Warning issued to disposable vape owners before UK ban
The ban makes it illegal for retailers to sell disposable vapes, but concerns exist about people stockpiling them.
The Local Government Authority (LGA) warns that lithium batteries in disposable vapes pose fire risks if not stored correctly, potentially leading to thermal runaway and toxic gas release.
Disposable vapes are hazardous in waste disposal, causing fires in bin lorries and requiring manual disassembly for recycling, with costs borne by council taxpayers.
The ban applies across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with retailers facing fines for violations; the government aims to curb vaping among young people and reduce environmental impact.
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BBC News
27 minutes ago
- BBC News
Apprentice Boys: Thousands to take part in Relief of Derry parade
Thousands of people are expected in Londonderry for the annual Apprentice Boys' Relief of Derry parade on is one of the biggest loyal order parades in Northern Ireland and marks the anniversary of the ending of the Siege of Derry in 10,000 Apprentice Boys and 124 bands will make their way around the city's historic walls as part of the parading of the wall's following a wreath-laying ceremony at the war memorial in the Diamond, the procession will go to St Columb's Cathedral for a religious service before the main parade. What is the Relief of Derry parade? The Relief of Derry parade is held on the second Saturday in August each year, to commemorate the ending of the 105-day siege of the city in August took place against the background of an attempt by the deposed Catholic King James II to regain his crown from his Protestant son-in-law, King William known as William of Orange, or King Billy, the new monarch was supported by Protestants in Derry, who shut the gates of the walled city to keep out the advancing Jacobite ending of the siege is known as the Relief of Derry. Speaking ahead of the event, the governor of the Apprentice Boys of Derry, William Walker, said marking the Siege of Derry was still relevant today."I think it's very important that everybody learns the history of why the Apprentice Boys are here," he said."It's not just about flags, drums, and bands."It's about the significance of what the brave 13 [Apprentice Boys] did – what the people endured during the 105 days of the siege."Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme, Mr Walker said the event attracted people from "all walks of life" and they had done a lot of work to make the event more inclusive."We want everyone to come here and feel safe and comfortable to sit and watch the parade," he said."Where we have come from to now has been a vast improvement, and I commend all the hard work that has been done in the past."Mr Walker said the Apprentice Boys of Derry had spoken to the police and other agencies to ensure the event runs smoothly. Timetable of events Cannon Firing (midnight)Celebrations begin at midnight on the second Saturday in August with cannon fire on the Walls by members of the Parent Club and the Crimson the Walls (9:30 BST)Eight parent clubs, led by the General Committee and bands, parade around the of Thanksgiving (10:30)A public service is held at St. Columb's Cathedral, open to all brethren, band members and the of Derry Pageant (12:00)About 10,000 Apprentice Boys and 124 bands will parade through the city, starting at Craigavon bridge, passing through the city centre, Fountain estate, Waterside and concluding at May Parade (17:00)The parent clubs and general committee return the colours to the memorial hall. The parade moves from May Street via Spencer Road and Craigavon Bridge, through the Walled City. Motorists should allow extra time The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said a number of road closures will be in place throughout the are advised to allow extra time for their journeys and take extra care on diversionary will be no on-street parking along the parade route; parked cars cannot be moved until the parade has top deck of Craigavon Bridge will be closed during the parade, while the lower deck will remain open but with access only onto Victoria section from Craigavon Bridge to Dales Corner will be closed to general traffic, with access permitted for parade buses will be deployed throughout the city to help with any traffic issues.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Why Starmer will be back for another stab at welfare cuts
Asked to name the worst moment of his first year as prime minister, Keir Starmer spoke movingly about the death of his brother. If he had given a political answer – well, an honest one – it would surely have been his humiliating climbdown over cuts to disability benefits after a revolt by 126 Labour MPs. Ministers still lick deep wounds, but tell me they have not given up on trying to reduce the ballooning welfare bill – set to rise from £313bn to £373bn by 2029-30. 'It is unsustainable,' one said. 'Any government would have to address it. We can't give up on reform.' Starmer admitted to a recent meeting of Labour's national executive committee (NEC) his filleted legislation had not been handled well – a bit of an understatement. He promised a review by Stephen Timms, the minister for disability, would do better. Disabled people will play a key role, though, so it is hard to see how the review will recommend savings. Timms has said it is 'not intended to deliver cuts'. Fellow ministers are investing a lot of hope in the highly respected Timms. But he will need to be a miracle worker to keep everyone happy, producing a package supported by disability campaigners that also involves lower spending. In fact, Labour has a better story to tell on welfare reform than it appears. It doesn't win headlines, but Alison McGovern, the employment minister, is overseeing a quiet revolution. She has ended the 'blaming and shaming' of the jobless by the Conservatives, who split the unemployed into three groups: those 'ready for work'; a support group needing help to find jobs; and people who would never work. McGovern thinks her Tory predecessors concentrated on the low-hanging fruit to get as many in the 'ready for work' group into any job to keep the unemployment figures down. Her 'culture change' includes scrapping the three groups so everyone is helped to get the right job. She also wants to transform jobcentres from drab 'signing on' offices into welcoming places where work coaches give personalised advice and children play with toys while their mums and dads speak to staff over a cup of tea. Jobcentres are getting more freedom to bring in new ways of working. Some now use text messages to tell claimants about vacancies or job fairs they might be interested in. Not a draconian 'you must do this' to keep your benefit, but 'you might