The news thread

[Toepoke]

RIP Annie 🙁

[duncan II]

6 hours ago, Ally Bongo said:

Everyday is a school day

They should say that more than 3 dots means more is left out than usual ...

The Houthis can't be militarily compared to ISIS as Iran has equipped them with all sorts of shit so their response will be a quick indicator of what will follow 

Not to be a khunt, but as you mention every day being a school day, "every day" is two different words (unless of course you're talking about an everyday occurrence). This misuse rips my knitting.

[Ally Bongo]

Pernickety 101

[duncan II]

2 hours ago, Ally Bongo said:

Pernickety 101

You're welcome.

[dan cake]

5 hours ago, Toepoke said:

RIP Annie 🙁

Think John Peel for my musical tastes without the fiddling obviously 

[ger intae them]

did he play violin?

[dan cake]

10 hours ago, ger intae them said:

did he play violin?

No but he did fiddle with a 15 year old, died with his reputation intact unlike many of his peers

[Kirk]

23 hours ago, Orraloon said:

Who did ISIS get their equipment from?

Merica

[TDYER63]

On 1/10/2024 at 5:42 PM, Hertsscot said:

I'm suspicious about the scapegoating of Vennels. I'm not doubting she's in the wrong and she's at least done the right thing in handing her CBE back. But what about the others, Fujitsu (who were still awarded loads of Government contracts), Ed 'the wool was pulled over my Eyes' Davey and not least the Tories? Most of the scandal has unfolded under their watch, they presumably gave Vennels her gong, they've dragged their heels in terms of acquittals and compensation (just like Grenfell, just like Windrush). I'm sickened by Sunak playing 'man of the people' championing the victims of this scandal when the only reason he's doing this now is because of a TV drama.

You are far more generous than me Herts. She didn’t hand back her CBE because she wanted to , she was basically left with no choice.
I do agree that she , like others, will to a certain extent be scapegoated to protect politicians, but I cannot believe the CEO for example did not know how many sub post masters were affected. If she did she was as culpable as the rest of them and if she didn’t she should be giving back the £4.5 mio she earned along with the CBE as she clearly wasn’t capable of being in that position.

I am also sickened by Sunak , aided by the usual Tory media machine . 

[ger intae them]

This whole story, whilst a disgrace, is peanuts compared to what else is going on in the world just now.

for the media to ramp it up with the ‘and what’s more, the compensation wasn’t tax deductible’……. give me a break, this is merely another example of a shambolic organisation, not headline news for a week.

all easy for me to say as didn’t affect me, but even if it did, I think I’d say same.

[TDYER63]

13 minutes ago, ger intae them said:

This whole story, whilst a disgrace, is peanuts compared to what else is going on in the world just now.

for the media to ramp it up with the ‘and what’s more, the compensation wasn’t tax deductible’……. give me a break, this is merely another example of a shambolic organisation, not headline news for a week.

all easy for me to say as didn’t affect me, but even if it did, I think I’d say same.

If you had committed suicide because of it I doubt you would be saying anything.

In world news terms it would not be front and centre for a week , but it’s pretty big news from a UK perspective. 

We are talking hundreds of people being wrongfully accused, many bankrupted, some imprisoned. All being told they are wrong and the post office is right. Years and years of fighting for justice. This absolutely should be big news. 

I do agree though the media is in its element . Sickening.

 

[Ally Bongo]

Anti vaxxers

 

 

Neil Oliver is making things up and then there is this

[TDYER63]

31 minutes ago, Ally Bongo said:

Anti vaxxers

 

 

Neil Oliver is making things up and then there is this

What an utter midden. Even by her standards that is hideous. 

[dan cake]

8 minutes ago, TDYER63 said:

What an utter midden. Even by her standards that is hideous. 

In my mind Kate Garraway goes round to her house drags her outside and knocks her cunt in, #karma 

Edited January 14 by dan cake

[dan cake]

On 1/13/2024 at 12:12 PM, ger intae them said:

This whole story, whilst a disgrace, is peanuts compared to what else is going on in the world just now.

for the media to ramp it up with the ‘and what’s more, the compensation wasn’t tax deductible’……. give me a break, this is merely another example of a shambolic organisation, not headline news for a week.

all easy for me to say as didn’t affect me, but even if it did, I think I’d say same.

If you live somewhere rural the local post office along with the pub, church etc is very much a community hub especially for the auld biddies. I’d imagine most of these people were very well known and trusted by their customers, what happened to them is a national disgrace not just for the initial allegations but for their struggles to be heard. The establishment tried to silence them knowing fully well they were innocent, as said previously the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history 

[StirlingEgg]

1 hour ago, Ally Bongo said:

Anti vaxxers

 

 

Neil Oliver is making things up and then there is this

Imagine advocating freedom of speech and this is how you demonstrate using it. 

