Westminster council's draft licensing policy recommends banning 'vertical drinking' and ordering at the bar in Soho and the West End, drawing criticism from London Mayor Sadiq Khan, hospitality figures, and licensing experts.
RBI to resume licensing of urban cooperative banks after 22 years, review rural cooperative banks' credit monitoring, and standardize lending rates for transparency, alongside raising India's FY27 GDP growth forecast to 6.7%.
Shanghai-based company MiniMax has restricted free access to its model weights in the US, EU, UK and South Korea, citing regulatory uncertainties and ongoing copyright legal proceedings.
Balaji Srinivasan's Network School in Malaysia's Forest City was shut down due to licensing irregularities and scrutiny over residents' nationalities, including a claim of Israeli citizens. Founder Balaji Srinivasan denied wrongdoing and quickly announced a new campus in Kazakhstan.
Premier Li Qiang signed a State Council decree to revise rules on integrated circuit layout design protection, effective October 15. This move aims to bolster China's chip design capabilities amidst US restrictions on advanced equipment, fostering innovation in custom architectures.
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman criticized Google's AI Overviews, citing concerns over search referrals and their impact on publishers. This follows a reported 20% drop in Reddit's shares despite strong earnings, driven by investor worries about AI's disruption to web economics.
The Munich Regional Court ruled that US-based Suno AI violated copyrights by training its models on unlicensed music, ordering damages and disclosure of illicit revenues. Germany's licensing agency GEMA initiated the lawsuit, which is a globally significant test of copyright law for AI music. Suno plans to appeal the decision.
Chinese AI model developers face a revenue gap due to open-source licensing, prompting suggestions for commercial licensing to tap into growing global adoption, especially among SMEs.
Balaji Srinivasan's Network School plans a new campus in Kazakhstan via an MoU with the Digital Development Ministry, following the revocation of its business license in Malaysia's Forest City over alleged premises-use violations and immigration law probes.
Australian media heads from ABC, SBS, Nine, and News Corp demand AI companies pay for news content used for training, citing it as a "public good." Licensing talks are underway, with Anthropic approaching ABC. The Andrew Olle lecture highlighted the need to protect journalism and ensure fair compensation.
Apple has raised subscription prices for Apple Music (Individual, Family, Student) and Apple One bundles (Family, Premium) due to rising licensing costs. This marks the second price hike since 2022, occurring amidst a general increase in electronics costs.
Experts and environmental groups criticize the UK's carbon capture and storage (CCS) plans, arguing they are costly, ineffective against methane emissions, and primarily support new fossil fuel infrastructure rather than hard-to-abate industries.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has launched a Common Supervisory Action (CSA) to assess the operational resilience of crypto asset service providers (CASPs) under the MiCA framework. The review focuses on custody services, moving beyond initial licensing to examine practical security measures and risk management.
Sony's decision to end physical PlayStation game production in 2028 has sparked backlash. Gamers criticize the loss of choice, inability to share or resell games, and the disenfranchisement of superfans, contrasting with Sony's past support for physical media.
Binance is in preliminary talks with regulators for crypto licenses after withdrawing its MiCA application in Greece. Co-CEO Richard Teng noted that 70% of EU user funds left Binance for self-custody wallets, questioning MiCA's consumer protection goals. The exchange is also expanding in Asia.
UK government is considering new plans for the veterinary sector, including mandatory licensing for practices, price caps on pet medicine, and increased transparency over ownership. These reforms aim to address concerns over high costs and lack of competition, with over 60% of practices owned by six major groups.
Ripple has obtained a Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) license from Luxembourg's financial regulator, granting it full authorization under the EU's MiCA crypto framework. This allows Ripple to offer regulated crypto-asset services across the EEA, making it one of few digital asset companies fully compliant with MiCA.
Four councillors have resigned from Highland Council's licensing committee after voting to allow a convicted rapist taxi driver, David Brown, to keep his operator's licence. The decision sparked criticism, with women's safety groups calling it a "harmful message".
The crypto industry has shifted from low-barrier, anonymous startups to highly regulated companies requiring significant capital, legal, and compliance infrastructure. This evolution mirrors traditional finance, concentrating power among established players and making it harder for new entrants.
Pubs in England and Wales can now stay open until 5 AM on Monday to allow fans to watch the World Cup match between England and Mexico. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the U-turn on licensing laws, which was welcomed by industry leaders.
Pubs across England and Wales can now stay open until 5 AM for the England vs. Mexico World Cup match on Monday, following a government U-turn. Initially, pubs that hadn't applied for extended hours in advance would miss out.
The UK government is considering extending pub opening hours beyond current World Cup relaxations for England's 1am Monday match against Mexico. Business Minister Kate Dearden initially ruled it out, but the Prime Minister is now reviewing, with councils encouraged to approve late opening applications.
Chinese AI-driven drug-design firms are rapidly expanding their global presence through cross-border deals, with out-licensing agreements reaching US$75 billion in the first five months of 2026, despite increasing scrutiny from Washington on Chinese biotech companies. A deal between Metis TechBio and Boulevard Bio exemplifies this trend.
British hospitality faces closures, but themed bars are booming. Experiential venues like axe-throwing and ball pits are popular with younger generations. This report explores seven London themed bars to assess their viability.
