In a significant move aimed at unifying its search experience, Google has announced plans to phase out country-level domain names, such as google.ng for Nigeria and google.com.br for Brazil. Instead, the tech giant will redirect users globally to a standardised domain, google.com. This decision aligns with Google’s ongoing effort to enhance search functionality and accessibility, building on the improvement in local search capabilities introduced in 2017.

In a recent blog post, Google explained that it will begin redirecting traffic from these country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) to google.com. This transition will be implemented gradually over the coming months. Users may be prompted to adjust their search preferences during this process, as the company works to streamline the user experience.

“Historically, our approach to delivering localised search results relied on ccTLDs,” Google stated. “However, our capability to offer localised experiences has evolved significantly, making these distinctions unnecessary.” The company reassured users that the core functionality of its search platform will remain unchanged and that compliance with various national regulations will continue.

This initiative reflects Google’s commitment to improving how search results are tailored to individual users without the need for separate country-specific domains. While the official rationale emphasises enhancing global user experience, some industry experts speculate that the change may also be motivated by a desire to better integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into search results, potentially leading to reduced operational costs.

Google employs AI Overviews, a tool designed to aggregate information from a broad range of online sources to provide concise responses to user inquiries. This transition to a centralised domain may help Google optimise AI performance in delivering relevant search results.

Overall, as Google implements this shift, users can expect a more unified search experience. While changes in browser addresses may occur, Google emphasises that the way search operates and its compliance with national laws will remain consistent. This strategic shift signifies Google’s ongoing efforts to adapt to the evolving digital landscape and user needs globally.

A legal showdown between Honasa Consumer Ltd. (HCL), the parent company of Mamaearth, and Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUL), which owns Lakmé, reached the Delhi High Court this week, with both FMCG giants filing defamation lawsuits against each other. On Thursday, the court ordered HUL to pull its current Lakmé sunscreen advertisements, prompting the company to agree to revise its campaign by removing references to “online bestseller” and altering the depicted packaging colours.

The dispute centres on Lakmé’s recent “SPF Lie Detector Test” campaign, which HCL alleges unfairly targets its Derma Co. sunscreen by questioning the efficacy of rival products.

In the ads, HUL claims that some “online bestseller” sunscreens, marketed as SPF 50, provide protection closer to SPF 20, based on in-vivo testing data from the past decade. While no brands are explicitly named, visuals juxtaposing yellow bottles—resembling Derma Co.’s packaging—against Lakmé’s sparked Honasa’s ire.

Honasa, in its plea to the Delhi High Court, argued that HUL’s claims are misleading and disparage competitors, damaging their reputation. In retaliation, HUL filed a countersuit against Honasa in the Bombay High Court, escalating the corporate feud.

The controversy erupted when Ghazal Alagh, co-founder of Honasa, took to LinkedIn to criticise the FMCG sector’s lack of competitive drive, suggesting that legacy brands like HUL have grown complacent. Her comments were seen as a direct jab at Lakmé’s campaign, which challenges the SPF claims of newer sunscreen brands dominating online markets. “The industry needs fresh competition to shake things up,” Alagh wrote, igniting a public spat.

Lakmé’s campaign asserts that some top-selling sunscreens falsely claim in vivo testing—a method involving live organisms like humans or animals—while delivering subpar protection. In a social media statement, Lakmé doubled down, saying, “Certain online bestsellers advertise SPF 50, but their in-market samples test closer to SPF 20.”

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lashed out at the BJP on Thursday, accusing it of orchestrating a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raid on AAP leader Durgesh Pathak’s Delhi residence out of fear of the party’s growing influence in Gujarat.

The raid, conducted days after Pathak’s appointment as AAP’s co-incharge for the 2027 Gujarat elections, was labelled a deliberate “conspiracy” by senior AAP leaders.

Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia linked the timing of the raid to Pathak’s new role, stating on X, “CBI storms Durgesh Pathak’s home right after he’s tasked with Gujarat elections! This isn’t chance—it’s a plot driven by BJP’s panic. They know only AAP can take them on in Gujarat, and this truth has rattled them. The CBI’s knock echoes their fear.”

Other AAP leaders, including former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, echoed Sisodia’s sentiments, asserting that the raid reflects the BJP’s frustration. “The moment AAP ramps up for Gujarat 2027, CBI targets our Gujarat co-incharge Durgesh Pathak’s home. Only AAP can challenge the BJP there, and this raid screams their desperation. BJP’s threats won’t scare us,” Atishi posted on X.

According to reports, the raid is tied to alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), though the CBI has not yet disclosed official details. AAP leaders, including Sandeep Pathak and Sanjay Singh, called the action a calculated move to undermine their party’s momentum.

“This raid, just days after Durgesh Pathak’s Gujarat appointment, shows the BJP sees AAP as a real threat. They’re shaken by our rising strength,” Sandeep Pathak said. Sanjay Singh added, “BJP’s dirty tactics are back. CBI hits Pathak’s home to intimidate him as Gujarat co-incharge. Modi’s government has tried everything to crush AAP, but we won’t back down.”

Pathak, a prominent AAP figure, serves on the Political Affairs Committee, the national executive, and leads the Gujarat unit. He entered politics in the 2020 Delhi Assembly election, losing in Karawal Nagar to BJP’s Mohan Singh Bisht. He later won the 2022 Rajinder Nagar bypoll by over 11,000 votes but was defeated by BJP’s Umang Bajaj in the same constituency in February 2025.