Russia is seeking an unfathomable sum of money from one of the world鈥檚 biggest tech companies.
Google reportedly owes the Kremlin more than 2 undecillion rubles 鈥 a 2 followed by 36 zeroes 鈥 after refusing to pay fines that are now accruing for blocking pro-Russian channels on YouTube.
The virtually unpronounceable penalty amounts to US$20 decillion 鈥 or around $20 billion trillion trillion. That dwarfs the size of the global economy.
At $110 trillion, according to International Monetary Fund figures, world gross domestic product looks modest in comparison. Google parent Alphabet, meanwhile, has a market value of around $2 trillion.
Russian state media TASS reported this week that a Russian court had earlier ordered Google to restore the YouTube channels 鈥 several of which have been blocked since 2022 鈥 or else face mounting charges, with penalties doubling every week.
Asked about the lawsuit during a call with reporters Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted that he 鈥渃an鈥檛 even pronounce this figure right鈥 but said that the eye-watering sum was 鈥渇illed with symbolism.鈥 Google 鈥渟hould not be restricting the actions of our broadcasters on its platform,鈥 he added.
CNN has contacted Google for comment. In quarterly earnings published this week, the company referred to 鈥渙ngoing legal matters鈥 relating to its business in Russia.
鈥淐ivil judgments that include compounding penalties have been imposed upon us in connection with disputes regarding the termination of accounts, including those of sanctioned parties,鈥 Google said. 鈥淲e do not believe these ongoing legal matters will have a material adverse effect (on earnings).鈥
Following Russia鈥檚 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Google curtailed operations in the country but stopped short of pulling out altogether, in contrast with several other American tech companies. Many of its services, including Search and YouTube, continue to be available in the country.
Months after the invasion, Google鈥檚 Russia subsidiary filed for bankruptcy and paused most of its commercial operations after the government seized control of its bank accounts.
More than half of human trafficking incidents remained unsolved in Canada by police as the number of incidents increased over the past decade, according to new data released Friday.
More than 44 years after human remains were found in a rural area of Markham, Ont., police are revealing that the deceased was an inmate who had escaped prison just a month before his body was found.
Hundreds of people are flocking to see a rare site in Pennsylvania: remnants of a historic town that is usually underwater.
Manitoba RCMP are looking for more information after the remains of an infant were identified.
Talented though they may be, monkeys will never type out the complete works of William Shakespeare, or even a short book, a new study suggests.
Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.
In the early days of Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine, Adam Oake, a Canadian with no prior military training, sold all of his Toronto Maple Leafs memorabilia to buy a plane ticket.
Children's hospitals across the country are seeing an unusual increase in the number of serious and more complicated cases of walking pneumonia affecting much younger patients, according to medical experts.
Matthew Horsnell began falling asleep for no reason when he was in sixth grade.
Manitoba RCMP are looking for more information after the remains of an infant were identified.
Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.
More than half of human trafficking incidents remained unsolved in Canada by police as the number of incidents increased over the past decade, according to new data released Friday.
In the early days of Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine, Adam Oake, a Canadian with no prior military training, sold all of his Toronto Maple Leafs memorabilia to buy a plane ticket.
A train derailed near Bieseker, Alta., on Friday morning.
Police in northern Ontario say a razor blade was found in a child's candy on Halloween night.
A gangland shootout set off a clash involving hundreds in the city of Poitiers overnight, leaving five people injured, French officials said on Friday, highlighting the challenges faced by the new government in tackling violent crime.
The mother thought her baby looked healthy when he was born 1.5 months early, but staff swiftly whisked him to the neonatal intensive care unit.
A concrete roof above the entrance of a railway station in the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad collapsed Friday, killing at least 13 people, with more feared buried under the rubble.
Russia's top diplomat on Friday hosted his North Korean counterpart for talks amid reports that Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to Russia to support its military in the war in Ukraine.
The Israeli military launched waves of deadly airstrikes across Lebanon and Gaza, killing at least 24 people in Lebanon's northeast on Friday, the country's state-run National News Agency reported.
A New Zealand judge is to decide whether the owners of an island volcano suffered a miscarriage of justice when their company was convicted of failing to keep visitors safe following an eruption that killed 22 tourists and local guides in 2019.
Canada will need a profound shift in political priorities if the country is to ramp up spending to meet its international security obligations.
Residential school survivors are calling on Canada to criminalize residential school denialism, echoing one of the findings in a report about unmarked graves and burial sites associated with the institutions.
Jagmeet Singh says the NDP will not support the Bloc Qu茅b茅cois and Conservative leaders to help them bring down the Liberal government.
Bird flu has been spreading faster in the European Union this season than a milder 2023, raising concerns of a repeat of previous crises that led to the deaths of tens of millions of poultry and renewing fears that it could expand to humans.
B.C.鈥檚 Interior Health Authority was fined nearly $250,000 after 10 workers were exposed to illicit substances at a hospital in Penticton.
