arizona State University who established the WMO archive in 2007.

The current record holder for the longest-lasting tropical cyclone is Hurricane/Typhoon John, which spent 31 days over the Pacific Ocean in 1994.

Freddie's total lifespan exceeded that -- but it will take months of deliberation to determine whether it constitutes a new record.

"We have to go back and do the hard work -- looking at the precise numbers and values," Cerveny said.

"It will take time but it will be a very comprehensive study."

- Experts can redefine meteorology -

The Geneva-based WMO's extreme weather archive contains a variety of records including temperature, air pressure, rainfall, wind speed, hail and lightning.

For each potential new record, Cerveny assembles a panel of world-leading experts in that field. The groups can vary in size from 10 people to more than 20, and they meet virtually.

For Freddy, scientists from the US National Hurricane Center, experts in monitoring hurricanes through satellite imagery, and national weather service meteorologists from around the Indian Ocean are all being lined up, alongside general climatologists.

"These scientists are the best of the best and so once they make a decision, I think everybody will be able to live with that," Cerveny said.

"These discussions can be really incredible. We've actually in past discussions rewritten some of the fundamental definitions in meteorology," he said, citing how lightning flashes are defined.

"I expect that's going to be the case here, when we make a decision as to whether we will work with the timeframe when Freddy was below tropical storm status."

- Freddy's deadly impact -

Freddy developed off north Australia and became a named storm on February 6.

It made landfall in Madagascar on February 21, crossing the island before reaching Mozambique on February 24, claiming lives in both countries.

Freddy tracked over Mozambique and Zimbabwe, bringing heavy rains and flooding.

It then looped back towards the coast, regained strength and hit Madagascar again before heading back over Mozambique and Malawi, where it caused around 500 deaths, with floods and mudslides sweeping away homes, roads and bridges.

Tropical storms derive their power source from warm water and therefore weaken over land. Freddy dissipated around March 14.

"The thing that saved it and made it such a long duration was continually moving back out over warm water," said Cerveny.

Once he gets the full raw data from the weather monitoring stations around the Indian Ocean, Cerveny will assemble a background report for the panel to kick off their deliberations.

"I have no doubts that we will find the right answer," he said.

- Records help track changes -

The current record holder, John, was determined from aircraft reconnaissance.

"Looking at the track data, it slipped below tropical storm status," said Cerveny.

"I'm talking to the people that made that determination and trying to figure out how did they decide? That is something we'll want to talk about."

Freddy could also be up for other records, such as the furthest-travelling storm.

But why does establishing records matter?

"The most important is climate change. If we want to see how things are changing we need to have a good baseline of what's happening now," said Cerveny.

"The water that's dropping from these tropical cyclones does appear to be increasing over time. We see wetter and wetter tropical cyclones. A lot more flooding."

Weather extremes data is also used for civil engineering planning: for example, the maximum wind speed that a bridge must be able to withstand.

Cerveny added: "Also, people in general like to know extremes."

rjm/apo/ea/lb

Biden finds his limits on Israel


Ohad Zwigenberg/AP Photo

Nahal Toosi
Mon, March 27, 2023 

The political crisis engulfing Israel is exposing the limits of American influence on the country — limits that are, to some degree, self-imposed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s effort to overhaul Israel’s judiciary is the most direct cause of the recent chaos — prompting huge protests and strikes, with even Israeli military members speaking out in opposition.

Netanyahu’s goal: make changes to Israel’s judicial system that would, among other things, let Israeli lawmakers override court rulings — a move that critics fear will badly damage Israeli democracy.

Over the weekend, Netanyahu fired his defense minister for opposing the overhaul — sparking more protests and exposing cracks in the ruling coalition. On Monday, as more coalition members reportedly threatened to quit, Netanyahu announced he was putting the overhaul on hold and would seek a compromise measure.

Throughout the crisis, whose roots stretch back months, President Joe Biden and his aides tried to strike a balance with Israel: Keeping appeals and criticisms largely private, but going public on occasion with carefully worded statements designed to pressure Netanyahu to back off the overhaul plan. But those U.S. appeals didn’t seem to do the trick. Internal Israeli pressure has clearly been far more powerful.

The big question now is how much influence the United States still has with Netanyahu and what level of pressure it’s willing to apply when Netanyahu or his party take future destabilizing actions.
So the crisis is all about the judicial reform?

No. Netanyahu returned to power late last year— after the latest in a series of seemingly endless elections — by aligning himself with extreme right-wing figures, some of whom have racist, misogynist and homophobic views.

This has alarmed more moderate and left-leaning Israelis, whose political power is limited. Many worry that the far-right coalition now in charge of the country — some members of whom have extreme religious views — will undermine secular Israelis’ rights, not to mention those of Israeli Arabs, Palestinians and others.

To top it off, many of his critics suspect that the main reason Netanyahu is pushing the judicial overhaul and other initiatives desired by his far-right partners is so that they will ultimately protect him from prosecution in Israeli courts, where he’s facing corruption charges.
How are Biden and his aides reacting to all this?

Very, very cautiously.

For the most part, Biden administration officials have tried to keep their conversations with the Israelis private, and, even then, they tend to say things in carefully worded ways.

The administration has — often in a coded manner — warned Netanyahu that he needs to protect Israeli democracy. The administration also has stressed its support for LGBTQ rights and Palestinian rights in ways designed to signal to Netanyahu that he should rein in his extremist allies.

Administration officials have said they will hold Netanyahu responsible for his coalition, pointing out that he’s insisted he’s the one in charge. And top administration officials have refused to meet with far-right figures surrounding the Israeli prime minister.

But the Biden administration also insists that its commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad. The president has long said he will not impose conditions on the billions of dollars in security aid the U.S. provides to Israel, and there’s no sign he’s changed his mind about that.

While the administration insists that it does have some leverage over Israel — such as assisting it against attacks at the United Nations or helping it pursue deeper cooperation with some Arab states — the reality is that it has largely stuck to rhetoric as its main weapon.
Is it working?

Not really.

Just days ago, Biden spoke to Netanyahu, and the White House readout of the call emphasized that Biden wanted Israel to find a compromise on the judicial reform issue because it’s critical to safeguarding Israeli democracy.

“Democratic societies are strengthened by genuine checks and balances, and that fundamental changes should be pursued with the broadest possible base of popular support,” the readout said.

It was an unusually frank call, the readout suggested, especially given the usual niceties involved in the relationship. But in the days after, there was no sign that Netanyahu had taken Biden’s warnings to heart.

The Israeli leader proceeded ahead with the judicial reform plans. It wasn’t until Netanyahu’s coalition started to crack amid popular pressure that he began to rethink his stance this past weekend.
What factors must Biden consider when dealing with Israel?

First, there’s the pure national security aspect. Israel is a critical partner to the United States in the Middle East, especially when it comes to intelligence sharing about the various players in the region.

This is especially important in regard to Iran, a longtime U.S. and Israeli adversary with a nuclear program.

Second, there’s just a lot of history. The United States has always been a stalwart partner to Israel ever since it was created as a homeland for the Jewish people fleeing persecution in Europe and beyond.

Biden has been, for decades, a champion of Israel. He genuinely loves the country and the many successes it has achieved in its short existence.

Biden has often touted his friendship with Netanyahu, even when the latter has tested that friendship.

Israel also is a rare democracy in the Middle East. Many U.S. officials also want to keep good ties with Israel in part to resolve the lingering Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has left the Palestinian people in misery for decades.

Third, there’s the question of how things could play out in America’s 2024 presidential campaign.

For many years, there was broad bipartisan support for Israel in the United States, and any president who criticized the country risked being attacked by members of his own party. This is changing, somewhat.

