The UK government will tomorrow (5 July 2022) introduce new economic, trade and transport sanctions on Belarus as the Lukashenko regime continues to actively facilitate Putin’s illegal invasion.

The package extends some of the significant measures made against Russia to Belarus, including import and export bans on goods worth around £60 million. This includes:

• Exports of oil refining goods
• Exports of advanced technology components, such as those used in quantum computing
• Exports of luxury goods, including British artwork and designer handbags
• Imports of Belarusian iron and steel

The UK government is also restricting Belarus’ access to the UK’s world class financial services sector – banning more Belarusian companies from issuing debt and securities in London.

The Belarus regime has actively facilitated Putin’s invasion, letting Russia use its territory to pincer Ukraine – launching troops and missiles from their border and flying Russian jets through their airspace. Lukashenko has also openly supported the Kremlin’s narrative, claiming that Kyiv was “provoking Russia” in order to justify Putin’s bloody invasion.

Today’s measures build on the wide-ranging measures the UK government has introduced on Belarus, including a 35 percent increase on tariffs on a range of goods originating from Belarus and sanctions on President Lukashenko and senior government officials for their continued human rights violations and undermining of democracy.

Maureen Montanía, aged 26, from Paraguay has been recognised with the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts – The Diana Award.

Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Award is given out by the charity of the same name and has the support of both her sons, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex.

Maureen grew up in a socially unequal environment in Paraguay, where gifted and talented students didn’t have the opportunity to realise their abilities. Maureen fights for the rights of the invisible gifted children and adolescents in Paraguay through the ‘Aikumby Laboratory’ project.

To date, her work has helped more than 20 families, individuals, and institutions by conducting talent development workshops for parents, adolescents, and adults. She trained a team of professionals in the detection, assessment and diagnosis of giftedness, an activity that today has been transforming Paraguayan lives for more than a year through family and educational guidance.

Tessy Ojo CBE, CEO of The Diana Award, says:

We warmly congratulate our new Diana Award recipients from the UK and across the world who are changemakers for their generation. It is especially poignant as we remember Princess Diana twenty-five years on. We know by receiving this honour they will inspire more young people to get involved in their communities and begin their own journey as active citizens.

Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, Andrew Moll OBE, said:

Today marks the start of Maritime Safety Week 2022, an important moment when the marine industry comes together to focus on how we can collectively continue to improve safety across the sector. As the MAIB has done in previous years, this week we plan to highlight a number of key areas of ongoing concern and reiterate the safety messages that the industry must note.

Today I am going to concentrate on fishing vessel safety, which continues to require my close attention. In 2021, ten commercial fishermen lost their lives and nine out of the 22 investigations commenced by MAIB last year involved commercial fishing vessels. However, we will not lose focus on improving safety and will continue to strive to understand the causes of accidents onboard fishing vessels so lessons can be learned and more tragedies can be averted in this most dangerous of professions.

Stability onboard fishing vessels is a significant ongoing safety issue. The recent reports looking into the tragic accidents onboard the potting vessels Nicola Faith and Joanna C have highlighted how modifications can compromise a vessel’s stability. However, stability can also be compromised during fishing operations by, for example, overloading, which was the case in the accident involving Nicola Faith. The vessel had undergone several unapproved modifications, but our investigation found that the main trigger for the capsize was severe overloading by a combination of catch and fishing gear. The consequence in this accident was that all three crew members lost their lives.

At the start of Maritime Safety Week, I would encourage all skippers and crews to take a long hard look at their vessel’s stability and ask themselves some potentially challenging questions. How much have modifications eroded our vessel’s stability since it was built? Do we have a safe procedure for when the fishing gear becomes snagged or picks up a heavy load? Are we using the fish hold to best effect to minimise the weight on deck? I would urge crews to take a look at the Nicola Faith and Joanna C reports and heed the lessons the investigations identified.

We are looking for qualified legal aid professionals who wish to become contracted peer reviewers for the Legal Aid Agency.

Contracts are being awarded in the following categories:

• crime

• family

• housing

• immigration and asylum

• mental health

Anyone currently delivering peer review services who wishes to continue doing this work from 1 October 2022 must also apply.

Timescales

What is peer review?

Peer reviewers independently assess random samples of provider case files using guidance developed in consultation with the Law Society, law centres and not-for-profit advice agencies. This guidance is available on our GOV.UK legal aid pages

Once assessments are completed, a report is produced, which sets out positive findings, areas for improvement and the overall quality rating.

This work is important for our auditing and assurance processes.

How much will I be paid?

Peer reviewers are paid an hourly rate of £53.57.

How long do contracts last?

Successful applicants will begin training to become a peer reviewer from September 2022. The contract will be for a period of 2 years, with an option to extend for 2 additional years.

Where can I find out more?

Detailed information on the application process and minimum requirements is available on GOV.UK.

Further information

Apply to be a peer reviewer – to find out more and download application forms

Legal Aid Agency audits – for guidance on the independent peer review process