Afghanistan envoy meets Russia’s Kabulov as SCO opens door to observer role
The Ambassador of Afghanistan to Russia, Ghulam Hassan, has met with Zamir Kabulov, Moscow’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, to discuss deepening tie...
Google is facing a landmark antitrust trial beginning Monday, as U.S. officials seek to break up the tech giant's dominance in the search engine market.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has brought the case to court, arguing that Google should be forced to sell its Chrome browser to restore competition to the online search market.
The outcome of the trial could have significant ramifications, potentially disrupting Google's long-standing position as the primary gateway to the internet. The DOJ hopes that the trial will not only challenge Google's monopoly in search but also prevent the company from extending its dominance into emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
During the opening statements, DOJ attorney David Dahlquist emphasized the bipartisan nature of the case, noting that it had been initiated under the Trump administration and carried forward under President Biden. "The full support of the DOJ both past and present" is behind this effort, he stated.
In response, Google has signaled its intent to appeal any unfavorable ruling. Google executive Lee-Anne Mulholland criticized the DOJ's proposed remedies, suggesting that they were too extreme and would disrupt the company's operations. "When it comes to antitrust remedies, the U.S. Supreme Court has said that 'caution is key,'" Mulholland wrote in a blog post. "DOJ's proposal throws that caution to the wind."
Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater, however, rejected Google's concerns, arguing that failing to address Google's monopoly would be "irresponsible." Slater, speaking outside the courthouse on Monday morning, stressed the need for action to address Google's abuse of its market power.
The trial is being overseen by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta and is expected to last for three weeks. At the center of the case is Google's practice of paying billions of dollars annually to companies like Apple to make its search engine the default on smartphones and tablets. The DOJ and a coalition of 38 state attorneys general are pushing for drastic measures, including ending these exclusive agreements, requiring Google to license search results to competitors, and potentially forcing the company to sell its Android operating system if other remedies fail to restore competition.
The DOJ also plans to call witnesses from AI companies, including Perplexity AI and OpenAI, to testify about how Google's exclusive agreements have hindered competition in the AI sector. Google, on the other hand, sees these proposals as excessive, arguing that cutting off financial support to browser makers like Mozilla and device vendors would harm the tech ecosystem and lead to higher costs for consumers.
The trial follows a recent win for the DOJ in a separate antitrust case, where a Virginia court ruled that Google maintains an illegal monopoly in advertising technology. The case is part of broader scrutiny of big tech companies, with Meta Platforms currently facing its own antitrust trial over its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
The Ambassador of Afghanistan to Russia, Ghulam Hassan, has met with Zamir Kabulov, Moscow’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, to discuss deepening ties and regional engagement, the Afghan embassy in Moscow said on Wednesday.
FBI chief Kash Patel told the U.S. Senate on Tuesday there was “no credible information” that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked women or underage girls to anyone but himself, as he defended the bureau’s decision to close its review.
As well as a text message, the suspect accused of assassinating right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in Utah also wrote a physical note message before the shooting that he planned to kill Kirk, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Monday.
Displaced Palestinians fled Gaza City overnight on Thursday (18 September), moving southwards after Israeli forces ordered residents of the city to evacuate to the south.
Hundreds of thousands of workers, students and pharmacists staged strikes and demonstrations across France on Thursday against looming budget cuts, intensifying pressure on President Emmanuel Macron and his new prime minister.
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