Generally speaking, Democrats are still strong supporters of Israel. But there has been growing worry in recent years among Democrats about Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.

Netanyahu’s wholehearted embrace of former President Donald Trump angered many Democrats. His new government’s make-up also has alarmed even some of his strongest Democratic backers, suggesting Biden could feel pressure from his party to be tougher on Israel going forward.
Is the calculus different for the GOP?

Pro-Israel organizations are strong and politically active, and they command significant support from evangelical Christians in particular — an important Republican base.

In a sign of how strident the GOP support is for Israel, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell recently told Axios that Washington shouldn’t weigh in on the judicial overhaul plan, calling it an Israel internal matter.

Republicans eyeing the White House already are trying to prove their pro-Israel bona fides.

Some, such as former Trump administration Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, won’t say if they support a future state for Palestinians, for instance. Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, has touted her many efforts to protect Israel at the world body.

But there are signs that Netanyahu’s overhaul plan goes too far for even some of Israel’s biggest supporters on the American right. Former Trump administration ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, is among those who’ve reportedly voiced concerns.

How much does the U.S. really care about the Middle East right now, given threats from Russia and China?

It still cares a lot.

The United States has military bases in the Middle East, and the region remains a key source of oil and gas for the world — one even more critical given the damage Russia’s war in Ukraine has done to energy markets.

Without question, the Biden administration believes the top threat to America’s long-term global power is China. But China — as well as Russia — is trying to gain influence in the Middle East amid perceptions that the United States is backing away from the region. That means the competition with those two countries will include the arena of the Middle East.

For the Biden administration, one key goal is to push for a more peaceful Middle East, with the idea that a more stable Middle East means the United States can focus more on the grander challenges posed by China and Russia.

Mexico will not prohibit Chinese-owned TikTok app, says president




Mon, March 27, 2023

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The Mexican government will not ban the popular video sharing social media application TikTok, the country's president said on Monday, even as the United States moves closer to a possible prohibition on the Chinese-owned app due to security concerns.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador vowed "complete freedom" when asked about the platform during his regular morning news conference, after TikTok's chief executive faced a grilling by U.S. lawmakers last week.

Some U.S. lawmakers are calling on the government to ban the app, alleging it could be used for sweeping data collection, content censorship and harm to children's mental health.

The Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday the United States has not presented any evidence that TikTok presents a threat to national security.- ADVERTISEMENT -

Meanwhile, Canada announced last month a ban on the app from government-issued devices, also citing risks to privacy and security.

Other countries and entities have also elected to ban TikTok.

(Reporting by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Isabel Woodford)

Virgin Orbit extends worker furlough, continues funding talks -CEO


Virgin Orbit facility is seen, in Long Beach

Mon, March 27, 2023 at 4:48 PM MDT
By Joey Roulette

(Reuters) - Billionaire Richard Branson's cash-strapped Virgin Orbit Holdings will extend an unpaid furlough for most of its employees as talks seeking new funding continue, the company's chief executive said in an email to employees on Monday.

"Our investment discussions have been very dynamic over the past few days, they are ongoing, and not yet at a stage where we can provide a fulsome update," Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart wrote in the email seen by Reuters.

Virgin Orbit declined further comment.

Reuters reported last week that Texas-based Matthew Brown had been in talks to invest $200 million in the company. Those talks have collapsed, said two people familiar with the discussions who asked not to be identified. Brown declined to comment on Monday.

Virgin Orbit, teetering on bankruptcy after a January rocket failure and struggles to raise funds, furloughed nearly all its 750 employees on March 15 while it sought a financial lifeline that would allow it to focus on upgrading its launch business.

The rocket maker was spun out of Branson's space tourism firm Virgin Galactic in 2017. Branson owns a controlling stake of Virgin Orbit of roughly 75%.

A small group of employees were called back to work last week, while the others were to remain furloughed until at least Monday when Hart had been expected to provide an update in a company-wide virtual meeting.

"In order that we may provide you with meaningful details we have delayed the all-hands scheduled for today," Hart said in the email, which employees received minutes before the expected meeting was to begin. Hart added he expects a new company-wide meeting will take place "no later than Thursday."

Virgin Orbit shares were down 12% in after-hours trading Monday after closing down 26 cents, or 33%, at 54 cents a share.

(Reporting by Joey Roulette, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)

A Highland Park mass shooting survivor jumped on the mic as Fox News covered a deadly Nashville school shooting and demanded gun reform: 'How is this still happening?'



Grace Eliza Goodwin
Mon, March 27, 2023 

A shooter killed 6 people at The Covenant School in Nashville on March 27, 2023.John Amis/AP

A woman interrupted Fox News' live coverage of a school shooting to plead for gun reform.

A 28-year-old female shooter killed 3 children and 3 adults at an elementary school in Nashville on Monday.

The woman grabbed the mic and asked reporters on the scene, "How is this still happening?"

A Highland Park shooting survivor interrupted Fox News' TV coverage of a deadly Nashville school shooting, jumping on the live mic to demand lawmakers pass gun control.

Fox News and local news outlets were reporting on the scene when a woman walked up to the mic and gave an impassioned plea for gun reform.

The woman — who was later identified as an activist named Ashbey Beasley, according to USA Today — said she was a survivor of the Highland Park, Illinois, shooting on July 4th, 2022, that left 7 people dead.

"Aren't you guys tired of covering this?" Beasley said. "Aren't you guys tired of being here and having to cover all of these mass shootings?"

Beasley said was visiting the Nashville area on a family vacation with her son to visit her sister-in-law when she heard about the latest deadly shooting — which left 3 children and 3 adults at a Christian school dead.

"I have been lobbying in DC since we survived a mass shooting in July," Beasley said in front of a group of reporters on the scene, which was broadcast on Fox News. "I have met with over 130 lawmakers. How is this still happening? How are our children still dying and why are we still failing them?"

She continued: "These mass shootings will continue to happen until our lawmakers step up and pass gun legislation."

Fox News abruptly cut away from her, with a reporter responding to the woman's speech, saying she "said it quite succinctly: 'Aren't you tired of this?' Yes, we are tired of this."

Though Fox News' broadcast cut Beasley off, The Recount posted video showing more of her remarks.

"We all have to call our lawmakers and we all have to make our lawmakers make change now," Beasley continued in the video shared by The Recount on Twitter. "Or this is going to keep happening and it's going to be your kid, and your kid, and your kid next. Cause it's just a matter of time."

Nashville Metro Police say a 28-year-old woman opened fire at The Covenant School 

Monday. The shooter, who has not yet been identified, was shot and killed by police.

 Country Singers Call Out Politicians After Nashville School Shooting: ‘F— the NRA’

Thania Garcia
Mon, March 27, 2023


Following Monday’s news of a shooting at a private Christian elementary school in Tennessee, several celebrities took to Twitter to point their frustrations at politicians and demand the need for stricter gun control laws.

A 28-year-old Nashville woman killed three children and three adult staff members at the Covenant School before she was shot and killed by police, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said. At the time of this article’s publication, the shooter’s identity has not yet been released.

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Margo Price tweeted at Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and questioned his choice to pass the permit-less handgun carry bill — which allows anyone 21 years or older to legally possess a weapon.

“Four dead so far in an elementary school shooting in Nashville this am. Can I ask you, @GovBillLee why you passed permit-less carry in 2021? Our children are dying and being shot in school but you’re more worried about drag queens than smart gun laws?” she tweeted. Price wa s referring to Lee’s ban on gender-affirming health care for minors, along with a bill he signed that limits drag show performances in Tennessee. While the bill doesn’t implicitly use the word “drag,” it forbids drag performances by male or female impersonators who, as the law defines it, provide entertainment that is “harmful to minors.”

