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The UK has officially banned the sale of disposable vapes as of Sunday, aiming to curb youth usage, reduce environmental waste, and stop the spread of harmful chemicals.
A nationwide ban on disposable vapes came into force across the United Kingdom on Sunday, marking a significant step in the government’s effort to address rising youth vaping, environmental concerns, and chemical pollution.
Under the new law, retailers - both online and physical stores - are now prohibited from selling disposable vapes, regardless of whether they contain nicotine. However, reusable vape devices remain legal and available for purchase.
The ban follows growing concerns about the popularity of disposable vapes among school-aged children and the environmental toll of improper disposal. Authorities estimate that up to 5 million disposable vapes are discarded in the UK every week, most ending up in landfills or as street litter rather than being recycled.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the move was essential to stop the “alarming rise” in youth vaping and to tackle the growing issue of e-waste. “This ban will put an end to their alarming rise in school playgrounds and the avalanche of rubbish flooding the nation’s streets,” the department stated.
The UK joins a growing number of countries tightening regulations on vaping. Australia implemented some of the world’s toughest vaping restrictions last year, and Belgium became the first European nation to ban disposable vapes entirely in early 2025. In the U.S., California continues to lead with strict vaping laws.
Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz has increased the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab, raising fears that instability in both waterways could trigger a wider global energy and trade crisis.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Iran to pay compensation for decades of deaths and damage, adding a new demand to peace talks as Tehran seeks compensation and sanctions relief before reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
A criminal court in Damascus has sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
Millions of people across Spain and Iceland are preparing on Wednesday to witness a rare total solar eclipse, when the moon will pass directly between Earth and the Sun, briefly turning daylight into darkness along a narrow path.
The Democratic Republic of Congo says the number of confirmed Ebola cases has risen to nearly 4,500, including more than 2,060 deaths. Delayed detection, weak surveillance, funding shortages and conflict have allowed the virus to spread faster than in any previous epidemic at the same stage.
Australia warned on Monday (3 August) of a wider spread of H5N1 bird flu after its first confirmed mass mortality event among seabirds killed about 50 greater crested terns off the coast of South Australia, south of Adelaide.
Cancer patients in Sudan are struggling to access life-saving treatment as soaring medication costs, power shortages and damaged hospital infrastructure deepen the country's healthcare crisis after more than three years of war.
The world risks a resurgence of the HIV epidemic after international funding fell by nearly a fifth last year, according to a new report from UNAIDS, which warned that decades of progress against the disease could be reversed without renewed global support.
A global shift towards healthier diets, more efficient farming and reduced food waste could cut greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture-related land-use change by 85% by 2050, according to a study published last week in the journal Nature.
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