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Homes For Ukraine whistleblower says UK refugee scheme is ‘designed to fail’A whistleblower working on Britain’s Homes for Ukraine scheme has revealed that he and his colleagues “don’t know what we’re doing”, and claims the scheme has been “designed to fail” in order to limit numbers entering the UK.Amid criticism over the numbers of Ukrainians so far allowed to come to the UK, the insider revealed that confusion, poor morale and lack of guidance meant staff contracted to the scheme frequently resorted to “making up” their response to cases.Staff working on the helpline for the scheme – introduced after widespread fury over the UK government’s initial response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis – revealed that they received only three hours of training with no follow-up help, and said any complaint or suggestion to improve the system was met with silence.The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he had dealt with numerous cases where UK visas had been issued for an entire Ukrainian family apart from one child, which in effect stopped the family travelling to the UK.“This allows the government to say we’ve issued lots of visas. Yet, because they have withheld one, it’s a guarantee those Ukrainians won’t travel,” said the source.The whistleblower said he came across four or five cases each day in which a single child from a family had not received permission to travel, a pattern he believed was “too much of a coincidence” for it not to have been encouraged.
Unclaimed estates in Somerset: Could you inherit millions?IF YOU have one of these 80 surnames you could inherit a fortune from an unknown deceased relative. The treasury has revealed the 80 unclaimed estates of those who have died in Somerset.Inheriting an estate means gaining a share of anything from money and property to personal possessions. When a person dies without leaving a will and there appears to be no family members the estate is passed to the Crown as ownerless property.
“Flying Priest” Marks Holy Saturday’s Liturgy in GreeceThe tradition of the “Flying Priest” from the Greek island of Chios was re-enacted by Father Christoforos Gourlis on Holy Saturday.Father Christoforos has become nationally known for the theatrical way he comes hopping out of the sanctuary in order to announce the first resurrection of Jesus Christ.The church bells of the Holy Temple of Panagia Evangelistria in Chios rang marking the victory of the divine over death, while the “flying priest” threw handfuls of bay leaves over the faithful.This tradition that began on Chios years ago has now spread to many other parts of Greece and Cyprus.
Former editor says Boris Johnson cost magazine £4,000 in parking finesAs a motoring correspondent Boris Johnson cost his magazine £4,000 in parking tickets, his former editor has said.“And when I say a lot, I mean a lot; in Boris’s own words, they started accumulating ‘like drifting snow on the windshield’.Mr Jones added: "I once worked out that, over the decade he worked for GQ, Boris had cost us about £4,000 in parking tickets."Mr Jones added... “When the cars were delivered to his house in Islington, the car company always made a note of the mileage, something that is standard practice. The mileage would also be noted when they came to pick them up again. And on more than one occasion — OK, on many, many, many occasions — the mileage was precisely the same. So I leave you to draw your own conclusions.”
‘All omens look positive’: Greece is grateful as the tourists flock backNot since the pre-Covid season, when 33 million holidaymakers visited, has business been as good