Latest news with #PaulLewis
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Judge lets Iraqi asylum seeker stay in Britain despite him admitting 'I don't have a real reason to be here, give me some time I'll make one up'
An Iraqi Kurd who smuggled himself into Britain in the back of a lorry has won his fight to stay here - despite telling officials he was going to 'make up a reason' for seeking asylum. The 32-year-old man, who was granted anonymity by immigration judges, arrived in the UK illegally in 2016. He claimed to have lost his Iraqi ID card and argued that sending him back would breach his human rights. Asked at a screening interview why he should be granted asylum, he said: 'I don't have a real reason to be here, give me some time and I will make up a reason.' A senior immigration judge has now rejected his asylum bid - but allowed him to stay in Britain on humanitarian protection grounds after hearing there was 'undisputed' evidence that he was ill-treated in his home country. The man - referred to only as SA - didn't attend his latest appeal or give evidence, but provided instructions to his solicitors. His barrister claimed the man's welfare would be 'prejudiced' by him giving evidence as his mental health would deteriorate. However, in its submissions the Home Office said the man wasn't 'generally credible.' Giving his ruling, Deputy Upper Tribunal Judge Paul Lewis said: 'Absent good reason, we do draw adverse inferences against the appellant for his failure to give evidence on key matters in his appeal, other than in connection with the circumstances of his physical injuries.' The tribunal also cast doubt on the reliability of his story about where he was from. He had claimed his parents had been killed, maintaining that he found their bodies under a pile of rubble at his house. But, in March, he claimed his father had died in a hospital in Kirkuk. The Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber accepted he was abducted, detained and tortured by ISIS fanatics and encountered difficulties with Shia militias, Turkmen and Arabs. 'It is clear and undisputed that the appellant has injuries and scarring which are consistent with ill-treatment,' Judge Lewis ruled. Lawyers for SA argued that little or no weight should be attached to the remark that he would 'make up a reason' for seeking asylum. They said the interview was 'oppressive' as he had just come to the UK hidden inside a lorry. But Judge Lewis said: 'We find the appellant made this remark intentionally reflecting his reasons for coming to the UK.' Rejecting the asylum aspect of the case, Judge Lewis ruled the man hadn't satisfied him about his home area so he couldn't find he was 'at risk.' He ruled that SA 'did not, as he put it "have a real reason to be here".' But he added: 'Despite that, at this time, he cannot be safely returned.' The tribunal decided he couldn't be redocumented in Iraq, in breach of his human rights. The judge said that in order to be safely sent back to the Kurdish-controlled part of Iraq, SA would need to be able to reach an office where he could obtain new documents 'without meeting a checkpoint'. 'We do not think that this is reasonably likely to be the case,' he ruled. The case comes as ministers pledge to drive down immigration and tighten up the asylum system. New legislation is planned following a backlash against cases such as that of an Albanian criminal whose deportation was halted partly due to his son's aversion to the type of chicken nuggets served abroad. Labour want to restrict the 'exceptional circumstances' in which judges can currently overrule the Home Office when foreign nationals - including criminals - lodge immigration appeals. In particular it would aim to 'limit successful claims' from foreign nationals who lodge appeals under the 'right to private and family life' under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). However critics say the long-awaited White Paper contains only vague pledges and question whether it will tackle abuse of the asylum system.
Vancouver Sun
01-05-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
What is a 'modest recession' and why might Ontario be facing one?
Ontario's Financial Accountability Office (FAO) is predicting a 'modest recession' for the province this year if U.S. tariffs remains in place. Article content Article content The report from the FAO released this week analyzes the impact of U.S. tariffs including those on steel, aluminum, automobiles and automobile parts, and Canadian retaliatory tariffs. It suggests that if these tariffs remain in place, Ontario's real GDP growth would slow to 0.6 per cent in 2025, less than half the 1.7 per cent growth expected in the absence of U.S. tariffs. Article content Article content 'This implies that a modest recession would occur in 2025,' the report states. 'In 2026, Ontario's real GDP growth would be 1.2 per cent, compared to 1.9 per cent growth in a no tariff outlook.' Article content Article content FAO's Chief Economist and Deputy Financial Accountability Officer, Paul Lewis, told National Post there's no agreed-upon definition for a 'modest recession'; it's a matter of comparing one recession with another. Article content That said, a recession is defied as two successive quarters of negative economic growth, so a modest recession would fit that category as well. Article content Has Ontario seen a recession before? Article content Lewis said that, leaving out the extreme situation that was the pandemic, Ontario has seen five recessions in recent history. Two of them, in 1992 and 2003, could be deemed modest, with two quarters of roughly 0.8 per cent decline. The other three, in 1982, 1990 and 2008, were deeper and lasted longer, with declines of between five and six per cent. Article content Article content Not necessarily, although there is usually overlap because Ontario's economy represents almost 40 per cent of Canada's. So anything that drags down the economy in that province is going to affect the country as a whole. Ontario's 2003 modest recession was not shared by the country, which saw only one quarter of negative growth. Article content 'The economy ended the year 2024 with some pretty good momentum,' Lewis said. 'So to get to that annual number that we have in our report of 0.6 per cent, you'd have to have some declines through the course of the year if you're looking at the quarterly data.' Article content According to the FAO report, the U.S. is Ontario's biggest trading partner. 'In 2024, the U.S. accounted for 77 per cent of the province's international goods exports and 60 per cent of its services exports.'
