Latest news with #AGM
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘No agendas, no secrets'
Manitoba teachers have voted in a new union executive led by a francophone educator who has pledged to renew the embattled organization with a 'no secrets' philosophy. The 2025 annual general meeting of the Manitoba Teachers' Society wrapped up over the weekend with the election of president Lillian Klausen. Klausen has taught French-language courses in rural, northern and, most recently, Winnipeg, throughout her 30-year career. She was president of Éducatrices et éducateurs francophones du Manitoba – the francophone counterpart to her latest role – from 2020 to 2024. Since then, Klausen been working for the River East Transcona School Division and in a part-time union role. 'I'm very hopeful for a renewed Manitoba Teachers' Society and great things moving forward. In practise, (that will involve) honest communication,' she said in an interview Wednesday. 'It's about being open and honest and everybody knowing what we're working on and what we're doing moving forward — no agendas, no secrets. We're just looking to make the best decisions for the society.' Within hours of the union's latest elections, Klausen and her colleagues on the MTS provincial executive, better known as PX, selected an executive director. The union's operational wing had been without a permanent chief of staff since November 2023. The last 18 months have been marked by significant turnover, rampant infighting and low morale, and multiple investigations into workplace culture at MTS headquarters on Portage Avenue. Two people served in interim roles after the last executive director initially went on a leave. Danielle Fullan Kolton submitted her resignation, one of a handful of recent high-profile exits, at the end of December. Her successor, Arlyn Filewich, has worked in various roles at MTS since leaving the front lines of the teaching profession in 2014. More than 330 delegates, representing 16,600 public school teachers, were registered for the 2025 AGM between May 21 to 24. They chose Joel Swaan, a teacher from Winkler-based Garden Valley School Division, to be the new MTS vice-president. Klausen said she's confident in the overhauled leadership team and the new and old faces that are on it. Her first major project is to meet with the 38 local chapter presidents of MTS, she said. The new president drove to Saskatoon on Sunday to meet with her counterparts from other Canadian jurisdictions to discuss challenges faced by teachers across the country. Recruitment and retention, as well as aggressive student behaviours in classrooms, were the hot topics, she said. MTS is finalizing internal working groups to brainstorm solutions to local workplace concerns — a project that began under former president Nathan Martindale. Amid the chaos at MTS headquarters, Martindale oversaw the ratification of the union's first provincial collective agreement and lobbied the government to establish its new universal school meal program. He decided not to run for re-election and plans to return to a classroom in the Winnipeg School Division in the fall. As his two-year term came to a close, Martindale told the Free Press he was hopeful his successors would carry on a campaign to counter anti-Indigenous racism, transphobia and other 'hateful rhetoric' at school board meetings. 'We have a responsibility, as teachers, to push back,' he said last week. Martindale indicated the union was gearing up to mobilize its locals to do more public education on trusteeship ahead of the 2026 municipal races. Klausen echoed those comments on Wednesday, saying MTS will search for community members who share the union's values and encourage them to run for office next year. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Qatar Tribune
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Sorling's security fear claims during ITTF AGM false: QTTA
Tribune News Network Doha The Qatar Table Tennis Association (QTTA) had dismissedITTF President Petra Sorling's claims that she felt unsafe during the IITF Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Doha on Tuesday. The entire AGM was broadcast live through Youtube channel. In a clarification issued on Wednesday, QTTA stated: 'As the host of the 2025 ITTF Annual General Meeting (AGM), the Qatar Table Tennis Association (QTTA) takes seriously recent media reports suggesting that ITTF President Petra Sorling felt unsafe during the meeting and was escorted out under duress. These claims warrant factual clarification. Throughout the AGM, all security, protocol, and support services functioned without interruption. Ms. Sorling, like all delegates and officials, had access to comprehensive, round-the-clock VIP transportation, logistical coordination, and hotel-based support. At no point was her movement restricted or her personal security compromised. Video footage confirms that Ms. Sorling left the stage voluntarily and walked unimpeded to her room within the same hotel complex where the AGM was taking place. There was no intervention, no confrontation, and no diplomatic escort out of the premises. While we acknowledge that personal experiences and emotional perceptions can differ, we respectfully emphasize that a subjective sense of discomfort is not an indication of a security failure. QTTA did not receive any complaints or requests for assistance from Ms. Sorling or the ITTF Executive during or after her departure. Moreover, it is important to note that QTTA and its leadership, including Mr. Khalil Al-Mohannadi, have worked closely with Ms. Sörling for years. She has always received and benefited from QTTA's full cooperation, hospitality, and public support in multiple international contexts. That legacy of collaboration makes it especially regrettable that the current circumstances are being framed in a manner that implies hostility or neglect by the host federation. QTTA stands by its record and the professionalism of its staff and volunteers, who ensured that every delegate was treated with respect, care and dignity .'