Country singer Mickey Guyton joined the conversation writing, “As a mother, I’m pissed the fuck off. Shame on every single politician ok with doing nothing as children are getting assassinated on an everyday basis in a place that is supposed to be their safe haven.”

Nathan Followill of the Kings of Leon revealed that the shooting had happened near his son’s school. He closed his emotional tweet with pointed words against Gov. Bill Lee and the National Rifle Association.

Peter Frampton emphasized that the school was full of children between preschool and 6th grade. “Children, babies!!! It IS the fucking guns!” he tweeted.

Country singer Carly Pearce sent her condolences writing, “Praying for these babies & their families.”

Katie Couric asked “When will it end?” in response to the news that three children, and at the time, two adults, had been pronounced dead.

Actor Morgan Fairchild shared the breaking news on her Twitter and went on to re-tweet several updates and messages from gun control activists.

Director and film producer Alex Gibney took on Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, writing “just don’t pretend you are doing anything about the relentless murder of children by gunfire in this country.”

Read more messages below:

U.S. Senior Citizen Says Her Skull Was Fractured by Israeli Settlers


Mel Frykberg
Mon, March 27, 2023

Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Courtesy Cassandra Auren

An American senior citizen allegedly suffered a potentially fatal attack in the West Bank as part of a surge in violence that has gripped the Israeli-occupied region since Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power at the head of an extreme right-wing coalition.

Local residents told The Daily Beast that Israeli settlers—who are trying to take over Palestinian land—have been emboldened by the radical rhetoric and extremist policies promoted by the new government. Villagers say attacks have become a daily hazard and the Israeli police and military have done little to protect them.

An American mother of two from Wisconsin was caught up in the violence this month. Cassandra Auren, 65, was hospitalized for two days and required six stitches after she suffered a fractured skull and internal bleeding. She told The Daily Beast that she was struck on the head by an Israeli settler with a long wooden stick as she was visiting the village of Tuba in the Massafer Yatta area south of Hebron.

“The attack by the male settler, who had a small child with him, took me totally by surprise as there was no prior confrontation and no provocation on my part. It all happened so fast I had no time to think about whether my life was in danger,” said Auren, a residential carpenter who traveled to the region as a peace activist.

In a video seen by The Daily Beast, another settler armed with a metal pole chased Auren and an Italian woman who was with her.

The doctor’s report said there was a fracture and external bleeding at the site of the trauma. The CT scan showed right subdural hematoma, 3mm in thickness. And the doctor reported decreased hearing in her left ear and said that she continues to suffer from severe headaches. “When I came around my head was painful and I was dizzy.”

A video frame grab shows an Israeli settler chasing Auren.
Cassandra Auren

Although the incident has shaken her badly she has continued to visit the village and remains angry that this behavior often goes unreported.

“I now understand the fear that Palestinians feel all the time, especially the women and children, because at night I also get afraid that the settlers might attack again,” said Auren.

Israel Braces for the ‘Terrifying’ Crisis Bibi Wanted All Along

The ancient Hebron hills—with their winding roads that snake around orchards and agricultural fields—have an unmistakable rugged beauty. Generations of Palestinians living in villages and hamlets that dot the territory have earned their living from the land here for hundreds of years. But the unspoilt views can be deceptive—they are hiding a dark side.

Ali Awad, from the village of Tuba in Massafer Yatta, told The Daily Beast that his family and all the other residents are being threatened with expulsion but their livelihoods would be destroyed and they have nowhere else to go.

“Settlers have become emboldened in the last few months and carry out nearly daily attacks on the villages. And if we complain to the police or army when they arrive, we are arrested and told that the land no longer belongs to us and that we have to leave the land,” Awad said.

Cassandra Auren's head injury.
Cassandra Auren

Last Thursday, he said a Palestinian who confronted a settler on his land was bitten in the face and teargassed while the Israeli army stood by, with residents accusing the settlers of a deliberate policy of intimidation to drive them off their land.

The daily settler attacks have been an ongoing problem for years but with Israel’s new extreme right-wing government their behavior has been given the green light.

As the settlers expropriate more and more land, Palestinian children who used to travel to school in the nearby hamlet of At-Tuwani have been forced to take circuitous routes, accompanied by an Israeli military escort to avoid settlers from the nearby Israeli outpost of Havat Maon attacking them.

“Sometimes the Israeli soldiers show up and sometimes they don’t, it depends on their mood,” said Awad, a local journalist.

A Palestinian shows papers during a protest against settlements in Masafer Yatta near Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Jan. 20, 2023.

Mussa Qawasma/Reuters

Tuba villagers’ journey to the nearest town in the area, Yatta, used to be just over a mile but to avoid the growing Israeli settlements, outposts and potential attacks from the settlers it is now a seven-mile trip.

Approximately 2,500 Palestinians residing in Massafer Yatta, which comprises about 15 villages and hamlets spanning 7,000 hectares, are facing forced removal following an Israeli Supreme Court ruling last May that the area could continue to be used as a military firing zone.

Their forced removal would be the biggest transfer of Palestinians since 1967 when Israel occupied the West Bank—an occupation that is considered illegal under international law.

“Forcible transfer of protected persons in occupied territory is a war crime,” the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem says.

Massafer Yatta falls into Area C of the West Bank which comprises 60 percent of the territory and is under full Israeli control and is mostly reserved for Israeli settlers through the destruction of Palestinian infrastructure and their forced removal.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) reported that in 2022, 953 Palestinian structures were demolished or seized across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the highest number since 2016.

Israeli security forces stand guard near a bulldozer after Israeli police demolished structures in Jabal Al-Mukaber in East Jerusalem, Feb. 13, 2023.
Ammar Awad/Reuters

And it is not only Palestinian activists who are afraid as they fight for justice.

Oriel Eisner, an Israeli-American activist and director of the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, told The Daily Beast that over the last few months the situation had deteriorated, particularly in the south Hebron hills.

“The settlers are going into the Palestinian hills every single day and the army and police, while they never used to do much about it, are even less effective now,” said Eisner, who has been arrested and attacked by settlers several times.

“The army seems to be in lockstep with the settlers.”

“What I fear now is the veneer of privilege and protection I carry and try to leverage as a Jewish-Israeli citizen with the new government doesn’t mean anything because basically the actions they are now willing to take are things that were unthinkable a few months ago,” said Eisner.

His biggest fear, however, is for the Palestinians who will lose their villages and will not be able to fight their displacement.

Firefighters work at a Palestinian house which Palestinians say was attacked by Israeli settlers near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, March 26, 2023.
Mohammed Torokman/Reuters

In the interim the villagers are living with continued shooting and military exercises in the background as helicopters overhead scare their flocks Meanwhile, with most buildings earmarked for demolition, they wait for the next invasion that will drive them off their land.

Twenty percent of the occupied West Bank has been set aside as military firing zones. But recent reports claim this was always part of a bigger plan of land expropriation from the indigenous population.

An Israel Police spokesman told The Daily Beast that a settler had been arrested and his detention extended after he appeared in court.

While Auren received far better treatment than Palestinians who try to make legal complaints, the statistics suggest the alleged attacker is unlikely to ever face justice.

According to Israeli rights group Yesh Din, 93 percent of all investigations into ideologically motivated crime by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank are closed without an indictment.

“Of the 1,531 concluded investigations Yesh Din monitored since 2005, indictments were filed in just 107 cases and only 3 percent of cases led to convictions,” said Yesh Din.

The Wisconsin Network for Peace & Justice reports that Senator Tammy Baldwin has been in touch with the U.S. State Department urging them to push for justice in the case.

