Latest news with #Allam
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Lawyers protest against judicial fees hike Thursday - Courts & Law
Egyptian Lawyers staged protests coordinated by regional bar associations Thursday, in front of all primary courts nationwide, in a continued to oppose recent increases in judicial fees, according to a Lawyers Syndicate's statement. Local branches of the Bar Association organized the protests in response to recent decisions by the Council of Appeal Court heads to impose new fees on digitization services, a measure lawyers described as violating the constitution and the law. The protests came in execution of the resolutions passed during a joint meeting between the General Syndicate Council and heads of regional bar branches, led by the head of the Lawyers Syndicate in Cairo, Abdel-Halim Allam. The gathering aimed to form a united front to challenge the new fee structure imposed by judicial authorities. Allam also chaired an operations room to monitor the nationwide implementation of the protest decisions. He emphasized the importance of unity and commitment during this critical phase, stating that 'the current stage demands cohesion and dedication to serve the nation, protect the dignity of the legal profession, and uphold the Bar's stature.' The lawyers' syndicate has vowed to continue escalating measures against what it deems illegal service fees introduced under the pretext of digital modernisation. The syndicate shared images of protests across multiple governorates on its official Facebook page, including Ismailia, Suez, Mahalla, Port Said, Beni Suef, Fayoum, Dakahliya, Gharbia, Sohag, and Helwan. Additional protests were organized outside courts in Sohag, Giza, Fayoum, Kafr El-Sheikh, North Sinai, Alexandria, Qalyoubiya, and New Cairo. This strike is the third of its kind to protest against the increase in judicial fees. On 14 April, Egyptian lawyers launched the first stage of their escalation campaign against the decision, holding a 30-minute protest outside courthouses nationwide. On 18 May, lawyers organized another two-day nationwide general strike, boycotting hearings in all criminal courts nationwide. In March, the Council of Appeal Court raised judicial fees on digitization services, sparking widespread anger from the legal community. In response, the Lawyers Syndicate called on its members across all governorates to participate in protests as an initial step in a broader plan to oppose the new charges. The protests highlight the legal community's growing concerns over what they view as unjustified financial burdens on litigants and a potential barrier to accessing justice. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim sues former chief of staff for defamation
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has filed a lawsuit against two people, including his former chief of staff, over alleged defamatory comments that claimed he had been pulled over by police for driving under the influence and used his position to cover it up. According to a notice of civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court Friday, political strategist Kareem Allam, who had worked as Sim's campaign manager and chief of staff, told Alexander Tsakumis, a local businessman who is active on social media, that the mayor was pulled over by Vancouver police after driving while intoxicated, and officers let him go without being booked or cited for his actions. The claim says Allam told the story to Tsakumis in November 2023, less than a year after Allam was terminated as Sim's chief of staff, "with the intent that Mr. Tsakumis could publish the statements to others, including on the internet." It alleges Allam told a member of Sim's ABC Vancouver party that someone in the mayor's office told him that Sim had been pulled over by police for driving under the influence, and the mayor's office staffer and a VPD officer had "taken care of it." The suit claims Tsakumis posted a message on X on Nov. 23, 2023, accusing the mayor of driving drunk and using his influence to avoid consequences. It alleges Allam and Tsakumis made the comments "with malice, knowing them to be false, or in reckless disregard to the truth of the statements," and they "intended and expected" that others would republish the defamatory language. The suit says the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) investigated following Tsakumis's social media post, and the VPD's chief constable issued a report that concluded the OPCC investigation found "no objective evidence of an interaction between members of the VPD and [Sim]" as described in the post. It said the chief constable "further concluded the matter to be baseless and that Mr. Tsakumis irresponsibly used the platform to spread a rumour communicated to him by Mr. Allam." Speaking to CBC News Friday, Allam said he plans to "vigorously defend" himself. "It is a matter of public record that I was not the source of these rumours," Allam said. A spokesperson for Sim says the mayor will not comment on the lawsuit but confirmed its existence.
