Latest news with #licensing
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Barnsley bar's hours extended despite 'breast jiggling' incident
A bar has been allowed to stay open until the early hours of the morning despite objections from nearby Country Club in Barnsley's Victorian Arcade was permitted by councillors to serve alcohol between 09:00 and 02:00, an increase from the previous 11:00 to 23: owner of a neighbouring opticians had complained about the plans after an incident in which a woman was caught on the store's CCTV "jiggling her breasts at customers, one of whom was an 85-year-old man", councillors were earlier club's owners proposed conditions to mitigate concerns and the plans were approved by Barnsley Council's licensing committee. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, at the meeting on Thursday, Phillip Potter, owner of The Spectacle Shop, acknowledged that some behaviour was beyond the bar's control, but said it still contributed to an unsuitable Potter said noise from Country Club customers continued to affect his business: "Forty per cent of retail sales can be lost from having your windows [and] door closed. If your windows are open, mine have to be closed, because of the noise.""When The Country Club first opened, we agreed to reduce our opening hours from a 5.30pm close to a 4pm close. We can live with that, but I can't live with an earlier close," he explained."We get people coming in with severe problems that can be life-changing, and the environment has to feel right. The reason we closed early is because the environment didn't feel right anymore." No police incidents At the meeting, solicitor Michelle Hazlewood, representing bar owners Rebecca and Paul McNicholas, addressed a separate incident, involving a hen party and a blow-up doll, saying those taking part "were not customers of the bar and had merely been passing through the arcade".Councillors heard that the applicants had proposed conditions to mitigate concerns, such as restricting outdoor music before 17:30, noise monitoring, and staff supervising outside areas in key trading also agreed to increase CCTV, introduce a dispersal policy, and maintain open communication with nearby objection from the neighbouring Gallagher's Cafe was withdrawn after the bar proposed the conditions.A written submission stated that the venue had experienced no police incidents and was involved in local safety schemes such as Purple Flag and Best Bar meeting was told that the bar's owners had over 20 years of experience operating licensed venues in Barnsley, including Annie Murray's and Pure Council's licensing regulatory board sub-committee approved The Country Club's application unanimously. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
CNA
18 hours ago
- Business
- CNA
CNA Explains: Singapore's tightened crypto licensing rules – 'closing the door' or 'raising the bar'?
SINGAPORE: The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has moved to tighten its regulation of unlicensed cryptocurrency firms operating in the country. Digital token service providers based in Singapore that only serve overseas markets will need to be licensed by Jun 30 – or they'll have to suspend or cease their unregulated activities here. Why is MAS doing this? Experts told CNA the authority was closing a loophole in the industry. 'It's a step towards consistency,' said intergovernmental blockchain advisor Anndy Lian, adding that ensuring digital token service providers meet the same standards could bolster trust. Prior to the regulation, providers targeting overseas markets could sidestep licensing requirements and exploit 'lighter oversight' while operating from Singapore, he noted. 'This move levels the playing field and likely reflects pressure to align with global anti-money laundering efforts,' said Mr Lian. Mr Adrian Ang, a partner at Allen & Gledhill's financial services department, added that it was necessary to support standards set by the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, the Financial Action Task Force. 'Without regulation, the anonymity, speed and cross-border nature of their activities make this sector highly vulnerable to criminal abuse,' he said. How will firms be affected? As of Jun 19, MAS has granted digital payment token licences to 33 institutions, including major players like Coinbase and OKX. While unlicensed digital payment token services can still apply for a local license, MAS has said that it has 'set the bar high' and will 'generally not issue" one. Bitget and Bybit are among the top ten exchange operators by volume that do not have a Singapore licence. A Bloomberg report said Bitget will relocate staff to jurisdictions such as Dubai and Hong Kong, and that Bybit has plans to follow suit. But experts pointed out that it is the smaller firms that will feel the heat. While larger firms have in-house legal and compliance departments and experience in dealing with licensing frameworks, smaller and mid-sized players face an 'uphill task,' said Mr Mike Chiam, a fintech lawyer at Foxtail LLC. 'Many of them relied on operating from Singapore under a 'non-retail, overseas-only' assumption. That assumption no longer holds,' he said. For these firms – which include unlicensed crypto exchanges, over-the-counter brokers and decentralised finance projects targeting overseas markets – compliance costs, legal restructuring or a complete shutdown are on the table, he added. Mr Lian, who knows of many small firms trying to shift out of Singapore since early June, agreed that added compliance costs and processes weigh heavily on these. 'I've seen startups struggle with similar red tape elsewhere, and it risks pushing innovation to less regulated regions if not handled carefully,' he said. What about employees? Mr Chiam said a common question he's had to deal with relates to whether employees whose job scope involves dealing with digital tokens must relocate. Based on his law firm's understanding from employees' enquiries, it has found that such workers are generally not affected by MAS' stricter rules, he said. Practically speaking, employees working for digital token firms do not have to relocate - or at least, that is not the legislative intention, Mr Chiam added. 