Qatar Tribune
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
ITTF presidential election flawed: QTTA
Tribune News Network Doha The Qatar Table Tennis Association (QTTA) has called for an independent and transparent review of the 2025 ITTF Presidential Election held in Doha at the world table tennis body's Annual General Meeting on Tuesday. The QTTA on Wednesday questioned the 'integrity of the election and misleading international narratives' after incumbent Petra Sorling 'prevailed' in an acrimonious election – beset by online vote issue. Sorling, a Swede, was announced to have been re-elected for a second term emerging over Qatar's Khalil Al Mohannadi by 104 votes to 102. Al Mohannadi received 98 paper ballot votes against Sorling's 87 while the latter was announced to have received 17 online votes and Al Mohannadi 4. The official roll call had stated 16 online voters which in the results showed the number to be 21 - an increase of five. QTTA, hosts of the 2025 ITTF AGM), in a formal statement called out procedural failures during the ITTF presidential election. It stated: 'The facts are clear: * The official roll call documented 185 in-person delegates and 16 online, forming the legal quorum. * The final voting screen, now widely circulated, showed 21 online votes, five more than announced. These five ballots were never declared, validated, or included in the roll call. * The paper vote, conducted at the explicit request of the Member Federations, produced a clear victory for Mr. Khalil Al-Mohannadi: * 98 votes to 87 in his favor. That paper vote was open, monitored, and binding. It represented the collective will of the General Assembly, until it was nullified by an unexplained and unauthorized surge of digital votes that overturned the outcome and handed a narrow 104-102 win to Ms. Sorling. This is not only a discrepancy. It is a breach of electoral legitimacy, of constitutional fidelity, and of the very integrity on which international sport depends. The QITA, and countless Member Federations, have made repeated, reasonable, and legally grounded requests for the following: * A release of login timestamps and access logs for all online voters; * A public explanation for the inclusion of five additional votes after the quorum had been declared; * Preservation of the full AGM video recording, roll call documentation, and forensic access to the LUMI voting system. None of these requests have been honoured by the ITTF. The shock, disbelief, and frustration, expressed in real time, came not from one region, but from a chorus of voices from Europe, Africa, Asia, and beyond, all taking the floor to plead for justice and clarity. In the immediate aftermath of the AGM's suspension, QTTA received an overwhelming number of messages from Member Federations across all continents. These messages expressed: * Alarm at the gross irregularities observed; * Solidarity with Mr. Khalil Al-Mohannadi as a candidate subjected to unfair procedural treatment. The Qatar Table Tennis Association affirms the following: * All digital and physical records relating to the AGM are being preserved. * We are logging and documenting every communication, procedural action, and irregularity for legal and institutional review. * We are prepared to cooperate with any independent investigation or tribunal, including before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). We will not participate in a shadow war through the media. This battle is not for headlines, it is for the future of our sport. We urge the ITTF to abide by the principles and values that are central to our sport. The collective message from our ITTF family is clear: the election must be reviewed — independently, transparently, and immediately.'
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kneat Announces Results of Voting at Annual General Meeting
LIMERICK, Ireland, May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- inc. (TSX: KSI) (OTC: KSIOF) ("Kneat" or the "Company") a leader in digitizing and automating validation processes, announced results from its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (the "2025 AGM"), which took place today. All director nominees were elected to the board of directors (the "Kneat Board") and KPMG LLP was appointed as auditors, as further described in the related Management Information Circular dated April 23, 2025 (the "Circular"). The detailed results of voting at the 2025 AGM are set out below: 1. Election of Directors Shareholders voted to elect all five directors nominated to the Kneat Board. Name of Nominee Number of Votes Cast Votes "For" Votes "For" % Ian Ainsworth 48,954,620 47,616,238 97.27% Edmund Ryan 48,954,620 48,954,095 100.00% Wade K. Dawe 48,954,620 47,008,047 96.02% Nutan Behki 48,954,620 47,644,301 97.32% Carol Leaman 48,954,620 48,939,765 99.97% 2. Re-Appointment of Auditors Shareholders voted to approve management's recommendation that KPMG LLP be re-appointed as auditors of the Company, to hold office until the close of the next annual meeting of shareholders, and to authorize the Company to fix their remuneration for the forthcoming year. Number of Votes Cast Votes "For" Votes "For" % 48,954,620 48,908,449 99.91% Final voting results on all matters voted at the 2025 AGM have been filed with Canadian securities regulators. About Kneat Kneat Solutions provides leading companies in highly regulated industries with unparalleled efficiency in validation and compliance through its digital validation platform Kneat Gx. As an industry leader in customer satisfaction, Kneat boasts an excellent record for implementation, powered by our user-friendly design, expert support, and on-demand training academy. Kneat Gx is an industry-leading digital validation platform that enables highly regulated companies to manage any validation discipline from end to end. Kneat Gx is fully ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certified, fully validated, and 21 CFR Part 11/Annex 11 compliant. Multiple independent customer studies show up to 40% reduction in documentation cycle times, up to 20% faster speed to market, and a higher compliance standard. For further information: Katie Keita, Kneat Investor RelationsP: + 1 902-706-9074E: in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Daily Maverick
7 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Industry sees red after Mantashe says no BEE for mining exploration, contradicting draft Bill
