Author: BBC

The US government says it is considering whether to ask a judge to break up search engine giant Google, in a move that could reshape how technology giants do business.The Department of Justice (DoJ) says the measures may include “structural requirements” to prevent Google from maintaining its internet search “monopoly”.In response, Google warned that the proposed changes could have unintended consequences for US businesses and consumers.The DoJ’s announcement comes after a landmark court ruling in August that found Google had maintained its dominance of online search through illegal practices.The DoJ said in a court filing that it is considering “remedies…

Getty ImagesThe couple say they approached the court because they wanted to carry on their son’s “legacy”A couple in India have said they are “delighted” after a court ordered a hospital to hand over the frozen semen sample of their dead son to them so they could have a grandchild through surrogacy.The landmark Delhi High Court order came after a four-year legal battle.“We were very unlucky, we lost our son. But the court has given us a very precious gift. We would now be able to get our son back,” the mother, Harbir Kaur, told the BBC.Ms Kaur and her…

Coleen Rooney has disputed “misleading” claims made in the High Court by Rebekah Vardy, who is challenging the “sheer magnitude” of costs she has to pay the former as a result of 2022’s Wagatha libel trial.Mrs Vardy lost that case after a judge ruled it was “substantially true” she had leaked Mrs Rooney’s private information to the press, and was ordered to pay 90% of Mrs Rooney’s costs, which has reached more than £1.8m.On Tuesday, Robin Dunne, representing Mrs Rooney in the costs dispute, said claims made in court on Monday about hotel costs incurred by a lawyer representing her…

Getty ImagesShares had jumped by more than 10% as trading restarted after the Golden Week holidayA stock market rally in China has fizzled out as a highly-anticipated announcement on plans to boost the country’s ailing economy disappointed investors.Shares had jumped by over 10% as trading restarted after the Golden Week holiday but fell back after a news conference by the country’s economic planners.After a volatile day of trading, the Shanghai Composite Index in mainland China closed 4.6% higher, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong slumped by 9.4%.Investors had been hoping for more information about how the government plans to…

Getty ImagesPeople waiting for an Uber should be patient enough to wait a few minutes longer for an electric car, the boss of the ride-hailing firm has said.”A couple of minutes isn’t going to kill anyone,” Dara Khosrowshahi told the BBC in an interview.Uber has options to encourage customers to choose electric rides but he says governments should be doing more to support sales of electric vehicles.Cheaper, Chinese-made electric vehicles are also “good for the environment” he said.Despite that, many countries are pushing back against the import of Chinese EVs because they see them as unfair competition for domestic carmakers.”High…

Cardiff endometriosis patient wants condition treated more urgentlyLara Stevens says endometriosis is like the cancer she had as a child, with the potential to spread and damage multiple organs – but feels it is not treated with the required urgency.”The endometriosis could be growing and I wouldn’t know where it is and what it’s going to do next,” said the 36-year-old, who had non-Hodgkin lymphoma aged seven.Gynaecology waiting lists in Wales have increased by 92% in the past four years, yet specialists feel it is seen as less urgent than other surgeries.The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is calling…

At least 10 firefighters have been killed in an Israeli air strike in a border area in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry says.A statement said the firefighters had been “ready to go out on rescue missions” from a municipal building in Baraachit when it was struck overnight.Rescuers were still searching for people trapped under the rubble, it added.There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, but it said overnight that fighter jets had struck targets belonging to the armed group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.On Monday afternoon, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that Israeli aircraft had struck more…

The so-called Wagatha Christie dispute has gone back to the High Court, with Rebekah Vardy challenging the “sheer magnitude” of the legal costs claimed by Coleen Rooney from their 2022 libel trial.Mrs Vardy lost that case after a judge ruled it was “substantially true” that she had leaked Mrs Rooney’s private information to the press.The judge ordered her to pay 90% of Mrs Rooney’s costs, which has reached more than £1.8m, including a stay at a luxury hotel, drinks and items from the mini-bar for one of her lawyers, Mrs Vardy’s barrister said.Mrs Rooney’s barrister argued the costs could have…

The average UK house price came close to reaching a record high last month as falling mortgage rates helped to boost confidence among buyers, according to Halifax.The UK’s largest mortgage lender said the average price hit £293,399 in September, just short of the record £293,507 reached in June 2022.Prices have now risen for three months in a row, Halifax said, as market conditions improve.”Mortgage affordability has been easing thanks to strong wage growth and falling interest rates,” said Amanda Bryden, head of mortgages at Halifax.”This has boosted confidence among potential buyers, with the number of mortgages agreed up over 40%…

Toyota is pushing back the start date for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing in the US, as global demand for battery-powered cars continues to soften. The Japanese motor industry giant was aiming to start production in late 2025 or early 2026.Toyota now expects to launch its US EV operation at an unspecified time in 2026, a company spokesperson told BBC News.Several other major car makers, including Volvo and Ford, have recently scaled back their EV plans.”We’re still focused on our global [battery electric vehicle] target of 1.5M vehicles by 2026,” said Toyota spokesperson Scott Vazin, adding that in the next two…