Google debuts cheaper pixel phones

Topping Google's search rankings is the dream of online publishers far and wide. Germany's government found a shortcut to the summit for its new health website, but a court in Munich has dragged it back down for now.

The tech company has posted record profits for two straight quarters as homebound people use more of its services during the pandemic. Google's dominance in online search means its dream run is likely to continue.

A Russian regulator has given Google one day to delete banned content or face punitive measures. In a clampdown on tech giants, Moscow has said it wants to beef up its so-called internet sovereignty.

Germany's Federal Cartel Office is probing tech giant Google under amended competition laws. The antitrust authority now has powers to prohibit major digital corporations from engaging in anti-competitive practices.

France's competition watchdog fined the American tech giant €220 miillion ($267 million). The regulator said Google had given its own advertising products preferential treatment.

Google has launched a new website and feature to help those facing food poverty find free food in their local community.

The former president claims the companies have unfairly censored him and other conservatives. A tech industry trade group called the class action lawsuit "frivolous."

Dozens of states and the District of Columbia have begun legal action against Google in the United States over what they allege is monopolistic behaviour in its Google Play app download store. The case argues that the tech giant blocks competition through technical and other barriers, but the company has described the case as "strange" and "meritless". Also, we look at a positive signal for the French tourism sector: hotel bookings have increased at the start of the summer season.

The French Competition Authority imposed a fine of 500 million euros on Google on Tuesday for not having negotiated in good faith compensation for the media for the use of its news content, something a national law requires.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai announces that the tech giant will invest $1 billion over the next five years to allow for faster and more affordable internet access and support entrepreneurship in Africa. Internet reliability is a problem in Africa where less than a third of the continent's 1.3 billion people are connected to broadband, according to the World Bank. But the continent, where nearly half the population is under 18, is a promising market.

Experts question whether Google's planned $1 billion investment in Africa stands to benefit the continent in the long term. Instead, some see it as another avenue for big tech companies to acquire budding start-ups.

Benefitting from soaring demand for online ads, Google's parent company Alphabet reported nearly $19 billion in profits between July and September, up 68 percent from the same period last year. Microsoft's earnings also beat expectations, while French consumers are gearing up for some price hikes at the bakery.