China's Xiaomi Unveils First Electric Vehicle

FILE PHOTO: People check new products of Xiaomi ahead of the 2023 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 26, 2023. REUTERS/Nacho Doce/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People check new products of Xiaomi ahead of the 2023 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 26, 2023. REUTERS/Nacho Doce/File Photo
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China's Xiaomi Unveils First Electric Vehicle

FILE PHOTO: People check new products of Xiaomi ahead of the 2023 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 26, 2023. REUTERS/Nacho Doce/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People check new products of Xiaomi ahead of the 2023 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 26, 2023. REUTERS/Nacho Doce/File Photo

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi took the wraps off its first electric vehicle on Thursday and promptly announced it was aiming to become one of world's top five automakers.
The sedan, dubbed the SU7, is a highly anticipated model that is expected to make the most of its shared operating system with the company's popular phones.
But the car is making its debut at a time when the world's largest auto market is wrestling with a capacity glut and slowing demand that have stoked a bruising price war.
"By working hard over the next 15 to 20 years, we will become one of the world's top 5 automakers, striving to lift China's overall automobile industry," Chief Executive Lei Jun said at the event.



Google Proposes Fresh Tweaks to Search Results in Europe

The logo of Google LLC is shown at an entrance to one of their buildings in San Diego, California, US, October 9, 2024. (Reuters)
The logo of Google LLC is shown at an entrance to one of their buildings in San Diego, California, US, October 9, 2024. (Reuters)
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Google Proposes Fresh Tweaks to Search Results in Europe

The logo of Google LLC is shown at an entrance to one of their buildings in San Diego, California, US, October 9, 2024. (Reuters)
The logo of Google LLC is shown at an entrance to one of their buildings in San Diego, California, US, October 9, 2024. (Reuters)

Google has proposed more changes to its search results in Europe after some smaller rivals complained about lower traffic to their sites resulting from previous tweaks by the Alphabet unit and as EU antitrust regulators consider levying charges against the company under new EU tech rules.

Under the Digital Markets Act, Google is prohibited from favoring its products and services on its platform. The Act kicked in last year and is aimed at reining in the power of Big Tech.

The world's most popular internet search engine has since then tried to address conflicting demands from price-comparison sites, hotels, airlines and small retailers, among others. The latter three groups said their direct booking clicks have fallen by 30% due to recent Google changes.

"We have therefore proposed more changes to our European search results to try to accommodate these requests, while still meeting the goals set by the DMA," Google's legal director, Oliver Bethell, said in a blog post on Tuesday.

Changes include introducing expanded and equally formatted units allowing users to choose between comparison sites and supplier websites, new formats letting rivals show prices and pictures on their websites as well as new ad units for comparison sites.

"We think the latest proposal is the right way to balance the difficult trade-offs that the DMA involves," Bethell said.

For its search results in Germany, Belgium and Estonia, Google also plans to remove the map showing the location of hotels and the results beneath the map, similar to its old "ten blue links" format from years ago, as part of a short test to gauge users' interest.

"We're very reluctant to take this step, as removing helpful features does not benefit consumers or businesses in Europe," Bethell said.

Google has been in the European Commission's crosshairs since March. DMA violations can cost companies as much as 10% of their annual global turnover.