A million Canadians have received care under the federal dental-care plan six months after the program began, Health Minister Mark Holland said Thursday.
Talented though they may be, monkeys will never type out the complete works of William Shakespeare, or even a short book, a new study suggests.
As Phobos, one of Mars鈥 two moons, passed in front of the sun, it cast a lumpy, potato-shaped shadow on the sun鈥檚 face as well as on the Martian surface.
The oldest known surviving tombstone in the United States is an elaborate display of wealth 鈥 an intricately carved slab of black limestone initially laid in the floor of the second church of Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent British settlement in North America.
Mariah Carey is finally ready.
Drake has released a new music video for his track 'No Face,' and Scarborough residents will likely know exactly where it was filmed.
Heidi Klum and Janelle Monae opted for out-of-this-world Halloween costumes this year 鈥 both choosing to dress as the stubby alien E.T. for their parties on opposite coasts.
Whichever candidate wins the U.S. president election next Tuesday, experts say investors will be relieved to shed some uncertainty over what kinds of policies to expect.
Air Canada on Friday raised its annual core profit forecast and announced share buybacks, as the country's largest carrier benefits from strong demand for international travel.
New changes are coming into effect that aim to protect bank customers in the event of a scam or address other bank-related issues.
Matthew Horsnell began falling asleep for no reason when he was in sixth grade.
Thieves blew open the door of an art gallery in the southern Netherlands and stole two works from a famous series of screen prints by American pop artist Andy Warhol and left two more badly damaged in the street as they fled the scene of the botched heist, the gallery owner said Friday.
It's the time of year 鈥 tradition says 鈥 when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is lifted.
Hana Wakimoto shot a 4-under 68 on Friday to maintain her lead after the second round of the LPGA's Toto Japan Classic.
MLB star Freddie Freeman, a dual Canada-U.S. citizen, has made history as a member of the World Series winning Los Angeles Dodgers.
Australian golfer Jeffrey Guan鈥檚 dreams came true in September, as he made his PGA Tour debut. A week later, the 20-year-old was left blinded in one eye after being struck in the face by a golf ball.
Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.
Several Ford vehicles have been recalled in Canada due to issues with braking systems, steering and child car seat tethers.
Volkswagen has informed employee representatives that it wants to close at least three plants in Germany, the head of the company's works council said Monday.
Auston Matthews has come face to face with his look-alike. On Thursday, the Maple Leafs star met seven-year-old Grayson Joseph, who went viral for dressing up as an Auston Matthews hockey card.
A Halifax junk remover shares some of his company鈥檚 strangest discoveries.
When Leah arrived at work directing traffic around a construction site, she never expected to see a van painted in all sorts of bright colours, and covered in eclectic decorations, including a stuffed moose attached to its roof.
After 14 years of repairing and selling bicycles out of the garage of her home, a Guelph, Ont. woman鈥檚 efforts have ended 鈥 for now, at least.
Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.
Witches and warlocks have been flocking to New Brunswick waterways this month, as a new Halloween tradition ripples across the province.
New Brunswicker Jillea Godin鈥檚 elaborate cosplay pieces attract thousands to her online accounts, as well as requests from celebrities for their own pieces.
A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.
Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.
Police on southern Vancouver Island are issuing a warning about the dangers of deer rutting season after a dog was gored to death by a buck earlier this week.
Concerns are growing about British Columbia鈥檚 local economy as the possibility of another province-wide labour disruption at ports looms.
A university basketball star on Vancouver Island is speaking out about the treatment she's received as a transgender athlete.
Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.
Drake has released a new music video for his track 'No Face,' and Scarborough residents will likely know exactly where it was filmed.
More than 44 years after human remains were found in a rural area of Markham, Ont., police are revealing that the deceased was an inmate who had escaped prison just a month before his body was found.
A train derailed near Bieseker, Alta., on Friday morning.
A new domestic violence report out of the University of Calgary could help flag early warning signs.
Firefighters needed to rescue the occupants of a burning home in Penbrooke Meadows after one of the evacuees climbed out of an upstairs window and was stranded on the roof.
Internal documents show the National Capital Commission struggled to maintain the ice on the Rideau Canal Skateway last winter and took what it called a 'manageable risk' to lower their standards for what qualifies as thick enough ice in order to squeeze a few more skating days into the season.
The Royal Canadian Legion's Montgomery Branch in downtown Ottawa is for sale, 60 years after the Legion opened the renovated headquarters. The listing on Realtor.ca shows Branch 351 on Kent Street is for sale at $2.999 million.
An Ottawa resident is facing charges in connection to a fatal crash on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end last May. Emergency crews responded to the head-on collision on Highway 417 by Kinburn Side Road just before 9:30 a.m. on May 14.
Public transit users in Montreal were faced with service disruptions on two fronts on Friday as part of the REM and the green line on the Metro were shut down.
