Latest news with #reshuffle
The Herald
a day ago
- General
- The Herald
Floyd Shivambu axed as MK Party SG after his Malawi visit
The party thanked Shivambu for his contribution and his role as national organiser and later secretary-general. 'We thank and acknowledge him for the role he has played in contributing to the advancement of the organisation. His invaluable skills and experience as a politician will continue to benefit the MK Party in the new role to which he will be redeployed.' Nhleko said the party's highest structure explained this move to Shivambu and said he accepted his reshuffle. Shivambu, who was not seated with the party leadership, took to the podium to thank Zuma, the leadership of the party and supporters for having assigned him this 'important role'. 'I confirm that the national officials have taken a decision which I fully accept as a disciplined member. We have been redeployed to the National Assembly and will continue to play the role of advancing the agenda and programme of the MK Party,' he said. 'It has been an invaluable role that we have played and a humbling experience we have been assigned by the president.' TimesLIVE
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Anwar's unity coalition faces ‘ultimate test' of coalition unity
Anwar Ibrahim's unity coalition could face its biggest test following the controversies involving Rafizi Ramli and Tengku Zafrul Aziz. PETALING JAYA : With two ministers quitting and one exiting Umno with the hope of joining PKR, an analyst believes that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim faces his biggest test yet to keep the peace in his unity government. Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid of Universiti Sains Malaysia said Cabinet changes are certainly in order, especially for the economy and environment portfolios relinquished by PKR's Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad. However, he said Tengku Zafrul's resignation from Umno and application to join Anwar's own party could trigger ill will between Umno and PKR, which are among the major component parties of the unity government. He said Anwar must be bold in tackling grouses head-on and ensure that the fundamental understanding of the unity coalition must not be harmed just because of one leader defecting to an allied party. 'If the prime minister thinks it's appropriate to go for a major reshuffle, then so be it. But he must act boldly, even if he needs to switch portfolios between parties, such that not one party can claim a ministerial position as its absolute right. 'This may be the prime minister's ultimate test as the leader of a government that foregrounds unity as its main trait,' he told FMT. On the other hand, political analyst Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani of ADA Southeast Asia said Anwar's major challenge was looking for suitable candidates to fill the minister posts under PKR's quota. He said Tengku Zafrul risked becoming a mere 'placeholder minister' if he was not dropped in a Cabinet reshuffle, since his tenure as senator ends at the end of the year. 'Anwar is currently facing difficulties finding suitable candidates for the vacant ministerial positions from the available pool of PKR leaders,' he said. Fauzi said a by-election in a comfortable mixed seat could be easily called to allow Tengku Zafrul to be elected an MP and retain his ministership. While some may deem such a move unethical, it is not illegal, he pointed out. 'The only issue with this is Anwar's flagging popularity among the PKR rank and file due to the Rafizi saga, and Tengku Zafrul's own weak grassroots politics, which may lead people to question why sacrifices should be made for him.' Rafizi and Nik Nazmi quit their Cabinet posts on Wednesday following their defeats in the PKR central leadership elections, where they lost their posts of party deputy president and vice-president respectively. Two days later, Tengku Zafrul announced his resignation from Umno while voicing his intention to join PKR, saying he had conveyed this to Anwar, the PKR president. This led to multiple Umno leaders warning PKR against accepting the senator as a member, as well as calls for Tengku Zafrul to step down as the investment, trade and industry minister. Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also a deputy prime minister, also urged Anwar to ensure Umno retains its quota of seven ministers in the Cabinet. Fauzi believed the matter could be resolved at the unity government secretariat council, adding that Anwar and Zahid's 'mentor-mentee' relationship was almost the bedrock of the unity government. While the prime minister will need to manage the optics in the eyes of Umno members, Fauzi said Anwar might have a tougher time pacifying members of his own party discontent over Rafizi's ousting, due to the perception that the PKR president had a hand in it. However, Asrul did not expect Umno members to be particularly antagonised about Tengku Zafrul's departure, saying the ministerial post was a bigger factor to the party. 'His departure is unlikely to cause much pain for Umno, as Tengku Zafrul was not very popular among the party's grassroots and local leaders,' he said.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Ex-Siri head reportedly wanted Apple to choose Google's Gemini over ChatGPT