Auren says the alleged attack on her on March 7 highlights the brutal way Palestinians are treated. She hopes the U.S. might start to take the issue more seriously.

“My reason for coming here was my interest in the fact that the U.S. gives Israel about $8 million dollars a day in military aid,” she said. “I feel responsible for how those dollars of mine are spent and am shocked that the world allows the abuse of Palestinians to continue, especially the U.S. given our relationship with Israel.”

The Daily Beast.

India's parliament adjourned after protests over Gandhi expulsion

Abhaya SRIVASTAVA
Mon, March 27, 2023 


India's parliament was adjourned twice on Monday after lawmakers held rowdy protests and threw paper at the speaker following the expulsion from the house of top opposition figure Rahul Gandhi.

Gandhi lost his parliamentary seat on Friday after being convicted in a case that critics say shows how the rule of law is under threat in the world's largest democracy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The speaker called off proceedings less than a minute after opposition MPs wearing black erupted in shouting, some of them throwing bits of paper at him.

"I want to run the House with dignity," Speaker Om Birla said.

The session resumed several hours later only to be abandoned again after about 10 minutes as opposition MPs chanted anti-Modi slogans and waved "Democracy in danger" placards.

It was the latest in a string of stoppages in recent weeks in India's often raucous parliament among lawmakers representing India's 1.4 billion people.

Opposition MPs have been demanding a probe into potential links between Modi and the business empire of tycoon Gautam Adani, which has been hit by allegations of accounting fraud.

Debates have also descended into shouting matches over comments made by Gandhi in Britain in early March that Indian democracy is "under attack".

Opposition lawmakers from different parties also staged protests in New Delhi on Monday, the latest in a series of recent demonstrations.

Piyush Goyal, trade minister and a member of Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Monday accused the opposition of "cheap politics" and "trying to mislead people".

Gandhi "has no right to consider himself above the law of the country", Goyal told reporters.

- Muted international reaction -

Despite facing criticism from human rights groups, Modi has largely been courted by Western governments which see India, this year's host of the Group of 20 economies, as a bulwark against China and potential player on the Ukraine war.

"Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy, and we're watching Mr Gandhi's case in Indian courts," US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said, steering clear of condemning the opposition leader's expulsion.

"We engage with the government of India on our shared commitment to democratic values, including, of course, freedom of expression," Patel told reporters in Washington.

Gandhi, 52, is the leading face of the opposition Congress party, once the dominant force of Indian politics, and is the scion of India's most famous political dynasty.

But Congress has for years been repeatedly crushed in elections by Modi's BJP and its nationalist appeals to India's Hindu majority.

The lower house of parliament ruled Gandhi ineligible to sit as an MP on Friday, a day after he was sentenced to two years for defamation. He is appealing.

The conviction stemmed from a remark made during the 2019 election campaign when Gandhi had asked why "all thieves have Modi as (their) common surname".

His comments were portrayed as a slur against the prime minister and against all those with the same surname, which is associated with the lower rungs of India's caste hierarchy.

A BJP spokesman said Thursday the court acted with "due judicial process" in arriving at its ruling in the case, one of several Gandhi is facing.

Legal action has been widely deployed against opposition party figures and institutions seen as critical of the Modi government during its nine years in power.

Domestic and international media have also come under growing pressure. Last month, tax inspectors raided the local offices of Britain's BBC.

The Editors Guild of India said the raids demonstrated a "trend of using government agencies to intimidate or harass press organisations that are critical of government policies".

On Saturday, Gandhi, who recently completed a walk across India that was hailed as a success by commentators, said he would "do whatever I have to do to defend the democratic nature of this country".

abh-ja-stu-sct/

Police fire tear gas as fresh protests erupt in Kenya despite ban

Hillary ORINDE
Mon, March 27, 2023 


Kenyan police fired tear gas and water cannon at protesters and opposition leader Raila Odinga's convoy on Monday as he pressed ahead with an anti-government rally despite a ban.

The protesters defied a warning by the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome that the demonstrations in Nairobi and the western city of Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold, were "illegal".

The opposition stalwart has called for protests every Monday and Thursday against the government of President William Ruto, who he claims stole last year's election, and is failing to address the high cost of living.

Security was tight with riot police deployed in strategic points around Nairobi after last week's demonstrations turned violent in some neighbourhoods.

Tear gas and water cannon were deployed as Odinga's convoy moved through a congested slum of the capital, sending people scattering, with police also firing canisters at cars carrying journalists.

"How many support the demonstrations? How many here are saying the price of basic commodities should go down, maize flour should go down, cooking oil, school fees and other commodities must come down?" Odinga told the crowds thronging his vehicle

Police also clashed with stone-throwing demonstrators in the city's largest slum Kibera, where protesters set tyres ablaze while gangs attacked journalists.

And in Kisumu, where a university student was killed in the protests last week, police used tear gas to disperse the crowds.

31 officers were injured in last week's running battles between riot police and demonstrators, and more than 200 people were arrested, including several senior opposition politicians.

Odinga's convoy was also hit in last week's protests.

The interior ministry warned on Sunday that law enforcement agencies "shall not tolerate the reported plans to repeat the violent, chaotic and economically disruptive protests".

- 'Mother of all demonstrations' -

The demonstrations are the first major outbreak of political unrest since Ruto took office more than six months ago after defeating Odinga in an election his rival claims was "stolen".

Despite the police ban, Odinga called Sunday on Kenyans to join what he has described as "the mother of all demonstrations".

"I want to tell Mr Ruto and the IG Koome that we are not going to be intimidated," he said. "We are not going to fear tear gas and police."

Nairobi residents were wary after the previous violence.

"I may have to close too because I have seen most of my neighbours are closed," said Mercy Wangare, an Mpesa (mobile money) kiosk attendant at an electronics shop.

"I am just weighing the situation before I decide because the sight of these policemen patrolling around is a sign that it may not end up well."

Ruto, who is currently on a four-day trip to Germany and Belgium, has urged his rival to halt the action.

"I am telling Raila Odinga that if he has a problem with me, he should face me and stop terrorising the country," he said Thursday.

"Stop paralysing the businesses of mama mboga, matatu and other Kenyans," he said, referring to women stallholders and private minibus operators.

- 'Sleep hungry' -

Many Kenyans are struggling to put food on the table, battling high prices for basic goods as well as a plunging local currency and a record drought that has left millions hungry.

"If the leaders don't talk, it is us who are affected. They are rich people, it is us who will sleep hungry," motorcycle taxi driver Collins Kibe told AFP.

During the election campaign, Ruto portrayed himself as champion of the downtrodden and vowed to improve the lot of ordinary Kenyans.

But critics say he has broken several campaign promises and has removed subsidies for fuel and maize flour -- a dietary staple.

Kenya's energy regulatory body has also announced a hike in electricity prices from April, despite Ruto insisting in January there would be no such increase.

Last week's protests proved costly, with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua saying the economy had lost at least $15 million.

Anti-government protests in Kenya hit Nairobi for 2nd week''

 

EVELYNE MUSAMBI
Mon, March 27, 2023 

Nairobi, Kenya (AP) — Thousands of anti-government protesters marched on the streets of Kenya's capital, Nairobi, on Monday despite the government's declaration that the protests are illegal.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga joined protesters on the western side of the capital where his convoy attracted thousands of supporters and he addressed them at various stops calling for electoral justice and reduced prices for food items.

Police used a water cannon and teargas to disperse supporters. Police chief Japheth Koome insists that the protests are illegal but Odinga says Kenyans have a right to demonstrate.

Odinga and his party, Azimio la Umoja–One Kenya Coalition, are leading the protests against the rising cost of living and calling for President William Ruto's resignation saying he wasn't validly elected in last year's election.