[Toepoke]

7 hours ago, dan cake said:

If you live somewhere rural the local post office along with the pub, church etc is very much a community hub especially for the auld biddies. I’d imagine most of these people were very well known and trusted by their customers, what happened to them is a national disgrace not just for the initial allegations but for their struggles to be heard. The establishment tried to silence them knowing fully well they were innocent, as said previously the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history 

Indeed, heard this guy's story the other day. Ostracised by his community and died a broken man, an absolute travesty 😡

https://www.stornowaygazette.co.uk/business/post-office-scandal-uist-case-to-feature-in-inquiry-4475495

 

[StirlingEgg]

12 minutes ago, Toepoke said:

Indeed, heard this guy's story the other day. Ostracised by his community and died a broken man, an absolute travesty 😡

https://www.stornowaygazette.co.uk/business/post-office-scandal-uist-case-to-feature-in-inquiry-4475495

 

Upsetting to read that he pleaded guilty to avoid going to prison. He said he had no answers as to where the money went. Sounds like no-one else did either, haven't heard any testimony yet explaining how the calculations came about or tĥat they were ever analysed. Another piece of the scandal was a law change after a recommendation "for courts to presume that a computer system has operated correctly unless there is explicit evidence to the contrary." These folk didn't have a chance. 

 

[dan cake]

34 minutes ago, StirlingEgg said:

Upsetting to read that he pleaded guilty to avoid going to prison. He said he had no answers as to where the money went. Sounds like no-one else did either, haven't heard any testimony yet explaining how the calculations came about or tĥat they were ever analysed. Another piece of the scandal was a law change after a recommendation "for courts to presume that a computer system has operated correctly unless there is explicit evidence to the contrary." These folk didn't have a chance. 

 

If no money physically went missing and the postmasters payed in the alleged shortfalls then there must be a plus in the balance, surely this must have been noticed 

[Toepoke]

1 hour ago, dan cake said:

If no money physically went missing and the postmasters payed in the alleged shortfalls then there must be a plus in the balance, surely this must have been noticed 

According to the Mr Bates programme anyway, the extra cash paid by the postmasters went into a holding account for a couple of years while any investigations were carried out (if at all) and then the money was quietly absorbed into Post Office profits.

 

[StirlingEgg]

7 hours ago, Toepoke said:

According to the Mr Bates programme anyway, the extra cash paid by the postmasters went into a holding account for a couple of years while any investigations were carried out (if at all) and then the money was quietly absorbed into Post Office profits.

 

You wonder in the future then, how many more scandals will arise from lazy trust of digital technology. This new HMRC nonsense for folk selling stuff or AI potentially (mis)diagnosing conditions, who knows where it could lead. The process of Government just seems all about shifting accountability and responsibility for everything away from them. 

Just edited to add it puts me in mind of the film Brazil...

Edited January 15 by StirlingEgg

[Orraloon]

Here we go.

https://www.itv.com/news/2024-01-15/uk-to-send-20000-troops-to-largest-nato-exercise-since-the-cold-war

Just a question of time before the nukes start flying.

[dan cake]

1 hour ago, StirlingEgg said:

Just edited to add it puts me in mind of the film Brazil...

Or worse Skynet from Terminator 😧 

[TDYER63]

9 hours ago, Toepoke said:

According to the Mr Bates programme anyway, the extra cash paid by the postmasters went into a holding account for a couple of years while any investigations were carried out (if at all) and then the money was quietly absorbed into Post Office profits.

 

In the programme they mentioned that the foreign exchange account was causing a lot of problems for sub postmasters . It also showed the fujitsu staff had access to branch accounts to correct errors and could make changes with no trace left that they had been in. I would not be the least bit surprised if cock ups were getting made with regards to buying and selling currency when trying to correct an account . You can easily turn a profit into a loss and vice versa.
If for example you tried to get  a US dollar balance corrected and multiplied when you should have divided it would over inflate the expected sterling value equivalent . 
You would expect these things to be thoroughly investigated but if there really was no trace left that Fujitsu staff had accessed the accounts then there may be no way of finding these things. 
 

2 hours ago, StirlingEgg said:

You wonder in the future then, how many more scandals will arise from lazy trust of digital technology. This new HMRC nonsense for folk selling stuff or AI potentially (mis)diagnosing conditions, who knows where it could lead. The process of Government just seems all about shifting accountability and responsibility for everything away from them. 

Just edited to add it puts me in mind of the film Brazil...

30 years ago I uncovered a £50 k loss that had gone completely unnoticed for months. I cant really say much but it was to do with foreign exchange and was in a hidden account . It only came to light as I became suspicious of the number of amendments to trades that a colleague was putting through. The person was sacked and nothing else was ever said about it. 
 

[Orraloon]

3 minutes ago, TDYER63 said:

In the programme they mentioned that the foreign exchange account was causing a lot of problems for sub postmasters . It also showed the fujitsu staff had access to branch accounts to correct errors and could make changes with no trace left that they had been in. I would not be the least bit surprised if cock ups were getting made with regards to buying and selling currency when trying to correct an account . You can easily turn a profit into a loss and vice versa.
If for example you tried to get  a US dollar balance corrected and multiplied when you should have divided it would over inflate the expected sterling value equivalent . 
You would expect these things to be thoroughly investigated but if there really was no trace left that Fujitsu staff had accessed the accounts then there may be no way of finding these things. 
 

30 years ago I uncovered a £50 k loss that had gone completely unnoticed for months. I cant really say much but it was to do with foreign exchange and was in a hidden account . It only came to light as I became suspicious of the number of amendments to trades that a colleague was putting through. The person was sacked and nothing else was ever said about it. 
 

I want to know where the money went. This bland blanket statement that "it all got merged into the post office profits" just doesn't wash with me. People made a lot of money out of this, and they should made to pay it back and possibly be prosecuted.