Business
Google avoids break-up but must share data with rivals
Lily JamaliNorth America Technology Correspondent, San Francisco and
Rachel ClunBusiness reporter, BBC News
ReutersGoogle will not have to sell its Chrome web browser but must share information with competitors, a US federal judge has ordered.
The remedies decided by District Judge Amit Mehta have emerged after a years-long court battle over Google’s dominance in online search.
The case centred around Google’s position as the default search engine on a range of its own products such as Android and Chrome as well as others made by the likes of Apple.
The US Department of Justice had demanded that Google sell Chrome – Tuesday’s decision means the tech giant can keep it but it will be barred from having exclusive contracts and must share search data with rivals.
Google had proposed less drastic solutions, such as limiting its revenue-sharing agreements with firms like Apple to make its search engine the default on their devices and browsers.
On Tuesday, the company indicated that it viewed the ruling as a victory, and said the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) probably contributed to the outcome.
“Today’s decision recognizes how much the industry has changed through the advent of AI, which is giving people so many more ways to find information,” Google said in a statement after the ruling.
“This underlines what we’ve been saying since this case was filed in 2020: Competition is intense and people can easily choose the services they want,” the statement continued.
The tech giant had denied wrongdoing since charges were first filed against it in 2020, saying its market dominance is because its search engine is a superior product to others and consumers simply prefer it to others.
Last year, Judge Mehta ruled that Google had used unfair methods to establish a monopoly over the online search market, actively working to maintain a level of dominance to the extent it broke US law.
But in his decision, Judge Mehta said a complete sell-off of Chrome was “a poor fit for this case”.
Google will also not have to sell off its Android operating system, which powers most of the world’s smartphones.
The company had argued that off-loading parts of its operations, such as Android, would mean they would effectively stop working properly.
“Today’s remedy order agreed with the need to restore competition to the long-monopolized search market, and we are now weighing our options and thinking through whether the ordered relief goes far enough in serving that goal,” Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater wrote on X after the ruling.
Shares in Alphabet, Google’s parent company, jumped by more than 8% after the ruling.
Smartphone-makers such as Apple, Samsung and Motorola will also benefit.
Before the ruling, Google paid such firms billions of dollars to exclusively pre-load or promote the tech company’s products.
It was revealed at trial that Google paid more than $26bn for such deals with Apple, Mozilla and others in 2021.
Now, Google will not be allowed to enter into any exclusive contracts for Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant or the Gemini app.
It means phone manufacturers will be free to pre-load or promote other search engines, browsers or AI assistants alongside Google’s.
Gene Munster, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, said the ruling was “good news for big tech”.
“Apple also gets a nice win because the ruling forces Google to renegotiate the search deal annually,” he said on X.
Judge Mehta’s ruling “doesn’t seem to be as draconian as the market was expecting,” said Melissa Otto, head of research at S&P Global Visible Alpha.
With Google’s search operation expected to generate close to $200bn this year, and tens of billions of that expected to go to distribution partners it is a win-win for the major corporate players involved in the case, Ms Otto said.
The decision is not the end of the tech giant’s court battles.
Later this month, Google is scheduled to go to trial in a separate case brought by the justice department where a judge found the company holds illegal monopolies in online advertising technology.
Last Updated:
CBIC extends GSTR-3B filing deadline to October 25, 2025 after BCAS requests relief due to Diwali. The move eases compliance for GST taxpayers and professionals across India.
Taxpayers under GST can’t claim ITC or file GSTR-1 properly if GSTR-3B isn’t filled.
GSTR-3B Filing Due Date Extended: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has extended the form GSTR-3B filing deadline to October 25, 2025, for both monthly and quarterly filers, providing much-needed relief to taxpayers due to the Diwali festival.
Every registered taxpayer under GST requires to file GSTR-3B, which is a self-declaration return summarizing all outward and inward supplies (sales and purchases) and pay the GST liability for the month/quarter.
Usually, taxpayer have to file the form GSTR-3B on or before the 20th of each month. While small taxpayers who have turnover less than 5 crore have a leverage to opt for quarterly return filing (QRMP), hence filing GSTR-3B quarterly.
