Constructive

• The European Union has imposed two significant fines on Google totaling approximately €890 million (nearly $1 billion) for antitrust violations. • The penalties include €460 million for favoring its own services and €430 million for "anti-steering" restrictions that prevented Google Play developers from directing users to cheaper external offers. • These actions highlight the EU's ongoing crackdown on big tech monopolies and the enforcement of fair competition within digital marketplaces.

• Google has been hit with a $1-billion fine by the European Union for failing to treat competitors fairly and non-discriminatorily. • The tech giant now has 60 days to comply with Commission orders, which include allowing app developers to steer users away from the Google app store. • Despite the penalty, regulators report "good progress" in ongoing "constructive" talks, suggesting Google may avoid further fines if it meets compliance standards.

• The European Commission fined Alphabet's Google €890 million ($1 billion) on Thursday for violating EU regulations designed to limit the dominance of Big Tech companies. • The penalty stems from the company's failure to adhere to specific rules aimed at ensuring fair competition within the European digital market. • Despite the fine, EU regulators reported "good progress" in Google's recent efforts to comply with the regulations, suggesting the company is taking corrective action.

• European and Chinese leaders called for a shift from "zero-sum" tech rivalry to "constructive engagement" during the CEIBS Forums on June 26, 2026. • The discussions emphasized the need for the EU and China to leverage their complementary strengths in AI industrial application and governance. • This pivot is seen as critical because artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping global power dynamics and economic structures.

• European and Chinese leaders called for a shift from "tech rivalry" to "constructive engagement" during the CEIBS Forums on June 26, 2026. • The leaders warned against zero-sum competition, urging both regions to leverage their complementary strengths in AI industrial application and governance. • This pivot is seen as critical because artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping global power dynamics and economic structures.

PM will meet with the Commons liaison committee and chair the government’s Cobra emergency committee todayGood morning. It is the last week the Commons is sitting before the Easter recess and, in normal circumstances, we would be focusing on domestic policy, and announcements coming out before the holiday period. But today, with the world focused on what will happen if Iran does not comply with the “deadline” set by Donald Trump for the opening of the strait of Hormuz tonight (he says he will “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if he does not get his way), foreign policy will dominate.Starmer has two important meetings on the topic this afternoon. One of them will be live on TV, but unfortunately it will be the duller and less consequential one – his meetinng with the Commons liaison committee. After that he will chair a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee, where the government will be taking decisions about how it will respond to the possibility that the energy price crisis could get significantly worse. In a sign of how serious the economic consequences could get, Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England, is attending.The prime minister spoke to the president of the United States, Donald Trump, this evening.The leaders discussed the current situation in the Middle East, and in particular, the need to reopen the strait of Hormuz to resume global shipping. Continue reading...