The protests occurred last week and Odinga has urged his followers to take to the streets twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays.

More than a dozen civil society groups have in a joint statement expressed concern over police declaring Monday's protests illegal and urged authorities to uphold people's constitutional right to peaceful demonstrations.

Ruto over the weekend urged Odinga to face him directly and “stop terrorizing the country.”

Odinga’s plan in last week’s protests was to march to the president’s offices at State House but police erected barriers to prevent public access and motorists were directed to alternative routes.

Ruto is currently out of the country visiting Germany.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua shared photos of himself at his office early Monday morning and urged Kenyans to report to work.

Nairobi's central business district remained calm but most businesses were closed on Monday morning due to the uncertainty over demonstrations and if there would be violence.

There were reports of some violence directed at Odinga and his supporters. Some people raided a farm in the outskirts of the capital owned by the family of the former president Uhuru Kenyatta, cutting trees and taking away sheep, according to local media reports. The former president supported Odinga in 2022 elections.

Odinga's gas cylinder manufacturing business near the central business district was pelted with stones.

There was a heavy police presence within the capital and surrounding neighborhoods on Monday. Police have dispersed crowds that gathered in Kibera and Mathare, poor areas of Nairobi.

A resident on Kibera, Emily Atieno, told the Associated Press she would continue to protest until the “price of cooking flour is reduced”. Another protester Mario Omari said protests would continue until Ruto resigns from office.

Local media have been warned against broadcasting Monday’s protests. The Communication Authority of Kenya said the airing of last week’s demonstrations caused panic, incited the public and threatened peace.

The High Court, however, ruled that the authority’s notice was unconstitutional and upheld media freedom in response to a petition filed by a civil society group, a journalists’ union and the Law Society.

In 2018, Kenya's main television stations were taken off air for one week by the regulator after airing Odinga’s “mock” swearing in ceremony where he claimed to be the people’s president.” Odinga had rejected the 2017 election results and organized anti-government protests.

Police last week threatened to take action against those pictured hurling stones at officers.

They released photos of people who they said were wanted for crimes committed during the protests but were called out by local media outlets for using old photos and others that were taken during protests in Burundi.

Kenya Opposition Protests

A protester caught in tear-gas during a mass rally called by the opposition leader Raila Odinga over the high cost of living in Kibera Slums, Nairobi Monday, March 27, 2023. Police in Kenya are on high alert ahead of the second round of anti-government protests organized by the opposition that has been termed as illegal by the government. Police chief Japheth Koome insists that Monday's protests are illegal but the opposition leader Raila Odinga says Kenyans have a right to demonstrate.

(AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Macron holds crisis meeting as more France protests loom


French President Emmanuel Macron summoned government ministers for a crisis meeting on Monday, as tensions ran high a day before another major round of strikes and protests against his pension reforms.

Nearly two weeks after Macron rammed the new law through parliament using a special provision sidestepping any vote, unions have vowed no let-up in mass protests to get the government to back down.

They have called for another big day of action on Tuesday, the 10th such mobilisation since protests started in mid-January against the controversial law, which includes raising the retirement age to 64 from 62.

Macron, whose approval ratings in opinion polls are at a low point, said last week he accepted the "unpopularity" that came with the reform.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, meanwhile, said that while there was no plan to drop the legislation, she was ready for fresh dialogue with unions.

"We have to find the right path... We need to calm down," she told AFP in an interview on Sunday.

Starting Monday, Borne has scheduled talks over three weeks, including with members of parliament, political parties, local authorities and unions.

A state visit to France by Britain's King Charles III, which had been due to begin on Sunday, was postponed because of the unrest.

- 'Very big move' -

Instead of hosting King Charles for a day of pomp and ceremony, Macron instead met Borne, other cabinet ministers and senior lawmakers for the crisis talks at the Elysee Palace, the presidency said.

Borne presented the plan for consultations to the president at Monday's meeting and was then expected to take it to Macron's allies and cabinet members, presidential sources said.

If unions accept her offer for talks, Borne is expected to put new measures on the table designed to ease the impact of the pensions law targeting physically demanding jobs, conditions for older workers and retraining.

But early reactions were not promising for the prime minister.

Laurent Berger, the head of the moderate CFDT union, who has taken an unexpectedly hard line against the pension reform, said he would accept the offer of talks but only if the reform was first "put to one side".

Berger called on the government to come up with a "very big move on pensions".

Left-wing firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon said on Sunday that there was "a very simple way" to return to peaceful relations, and that was "to withdraw the law".

The protest movement against the pension reform has turned into the biggest domestic crisis of Macron's second mandate, with police and protesters clashing regularly in Paris and other cities since the reform was forced through.

- 'Highly disrupted' -

Last Thursday, the previous major protest day, police reported 457 arrests across France and injuries to 441 police officers.

Government spokesman Olivier Veran called Melenchon and his party "profiteers of anger", while Green party lawmaker Sandrine Rousseau accused Macron and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin of stoking the unrest.

According to Paris mass transit operator RATP, metros and suburban trains will be "highly disrupted" on Tuesday.

Rubbish collectors in the capital are continuing their strike, with close to 8,000 tonnes of garbage piled up in the streets as of Sunday.

Adding to the waste treatment blockage, workers at an incineration plant just outside Paris stopped work on Monday.

France's civil aviation authority has told airlines at Orly airport in Paris, as well as the Marseille, Bordeaux and Toulouse airports, to cancel 20 percent of flights for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Some 15 percent of service stations in France are short of petrol because us refinery strikes, while workers at a nuclear power plant in southwestern France stopped a rector and limited access for crews.

The Louvre in Paris, the world's most visited museum, was closed on Monday because of labour action.

About a third of primary school teachers were expected to go on strike Tuesday.

French police have meanwhile come under severe criticism for heavy-handed tactics during recent demonstrations.

The Council of Europe said on Friday that peaceful protesters and journalists had to be protected from police violence and arbitrary arrest.

On Sunday the IGPN, the internal affairs unit of the French police, said it had launched 17 investigations into incidents since the protests began.

burs-jh/sjw/giv

Humza Yousaf: Scotland's first Muslim leader

Stuart GRAHAM
Mon, March 27, 2023 


Humza Yousaf, the first Muslim leader of a major UK political party, faces an uphill battle to revive Scotland's drive for independence following the long tenure of his close ally Nicola Sturgeon.

The new and youngest Scottish National Party (SNP) leader, 37, says his own experience as an ethnic minority means he will fight to protect the rights of all minorities -- including gay and transgender people.

The Glasgow-born Yousaf took his oath in English and Urdu when he was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2011, before progressing to become the first Muslim to serve in the devolved government's cabinet.

He has been hailed by his supporters as a polished communicator who can unite the party as support stagnates for the SNP's central policy -- independence for Scotland.

Despite the UK government's opposition to a new referendum, and a Supreme Court setback, Yousaf vowed in his victory speech Monday to deliver independence in this generation.

And, as his wife and mother brushed away tears, he paid tribute to his paternal grandparents after they came to Scotland from Pakistan in the 1960s barely speaking English.

They would not have imagined "in their wildest dreams" that their future grandson would become the leader of their adopted homeland.

"We should all take pride in the fact that today we have sent a clear message: that your colour of skin or indeed your faith is not a barrier to leading the country that we all call home," Yousaf said.

He also vowed to be his own man as Scotland's first minister. But far from running away from Sturgeon's controversial record, he also says he will keep his experienced predecessor on "speed dial" for advice.

That has fed into critics' portrayal of Yousaf as a political lightweight who will remain in thrall to Sturgeon's camp.