The much-needed relaxation comes after the Bombay Chartered Accountant Society (BCAS) asked the Ministry of Finance to extend the due date for filing GSTR-3B returns for September 30 due to the clash with the Diwali festival.
BCAS’s representation in the letter wrote to the Finance Ministry that “the standard statutory due date for furnishing the return is 20th October 2025. The same falls immediately after Sunday, 19th October 2025. Furthermore, the period encompassing 20th October 2025 to 23rd October 2025 coincides directly with the primary days of the Diwali festival, which is observed as a significant public holiday cluster across the country.”
The preparation and finalization of FORM GSTR-3B necessarily involves substantial preparatory work, including reconciliation, data entry, review of Input Tax Credit (ITC) eligibility (often dependent on GSTR-2B generation after the 14th of the month), and fund arrangement for tax payment. Given that the entire period from October 19, 2025, onwards is dedicated to Diwali, professionals, accountants, and company personnel are severely impacted, making the effective compliance window extremely restrictive, if not practically non-existent, BCAS added in the letter.
“Therefore, as a significant step towards ease of doing business, it is earnestly requested that the due date for filing GSTR-3B of September 2025 be extended. Granting this essential administrative relief will enable registered persons and tax practitioners to complete the necessary compliance procedures following the conclusion of the festival period, ensuring accurate and complete return filing and promoting adherence to the provisions of the CGST Act without penalizing taxpayers for unavoidable circumstances,” BCAS concluded.
Why Is It Important To File GSTR-3B?
Taxpayers under GST can’t claim ITC or file GSTR-1 properly if GSTR-3B isn’t filled.
If you file GSTR-3B after the due date, you have to pay a late fee (fixed per day).
As per GST rules:
- Rs 50 per day → if you have any tax liability (Rs 25 CGST + Rs 25 SGST).
- Rs 20 per day → if you have no tax liability (nil return) (Rs 10 CGST + Rs 10 SGST).
Varun Yadav is a Sub Editor at News18 Business Digital. He writes articles on markets, personal finance, technology, and more. He completed his post-graduation diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Inst…Read More
Varun Yadav is a Sub Editor at News18 Business Digital. He writes articles on markets, personal finance, technology, and more. He completed his post-graduation diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Inst… Read More
October 19, 2025, 09:00 IST
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Thousands of young people in Scotland will benefit from skilled “clean energy jobs”, the UK Government has said, as it launched its plans to “train the next generation of energy workers”.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the new plan places Scotland “at the very heart of the clean energy revolution”.
The Government said Scotland will see up to 60,000 jobs in greener energy by 2030 – a 40,000 increase from 2023.
Across the UK, it expects employment to double to 860,000 by the end of the decade, including nuclear energy.
It said 31 “priority occupations” had been identified for the switch away from fossil fuels, including plumbers, electricians and welders.
As part of the transition, the Scottish Government said on Sunday it would jointly invest £18 million with the UK Government to enable thousands of North Sea workers to access tailored support to make the change to more sustainable energy.
UK ministers said their new plans include proposals to ensure people in these jobs have “world class pay, terms and conditions”.
They said this includes closing loopholes to extend employment protections enjoyed by offshore oil and gas workers working beyond UK territorial seas.
Initiatives were also announced to encourage more veterans, ex-offenders and unemployed people into the sector.
The UK Energy Secretary said: “Communities across Scotland have long been calling out for a new generation of good industrial jobs.
“The clean energy jobs boom can answer that call – and today we publish a landmark national plan to make it happen and places Scotland at the very heart of the clean energy revolution this Government is delivering.
“Our plans will help create an economy in which there is no need to leave your home town just to find a decent job.
“Thanks to this Government’s commitment to clean energy a generation of young people in Scotland can have well-paid secure jobs, from plumbers to electricians and welders.
“This is a pro-worker, pro-jobs, pro-union agenda that will deliver the national renewal our country needs.”
Scottish Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said: “Scotland’s innovation, expertise and vast renewable energy resources will not only benefit the planet – but deliver new economic opportunities and new jobs for households and communities across the country.
