Tag: secretary
African football’s general secretary accused of creating toxic culture of fear
Mosengo-Omba said to run CAF as a ‘proprietorship’ Employee: ‘Anyone who dares speak up is terminated’ The Confederation of African Football’s general secretary, Véron Mosengo-Omba, has been accused of running the organisation as his “proprietorship” and creating a toxic culture of fear where employees are fired for speaking out against him. Several former and current…
Psychiatrists call for RFK Jr. to be replaced as health secretary
By Rhitu Chatterjee Psychiatrists have joined other public health groups in calling for the removal of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary. Two psychiatry organizations — the Southern California Psychiatry Society and the recently formed grassroots Committee to Protect Public Mental Health — have released statements saying that the actions of the leader of…
Home secretary wants police to get more powers to restrict repeated protests
Police forces will be granted powers to put conditions on repeat protests, the government has announced, a day after nearly 500 protesters were arrested. Senior officers will be able to consider the “cumulative impact” of previous protests, the Home Office said, which could mean they instruct organisers to hold events elsewhere if a site has…
Pro-Palestinian protests ‘un-British’ after Manchester attack, home secretary says
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has told the BBC she was “disappointed” pro-Palestinian protests went ahead on Thursday after the terror attack that killed two men outside a synagogue in Manchester. The home secretary also called for demonstrators to “step back” from plans to hold marches in coming days. “I do think that carrying on in…
Migrants to face tougher conditions for settled status, home secretary to announce
Migrants will have to prove they are contributing to society to earn the right to remain in the UK, the home secretary is set to announce. In her Labour conference speech, Shabana Mahmood will outline a series of new conditions migrants have to meet to qualify for indefinite leave to remain. Under the proposals, legal…
UK could suspend visas for countries with no migrant return deals, new home secretary says
The UK could suspend visas from countries that do not “play ball” and agree to returns deals for migrants, the new home secretary has said. Shabana Mahmood made the comments as she hosted Donald Trump’s head of homeland security and ministers from Australia, New Zealand and Canada at a meeting of the intelligence-sharing Five Eyes…
New business secretary Peter Kyle going to China for trade talks this week
Former science secretary promoted in reshuffle to continue UK efforts to revitalise trade relationship with Beijing The UK’s new business secretary, Peter Kyle, will fly to Beijing this week as part of Keir Starmer’s continuing efforts to revitalise the UK’s trade relationship with China and provide growth to the British economy. Kyle was due to…
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reposts video of pastors saying women shouldn’t vote
Julia Simon Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reposted and praised a video interview of a self-described Christian nationalist pastor whose church doesn’t believe women should be allowed to vote. Doug Wilson, senior pastor of Christ Church in Idaho, said during the interview with CNN that, “Women are the kind of people that people come out…
Family of Kenyan woman allegedly murdered by UK soldiers criticise defence secretary
Niece of Agnes Wanjiru says she thinks John Healey is ‘taking us for a ride’ The niece of a Kenyan woman who was murdered more than a decade ago, allegedly by British soldiers, has said her family now believe the defence secretary “just made a promise for his political gain” when he met them in…
Home secretary pledges new power to stop violent attackers
The home secretary says a powerful new crime to target suspects who are found to be preparing mass killings will ensure their plotting is taken as seriously as terrorism. Terror suspects who take steps towards an attack can be jailed for life, even if their plans are not fully formed. Cooper told the BBC that…
Health secretary and BMA to meet in bid to avoid strikes
Talks between Health Secretary Wes Streeting and the British Medical Association (BMA) will take place next week in a bid to avert strike action in England’s NHS, the BBC understands. Resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, announced earlier this week that they will walk out for five consecutive days from 25 July until 30…
Trump Names Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as Interim NASA Chief
Trump Names Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as Interim NASA Chief The selection of Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to temporarily lead NASA adds to the deep political uncertainties already facing the space agency By Josh Dinner & SPACE.com Sean Duffy, U.S. secretary of transportation, during a news conference in Washington, D.C., on June 12, 2025.…
Home secretary yet to agree deal days before spending review
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has still yet to agree a deal with the Treasury before Wednesday’s Spending Review, despite an offer of above inflation increases to police funding in each of the next three years. Ministers have been locked in talks with Rachel Reeves and her team ahead of the major financial statement, which sets…