be interested to know about this'. Ministers will outline plans this autumn for the Department for Work and Pensions to use more AI so staff can switch from spreadsheets to helping people directly. McGovern is convinced the personal touch offered by work coaches can make all the difference. On a recent jobcentre visit, she met a woman who had battled mental health struggles and self-doubt, and is now happily working as a cleaner. She also heard about a man who didn't leave his home for a year who is now in full-time work. Although the unemployment rate (4.7 per cent) is at a four-year high – partly because of the hike in national insurance for business – there is a ray of hope. The past 12 months have seen a bigger drop in the 'economically inactive' rate as more people make themselves available for work. At 9 million, the inactive group is still higher than before the pandemic, but 400,000 lower than its peak. However, getting the jobless, sick and disabled into work requires upfront investment, and Rachel Reeves needs to find savings to stick to her fiscal rules, with experts forecasting a gap of up to £51bn by 2029-30. Starmer wants to spend more, not less. He told the NEC he wants to reduce child poverty by the next general election, as all previous Labour governments had done. The easiest way would be to abolish the two-child benefit cap at a cost of £3.5bn, as Gordon Brown proposed this week. Reeves seems to be warming to Brown's plan to raise gambling taxes. The prime minister should ensure the revenue is used to lift the two-child cap, rather than fill the hole in the public finances. Such a move would unite the Labour Party and bring the vast majority of its rebellious backbenchers onside, as Starmer needs to. But it should be part of a grand bargain under which Labour MPs, in return, accept long-term measures to control welfare spending – including tighter eligibility criteria for future but not existing claimants. Crucially, such changes would have to pass the test of being genuine reform rather than another crude Treasury cost-cutting exercise like the abandoned £5bn savings on sickness and disability benefits. Perhaps Starmer and Reeves might even offer a grand bargain with the public, too. It's an open secret that taxes will rise in the November Budget. Why not present this as everyone contributing something under a 'rights and responsibilities' agenda? Under a 'fair' tax and benefits regime, the jobless would have a duty to seek work, hard-pressed workers would be better rewarded – and the richest would bear the brunt of the tax rises. Difficult to sell? Yes. Impossible? No.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Bumper A-Level grades set to be ‘new normal'
Teenagers are set to receive top A-level grades next week as a high proportion of A*s and As becomes the 'new normal', analysis suggests. Prof Alan Smithers, the director of education at the University of Buckingham, who forecasts exam results each summer, said last year's bumper A-level grades were likely to continue in 2025. In a report published ahead of A-level results day next Thursday, he said grade inflation 'may be creeping back in again' following an explosion in top marks during the pandemic. 'A-level grades have a chance to settle down this year after the volatility of Covid and its aftermath. They are likely to be close to last year's, where top grades were a percentage point or two above pre-Covid levels,' said Prof Smithers. The rate of A*s handed out at A-level had been steadily declining since the exams regulator was introduced in 2010 to clamp down on grade inflation, until this trend was suddenly reversed during the pandemic. Top grades surged in 2020 and 2021, when formal exams ground to a halt during Covid lockdowns and were temporarily replaced with more generous teacher assessments. It resulted in the proportion of A*s nearly trebling between 2019 and 2021, with almost one in five A-levels awarded the top possible grade four years ago. Ofqual, the exams watchdog, has been working to gradually bring the rate of A*s and As back to pre-pandemic levels over the past few years, but pupils performed unexpectedly well last year and saw top grades tick back up slightly. More than nine per cent of A-level entries were awarded A*s last year and 18.5 per cent were handed As. This meant that 27.8 per cent of exam entries received the top two grades in 2024, up slightly from 27.2 per cent in 2023, and above the pre-pandemic rate of 25.4 per cent in 2019. Prof Smithers said that although last year's surprise top grade boost has made this year's results harder to predict, 'my best guess is that the grade pattern in 2024 could be the start of a new normal'. 'It may be that grades never get back to what was regarded as the norm before the Covid crisis, and 2024 has set the new benchmark,' he said. Figures covering A-level entries from students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be published by the Joint Council for Qualifications on Thursday. In his report, Prof Smithers suggested that 'girls will do better than boys,' once again by achieving top A-level grades this summer. Boys tend to make up a greater share of the very best marks in the country, as they gravitate more towards subjects such as further maths and physics. Pupils are more able to score marks close to 100 in these, compared to subjective subjects like the humanities. However, girls have consistently performed better than boys overall over the past few years. Last year, 28 per cent of A-level entries sat by girls received an A or higher, compared to 27.6 per cent of boys. 'Sadly, the under-performance of boys is no more likely than in previous years to receive the attention it deserves,' said Prof Smithers. 'They, and the country, would benefit considerably if ways could be found of ensuring that the potential of many boys is not wasted.' Universities are expected to open their doors this year to school leavers who narrowly miss out on grades as many institutions grapple with a worsening financial crisis. Jo Saxton, head of the university admissions service UCAS, said she expects 'a record number of 18-year-olds will wake up with confirmation' that they have been accepted at their top university choice next Thursday, adding: 'Quite possibly even where they are near-misses.' 'It's a really, really good year to be a UK-domiciled 18-year-old that wants to go to one of our world-class universities,' she said. Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute think tank, added that this year's cohort of school leavers are 'well placed' to get where they want to study, even if they score just shy of their university offers. He said: 'The financial plight of universities makes them very keen to fill their courses and they will be falling over themselves to sign up good potential students.'