“This continued and expanded funding to the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund will support more offshore workers to take on different roles across the sustainable energy sector over the next three years – helping to deliver a fair and managed transition to the sector.
“We will continue to explore how best to support Scotland’s energy skills transition, working closely with the UK Government on options like guaranteed interview schemes, redeployment pools and skills passporting.”
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander added: “From offshore wind to carbon capture, Scotland is uniquely positioned to lead our clean energy revolution with world-class resources and skilled workers.
“Harnessing the potential of clean energy is an unmistakable example of how the UK Government is delivering for Scotland.
“These 40,000 new opportunities will benefit a generation of young people across Scotland and represent a pivotal moment in our mission to boost economic growth across all parts of the UK.
“This UK Government is putting money directly into the pockets of hardworking Scots.
“This comes alongside Great British Energy’s launch in Aberdeen, which is already unlocking significant investment and helping to create skilled jobs as we make Britain a clean energy superpower.”
Mumbai: India’s private banks showed contrasting trends in asset quality in Q2 FY26, with larger lenders maintaining stability while smaller players, particularly those under new leadership, reported setbacks in earnings. IndusInd Bank and Federal Bank, both navigating transitions under new MDs, did not post year-on-year growth in net profits as the chiefs accelerated clean-ups and strengthened governance.HDFC Bank, the country’s largest private lender, reported a 10.8% rise in net profit to Rs 18,640 crore, driven by a 25% jump in non-interest income and steady improvement in asset quality. MD and CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan said economic activity was improving across customer and product segments, allowing the bank to accelerate loan growth. Asset quality remained a key strength, with the bank maintaining stable ratios for net interest margin, cost-to-income, and return on assets. HDFC Bank also continued its investments in technology and innovation, including GenAI and “lighthouse experiments”, aimed at improving efficiency and customer experience over the next 18-24 months.ICICI Bank’s net profit grew 5.2% to Rs 12,359 crore despite a steep drop in treasury income. Excluding treasury, core operating profit rose 6.5%, reflecting steady underlying performance. Provisions fell 25.9%, helping gross NPAs ease to 1.58% and net NPAs to 0.39%. The lender expanded retail and business banking loans, which now account for more than half its portfolio.IndusInd Bank, under new MD and CEO Rajiv Anand, recorded a net loss of Rs 437 crore as the bank accelerated write-offs and increased provisions in microfinance to strengthen its balance sheet. The lender also continued to contend with legacy issues stemming from prior accounting irregularities. Gross NPAs improved slightly to 3.60%, while net NPAs eased to 1.04% but deposits and advances contracted, and core income fell.YES Bank reported an 18.3% rise in net profit to Rs 654 crore, supported by higher non-interest income, cost efficiency, and retail growth. Net NPAs declined to 0.3% while gross NPAs remained stable at 1.6%. The quarter marked a strategic ownership change, with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation acquiring a 24.2% stake, and the bank continued to expand its branch network and digital footprint. MD and CEO Prashant Kumar emphasised the business model and strategy remained unchanged, with efforts ongoing to improve revenues, net interest margin, and cost-to-income ratio.Federal Bank posted a 9.5% decline in net profit to Rs 955 crore due to higher provisions, even as gross NPAs fell to 1.83% and net NPAs to 0.48%. Under new MD and CEO KVS Manian, the bank focused on strengthening risk management, increasing mid-yield assets, and expanding digital transactions, which now account for over 92% of all retail and corporate activity.PNB net profit jumps 14% to ₹4904 crorePunjab National Bank reported a 14% rise in Q2 net profit to Rs 4,904 crore, with operating profit up 5.5% to Rs 7,227 crore. Total income grew 5.1%, while net interest income slipped 0.5%. Gross and net NPAs fell to 3.45% and 0.36%, respectively. Advances and deposits rose 10.1% and 10.9%. Retail, agriculture, and MSME loans drove growth. CRAR strengthened to 17.19%, digital transactions surged 31%, and full-year credit growth is expected at 11%-12%.
Real UK GDP grows 0.3% QoQ in quarter to Aug 2025: ONS
CBIC Extends GSTR-3B Filing Deadline To October 25 Amid Diwali Festivities
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