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Fujitsu admits it has a 'moral obligation' to compensate Post Office victimsFujitsu Europe's boss has admitted the firm has a "moral obligation" to contribute to compensation for sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted as a result of its faulty IT software.Paul Patterson said Fujitsu gave evidence to the Post Office that was used to prosecute innocent managers.He added that the Post Office knew about "bugs and errors" in its Horizon accountancy software early on.The global chief executive of Fujitsu, Takahito Tokita, also apologised.Making his first public comments on the scandal to the BBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Tokita said: "This is a big issue, which Fujitsu takes very seriously."When asked if he would apologise, he added: "Yes, of course. Fujitsu has apologised for the impact on the postmasters' lives and their families."Mr Tokita refused to confirm if the company would return any of the money it earned from the faulty Horizon system.
Greek mafia boss killed in hail of bulletsA mob-style murder at a petrol station in southern Athens has shone a light on the brutality of the Greek mafia.A manhunt is underway for the killers of crime boss Vangelis Zambounis, who was gunned down earlier this week.More than 90 rounds from a Kalashnikov rifle were fired at Zambounis, considered a powerful figure in the Greek criminal underworld.He was alleged to have led an extortion ring and to have been involved in cigarette and fuel smuggling.According to Greek daily Kathimerini, more than 20 contract killings have been committed since 2017 in Greece among gangs involved in extortion and other criminal activities.
Fujitsu challenged to make £10 million ‘initial contribution’ towards Horizon compensationBosses at the firm which developed the scandal-hit Horizon system for the Post Office have been challenged to pay a £10 million contribution to a compensation fund by the end of this month.MP Marion Fellows told Fujitsu Europe director Paul Patterson the cash would be a “small step in the right direction”.The MP stressed the importance of Fujitsu making such an initial payment, saying that while this “will not yet settle everything” it could be a “positive first-step” and would be a “show of good faith, which seems of short supply in this case”.
Tragic toddler Bronson Battersby ‘left to starve to death next to father’s bodyA two-year-old boy has reportedly starved to death next to his father’s body after his family claimed social services failed him.Bronson Battersby, 2, was found two weeks after he was said to have last been seen alive by a neighbour in Skegness, Lincolnshire on Boxing Day.His father Kenneth, 60, died of a heart attack allegedly shortly after 26 December, while the toddler had been left in the dark with no food or water for days.
Average car insurance cost in UK soars to record highThe average cost of car insurance in the UK has hit a record high of nearly £1,000 after premiums skyrocketed by 58 per cent in a year, analysis suggests.
Millions of broadband and mobile customers hit with 7.9% bill rise including BT and EE
Greece found to have violated Syrian refugee’s right to life by firing on vesselThe European court of human rights has ruled that Greece violated a Syrian refugee’s right to life when coastguards fired more than a dozen rounds at the people smugglers’ boat he was on nearly a decade ago.The Strasbourg-based court ordered Greece to pay €80,000 (about £68,000) in damages to the wife and two children of Belal Tello, who was shot in the head as Greek coastguards attempted to halt the boat he was travelling in. Tello died in 2015, after months in hospital.In a ruling published on Tuesday, the court said the coastguards “had not exercised the necessary vigilance in minimising any risk to life”.
Patras Carnival to Open on Saturday with Procession, Party, and a ‘Chocolate War’The annual Patras Carnival will open on Saturday with a ceremony at the main square of Aghios Georgios.The pre-Lent festival will conclude on March 17, a Sunday. This year’s theme is “Be Unplugged!” and the events will begin on Wednesday (January 16), with town crier (Maria Agouridi) riding on a musical float, announcing the famed carnival’s start, and calling the public to gather at the square.On Saturday morning, a procession will take place with musical bands, carnival bicycles, the organizers, the carnival queen (Georgia Sakka), and other celebrants. At 18:00 on Saturday a party will start at the Aghios Georgios Square, while at 20:00, the theater troupe Helix and a Baroque procession will leave from the City Hall to parade through the city with participants including actors, musicians, acrobats, fire jugglers, and Harlequins. This is the traditional Saturday night parade, not the spectacular Grand Parade at the close of the carnival.At 21:00, the mayor will declare the official opening of the Patras Carnival, to be followed by the traditional ‘chocolate war’, during which the city’s confectioners throwing chocolates from the City Hall’s balcony. A concert will also take place and the start of the annual Treasure Hunt will be also declared.
Digital platform to reduce surgery waiting timesAs part of the effort to reduce patients’ waiting time for operations in Greece, the National Health Service (ESY) will on February 1 introduce a digital filing system for hospitals’ scheduled surgeries and their order of priority.The new system foresees that all registrations are transferred to lists of surgeries that are currently maintained separately by each hospital, while each new registration will be made directly on the relevant platform.This will allow for the monitoring at a central level of the real picture regarding the waiting lists for planned operations at the country’s public hospitals.
Why the Post Office is still using Horizon IT system despite sub-postmasters scandal