Ottawa Citizen
01-05-2025
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
What is a 'modest recession' and why might Ontario be facing one?
Article content Ontario's Financial Accountability Office (FAO) is predicting a 'modest recession' for the province this year if U.S. tariffs remains in place. Article content Article content The report from the FAO released this week analyzes the impact of U.S. tariffs including those on steel, aluminum, automobiles and automobile parts, and Canadian retaliatory tariffs. It suggests that if these tariffs remain in place, Ontario's real GDP growth would slow to 0.6 per cent in 2025, less than half the 1.7 per cent growth expected in the absence of U.S. tariffs. Article content Article content 'This implies that a modest recession would occur in 2025,' the report states. 'In 2026, Ontario's real GDP growth would be 1.2 per cent, compared to 1.9 per cent growth in a no tariff outlook.' Article content Article content What is a 'modest recession'? Article content FAO's Chief Economist and Deputy Financial Accountability Officer, Paul Lewis, told National Post there's no agreed-upon definition for a 'modest recession'; it's a matter of comparing one recession with another. Article content That said, a recession is defied as two successive quarters of negative economic growth, so a modest recession would fit that category as well. Article content Lewis said that, leaving out the extreme situation that was the pandemic, Ontario has seen five recessions in recent history. Two of them, in 1992 and 2003, could be deemed modest, with two quarters of roughly 0.8 per cent decline. The other three, in 1982, 1990 and 2008, were deeper and lasted longer, with declines of between five and six per cent. Article content Article content Not necessarily, although there is usually overlap because Ontario's economy represents almost 40 per cent of Canada's. So anything that drags down the economy in that province is going to affect the country as a whole. Ontario's 2003 modest recession was not shared by the country, which saw only one quarter of negative growth. Article content 'The economy ended the year 2024 with some pretty good momentum,' Lewis said. 'So to get to that annual number that we have in our report of 0.6 per cent, you'd have to have some declines through the course of the year if you're looking at the quarterly data.' Article content According to the FAO report, the U.S. is Ontario's biggest trading partner. 'In 2024, the U.S. accounted for 77 per cent of the province's international goods exports and 60 per cent of its services exports.'
National Post
01-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
What is a 'modest recession' and why might Ontario be facing one?
Article content Ontario's Financial Accountability Office (FAO) is predicting a 'modest recession' for the province this year if U.S. tariffs remains in place. Article content Article content The report from the FAO released this week analyzes the impact of U.S. tariffs including those on steel, aluminum, automobiles and automobile parts, and Canadian retaliatory tariffs. It suggests that if these tariffs remain in place, Ontario's real GDP growth would slow to 0.6 per cent in 2025, less than half the 1.7 per cent growth expected in the absence of U.S. tariffs. Article content 'This implies that a modest recession would occur in 2025,' the report states. 'In 2026, Ontario's real GDP growth would be 1.2 per cent, compared to 1.9 per cent growth in a no tariff outlook.' Article content Article content FAO's Chief Economist and Deputy Financial Accountability Officer, Paul Lewis, told National Post there's no agreed-upon definition for a 'modest recession'; it's a matter of comparing one recession with another. Article content That said, a recession is defied as two successive quarters of negative economic growth, so a modest recession would fit that category as well. Article content Lewis said that, leaving out the extreme situation that was the pandemic, Ontario has seen five recessions in recent history. Two of them, in 1992 and 2003, could be deemed modest, with two quarters of roughly 0.8 per cent decline. The other three, in 1982, 1990 and 2008, were deeper and lasted longer, with declines of between five and six per cent. Article content Does an Ontario recession mean a Canadian recession? Article content Not necessarily, although there is usually overlap because Ontario's economy represents almost 40 per cent of Canada's. So anything that drags down the economy in that province is going to affect the country as a whole. Ontario's 2003 modest recession was not shared by the country, which saw only one quarter of negative growth. Article content Article content How is it a recession if the FAO still predicts 0.6 per cent growth? Article content 'The economy ended the year 2024 with some pretty good momentum,' Lewis said. 'So to get to that annual number that we have in our report of 0.6 per cent, you'd have to have some declines through the course of the year if you're looking at the quarterly data.' Article content Why are tariffs such a big drain on the economy? Article content According to the FAO report, the U.S. is Ontario's biggest trading partner. 'In 2024, the U.S. accounted for 77 per cent of the province's international goods exports and 60 per cent of its services exports.' Article content It adds: 'An estimated 933,000 Ontarians worked in U.S. export-related jobs in 2024, about one in every nine jobs in the province, with 536,000 of these jobs in the goods sector. Ontario's manufacturing sector is particularly reliant on U.S. trade, with 40 per cent of its production exported to the U.S.' Article content 'As soon as you start to announce these kinds of things you create uncertainty,' he said. 'Uncertainty by itself causes growth to slow somewhat. Companies aren't sure so they put investment plans and hiring plans on hold for a while, just until they can sense what the lay of the land is.'
