(BBC News) A Russian court has fined Google two undecillion roubles – a two followed by 36 zeroes – for restricting Russian state media channels on YouTube.
In dollar terms, the tech giant has been told to pay $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Despite being one of the world's wealthiest companies, that is considerably more than Google's $2.12-trillion market capitalization.
In fact, it is far greater than the world’s total GDP, which is estimated by the International Monetary Fund to be $110 trillion.
The...
(Al Jazeera Media Network) The United States has finalized rules that limit investments in critical technology sectors in China such as artificial intelligence on national security grounds, the Treasury Department has announced.
The restrictions will bar US citizens and permanent residents, as well as US-based companies, from engaging in transactions involving technologies including AI, semiconductors and quantum computing, the Treasury said in a statement on Monday.
US investors will also be obligated to inform the Treasury...
(Al Jazeera Media Network) China has slammed the latest round of United States arms sales to Taiwan, vowing to take “all necessary measures” to assert its sovereignty over the self-ruled island it claims as its own.
The US State Department on Friday approved a $2-billion arms sale package for Taiwan, including advanced surface-to-air missile systems and radar as part of its efforts to counter China’s growing military power in the Asia Pacific.
The administration of US...
(BBC News) The Washington Post has announced it will not endorse a presidential candidate in the upcoming election, provoking a backlash among some of its employees and subscribers.
CEO William Lewis said the decision was a return "to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates" and that the newspaper was ending the practice going forward.
The move breaks with decades of tradition, with the paper having endorsed a candidate in most presidential elections since the 1970s...
(BBC News) Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump‘s three-hour interview with the United States’ #1 podcaster, Joe Rogan, has been released.
In the wide-ranging sit-down, the former president discusses everything from the “biggest mistake” of his White House tenure, what he told North Korea’s leader, and whether extraterrestrial life exists.
Two years ago, Rogan described Trump as “an existential threat to democracy” and refused to have him on his show. But the pair seemed friendly on Friday...
(Al Jazeera Media Network) Israel has attacked Iran, killing two Iranian soldiers. It also launched simultaneous strikes on Iran-linked interests in Syria.
Israel says the campaign early on Saturday targeted military sites and was a response to attacks from “Iran and its proxies”.
Iran says it will continue defending against Israeli attacks on Gaza, Lebanon, and Iranian officials.
This is the first time Israel openly claimed an attack on Iran.
Here’s what to know about the latest strikes and what to...
(BBC News) Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected a visit to Ukraine by UN Secretary General António Guterres over his trip to Russia, a source in the presidential office has told the BBC.
After attending a BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan this week, Guterres had wanted to visit Kyiv, the BBC says.
"The president did not confirm his visit," the source told the BBC. "After Kazan and after he shook hands with the war’s instigator...
(Al Jazeera Media Network) The White House has announced that the Group of Seven (G7) will offer Ukraine a $50-billion loan backed by interests accrued on Russian government assets frozen by the political and economic group of wealthy nations.
President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that the United States will cover $20 billion of the loan, which “will be paid back by the interest earned from immobilized Russian sovereign assets.”
“In other words, Ukraine can receive the assistance...
(BBC News) At least five people have been killed and 22 injured in an attack at the headquarters of an aviation company near the Turkish capital Ankara, authorities have confirmed.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that two attackers, a woman and a man, have been "neutralized", adding that the attack had most likely involved Kurdish rebel group the PKK.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Turkey's defence ministry announced late on Wednesday that air strikes had...
(Al Jazeera Media Network) Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting the annual BRICS summit, which started on Tuesday, in Russia’s southwestern city Kazan.
The three-day conclave will be the largest gathering of world leaders in Russia in decades and will be held at a time when the Kremlin is locked in a war with western-backed Ukraine.
So what is on the agenda, and why is the summit significant?
BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The group...