Former Siri head John Giannandrea pushed Apple to choose Google's Gemini chatbot over ChatGPT for the first chatbot integration with Siri last year, according to a Bloomberg report looking at Apple's uneven AI efforts. Giannandrea, an ex-Google executive who was demoted in a leadership reshuffle in March, thought that OpenAI's bot wouldn't have staying power and wasn't protective of sensitive personal data. Despite these concerns, Apple announced ChatGPT's integration at WWDC in 2025 and made the feature available to users in December. Apple's integration lets users tap ChatGPT in instances where Siri isn't able to answer a question. Last year, Apple announced that it would connect additional chatbots, including Google's Gemini, to Siri. Apple is also in preliminary talks with AI-powered search engine Perplexity to offer Perplexity as a ChatGPT alternative in Siri and a search provider in the company's Safari browser, according to Bloomberg. Sign in to access your portfolio
The Sun
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Keir Starmer rules out cabinet reshuffle before the summer as he faces growing calls for a reset
SIR Keir Starmer has ruled out a reshuffle before the summer in the face of growing calls for a reset. The PM is resisting pressure to shuffle his top team in the coming months despite a number of ministers considered floundering. But well placed sources have told The Sun there would be no rejig before Parliament breaks up for the summer in July. Whitehall has been awash with speculation that the PM was considering sacking both the Education and Culture Secretaries and even abolishing some departments. But insiders say both Bridget Philpson and Lisa Nandy are safe in their roles until at least the autumn. But they are far from alone in having question marks over their future in government. Commons Leader Lucy Powell was widely considered lucky to have kept her job early this month after accusing critics of grooming gangs of engaging in 'dog whistle' politics. The Attorney General Lord Hermer has also infuriated Cabinet colleagues with his over cautious legal judgements on a number of policies, but remains a close personal friend of the PM. And the Foreign Secretary David Lammy has faced calls to quit over his sweary rage at a French taxi driver. Meanwhile the Chancellor Rachel Reeves has also let it be known she would rather walk than tear up fiscal rule against more borrowing. Therefore it is unlikely any reshuffle would take place before her position at the Treasury is clear. Amid a growing backlash at the Prime Minister's migration clampdown and benefits cuts have led a number of Labour MPs to openly question the No10's strategy and direction. But Downing Street insiders insist they will be sticking with both policy directions and dismiss claims a change of personnel around the Cabinet table would turn around the Government's dire poll ratings.
Irish Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Practicality rather than divisions behind front-bench reshuffle, Social Democrats say
The Social Democrats have dismissed suggestions that a mini reshuffle among its front bench spokespeople was done for anything other than practical reasons. Acting party leader Cian O'Callaghan announced that Dublin Rathdown TD Sinéad Gibney was moving from the foreign affairs brief to media, tourism and arts, with Kilkenny-based senator Patricia Stephenson taking on her former role. A party spokeswoman said there was no basis to suggestions about divisions in the party, noting that both portfolios were senior and reflected the experience and expertise of the appointee. There are divided views within the parliamentary party about the status of Eoin Hayes , the Dublin Bay South TD who was suspended by the party over a failure to account fully for the manner in which he disposed of shareholdings in Palantir, a US-based company that has provided military technology to Israel. Some members of the parliamentary party are understood to want to bring his suspension to an end. READ MORE The spokeswoman said the decision to reshuffle spokespeople was taken in order to align them with their Oireachtas committee responsibilities. Ms Stephenson had not previously been a party spokesperson and there was uncertainty over which committee she would be appointed to. When it became known she had been selected to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, the logical thing was for her to become spokesperson in that area, the party said. The same applied to Ms Gibney, who is a member of the Committee on Media, Tourism and Arts. Mr O'Callaghan said Ms Stephenson is 'a former EU diplomat, having worked for the EU delegation to Uganda in the governance and human rights department' and is also one of the Irish delegates to the Council of Europe. Ms Gibney, the former chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, is one of the party's most high-profile TDs. She has experience of the media and communications sector, having spent eight years working at a senior level for a multinational technology company. Ms Gibney said she had enjoyed working in the 'crucial area' of foreign affairs alongside Ms Stephenson but was 'excited to get stuck into my new portfolio'. She said she was delighted her colleague had secured a committee position and a chance to 'bring her expertise' to the area.