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pythian and GigaOm Announce AI Partnership
Pythian, a leading data and AI services provider, partners with GigaOm to accelerate Enterprise AI adoption OTTAWA, Ontario, April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pythian Services Inc. ('Pythian'), a leading global services company specializing in data, analytics, and AI solutions, announced a strategic partnership with GigaOm, a leading analyst firm, to empower businesses to achieve rapid AI readiness, executive alignment and ethical GenAI integration. The partnership highlights GigaOm's launch of its comprehensive Enterprise GenAI Maturity Model with Pythian as its primary partner. 'Pythian's proven expertise in data and AI makes them the ideal partner for the launch of our AI Maturity Framework,' said Howard Holton, chief operating officer at GigaOm. 'Together we're equipping businesses with the resources they need to accelerate their AI journey and achieve tangible results.' The partnership addresses a critical need for businesses to understand and implement GenAI effectively and ethically. GigaOm's Enterprise GenAI Maturity Model provides a comprehensive, step-by-step roadmap for successfully integrating generative AI technologies into business operations. The robust framework details six maturity levels—from Default (Level 0) to Leading (Level 5)—across key dimensions, including Core Technology, Data Quality, Ethical AI, Budgeting, AI Governance, Model Training, Data Security, Organizational Change Control and Operational Efficiency. Pythian's AI Workshop complements this model by offering hands-on educational sessions that demystify AI and foster internal alignment, significantly reducing the time required for decision-making from months to weeks. 'We are thrilled to partner with GigaOm to help businesses navigate the complexities of AI adoption,' stated Paul Lewis, chief technology officer at Pythian. 'The collaboration between GigaOm and Pythian offers our customers a streamlined two-step approach to AI strategy with our AI Workshop as the foundation.' The AI Workshop is designed to provide businesses with the knowledge and alignment needed to confidently move forward with their AI initiatives. Following from Pythian's workshop, GigaOm's AI Maturity Framework provides powerful capabilities and tools to measure progress as customers confidently advance their overall AI strategy. Pythian's expertise in data and AI, combined with GigaOm's insightful analysis and framework, creates a powerful synergy. Pythian's deep understanding of the practical application of AI technologies across various industries ensures businesses not only understand the value of AI, but also have a clear strategy for implementation. The AI Workshops are delivered by Pythian's team of Field CTOs and focus on real-world scenarios, making complex concepts accessible to all stakeholders. 'Through Pythian's valued partnership with GigaOm, we are providing customers with a seamless process toward AI enablement that will strengthen their ability to leverage game-changing technology for their respective businesses and allow them to enhance their competitive position within their market,' said Brooks Borcherding, CEO at Pythian. Participants in Pythian's AI Workshop will gain a foundational understanding of AI technologies, learn how to identify relevant use cases, and develop a strategic roadmap using the AI Maturity Framework for implementation. The workshop facilitates crucial conversations among executives and technical teams leading to faster decision-making and a unified vision for AI adoption. Schedule your AI Workshop today. About GigaOm GigaOm is an analyst firm led by real buyers and real engineers. By combining deep technical expertise with executive perspective, GigaOm delivers credible, actionable validation—because they built the systems, led the teams, and made the calls. Their reports, briefs, and enablement tools speak the language customers trust, backed by real-world testing to align marketing, sales, and the C-suite. About Pythian Founded in 1997, Pythian is a leading data and AI services provider specializing in digital transformation and operational excellence for enterprise customers. We help organizations optimize their data estates, helping them to drive AI enablement, innovation, and growth. Through strategic consulting, managed services and cloud migrations, we enable cost savings, risk reduction and seamless operations while preparing businesses to adopt AI and for the future of data management. A Google Cloud Premier Partner with multiple Specializations, including Data Analytics, Marketing Analytics, Machine Learning and a certified Google Cloud MSP, we've delivered thousands of professional and managed services projects for leading enterprises. For more information, visit or follow us on X, LinkedIn, and our Blog. Pythian Media Contacts Matt MalangaSenior Vice President, Marketingmalanga@ 917-494-2867 Elisabeth GrantBranch Out Public Relationsegrant@ 612-599-7797
