
UK Plans to Increase Control over Google in search
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said steps it could take included making it easier for users to access different search providers and ensuring fair ranking principles for businesses appearing on Google search, Reuters reported.
It also proposed more transparency and control for publishers whose content appeared in search results if it goes ahead with the designation in October.
Google will be the first company designated since the regulator gained new powers this year.
Google said the move could have significant implications for businesses and consumers in Britain.
"We're concerned that the scope of the CMA's considerations remains broad and unfocused, with a range of interventions being considered before any evidence has been provided," said Oliver Bethell, Google's senior director for competition.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
China Imposes Anti-Dumping Duties on European Brandy as Trade Tensions Rise
China imposed anti-dumping duties on European brandy, most notably cognac produced in France, on Friday, as trade tensions between Beijing and US allies continue to rise. The tariffs, effective on Saturday, will range from 27.7 percent to 34.9 percent, China's Commerce Ministry said. They are to be in place for five years and will not be applied retroactively. Chinese authorities agreed to exempt some major cognac makers on condition they maintain their prices above minimum levels. The announcement came during a European visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi aimed at ironing out trade differences. Wang was set to visit Paris after stops in Brussels and Berlin. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said he will discuss the issue with Wang when the pair meet later Friday. The anti-dumping duties are the result of a probe China launched last year into European brandy after the European Union undertook a probe into Chinese electric vehicle subsidies. 'The investigative authority finally ruled that the dumping of related imported brandy from the EU has existed,' read a statement by China's Commerce Ministry. 'The domestic brandy industry faces a material threat of damage, and there is a causal relationship between the dumping and the substantial damage threat.' Besides cognac, China has also launched investigations into European pork and dairy products. The brandy probe was the first and targeted mainly French makers of cognac and similar spirits, such as Armagnac. China initially announced provisional tariffs of 30.6 percent to 39 percent on French cognac producer Remy Martin and other European brandies after a majority of EU countries approved duties on electric vehicles made in China. Exemptions include French producers Pernod Ricard, Remy Cointreau, and Hennessy. In a written statement, Barrot praised the broad scope of exemptions as 'a positive step for many players in the cognac and armagnac industry.' He noted that 'several important points remain unresolved, in particular the exclusion of certain players from the scope of exemptions.' 'We remain fully committed to finding a definitive solution based on the conditions that existed prior to the investigation,' Barrot added. Wang's European tour comes ahead of a China–EU summit to be focused on trade later this month in Beijing.


Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
Germany in talks to buy Patriot missiles for Ukraine after US pause
BERLIN: Germany is in talks on buying Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine to help it counter some of the heaviest Russian attacks since the war began in 2022, a government spokesperson said on Friday. The US has paused shipments of certain critical weapons to Ukraine including 30 Patriot air defense missiles, sources told Reuters this week, due to low stockpiles, prompting warnings by Kyiv this would weaken its ability to defend itself. 'There are various ways to fill this Patriot gap,' the spokesperson told a news conference in Berlin, adding that one option being considered is buying the Patriot missile batteries in the United States and then sending them on to Kyiv. 'I can confirm that intensive discussions are indeed being held on this matter,' he said. Germany has sent three of the US-made systems from its military stocks to Ukraine, and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius last month launched an initiative to chase down more of them at the Ramstein group of some 50 nations. Pistorius will travel to Washington later this month for talks with his US counterpart about his initiative as well as production capacities, said a defense ministry spokesperson. 'Of course these issues will also be on the agenda,' said the spokesperson. The US Embassy in Berlin was not immediately available for comment. Pistorius has floated the idea of buying Patriot systems that could be freed up to bypass long industrial delivery times and ensure they get to Ukraine quickly. Ukraine is increasingly desperate for the systems that it relies on to destroy fast-moving ballistic missiles. Russia pummelled Kyiv with the largest drone attack of the war, injuring at least 23 people, just hours after US President Donald Trump spoke to Russia's Vladimir Putin on Thursday. Germany, Ukraine's second largest donor after the United States, has sought to take on more of a leadership role in ensuring backing for Kyiv as US support has been thrown into question under Trump. While Europe could sustain Ukraine's resistance without US military support, according to a senior German military official, the challenges would be immense. Germany has provided a total of 38 billion euros ($43 billion) worth of military aid to Ukraine, including funds earmarked for the coming years, according to the defense ministry. A Bloomberg News report on Friday said Germany is preparing a 25-billion-euro tank order to ramp up its NATO brigades. The defense ministry had no immediate comment.


Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
World food prices tick higher in June, led by meat and vegetable oils
PARIS: Global food commodity prices edged higher in June, supported by higher meat, vegetable oil and dairy prices, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization has said. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in a basket of internationally traded food commodities, averaged 128 points in June, up 0.5 percent from May. The index stood 5.8 percent higher than a year ago, but remained 20.1 percent below its record high in March 2022. The cereal price index fell 1.5 percent to 107.4 points, now 6.8 percent below a year ago, as global maize prices dropped sharply for a second month. Larger harvests and more export competition from Argentina and Brazil weighed on maize, while barley and sorghum also declined. Wheat prices, however, rose due to weather concerns in Russia, the EU, and the US. The vegetable oil price index rose 2.3 percent from May to 155.7 points, now 18.2 percent above its June 2024 level, led by higher palm, rapeseed, and soy oil prices. Palm oil climbed nearly 5 percent from May on strong import demand, while soy oil was supported by expectations of higher demand from the biofuel sector following announcements of supportive policy measures in Brazil and the US. Sugar prices dropped 5.2 percent from May to 103.7 points, the lowest since April 2021, reflecting improved supply prospects in Brazil, India, and Thailand. Meat prices rose to a record 126.0 points, now 6.7 percent above June 2024, with all categories rising except poultry. Bovine meat set a new peak, reflecting tighter supplies from Brazil and strong demand from the US. Poultry prices continued to fall due to abundant Brazilian supplies. The dairy price index edged up 0.5 percent from May to 154.4 points, marking a 20.7 percent annual increase. In a separate report, the FAO forecast global cereal production in 2025 at a record 2.925 billion tonnes, 0.5 percent above its previous projection and 2.3 percent above the previous year. The outlook could be affected by expected hot, dry conditions in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, particularly for maize with plantings almost complete.