A new mist of uncertainty has shrouded mining policy just as progress is being made on other fronts such as the looming rollout of the long-awaited mining cadastre to address the applications backlog for mining and prospecting rights and permits. The draft Mineral Resources Development Bill (MRDP) has stirred a hornet's nest in the mining industry and with the ANC's GNU political partner the DA, and its ill-conceived nature was on full display on Wednesday when Minister Gwede Mantashe confusingly said the BEE requirements for exploration were not there and would be removed if they were. 'Now, and in the future, there's no provision for BEE on exploration,' Mantashe, the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (MPR), said during a media briefing at the conclusion of the AGM for the Minerals Council SA, the main body representing the country's mining industry. That's neither the Minerals Council's reading of the draft Bill nor Daily Maverick's interpretation of it. 'We raised this point over and over in our engagements with the department that the amendments must specifically exclude prospecting companies from empowerment requirements … Yet in this draft Bill, none of that is included,' Minerals Council CEO Mzila Mthenjane said in a statement on Tuesday. The thing about prospecting – or exploration – is that it is an extremely high-risk activity that onerous BEE rules will severely curtail. And without exploration, the South African mining industry has no viable long-term future. Daily Maverick asked Mantashe to clarify this afterwards and he responded by saying: 'If there is a BEE requirement in the Bill for prospecting, it must be removed.' So, the industry's complaints on this front are not falling on deaf ears, though it has raised concerns that its inputs were not included in the draft. And a new mist of uncertainty has shrouded policy just as progress is being made on other fronts such as the looming rollout of the long-awaited mining cadastre to address the applications backlog of mining and prospecting rights and permits. Overall, the industry is not happy with the Bill, which once again moves the goal posts at a time when investors are crying for certainty for a sector that remains crucial for South Africa's low-growth and high-unemployment economy. 'When we ask ourselves this question, does this Bill promote investment and create jobs, we see it has some serious short-comings,' said Paul Dunne, the CEO of Northam Platinum, who was re-elected as president of the Minerals Council SA. 'They are both substantive in nature and technical … Council is a very considered, professional advocacy group. We represent at least 99% of the mining industry in this country and our submission [on the draft Bill] will be made public when the right time comes, and we will engage very, very robustly with the department and the minister on this issue,' he said. The good-natured Dunne added: 'The minister knows us very well. We are very tough. And minister, we are coming.' That raised a chuckle from the audience and Mantashe, but it is no laughing matter – except for lawyers, who are going to giggle all the way to the bank. The draft Bill raises the almost certain prospect of arduous and time-consuming legal and court battles – another obstacle to the investment that the mining sector and wider South African economy desperately need to reach faster levels of growth and job creation. It has also raised hackles in the GNU, which is supposed to be the ANC's main governing partner. One bone of contention is embedding the Mining Charter into the legal framework, which could once again unleash the 'once empowered, always empowered' debate which the industry has already won in court. But fresh legal scraps could loom on this front. This played out in the courts when Gupta stooge Mosebenzi Zwane was the minister in charge of mining, and the term refers to the industry's contention that once a company reached a required BEE ownership threshold that should be set in stone even if black shareholders decided to sell their stakes – which is the point of owning shares. The government at the time held that mining companies needed to endlessly keep topping up BEE stakes, a state of affairs that would dilute value and repel foreign as well as domestic investment. 'By expressly including the Mining Charter as law and not simply policy, the Bill allows for the rapid overturning of t'once empowered, always empowered', opening the door to the need for constant injections of new BEE investors, a feature which would on its own make investing a lossmaking prospect,' MP James Lorimer, the DA spokesperson on Minerals and Petroleum Resources, said in a statement. 'The Bill is poorly thought out. It is contradictory and unclear in several places. It grants new powers to the Minister to rule the industry according to his own whim.' What this means More policy confusion and uncertainty at a time when South Africa needs both to extract wealth, investment and job creation from its rich minerals endowment. It will also test the GNU and likely trigger a tsunami of legal challenges for South Africa's already stretched court system. The ANC is acting like it has a two-thirds majority in Parliament on this front and has yet to be pulled back to Earth by the laws of political gravity. Mantashe on Wednesday reminded the industry of its racist past, and that is no bad thing – in an age when US President Donald Trump is parroting fascist-inspired lies about 'white genocide', hard historical truths need to be confronted head-on. The South African mining industry was the economic bedrock of apartheid, subjecting an overwhelmingly black migrant labour force to ruthless exploitation. But the times are changing and the industry – partly in response to government regulation and union demands but also wider concerns among investors foreign and domestic – has made strides from the indignities of the apartheid past on a range of fronts, including ownership, wages, communities, health and safety. BEE as a mantra has not delivered a utopia while enriching a relatively small elite, and it is also starting to look like a fossilised relic in an age when – despite the Trump administration's efforts to turn the tide – capital is largely looking for kinder, gentler returns. The Bill, for now, is not law and open to public comment. Break out the popcorn for the fireworks. DM