'On a positive note, employees appear to be interested in knowing how to better comply with regulations and keep abreast of such updates – overall a heightened awareness of the regulatory stance,' he said. An employee from MEXC, who requested anonymity, observed that other centralised exchanges have introduced additional know your customer (KYC) checks and anti-money laundering (AML) frameworks. These policies verify customers' identities, to prevent illicit activity and to comply with global regulations. Although MEXC does not have a local licence, the employee said his colleagues in Singapore have not been significantly affected. 'There are some observed changes within the compliance and legal teams, but for the most part, it is still business as usual,' he said. An employee from Bitget, who also requested anonymity, claimed that about ten members of the customer service team were laid off earlier in June. What does it mean for the industry here? Ms Angela Ang, who heads Asia Pacific's policy and strategic partnerships at blockchain intelligence company TRM Labs, said that while Singapore's approach to crypto may not resonate with everyone, it has been 'very consistent'. 'Firms that are not operating this specific kind of business model should not be unduly alarmed. Crypto businesses can still obtain licences here if they are prepared to have a substantive presence, including servicing Singapore customers,' said Ms Ang. She added that the industry has had 'significant runway' to make preparations since the Financial Services and Markets Act was passed in April 2022. In a media release on Jun 6, MAS also said its position has been 'consistently communicated' for a few years since its first response to public consultation issued in February 2022. It added that based on available information, it was aware of a 'very small number' of providers affected. Allen & Gledhill's Mr Ang agreed that most crypto firms here should have already undertaken licensing considerations prior to commencing their business, as licensing requirements have been 'in force for many years.' Ultimately, the move should not be misread as Singapore turning hostile to digital assets, Mr Chiam said. 'Instead, the law is making it clear: If your fintech wants to use Singapore's framework and reputation, you must meet Singapore's standards,' he said. 'In that sense, Singapore isn't closing the door – it's raising the bar."
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US Supreme Court sides with federal agency on nuclear waste facility license
WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday against the state of Texas and oil industry interests in their challenge to Nuclear Regulatory Commission authority to license certain nuclear waste storage facilities. The 6-3 ruling, authored by conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, reversed a lower court's decision declaring a license awarded by the NRC to a company called Interim Storage Partners to operate a nuclear waste storage in western Texas unlawful. The NRC is the federal agency that regulates nuclear energy in the United States. The NRC issued a license in 2021 to Interim Storage Partners - a joint venture of France-based Orano and Dallas-based Waste Control Specialists - to build a nuclear waste storage facility in Andrews County in Texas, near the New Mexico border. The U.S. government and the company had appealed the decision by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the NRC lacked authority to issue the license based on a law called the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. The appeal was brought under Democratic former President Joe Biden and was continued under Republican President Donald Trump. The government argued that Congress gave the NRC the authority to license temporary off-site nuclear waste storage facilities. The Interim Storage Partners license was challenged by Fasken Land and Minerals, a Texas-based oil and gas extraction organization, and the nonprofit Permian Basin Coalition of Land and Royalty Owners and Operators. Texas and New Mexico later joined the challenge, arguing the facility posed environmental risks to the states. The case brought by New Mexico subsequently was dismissed. "To qualify as a party to a licensing proceeding, the Atomic Energy Act requires that one either be a license applicant or have successfully intervened in the licensing proceeding," Kavanaugh wrote in the ruling. "In this case, however, Texas and Fasken are not license applicants, and they did not successfully intervene in the licensing proceeding. So neither was a party eligible to obtain judicial review in the 5th Circuit," he wrote. During March 5 arguments in the case, some of the Supreme Court's conservative justices seemed wary of the NRC's claim that the licensing arrangements at issue would be temporary. The license issued to Interim Storage Partners was set to last for 40 years, with the possibility of being renewed. A proposal to permanently store the nation's spent nuclear fuel at a federal facility at Yucca Mountain in Nevada has been stalled following decades of opposition in that state. The Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, has limited the authority of various federal agencies including the Environment Protection Agency and Securities and Exchange Commission in various rulings in recent years. The court last year overturned its own 1984 precedent that had given deference to government agencies in interpreting laws they administer. Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has moved to dismantle various agencies as part of his campaign to slash the federal workforce and remake the government.