At the same time, he is promising a more collegial style of leadership. "Mine would be less inner circle and more big tent," he told LBC radio.

- Racist abuse -

With the independence push stymied for now, following Sturgeon's more than eight-year tenure as first minister, Yousaf takes over facing crises in healthcare and education under the SNP's own watch in Scotland.

His record as Sturgeon's minister for justice and healthcare was savaged on the campaign trail by his chief rival, Kate Forbes, and Yousaf must also heal a fractured party after its bruising leadership election.

Yousaf says he was toughened after facing racist abuse growing up in Glasgow, especially after the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

"I've definitely had tough times," he recalled, reflecting on his time in politics.

"I've thought to myself, 'goodness, is there more that I can take personally' because I also come under a tremendous amount of abuse online and, unfortunately, sometimes face to face."

Yousaf's Pakistani-born father forged a successful career in Glasgow as an accountant. The new SNP leader's mother was born into a South Asian family in Kenya.

Yousaf attended an exclusive private school in Glasgow, two years behind Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.

He studied politics at Glasgow University, and worked in a call centre before becoming an aide to Sturgeon's predecessor as SNP leader and first minister, Alex Salmond.

Yousaf entered the Scottish cabinet in 2012, serving in various roles including justice, transport and most recently health.

- Republican -

He married former SNP worker Gail Lythgoe in 2010, but they divorced seven years later.

In 2021 he and his second wife Nadia El-Nakla launched a legal complaint against a nursery, accusing it of racial discrimination after it denied admission to their daughter.

The complaint was upheld by education inspectors but the couple have now dropped it, and the nursery denied the accusations.

He was accused of deliberately skipping a Scottish vote to legalise gay marriage in 2014, due to pressure from Muslim leaders.

Yousaf insisted he had a prior engagement, and contrasts his own record to Forbes' religiously conservative views as a member of a Scottish evangelical church.

He says he will "always fight for the equal rights of others" and not legislate based on his own faith.

But one person's constitutional position will not be protected in a Yousaf-led Scotland -- that of King Charles III.

"I've been very clear, I'm a republican," he told Scottish newspaper The National, calling for debate on whether Scotland should move to an elected head of state.

srg/jit/jwp/ea

Humza Yousaf wins Scottish leadership race

AFP
Mon, March 27, 2023 

Humza Yousaf on Monday won the race to become Scotland's new leader, its youngest and first from a minority ethnic background, charged with reviving a faltering independence movement after Nicola Sturgeon's long tenure.

Yousaf emerged victorious with 52 percent of Scottish National Party (SNP) members' preferentially ranked votes, following a divisive three-way leadership battle triggered by Sturgeon's surprise resignation announcement last month.

He is set to be sworn in as first minister on Wednesday, becoming the first ethnic minority leader of a devolved government and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.

The 37-year-old will also be Scotland's youngest leader, taking the helm months after Rishi Sunak became the youngest UK prime minister in modern times when he entered Downing Street aged 42.

Yousaf vowed to continue pursuing the SNP's central policy -- independence for Scotland -- which Sturgeon has championed since the party lost a 2014 referendum on the issue.

"We will be the generation that delivers independence for Scotland," Yousaf said in his victory speech, adding in subsequent interviews that he would formally request that the UK government allow another vote.

He added his "immediate priority" was protecting Scots from Britain's cost-of-living crisis and reforming public services.

"I will aim to lead Scotland and the interests of all of our citizens, whatever your political allegiance," Yousaf insisted, noting he would look to work "constructively" with London.

Sunak's spokesman said the prime minister "looks forward to working with him" but ruled out granting the required permission to stage another independence vote.

- 'Momentous' -

Yousaf, who was health minister in Sturgeon's last cabinet, narrowly beat finance minister Kate Forbes to become SNP leader once party voters' second preferences had been counted.

Former minister Ash Regan finished a distant third.

Forbes, who won 48 percent of the votes in the contest, came under the spotlight for her conservative views as a member of the Free Church of Scotland, which opposes same-sex marriage and abortion.

But Yousaf, who has close ties with Sturgeon, also faced scrutiny and criticism over his record in successive roles in the Scottish government.

Sturgeon, 52, has served as first minister since November 2014 but said last month that she felt unable to give "every ounce of energy" to the job.

Congratulating Yousaf on his victory, she tipped him to be "an outstanding leader", adding on Twitter: "I could not be prouder to have him succeed me".

The Muslim Council of Britain called his election "momentous".

But success is likely to be judged on his ability to further the independence movement.

Polling indicates that support has been declining after briefly spiking through last year.

Surveys show around 45 percent of Scots are currently in favour of Scotland leaving the United Kingdom, the same tally recorded in the 2014 vote.

During campaigning Yousaf said the SNP needs to focus on creating a vision for an independent Scotland, and promised a civic movement to drive the campaign.

- 'Answers' -

Yousaf faces a challenge to win over the wider Scottish electorate, with a UK general election expected within the next 18 months.

According to Ipsos polling, he enjoys a favourable opinion among just 22 percent of voters.

The SNP has also seen a backlash over a new law allowing anyone over 16 to change their gender without a medical diagnosis.

The law would have allowed a transgender woman who was convicted of rape before she began transitioning to serve a prison sentence in a women-only facility.

As debate raged, the UK government used an unprecedented veto to block the legislation.

The UK Supreme Court last year also ruled that Sturgeon's government could not hold a new referendum on sovereignty without London's approval.

The devolved government in Edinburgh was created in 1999 through devolution reforms initiated by the UK government in London.

The SNP has since emerged as the dominant force in Scottish politics, drawing support away from the Labour party in particular.

But Labour is hoping Sturgeon's departure could provide a path for a potential comeback north of the English border, that would help defeat the Conservatives in the next UK election.

"The SNP do not have the answers on the NHS or on the cost-of-living crisis," Labour leader Keir Starmer tweeted alongside his congratulations to Yousaf.

"Only Labour can provide the change that Scotland needs," he added.

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U.S. auto union leader promises fight to get workers a 'fair share'

UAW member wears a UAWD shirt during the 2023 Special Elections Collective Bargaining Convention in Detroit

Mon, March 27, 2023 
By Joseph White and David Shepardson

DETROIT (Reuters) - Shawn Fain, the new president of the United Auto Workers union, on Monday said he is ready to go to war against "employers who refuse to give our members their fair share."

Fain spoke to a gathering of local union leaders in Detroit after being declared the UAW's president on Saturday. He won a closely-contested race against incumbent Ray Curry by fewer than 500 votes, according to the count administered by a court appointed monitor.

Now, Fain faces the task of unifying UAW members for what promises to be difficult negotiations this summer and fall with the Detroit Three automakers - Ford Motor Co, General Motors Co and Stellantis NV's.

The auto sector talks come as the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign begins to heat up. U.S. President Joe Biden and other Democrats are appealing to the UAW and its members for votes in Michigan, a 2024 swing state.

Michigan Democratic U.S. Senator Gary Peters told attendees at Monday's convention that EV batteries and chips should be built by union labor.

Fain said during his campaign that he will fight for substantial changes to the current master contracts with the Detroit automakers, and he reiterated that message to UAW bargaining convention delegates on Monday.

"The United Auto Workers are ready to get back in the fight," Fain said.

On the UAW president's agenda are ending the current two-tier wage system under which new hires at Detroit Three plants earn 25% less than UAW workers with five or more years on the job.

Fain has also called for reinstatement of cost of living adjustments, or COLA, to offset inflation, no concessions on health benefits and no U.S. plant closings.

The UAW last year negotiated 10% wage increases in the first year of a six-year agreement with farm equipment maker John Deere. That contract was ratified after a six-week strike. Earlier this month, UAW workers at heavy equipment maker Caterpillar ratified a six-year contract providing for 27% wage increases over its life.

