The man who ended Nadal's career helps the Netherlands beat Germany to reach the Davis Cup final
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Google and the US government faced off in a federal court on Monday, as each side delivered closing arguments in a case revolving around the technology giant's alleged unfair domination of online advertising. The trial in a Virginia federal court is Google's second US antitrust case now under way as the US government tries to rein in the power of big tech. In a separate trial, a Washington judge ruled that Google's search business is an illegal monopoly, and the US Justice Department is asking that Google sell its Chrome browser business to resolve the case. The latest case, also brought by the Justice Department, focuses on ad technology for the open web -- the complex system determining which online ads people see when they surf the internet. The vast majority of websites use a trio of Google ad software products that together, leave no way for publishers to escape Google's advertising technology, the plaintiffs allege. Publishers -- including News Corp and Gannett publishing -- complain that they are locked into Google's advertising technology in order to run ads on their websites. "Google is once, twice, three times a monopolist," DOJ lawyer Aaron Teitelbaum told the court in closing arguments. Presiding judge Leonie Brinkema has said that she would deliver her opinion swiftly, as early as next month. Whatever Brinkema's judgment, the outcome will almost certainly be appealed, prolonging a process that could go all the way to the US Supreme Court. The government alleges that Google controls the auction-style system that advertisers use to purchase advertising space online. The US lawyers argue that this approach allows Google to charge higher prices to advertisers while sending less revenue to publishers such as news websites, many of which are struggling to stay in business. The US argues that Google used its financial power to acquire potential rivals and corner the ad tech market, leaving advertisers and publishers with no choice but to use its technology. The government wants Google to divest parts of its ad tech business. More from this section Google dismissed the allegations as an attempt by the government to pick "winners and losers" in a diverse market. The company argues that the display ads at issue are just a small share of today's ad tech business. Google says the plaintiffs' definition of the market ignores ads that are also placed in search results, apps and social media platforms and where, taken as a whole, Google does not dominate. "The law simply does not support what the plaintiffs are arguing in this case," said Google's lawyer Karen Dunn. She warned that if Google were to lose the case, the winners would be rival tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta or Amazon, whose market share in online advertising is ascendant as Google's share is falling. The DOJ countered that it simply "does not matter" that Google is competing in the broader market for online ads. "That is a different question" than the market for ads on websites that is the target of the case, said Teitelbaum. Google also points to US legal precedent, saying arguments similar to the government's have been refuted in previous antitrust cases. Dunn also warned that forcing Google to work with rivals in its ad products would amount to government central planning that the court should reject. If the judge finds Google to be at fault, a new phase of the trial would decide how the company should comply with that conclusion. And all that could be moot if the incoming Trump administration decides to drop the case. The president-elect has been a critic of Google's, but he warned earlier this month that breaking it up could be "a very dangerous thing." arp/dwRIYADH: Saudi authorities have foiled a smuggling bid of the addictive drug Captagon into the Kingdom, confiscating more than 300,000 pills. The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) thwarted five different attempts to smuggle a huge cache of drugs, worth millions of dollars, into the Kingdom through the Al-Haditha border crossing, local media outlets reported. The authorities in Saudi Arabia confiscated a total of 313,906 Captagon pills, arresting several suspects involved in drug smuggling. With the help of cutting-edge security technology, ZATCA uncovered the pills concealed in various locations within vehicles and trucks. According to details, at least 86,000 pills were hidden under a smuggler’s clothing, whereas 65,116 pills were stored inside a truck cabin refrigerator and 52,907 pills were stashed on the floor of a vehicle. Additionally, Saudi authorities confiscated around 55,232 pills concealed within a vehicle’s fuel tank, and 4,651 pills were discovered inside a spare tyre compartment. ZATCA called on the public to play a role in combating smuggling by reporting any suspicious activities, assuring them that all the reports related to smuggling or violations of the unified customs law are handled with the utmost confidentiality. ZATCA also promised financial rewards for individuals who provide accurate information about drug smuggling. According to a report by Reuters , curbing the Captagon trade has become a key demand by Arab states seeking to restore ties with Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, whose government is accused of benefiting from the trade. As early as 2014, Syria was thought to be a major producer and consumer of the drug. Intelligence sources based in the region say Captagon is still produced in small factories along the Syrian-Lebanese border as well as larger ones closer to Syria’s frontier with Jordan. Some quantities are also produced in Lebanon, according to security sources. The United States, Britain and European Union have blamed Syria’s government for the production and export of the drug, naming Maher al-Assad – the head of the army’s Fourth Division and the president’s brother – as a key figure. Pinning down the trade’s value is difficult but diplomatic sources say it is worth several billion dollars a year. The United States, the European Union and Britain have accused the Fourth Division and other Syrian officials of benefitting from the trade, but it is not clear to what extent, if any, it fills state coffers. What is Captagon Captagon was the brand name of a stimulant first produced in Germany in the 1960s to help treat attention deficit disorders, narcolepsy and other conditions. It was discontinued but an illicit version of the drug continued to be produced in eastern Europe and later in the Arab region, becoming prominent in the conflict that erupted in Syria following anti-government protests in 2011. The illicit version is thought to be made of a mix of fenethylline, caffeine and other fillers. It generates focus and staves off sleep and hunger. In 2021, Saudi Arabia put in place an import ban on all Lebanese products over drug smuggling and the issue has become a top concern for Arab countries seeking a solution to Syria’s war.
NoneWorld Series vision that got Nathan Eovaldi to the Rangers is the same one that got him to re-signThe singer said he is awaiting more tests to determine the extent of the issues. The Wanted star Max George has said he is “staying positive” while in hospital waiting for tests that could shine a light on issues with his heart. In a post to Instagram on Thursday the singer, 36, explained that he went to hospital after feeling “really unwell” and added that he needed “a lot more tests” to determine “what surgery I will need to get me back on my feet.” Updating his fans, George posted a video from his hospital bed on Friday, and said he “had a bit of a rough day”. He added: “My heart rate dropped a bit this morning, which was, it was a little bit scary. “But everyone here is amazing, so wanted to get it back up a little bit and get it stable again, which is great. “Reason I’m not... like a lot of friends and family are asking why I’m not just going in and having anything (like surgery) done yet, because there’s so many tests that need to be done before we do anything. “So I just need to get through till, I guess, next week. Get all the tests done, and then they’ll know exactly what to do, because otherwise, obviously, they’ll be able to do something, but it’ll be better doing it with all the information that they need. “But, yeah, it’s shit, but still here and staying positive. “And thanks everyone as well for all the lovely messages and any friends and family and that that have messaged that I haven’t got back to. “I see you all and yeah, means a lot. Much love and have a nice Friday night.” George rose to fame in the 2010s with The Wanted, who had a number of hit songs including All Time Low, Glad You Came and Heart Vacancy. His bandmate Tom Parker died in 2022 at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. George, who helped carry Parker’s coffin at his funeral alongside fellow bandmates Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes, previously said on This Morning that he continued to message his late bandmate following his death as it brought him “a bit of comfort”. He also appeared in the US musical series Glee as Clint and in his band’s reality series The Wanted Life. Over the years, he has competed in a number of competition series including Strictly Come Dancing in 2020, Bear Grylls: Mission Survive and Richard Osman’s House Of Games. George’s girlfriend is former EastEnders star Maisie Smith, who appeared on BBC One dancing competition series Strictly Come Dancing in 2020 at the same time as George, though they have previously said that romantic sparks only began to fly in 2022. He was due to appear on a MasterChef Christmas special before the BBC pulled the show from its festive schedule amid allegations about the conduct of judge Gregg Wallace across a range of shows.
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