England to Ban Sale of Disposable Vapes

📍Top line: The UK government has confirmed that the sale of disposable vapes will be banned in England starting June 2025. The move, aimed at reducing environmental damage and safeguarding children's health, follows concerns over the rise in youth vaping and the environmental impact of single-use products.

Key Points:

• The ban is intended to prevent environmental harm and protect children's health, with similar measures expected in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

• Disposable vapes are difficult to recycle and often end up in landfills, where harmful chemicals from batteries can leak into the environment.

• Nearly five million single-use vapes were discarded each week last year, with enough lithium waste to power 5,000 electric vehicles.

• The ban follows concerns that disposable vapes, often sold in colourful packaging, are driving a rise in youth vaping.

• The legislation is expected to take effect on 1 June 2025, giving retailers time to sell remaining stock.

• This measure is separate from the government's plan to phase out smoking by banning cigarette sales to anyone born after January 2009.

Vinted to Expand into Electronics and Other Goods

📍Top line: Lithuanian second-hand fashion platform Vinted has announced plans to broaden its marketplace beyond clothing to include electronics, books, toys, and video games.

Key points:

• Expansion plans: Vinted will move beyond fashion, targeting "unsexy" areas like logistics for used electronics, books, toys, and video games.

• Profitability and growth: Vinted recently became the first second-hand marketplace to reach profitability and has increased its valuation from €3.5 billion in 2021 to €5 billion after a €340 million share sale to investors.

• Global ambitions: Vinted’s CEO Thomas Plantenga stated that the company aims to make second-hand shopping the “first choice” for various product categories globally, with potential future expansion into the US.

Vinted, already established in 22 European countries, plans to remain focused on Europe in the short term but has long-term global ambitions, including a potential stock market listing in the future.

Elsewhere in business:

⚽ A new football regulator will have the authority to decide how the Premier League distributes its wealth to smaller clubs, marking a significant shift in football governance. The government has expanded a bill to give the regulator greater control over financial and operational matters within the sport. This move follows high-profile club failures and concerns over inequality, with the bill set to place smaller clubs on firmer financial ground.

🚗 Elon Musk's Tesla reported a surprising 17% rise in profits for the third quarter, with net income reaching £1.7 billion, reversing two consecutive quarters of declining earnings. This growth came alongside a 7.8% increase in revenue, driven by record sales of 463,000 cars and boosted by price cuts and subsidized financing deals.

The end of clubbing in the UK?

📍 Top line: The UK clubbing scene is facing a crisis, with 10 venues closing each month, according to new research by the Nighttime Industries Association (NTIA). If this trend continues, the UK could lose all its clubs by 2030. Industry leaders are calling for government support to save this vital part of British culture.

Key points: 

• Club closures accelerating: Over the past four years, the UK has lost 37% of its clubs, averaging 10 closures per month. Rising operational costs and fewer clubgoers due to the cost of living crisis are the main drivers behind the decline.

• Economic pressures: A recent NTIA survey of 500 nightlife businesses found that 70% are either barely breaking even or operating at a loss, highlighting the financial strain on venues.

• Risk of total collapse: If the current rate of closures continues, the NTIA predicts the UK could lose its entire clubbing scene by 2030.

• Government support needed: Industry leaders are calling for urgent financial support from the government in the upcoming budget, particularly on issues like alcohol duty and other cost-heavy regulations.

• Reinvention and innovation: Some clubs are adapting by hosting events in "meanwhile spaces" like converted warehouses or temporary venues, as seen with the popular Drumsheds club in Tottenham.

Elsewhere in the economy:

🏠 The government is considering extending the time workers can strike without needing a new vote, doubling the mandate from six months to a year. A government consultation suggests this extension could reduce administrative costs, as unions are likely to win a second ballot. Recent strikes by railway staff, train drivers, doctors, and teachers have contributed to more than 5.7 million lost working days in the past two years, the highest in over 30 years.

✈️ Taylor Swift fans and Olympic visitors helped drive record-breaking passenger numbers through Heathrow Airport between June and September, prompting the airport to consider reinstating its dividend for the first time in four years. The UK's largest airport saw 30.7 million travelers during the summer, bringing the total for the first nine months of the year to 63.1 million.

Deloitte has opened applications to its 2025 Audit Analytics industrial placement scheme in London. Successful applicants will work with some of the world’s most well-known names, including companies publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange, as well as some of the UK’s most innovative start-ups and private equity owned businesses. The scheme is open to undergraduates on track to receive a minimum 2:1 in any degree discipline. Apply now here.

Apple to launch new MacBook Pro

📍Top line: Apple is gearing up to launch its first M4-powered MacBook Pro laptops, marking the debut of the next-generation Apple Silicon for professional users.

Key points:

• Apple’s first M4-powered MacBook Pro laptops are expected to launch on October 29.

• The laptops will support Apple Intelligence AI tools, though the full suite won’t be available until later.

• There will be no MacBook Air release at this event, with an update for that model not expected until March 2025.

• The consumer-focused MacBook Air will remain available with the older M3 chipset for the time being.

Elsewhere in tech:

🎮 Roblox is tightening its child-safety policies following widespread criticism and arrests of alleged child predators using the platform. Starting next month, children under 13 will need parental permission to access chat features, and kids under 9 will require approval to play games with moderate violence or crude humor. Additionally, Roblox is introducing new account types that allow parents to monitor their child’s online activity and friends more closely.

💉 A pioneering Alzheimer's drug, donanemab, has been rejected for widespread use in England's NHS by NICE, the health spending watchdog. Despite its potential to slow cognitive decline, NICE says it "does not demonstrate value for the NHS." This is the second new Alzheimer's treatment rejected in recent months, sparking concerns over access to breakthrough therapies.

🇺🇸 Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated that his relationship with Donald Trump will not be affected by a controversy involving Labour Party activists travelling to the U.S. to campaign for Trump’s rival, Kamala Harris. The Trump campaign has accused the Labour Party of electoral interference, pointing to an organised trip where approximately 100 Labour volunteers were sent to assist Democrats in key states.

❤️ Tyson Fury has revealed that his wife, Paris, suffered a miscarriage shortly before his loss to Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia in May. Paris, who was six months pregnant with what would have been their eighth child, endured the tragic loss alone while Fury was away for the fight.

🚗 Drivers are being urged to exercise caution as the clocks go back on Sunday, with new data revealing a rise in accidents following the annual time change. The switch from BST to GMT results in brighter mornings but darker evenings, with the motoring organisation warning that factors like reduced visibility, slippery roads, and low-lying sun contribute to more collisions in late October and early November.