Those contracts could be models for the UAW's goals in talks with the Detroit automakers beginning this summer, analysts said.

The Detroit automakers have reported robust profits during the past four years from their North American operations, mainly thanks to the pickup trucks and SUVs that UAW members assemble.

However, North American operations for the Detroit Three automakers are under pressure as they pour billions into electric vehicles and battery production. All three companies have moved to cut costs, reducing salaried staff or, in Stellantis' case, idling a U.S. assembly plant.

The UAW and Detroit automakers will begin bargaining toward new contracts this summer. The current contracts expire on Sept. 14. Usually, the UAW concludes an agreement with one Detroit automaker and uses that as the pattern for contracts at the other two. For the first time in many years, Canadian auto workers will also be negotiating new contracts with the Detroit Three at the same time.

In 2019, UAW workers at General Motors went on strike for 40 days before a new contract was ratified, costing the automaker $3 billion.

(Reporting By Joe White; Editing by Aurora Ellis)

New UAW President Shawn Fain promises shakeup, new era for unions


Yahoo Finance
Mon, March 27, 2023 

Yahoo Finance’s Dani Romero joins the Live show to discuss key takeaways from the UAW (United American Workers) union election.

Video Transcript

- All right, new leadership for the United Auto Workers union is promising a new era for workers. Newly elected President, Shaun Fain, has vowed to take a quote, "more aggressive approach" in dealing with employers. Joining me now with the latest is our very own Dani Romero. Dani, what are the expectations here?

DANI ROMERO: What a victory lap for Shaun Fain who is now the new president of United Auto Workers union. And this is a critical one for them as they head to that negotiating table. But not only that, but how did Shaun get to that presidential seat?

Well, for one, this was the first election that was open to all union members. And not only that, it was a really close battle against his opponent, Ray Curry, who was the former head of the union. And not only that, there are some reports that Shaun had some of his allies in the executive board. So that could have steered a little bit of the direction in favor to him. But not only that, this was also a runoff election from November's vote. There was a lot of discrepancies and scrutiny against those results.

But not only that, we have to put it into perspective. What the union really wants is they want change. And to give you some context, before this even this election, which Shaun-- Curry, let's talk about him. Ray Curry was appointed president in 2021 because federal investigators found a lot of corruption within the union. So they booted the former president at that time. So already two presidents prior to Shaun have been-- prior to Ray Curry, excuse me, have been in jail. They're serving time due to this corruption within the union.

But Shaun's whole campaign, like you said, is being confrontational in that contract negotiations, and especially being very persistent when it comes to wages and benefits. So we'll have to wait and see how this all plays out. But not only that, Shaun has been in the union for over nearly three decades. So he definitely knows what he's talking about.

- So then in terms of what this means for some of these Detroit automakers, I mean, some of these legacy brands, what sort of timeline are we looking at here for negotiations?

DANI ROMERO: Well, negotiations already started January 5th. But the contracts end September 14. And their biggest sticking points revolve around their two-tier wage system as well as their benefits. And not only that, they really want to win back some of their cost living adjustments. And job security is their number one thing because you have to put it into perspective, a lot of these car companies are moving and shifting to electric vehicle production. So they really want to be safe and secure with that.

- Certainly will be interesting to see how this plays out because as we've said, he's going to be taking a more aggressive stance here. So automakers, we'll be keeping an eye on that. Thank you so much. Dani Romero there for us.

Challenger wins close race to lead United Auto Workers union



United Auto Workers President Ray Curry speaks during an interview, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, in Detroit. The vote count in the election to decide the United Auto Workers' top leader should come to an end Thursday. 

Challenger Shawn Fain leads incumbent Curry, but they're still counting challenged ballots that could change the outcome. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

TOM KRISHER
Sat, March 25, 2023 

DETROIT (AP) — A challenger defeated the president of the United Auto Workers in a close election and vowed Saturday to take a more confrontational stance in negotiating with the big automakers.

A court-appointed monitor declared challenger Shawn Fain the winner over incumbent Ray Curry. Fain's slate of candidates won control of the big union, as workers rejected most incumbents in the wake of a bribery and embezzlement scandal

It was the 372,000-member union’s first direct election of its 14-member International Executive Board, which came in the wake of the wide-ranging scandal that landed two former presidents in prison.

The vote count had been going on since March 1, and the outcome was uncertain going into Saturday because of challenges against several hundred ballots.

Curry had filed a protest alleging election irregularities and campaign-financing violations. But he conceded Saturday and said Fain would be sworn in on Sunday.

Fain said members clearly wanted the union to become more aggressive in dealing with the auto makers.

“Today we put the companies on notice the fighting UAW is back,” Fain said in a video.

Fain vowed to end two-tiered contracts that provide lower pay and fewer benefits for some workers. He said the UAW will fight against factory closures that result in lost union jobs.

“We've seen plant after plant close without any serious fight from our union,” he said. “We've lost 40% of our active membership over the past 20 years. That ends here.”

Fain also promised to clean up the union.

Fain, 54, now an administrator with the international union in Detroit, had 69,459 votes, or 50.2%, while Curry had 68,976 votes, or 49.8%, according to an unofficial tally as the counting neared completion.

Earlier, Curry had asked court-appointed monitor Neil Barofsky to hold another runoff election because of the alleged irregularities, but Barofsky denied the request.

Fain’s UAW Members United slate now holds seven of 14 seats on the board, with one independent member siding with his slate. The Curry Solidarity Team slate has six board members. Four of five top officers are from Fain’s slate, including the secretary-treasurer and two of three vice presidents.

The new leadership will have to move quickly to gear up for what are expected to be contentious contract talks coming up this summer with Detroit’s three automakers, Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.

Many in the industry expect strikes against the companies by the union.

Fain will have little time to prepare for the union’s bargaining convention, which is scheduled to start Monday in Detroit. Delegates to the convention decide what the union will want in upcoming contract talks.

In the past, contracts with the Detroit Three set the standard for manufacturing wages nationwide. Fain's statement said he wants to return to the union setting the wage and benefit standard for other sectors of the economy.

Fain and his slate will have to deal with member demands to restore concessions made when the automakers were headed into financial trouble starting in 2007. Many want cost-of-living pay raises, general raises, defined-benefit pensions for all workers, and eliminating tiers of workers so they all get the same pay and benefits.

Automakers prefer annual profit-sharing checks instead of raises so they pay workers when times are good and can cut expenses during economic downturns.

In a February draft of a transition plan, Fain wrote about a big shakeup coming in his first 30 days in office. Jobs will change, and new things will be expected of workers, some of whom will leave, it said.

“Everything we do, at every stage, must be reinforcing the message: there is a new sheriff in town,” Fain’s memo said.

The memo talks about a campaign to prepare workers for strikes.

Mike Booth, one of the new vice presidents, said the automakers are starting to argue that they are financially strapped because they have to fund the development of new electric vehicles. “You can’t develop an electric vehicle product on the backs of UAW members,” he said.

Strikes are possible as the union pushes to organize joint-venture battery plants being built by the companies, and to reverse a Stellantis decision to begin closing a plant in Belvidere, Illinois. Under Curry’s leadership for nearly the past two years, the UAW has taken a more aggressive stance in labor talks, having gone on strike against Volvo Trucks, John Deere, the University of California and CNHI, a maker of agricultural and construction equipment.

When asked about new UAW leadership on Friday, Ford CEO Jim Farley said his company gets along with the union. “Whomever is leading the UAW, we’ll have a great relationship with, and we’ll work hard to improve our industry ... We’ll welcome whoever leads UAW,” he said.

