Belgium becomes the first European Union country to ban the sale of disposable vapes. The new regulations took effect on January 1, 2025, The Guardian reports.

Belgium decided to ban the sale of disposable vapes for public health and environmental reasons.

A ban on outdoor smoking also came into effect in Milan on the same day, as EU countries discuss stricter tobacco control measures.

Last year, Belgium’s Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke announced the ban, calling e-cigarettes “extremely harmful” to society and the environment.

“Disposable e-cigarettes is a new product simply designed to attract new consumers. E-cigarettes often contain nicotine. Nicotine makes you addicted to nicotine. Nicotine is bad for your health,” he stated.

The minister also highlighted the “hazardous chemical waste” present in cheap, widely available disposable vapes.

Belgium aims to reduce the number of new smokers to zero, or nearly zero, by 2040 and is implementing additional measures to “discourage and denormalise” smoking.

For context, New Zealand and Sweden have recently achieved unprecedented reductions in smoking rates by encouraging smokers to switch to lower-risk alternatives such as vaping and snus. These countries are now on the verge of becoming smoke-free.

On New Year’s Eve in the Belgian capital, Brussels, 159 individuals were arrested for disturbing public order. They burned dozens of cars and attacked rescue services, according to Politico.

Between 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday and 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, police arrested 159 individuals and responded to over 1,700 incidents across the city. Most disturbances occurred in the western and southern districts of Brussels, particularly in the municipalities of Molenbeek and Anderlecht.

The Brussels fire department reported that at least 60 cars were burned. Firefighters trying to extinguish the flames were pelted with stones and Molotov cocktails.

More New Year’s Eve Enrichment!New Year’s Eve in Brussels turned into a scene of chaos, as immigrant thugs torched cars, scooters, and shared bicycles. Meanwhile, in Antwerp and Ghent, similar criminals armed themselves with heavy fireworks, using them as weapons against the… pic.twitter.com/gzgKn5HOal

— Amy Mek (@AmyMek) January 1, 2025

Riots and fires were also reported in Antwerp, Belgium’s second-largest city, where 49 arrests were made.

“It was really crazy. We were there to help, and we were getting Molotov cocktails thrown at us,” said Walter Deriu, a spokesperson for the Brussels fire department.

The New Year’s Eve riots have become a regular occurrence in Belgium. In 2023, over 200 people were detained in Brussels, while in 2022, the number was 160.

Terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve

Today, on January 1, a pickup truck drove into a large crowd during New Year’s celebrations in New Orleans. According to preliminary data, 10 people were killed and 30 others were injured.

It’s also worth noting that a similar terrorist attack recently took place in Germany, where a car drove into people at a Christmas market.

Specialists from the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine have attacked Russia’s oil sector, with the primary target being the services of the company Lukoil, according to RBC-Ukraine’s sources.

From December 30 to January 1, 2025, specialists from Ukraine’s DIU conducted another cyberattack on Russia’s oil sector. The main target was Lukoil’s digital resources. The oil company is involved in supplying the occupying forces of the Russian Federation.

As a result of the attack, the company’s digital resources were disrupted. Due to the cyberattack, the company’s clients were unable to make payments at gas stations via the mobile application. Additionally, the attack targeted the digital resources of the Evotor smart terminals (website, user personal accounts, mobile application, cash register payment system) and the unified digital goods labeling system Chestny Znak.

Sources clarified that the DDoS attack caused significant inconveniences and losses, as consumers were unable to purchase goods due to disruptions in payment systems.

“The level of dissatisfaction among consumers and service providers was heightened by the timing of the DDoS attack during the holiday period,” RBC-Ukraine sources noted.

Photo: Service disruptions at Lukoil

Other DIU cyberattacks

It is worth noting that in December 2024, DIU specialists attacked Russia’s MTS-Bank. This led to the blocking of its services, disruptions in the operation of online applications, and interruptions in payment systems.

This was not the first cyberattack on Russia’s financial sector. For example, in the summer, Ukrainian intelligence conducted a massive cyberattack on Russian banks and government resources. The attack lasted for a week.