Google’s dominance in online search under threat

📍Top line: The U.S. Justice Department is seeking a historic ruling that could force Google to sell its Chrome browser, a move aimed at curbing the tech giant's dominance in online search and artificial intelligence (AI), according to Bloomberg. The recommendation follows a federal judge's August ruling that Google illegally monopolised the search market.

Key points:

• Chrome Browser Sale: The Justice Department argues that Chrome, the world’s most popular browser with a 61% U.S. market share, is integral to Google’s search dominance and ad-targeting business.

• Licensing and Unbundling: Proposed remedies include requiring Google to license its search results and data to competitors and to unbundle its Android operating system from other products like Google Play and search.

• AI Integration Scrutiny: Google’s integration of AI tools into search results, including its "AI Overviews," has raised concerns over content usage and website traffic. The Justice Department may push for more options for websites to control their content in AI models.

• Past Violations: Google plans to appeal the August ruling that found it broke antitrust laws in online search and search ads markets. A final ruling on remedies is expected by August 2025.

• Potential Buyers: Analysts are skeptical about finding a buyer for Chrome, with firms like Amazon also under antitrust scrutiny. OpenAI has been floated as a potential contender to integrate Chrome with its AI offerings.

• Impact on Rivals: Licensing Google’s search data could accelerate the development of competing search engines and AI applications.

Huel reports record profits

📍Top line: Huel, the popular UK-based meal replacement company, has reported a significant surge in profits, driven by increased demand from customers using weight-loss drugs like Ozempic.

Key Points:

• Huel’s profits nearly tripled, reaching £13.8 million, with revenues rising 16% to £214 million.

• The company has expanded its product range to include ready meals, shakes, and nutrition bars, appealing to a wider demographic.

• The rise of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, used for weight loss, has boosted sales as customers seek convenient, nutritious meal replacements.

• Huel has sold over 400 million servings and is now available in 25,000 stores.

• High-profile investors include Jonathan Ross, Idris Elba, and Steven Bartlett, with the company valued at £440 million in 2022.

• Huel has cultivated a strong following through partnerships with influencers, including the “Hueligans” and athlete Russ Cook.

Elsewhere in business:

🛍️ Major UK retailers, including Tesco, Amazon, Greggs, and Next, have cautioned that rising taxes and costs stemming from the recent Budget will lead to job losses, higher prices, and store closures. In a letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the companies expressed alarm over a "cumulative burden" of measures that could add £7 billion to business costs next year.

✈️ Australian airline Qantas has announced plans to launch the the world’s longest flight in 2026. The airline’s ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise flights will connect Australia directly to London and New York in 19 to 22 hours. Spanning over 10,500 miles, passengers will be able to enjoy larger cabins, onboard Wi-Fi, and a wellbeing zone.

UK poverty at 21st-Century high

📍 Top line: A landmark report has revealed that more than one in three children and a quarter of adults in the UK are living in poverty, with the levels of deprivation now at the highest seen in the 21st century, according to data from The Social Metrics Commission (SMC)

Key Points:

• Over 16 million people in the UK are now living in poverty, marking the highest rate since 2000.

• The number of children living in poverty has reached 5.2 million, with 36% of all children in the UK affected.

• A significant number of people in poverty are in full-time work, illustrating the impact of inflation on earnings.

• The report found a sharp increase in the number of disabled people in poverty, with 8.7 million now affected.

• The government is facing pressure to address the issue, with charities calling for improved social security and investments to reduce poverty in the UK.

Elsewhere in the economy:

🔋 Domestic energy prices are expected to remain high, with a slight increase predicted for January. Consultancy Cornwall Insight forecasts that typical household energy bills will rise by £19 annually, bringing the average to £1,736. This marks a 1% increase from the current £1,717.

🚆 Interrailing across Europe could soon become more convenient with a proposed single-ticket booking system allowing passengers to travel seamlessly across international borders and multiple destinations on one ticket. The initiative aims to launch as early as next year. The plan was unveiled earlier this month by Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU transport commissioner, highlighting efforts to improve cross-border rail travel.

KPMG has opened applications to its 2025 Tax Graduate scheme in London. Successful applicants will tackle challenges at the heart of client organisations and develop a broad business understanding whilst building valuable technical skills and studying for their Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) qualification. The three-year scheme is open to graduates with a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree in any discipline. Apply now here.

What is Bluesky? The app challenging X

📍Top line: Bluesky, a social media platform founded by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, has seen rapid growth, with 1 million users signing up in a single day. The surge in popularity appears to be driven by dissatisfaction with X (formerly Twitter) and the political landscape.

The key points behind Bluesky's rise:

• 2019: Bluesky started as a project within Twitter under Jack Dorsey.

• 2021: Became an independent company, led by CEO Jay Graber.

• February 2023: Opened to the public after being invitation-only.

• Rapid growth: The platform gained over 1 million members in a week, following the US election. Bluesky now boasts over 19 million users, up from 9 million in early September and 12 million by mid-October.

• User Migration: X (formerly Twitter) users have flocked to Bluesky amid dissatisfaction with Elon Musk's changes and political concerns.

• User Experience: Bluesky offers features similar to "old Twitter" and a more moderated environment.

Elsewhere in tech:

🇷🇺 A Russian software company has extended a job offer to a seven-year-old coding prodigy, inviting him to join its management team once he reaches the legal working age. Sergey, from St. Petersburg, has gained recognition through his videos explaining how to write software, which he began creating at just five years old.

✈️ British Airways (BA) has been struck by a significant systems failure, grounding flights, disrupting communications, and causing widespread chaos for passengers. The outage, which began around 5 p.m. on Monday, has affected the airline’s operations worldwide, including its app, website, and communications with pilots.

❄️ The UK is bracing for its “first taste of winter,” with snow and ice forecast across several regions in the coming days, according to the Met Office. Temperatures are set to drop well below mid-November averages, plunging below freezing overnight. Monday marked the season's coldest night so far, with a chilling -7.8°C recorded at Tulloch Bridge in the Scottish Highlands, where snowfall was also reported.

🇮🇳 Narayana Murthy, billionaire co-founder of Infosys and father-in-law to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has criticised the concept of a weekend, asserting that "work-life balance" hampers India’s productivity. Speaking to CNBC-TV18, the 78-year-old lamented India’s shift from a six-day to a five-day workweek in 1986, saying he was “disappointed” by the change.

🇬🇧 The United Kingdom has the lowest life expectancy in western Europe. New data shows that individuals born in the UK have a life expectancy of approximately 80.9 years, trailing behind the European Union average of 81.5 years. This places the UK at the bottom among western European nations, highlighting a concerning gap in health outcomes compared to its regional counterparts.