A Quebec civil rights group is suing the office of the registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada because of the high court's refusal to translate its historic decisions into French.
A museum dedicated to revered Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve is racing to find its stolen bronze statue of the Quebec speedster before it gets melted down for cash.
An appeal has been denied to extend the sentence of an Ontario trucker who killed a woman in his Edmonton hotel room in 2011.
A Danielle Smith leadership vote and policy surrounding gender and net-zero emissions targets will take centre stage when the United Conservative Party Annual General Meeting (AGM) gets underway Friday.
A 19-year-old woman was injured in a hit-and-run crash northwest of Edmonton last week.
Maureen Anderson, who lost both her sons to their overseas service in the Canadian Armed Forces, has been named this year's national Silver Cross Mother.
Police are warning the public about a gas leak in the north end of Halifax Friday afternoon.
A 19-person cabinet has been announced in New Brunswick, the day before Saturday鈥檚 swearing-in for the premier and ministers.
Manitoba RCMP are looking for more information after the remains of an infant were identified.
The cost to reopen Portage and Main to pedestrians is rising.
A former Manitoba hockey coach has pleaded guilty to luring and sexually assaulting a teenage player.
A newly elected Saskatchewan Party government got back to work on Thursday, with returning and new government members meeting for the first time.
Those who heat their homes with electricity in Saskatchewan will continue to see a 60 per cent reduction on their federal carbon tax charge, according to SaskPower.
The Regina Humane Society (RHS) is asking for help as it deals with a large number of puppies currently in its care.
Erick Buhr, the man accused of killing his grandmother, Viola Erb, is now representing himself at his second degree murder trial.
Waterloo Regional Police are putting out a stern reminder about fireworks safety after a concerning display in Breslau.
A Guelph man is facing assault charges after a stabbing in downtown Guelph.
SaskPower has been ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for violating workplace safety rules, but the victim won't receive any of the money.
A newly elected Saskatchewan Party government got back to work on Thursday, with returning and new government members meeting for the first time.
Those who heat their homes with electricity in Saskatchewan will continue to see a 60 per cent reduction on their federal carbon tax charge, according to SaskPower.
Police in northern Ontario say a razor blade was found in a child's candy on Halloween night.
Two males, including one young offender, were arrested Thursday evening after a shooting at a grocery store on Notre Dame Avenue in Sudbury.
The mother of triple murderer Liam Stinson said her son has tried to be a good father to his children despite being in jail in Sudbury.
Since August 2023, detectives from the Niagara Regional Police Service have been investigating an allegation of sexual assault by a man against a 15-year-old girl.
As reported on Tuesday, police said a man was with his family in a park near King Street and Thames Street, when an unknown man approached. According to officers, the suspect allegedly made derogatory comments towards the victim, before reportedly assaulting him.
According to police, the victim was walking to work on Redan Street around 5 a.m. Thursday when he assaulted.
One man has been charged following a multi-vehicle crash on Highway 400 that caused traffic backups for hours on Thursday.
Now that Halloween is over and done with, many will be looking for ways to be rid of their pumpkins.
Police charged a 55-year-old man with being drug impaired after a vehicle with two other occupants crashed in Midland Thursday morning.
Windsor police have charged a 25-year-old man with first-degree murder in the death of a 69-year-old man in south-central Windsor.
The City of Windsor has released its Remembrance Day programming for this year.
Police on southern Vancouver Island are issuing a warning about the dangers of deer rutting season after a dog was gored to death by a buck earlier this week.
Concerns are growing about British Columbia鈥檚 local economy as the possibility of another province-wide labour disruption at ports looms.
A university basketball star on Vancouver Island is speaking out about the treatment she's received as a transgender athlete.
More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
The University of Lethbridge Pronghorn Athletics Annual Safe Ride Home campaign is making a return this year, but with a new name.
A three goal outburst in the first period of Wednesday night鈥檚 game against the Swift Current Broncos was all the Hurricanes need on their way to 3-1 win at home against the Swift Current Broncos.
A 27-year-old security guard has been charged after an incident where a bar patron sustained life-threatening injuries.
A 40-year-old suspect has been charged with sexual assault following an incident Wednesday in Sault Ste. Marie.
Juanita Migwans 鈥 or 'Winnie,' as her family calls her 鈥 of M'Chigeeng First Nation has been missing for almost a month.
The City of Greater Sudbury has been chosen to host the Ontario 55+ Summer Games next year.
School staff are being struck more often, students are fighting more frequently, and police are increasingly being called to school grounds, according to data compiled and released this week by the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association.
Newfoundland and Labrador's auditor general has issued a warning about the province's financial position as the government announced it would finish the 2024-25 fiscal year with a higher-than-expected deficit.
Police in Newfoundland and Labrador have charged an off-duty RCMP officer for allegedly driving while impaired, following a crash on Sunday.
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