Winter fuel cuts a factor in local elections losses, health secretary says
Restricting winter fuel payments dented Labour’s support at last week’s local elections, the health secretary has acknowledged. Wes Streeting told the BBC many voters “aren’t happy” with the decision, adding it had “come up on the doorstep” during campaigning. But he insisted the move would help the government invest in public services despite “multiple crises…
Trump’s Energy Secretary Baselessly Blames Spain’s Power Outage on Renewables
U.S. Energy Secretary Tries to Blame Renewables for Spain’s Power Outage In response to a power outage in Spain and Portugal, the U.S. Department of Energy’s secretary Chris Wright tried to blame the use of solar and wind energy, though the cause of the blackout is not yet clear By Benjamin Storrow & E&E News…
US treasury secretary says ‘there is a path’ with China over tariff negotiations
‘The Chinese will see this high tariff level is unsustainable for their business,’ says Scott Bessent The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said “there is a path” to an agreement with China over tariffs after he had interactions with his Chinese counterparts last week in Washington. “I had interaction with my Chinese counterparts, but it…
Alexis Herman, the first Black secretary of labor in U.S. history, dies at age 77
Tom Dreisbach The first Black leader of the U.S. Department of Labor, former Secretary Alexis Herman, has died at the age of 77. Former President Bill Clinton nominated Herman to the role, which she held from 1997 to 2001, following a career in social work, civil rights and Democratic politics. “Hillary and I are deeply…
White House looks for new defense secretary. And, remembering Pope Francis’ legacy
By Brittney Melton here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. A U.S. official has informed NPR that the search for a new leader to replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is underway. The decision comes as Hegseth is again mired…
Health secretary RFK Jr. endorses the MMR vaccine — stoking fury among his supporters
Geoff Brumfiel An endorsement of the Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has provoked an angry outcry from anti-vaccine activists. “The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,” Kennedy said in the third paragraph of a lengthy post on…
Defence secretary meets family of Kenyan woman allegedly killed by British soldiers
Relatives of Agnes Wanjiru say 13-year fight for justice has taken ‘heavy toll’ after meeting with John Healey The family of a Kenyan woman who was allegedly killed by British soldiers have said their 13-year fight for justice has taken a “heavy toll”, and that they have been offered “too many empty promises” after a…
A Pentagon press secretary has history of pushing antisemitic, extremist theories
Tom Dreisbach Members of Congress and Jewish civil rights organizations are criticizing the new deputy press secretary at the Department of Defense, Kingsley Wilson, for a series of online posts and past political commentary she made before joining the Trump administration. Over the last several years, Wilson posted and commented prolifically on podcasts in her…
Scientists React to RFK, Jr.’s Confirmation as HHS Secretary
Scientists React to RFK, Jr.’s Confirmation as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has expressed support for some fields of science but has also declared he’d like a “break” in infectious-disease research. Here’s what he might do as the U.S.’s newly confirmed secretary of health and human services By Amanda Heidt, Heidi Ledford & Nature…
Trump’s pick for Commerce Secretary is Howard Lutnick. Here’s what to know
Alina Selyukh We’re following the confirmation hearings for the incoming Trump administration. See our full politics coverage, and follow NPR’s Trump’s Terms podcast or to stay up to date. Who: Howard Lutnick Nominated for: Commerce Secretary You might know them from: Lutnick is a billionaire investor and long-time Wall Street CEO. What does this role do: The Commerce Department is responsible for enforcing…
Home secretary to reject call to widen extremism definition
The government is set to reject internal advice to widen the definition of extremism to include potentially violent environmentalists, the far left, conspiracy theorists and men prejudiced against women. The BBC has been told Home Secretary Yvette Cooper does not agree with the central findings of a rapid “sprint” report she commissioned last year, and…
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s embattled pick for defense secretary, wins Senate confirmation
Tom Bowman Pete Hegseth overcame allegations of sexual assault, public drunkenness and questions of financial mismanagement at two veterans’ groups he ran to narrowly win Senate approval to become Donald Trump’s defense secretary. The vote was 50-50 . Vice President J.D. Vance cast a tie-breaking vote after Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky joined Sens. Lisa…
Trump’s energy secretary nominee faces questions over climate posts and LA fires
By Julia Simon We’re following the confirmation hearings for the incoming Trump administration. See our full politics coverage, and follow NPR’s Trump’s Terms podcast or to stay up to date. Who: Chris Wright Nominated for: Secretary of Energy You might know them from: Wright is the CEO of Liberty Energy, a Denver-based oil and gas…