Global News
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim files defamation lawsuit against 2 men
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has filed a lawsuit in civil court against two men for defamation. The suit names Kareem Allam, political strategist, former campaign manager and chief of staff following Sim's election and Alexander George Tsakumis, businessman and real estate developer. On or about Feb. 6, 2023, Allam's employment with Sim's team was terminated. The suit states that sometime around November 2023, Allam told Tsakumis that Sim had driven his car while intoxicated and had been stopped by Vancouver police officers. Allam also told Tsakumis that Vancouver police let Sim go without booking him or citing him for any offence, according to documents. 'Allam made the statements to Mr. Tsakumas, with the intent that Mr. Tsakumas would publish the statements to others, including on the internet which publication did occur on the suit states. Story continues below advertisement Then, in or about June 2024, Allam told Annie Fournier, a member of the political party, A Better City, that Allam had received a telephone call from a person in the Vancouver mayor's office stating that Sim had been pulled over by the police for driving under the influence and that the individual in the mayor's office and a VPD officer had 'taken care of it.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The suit states that Allam said that the 'DUI was not the problem. It was the cover-up that was the problem.' 4:40 Ken Sim drunk driving allegations 'unfounded,' investigation finds In late 2023, Vancouver police notified the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner, which ordered an external probe into the matter. The RCMP led the investigation and the findings were reviewed by Abbotsford police. Two Mounties interviewed VPD officers, scanned police databases and listened to radio recordings. They also interviewed Tsakumis and Allam. Story continues below advertisement After nine months of investigating the DUI and VPD cover-up rumour, the Mounties concluded their probe last October. Abbotsford police Chief Colin Watson reviewed their findings and wrote, 'I consider this matter to be baseless. Mr. Tsakumis irresponsibly used 'X' to spread a rumour communicated to him by Mr. Allam.' The suit states that Allam and Tsakumis made defamatory comments about Sim 'with malice knowing them to be false, or in reckless disregard to the truth of the statements.' Sim is seeking general, aggravated and punitive damages, along with a permanent injunction restraining, enjoining and prohibiting the defendants, and each of them, from directly or indirectly making, publishing, disseminating or broadcasting the defamatory words, or words of like or similar effect.
The Age
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Age
Cheaper than a Big Mac: Bourke Street Bakery co-founder opens smash burger joint
Bourke Street Bakery co-founder Paul Allam put seven intensive years of research into smash burgers in the US. The fruits of that investment will be unveiled today when his latest passion project, HiHi Burger, opens at Bondi Junction. There's a lot to get excited about at HiHi, where they use Vic's Meat and a single smash burger is an affordable $7.90. (That's less than a Macca's Big Mac or Quarter Pounder, whose price can vary depending on location but cost $8 or more at some outlets.) Allam also backed his Bourke Street Bakery experience to update the potato bun, ubiquitous in US smash burgers: 'I thought we could improve it,' he said. Allam moved to the US to launch Bourke Street Bakery NYC, with its four stateside outlets now established enough for him to relocate to Sydney. The experience taught him some lessons about the US market: while Bourke Street's sausage rolls have been a hit, pies remain a hard sell because consumers in New York associate 'pies with sweet over savoury'. It also taught him plenty about US street food. Returning to Australia, he missed some of the staples of his life living in Brooklyn, although he points out Sydney has some good smash burgers. While Allam can't accurately count the number of burgers he consumed on his US smash burger hunt, what made a great burger of the smash genre became evident.
Sydney Morning Herald
06-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Cheaper than a Big Mac: Bourke Street Bakery co-founder opens smash burger joint
Bourke Street Bakery co-founder Paul Allam put seven intensive years of research into smash burgers in the US. The fruits of that investment will be unveiled today when his latest passion project, HiHi Burger, opens at Bondi Junction. There's a lot to get excited about at HiHi, where they use Vic's Meat and a single smash burger is an affordable $7.90. (That's less than a Macca's Big Mac or Quarter Pounder, whose price can vary depending on location but cost $8 or more at some outlets.) Allam also backed his Bourke Street Bakery experience to update the potato bun, ubiquitous in US smash burgers: 'I thought we could improve it,' he said. Allam moved to the US to launch Bourke Street Bakery NYC, with its four stateside outlets now established enough for him to relocate to Sydney. The experience taught him some lessons about the US market: while Bourke Street's sausage rolls have been a hit, pies remain a hard sell because consumers in New York associate 'pies with sweet over savoury'. It also taught him plenty about US street food. Returning to Australia, he missed some of the staples of his life living in Brooklyn, although he points out Sydney has some good smash burgers. While Allam can't accurately count the number of burgers he consumed on his US smash burger hunt, what made a great burger of the smash genre became evident.