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Algeria awards 5 blocks in 2024 hydrocarbons bid round
Algeria has awarded five of the six exploration blocks offered under its 2024 hydrocarbons licensing round, the National Agency for the Valorisation of Hydrocarbon Resources (ALNAFT) announced following the bid opening session held on Tuesday. A total of seven bids were received for the ' Algeria Bid Round 2024,' which was the first conducted under Algeria's new hydrocarbon law No. 19-13, designed to enhance investment attractiveness through improved fiscal and contractual terms. The awarded blocks and winning consortia are as follows: Ahara (Illizi Basin): TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy Reggane II (Reggane Basin): Eni and PTTEP Zerafa II (Ahnet Gourara Basin): Zhongman Petroleum and Natural Gas Group (ZPEC) Toual II (Berkine Basin): Zangas and Filada Guern El Guessa II (Gourara Timimoun Basin): Sinopec The Grand M'Zaid block, located in the Oued Mya Basin, was not awarded in this round. ALNAFT stated that contracts for the awarded blocks will be signed with Algeria's national oil company SONATRACH in the coming days. (Writing by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon) (
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Antibody Collaboration and Licensing Agreements Analysis Report 2025 with Directory of Deals - Upfront, Milestone, Royalties Financial Terms, Company A-Z, Deal Type and Therapy Area
Dublin, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Antibody Collaboration and Licensing Deals 2019-2025" report has been added to Collaboration and Licensing Deals provides a comprehensive understanding and unprecedented access to the antibody deals entered into by the world's leading biopharma companies. This report contains a comprehensive listing of 1486 antibody deals announced since 2019 including financial terms where available including links to online deal records of actual antibody partnering deals as disclosed by the deal parties. In addition, where available, records include contract documents as submitted to the Securities Exchange Commission by companies and their revised and updated, the report provides details of antibody deals from 2019 to 2025. The report provides a detailed understanding and analysis of how and why companies enter antibody deals. These deals tend to be multicomponent, starting with collaborative R&D, and commercialization of outcomes. The report includes collaboration, development, research and licensing initial chapters of this report provide an orientation of antibody 1 provides an introduction to the 2 provides an overview of the trends in antibody dealmaking since 3 provides an overview of the leading antibody deals since 2019. Deals are listed by headline 4 provides a comprehensive listing of the top 25 most active companies in antibody dealmaking with a brief summary followed by a comprehensive listing of antibody deals, as well as contract documents available in the public 5 provides a comprehensive and detailed review of antibody deals signed and announced since Jan 2019, where a contract document is available in the public 6 provides a comprehensive and detailed review of antibody partnering deals signed and announced since Jan 2019. The chapter is organized by specific antibody technology type in report also includes numerous table and figures that illustrate the trends and activities in antibody deal making since addition, a comprehensive deal directory is provided organized by company A-Z, deal type and therapeutic target. Each deal title links via Weblink to an online version of the deal record and where available, the contract document, providing easy access to each contract document on Collaboration and Licensing Deals provides the reader with the following key benefits: Understand deal trends since 2019 Browse antibody collaboration and licensing deals Benchmark analysis - identify market value of transactions Financials terms - upfront, milestone, royalties Directory of deals by company A-Z, deal type and therapy area Leading deals by value Most active dealmakers Identify assets and deal terms for each transaction Access contract documents - insights into deal structures Due diligence - assess suitability of your proposed deal terms for partner companies Save hundreds of hours of research time Antibody Collaboration and Licensing Deals includes: Trends in antibody dealmaking in the biopharma industry Directory of antibody deal records covering pharmaceutical and biotechnology The leading antibody deals by value Most active antibody licensing dealmakers Analyzing contract agreements allows due diligence of: What are the precise rights granted or optioned? What is actually granted by the agreement to the partner company? What exclusivity is granted? What is the payment structure for the deal? How are sales and payments audited? What is the deal term? How are the key terms of the agreement defined? How are IPRs handled and owned? Who is responsible for commercialization? Who is responsible for development, supply, and manufacture? How is confidentiality and publication managed? How are disputes to be resolved? Under what conditions can the deal be terminated? What happens when there is a change of ownership? What sublicensing and subcontracting provisions have been agreed? Which boilerplate clauses does the company insist upon? Which boilerplate clauses appear to differ from partner to partner or deal type to deal type? Which jurisdiction does the company insist upon for agreement law? Key Topics Covered: Executive SummaryChapter 1 - IntroductionChapter 2 - Trends in antibody dealmaking2.1. Introduction2.2. Antibody deals over the years2.3. Most active antibody dealmakers2.4. Antibody deals by deal type2.5. Antibody deals by therapy area2.6. Antibody deals by industry sector2.7. Deal terms for antibody deals2.7.1 Antibody deals headline values2.7.2 Antibody deal upfront payments2.7.3 Antibody deal milestone payments2.7.4 Antibody royalty ratesChapter 3 - Leading antibody deals3.1. Introduction3.2. Top antibody deals by valueChapter 4 - Most active antibody dealmakers4.1. Introduction4.2. Most active antibody dealmakers4.3. Most active antibody deals company profilesChapter 5 - Antibody contracts dealmaking directory5.1. Introduction5.2. Antibody contracts dealmaking directoryChapter 6 - Antibody dealmaking by technology type For more information about this report visit About is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. CONTACT: CONTACT: Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@ For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