Curry, who was not part of the scandal, was elected to the UAW’s top post by the executive board in June 2021.

The leadership change came after union members decided to directly vote on leaders for the first time in the union’s 87-year history. Under the old system, leaders were picked by delegates to a convention who were selected by local union offices. The new slate of officers was picked by the current leadership, and rarely was there serious opposition.

The direct voting came after 11 union officials and a late official’s spouse pleaded guilty in the corruption probe, including the two former presidents who were sentenced to prison. The first criminal charges in the probe were filed in 2017.

To avoid a federal takeover, the union agreed to reforms and Barofsky’s appointment to oversee the UAW and elections of the executive board.

____

This story has been corrected to say that it was Shawn Fain, not Ray Curry, who said he wants to return to the United Auto Workers setting the wage and benefit standard for other sectors of the economy.

___

Associated Press writers Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee, and David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report.

Fain declares victory in UAW presidential election; Curry sets swearing-in for Sunday

Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press
Sat, March 25, 2023

Shawn Fain was declared the winner Saturday over President Ray Curry in the UAW runoff election, capping a remarkable campaign by dissidents that offered a stinging rebuke to the caucus that has controlled the union for decades.

Fain will be sworn in to office on Sunday, according to a statement from Curry posted on the UAW's website.

The independent federal monitor overseeing the election announced the win Saturday in a filing in federal court in Detroit and later on the monitor’s website following the resumption of the vote count at the UAW Region 1A headquarters in Taylor. The results must still be certified by the monitor. The news ends weeks of uncertainty in a tight contest over the union's direction as it prepares for contract bargaining this year with Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Stellantis, owner of Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat.

Shawn Fain in his Shelby Township home on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023.Fain is running for UAW president against incumbent Ray Curry.

More:'Shake up' UAW, purge staff, prepare to strike: Document reveals Shawn Fain's draft plans

Fain, who was atop the UAW Members United slate in the United Auto Workers’ first direct election of top leaders, led Curry by 483 votes, which is greater than the number of challenged ballots remaining, according to a news release from Fain's campaign.

Determining that Fain had won, however, did not come easy. Clearing the challenged ballots for eligibility led to weeks of delay, and the monitor’s office had to issue a ruling on a protest, which it rejected, from the Curry camp, demanding that a new runoff be held.

Fain, in a statement Saturday, thanked members who voted in the historic election:

"This election was not just a race between two candidates, it was a referendum on the direction of the UAW. For too long, the UAW has been controlled by leadership with a top-down, company union philosophy who have been unwilling to confront management, and as a result we’ve seen nothing but concessions, corruption and plant closures. While the election was close, it is clear that our membership has long wanted to see a more aggressive approach with our employers. We now have a historic opportunity to get back to setting the standard across all sectors, and to transform the UAW into a member-led, fighting union once again, and we are going to take it. The future of the working class is at stake.”

More:Bob King once led the UAW, but he hasn't stopped thinking about its future

Curry, in his statement, wished Fain success:

"I want to express my deep gratitude to all UAW leaders and active and retired members for your many years of support and solidarity. It has been the honor of my life to serve our great union. Tomorrow, Shawn Fain will be sworn in as UAW president, and he will chair our 2023 Special Bargaining Convention. I am committed to ensuring that this transition is smooth and without disruptions. I wish him, the entire UAW International Executive Board, staff and clerical support as well as UAW’s membership great success for the future."

Curry's willingness to move forward with the transition ahead of the convention's Monday start removes a potential concern from some members who had worried that a president-elect might be sidelined during a key event that will set the tone for upcoming bargaining with the Detroit Three. Two sources had told the Free Press this week that Curry had committed to a gentlemen's agreement that if Fain were declared the winner, he could be sworn in prior to the convention. The sources agreed to talk about the issue on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation.

Following the news of Fain's win, congratulatory notes went out from numerous sources.

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said in a tweet directed at Fain: "I look forward to working together to build on the hard work the men and women of UAW have done for decades to inspire workers everywhere in the fight for better wages and benefits."

Mike Perez, vice president of North American labor relations for GM, said the General Motors team is "committed to building a working relationship based on trust and mutual respect, operating in the best interest of our employees and stakeholders“ with Fain.

A Stellantis statement, provided by spokeswoman Ann Marie Fortunate, said: "We look forward to working with President Fain on issues that will further contribute to our mutual success while securing Stellantis' position in this highly competitive market."

Fain, whose campaign focused on the need to be aggressive in contract negotiations with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis and which sought to capitalize on the desire for reform in light of the corruption scandal that rocked the union, ultimately won a close contest. He had maintained a lead over Curry in the initial days of the count but saw that tighten considerably as results from Region 8, made up of mostly Southern states, were tallied.

Fain’s win means a clean sweep for his slate. It also underscores the discontent felt by many UAW members over the union’s direction in the wake of the long-running corruption scandal, which sent former union leaders and ex-auto executives to prison.

Candidates running as reformers now control a majority of the union's International Executive Board.

Fain’s slate won seven of the 14 seats on the board, and David Green won as an independent in Region 2B.

Still, the division signals the work Fain and others will have as they try to unite the union after a divisive election cycle. Fain and incumbent UAW Vice President Chuck Browning, who heads the union’s Ford department, join Daniel Vicente, director of Region 9, as the winners in the runoff. All three were forced into the runoff because the initial election last year failed to produce a clear winner in each of their respective races.

Ballot counting began in Dayton, Ohio, on March 1 and it continued until it was paused March 4. Fain was leading by 645 votes at that point with the majority of ballots counted, but about 1,608 unresolved challenged ballots meant the margin between the two candidates was too great to declare a winner, according to the monitor’s office. Clearing ballots for eligibility was described as a time-consuming process, and the vote count was put on hold until it resumed in Detroit on March 16.

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That still failed to deliver a winner as ballots were shipped back to Dayton, and the work to clear the remaining challenged ballots continued this week. The delays prompted former UAW President Bob King to urge the monitor, Neil Barofsky, to report the results as soon as possible so the winner could be sworn in ahead of the UAW bargaining convention.

The election offered a dramatic departure for the UAW, which formerly had delegates choose its top leaders at UAW conventions. Instead, delegates at the UAW convention in Detroit in July nominated candidates for office who then had to campaign.

The process was a result of the agreement between the federal government and the union stemming from the corruption scandal. UAW members and retirees were given the opportunity to choose how their top leaders were picked, and they selected the direct election process in a referendum.

Participation in the runoff exceeded that of the initial election, where five candidates were competing for the presidency. Criticism about low participation in that initial round prompted candidate Will Lehman to file a federal lawsuit, later dismissed, seeking to extend the deadline for ballots to be returned.

The independent monitor, appointed as part of a deal reached between the government and the union, reported that 141,548 ballots had been received by the deadline for the runoff, which was an increase from the 106,790 that came in for the initial election, although it was not immediately clear how many were deemed ineligible.

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Both Fain and Curry offered long tenures with the union even though their backgrounds diverged.

Fain is an administrative assistant to the UAW vice president over the union’s Stellantis Department. He had been tasked with overseeing the union’s side of the transition of the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center in Warren. Fain served 10 years as a UAW international representative and was a former skilled trades committeeperson and shop chair at what's now the Stellantis Kokomo Casting Plant in Indiana.

Curry was picked as president by the International Executive Board in 2021 to replace the now-retired Rory Gamble. Curry got his start with the UAW in 1992, when he was hired as a truck assembler at Freightliner Trucks in Mount Holly, North Carolina, according to the union. He previously served as Region 8 director and as secretary-treasurer, among other positions.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Fain declares victory in UAW presidential election; Curry concedes