Russia fines Google $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California on August 13, 2024. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

                               Putin 

London, CNN — Russia is seeking an unfathomable sum of money from one of the world’s biggest tech companies.

Google reportedly owes the Kremlin more than 2 undecillion rubles — a 2 followed by 36 zeroes — after refusing to pay fines that are now accruing for blocking pro-Russian channels on YouTube.

The virtually unpronounceable penalty amounts to $20 decillion — 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 — several of which have been blocked since 2022 — 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 “can’t even pronounce this figure right” but said that the eye-watering sum was “filled with symbolism.” Google “should not be restricting the actions of our broadcasters on its platform,” he added.

CNN has contacted Google for comment. In quarterly earnings published this week, the company referred to “ongoing legal matters” relating to its business in Russia.

“Civil judgments that include compounding penalties have been imposed upon us in connection with disputes regarding the termination of accounts, including those of sanctioned parties,” Google said. “We do not believe these ongoing legal matters will have a material adverse effect (on earnings).”

Following Russia’s 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’s Russia subsidiary filed for bankruptcy and paused most of its commercial operations after the government seized control of its bank accounts.

Credit: CNN

Rivers Court Judgment: U.S, UK, EU Asked To Impose Visa Ban On Justice Abdulmalik, Others

(The Whistler)The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned recent Federal High Court judgments and called for visa restrictions on judges allegedly issuing rulings perceived as politically motivated.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, called on the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union to impose travel restrictions on Justices: John Tsoho, Joyce Abdulmalik, Peter Lifu, James Omotosho, Donatus Uwaezuoke Okorowo, and Emeka Nwite for allegedly delivering politically motivated judgements.

The group specifically said Justice Abdulmalik’s recent judgement blocking FAAC allocations to Rivers State amounts to a “constitutional coup” and capable of disrupting Nigeria’s democracy.

The Rivers ruling, according to HURIWA, disregards a longstanding Supreme Court principle affirming that statutory allocations to states cannot be withheld by federal authorities.

HURIWA insisted that the judgement violates established legal precedence, putting Rivers State and Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration at risk of political destabilisation.

Earlier, Professor Chidi Odinkalu stated that Justice Abdulmalik’s verdict overturns a precedent set by the Supreme Court, describing the judgement as a form of judicial tyranny that dismisses the rule of law.

Credit: The Whistler Newspaper 

Oil marketers adjust petrol prices nationwide

 

(Vanguard)  Major oil marketers across Nigeria have raised the prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, from N1,010 to N1,050 per litre, marking a 4% increase in Lagos and surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, independent oil marketers have adjusted their prices to between N1,100 and N1,200 per litre, up from about N1,060 per litre, with variations depending on location.

Vanguard’s investigation revealed that due to the deregulated market, petrol prices are not fixed, resulting in slight price differences among filling stations, although some stations maintain similar pricing.

  Credit: Vanguard 

Igbos Have Been Marginalized, Creating 6th State In Southeast Will Calm Agitation – Ned Nwoko

 

(Naija News) The lawmaker representing Delta North in the Nigerian Senate, Ned Nwoko, has maintained that the Southeast has been marginalized and creating a 6th state will assuage their agitation.

Naija News reports that Ned, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, pointed out that the Southeast is the only region with five states, unlike other regions, except for the Northwest, which has seven states.

The lawmaker expressed confidence that the Federal Government would create another state out of Delta State to give the South-South a 7th or a 6th for the Southeast.

Ned Nwoko added that the people of Anioma in Delta State are proudly Igbos and would become the 6th state of the South East.

He said, “The creation of Anioma State is very possible. The need is for self-determination. Let me tell you this, I represent 9 local government areas.

“My constituency is made up of 9 local government areas. Out of this 9 lgas, 6 of them are oil and gas producing. We’re predominantly agricultural people. Some of it has been devastated by oil pollution.

“But to have a state is something we have been clamoring for for over 50 years. We the Aniomas are proudly Igbos.

“We’ll be the 6th Ndigbo State. The fact is that the Federal Government is going to create one State. They’re going to create the state to assuage the Igbo because they’ve been marginalised.

“South East is the only part of Nigeria that is marginalised. South East is the zone in Nigeria with just 5 states. Others have 6 states except for North West that has seven.

“You don’t call that being marginalised? And if you listen to the youths who are agitating in IPOB or ESN, what are clamoring for?

“They’re talking about being marginalised. And one of the ways they’re being marginalised is having fewer states than others.

“And we, the Igbos from the other side of the river, they call us Bendel or Western Igbo, if we have a state that could become the 6th state in the South East or seventh state in the South South, the fact is that an average Igbo person will feel, ‘okay, something has been done for us’.”

Credit: Naija News

My Take 

Distinguished Senator Ned Nwoko, will be remembered for being a great Igbo man, who fought for the unity and progress of the expansive Igbo Nation. 

Sir, please continue with the good work because you are building indelible legacies and the entire Igbo nation is solidly behind you.

Any other quest for the creation of another State for the Igbos should rest for now because strategically, territorially, historically, culturally and economically Anioma State is the real deal.

On Anioma State we Stand.

God bless Igbonine!

Rivers Allocation Crisis: NLC threatens to withdraw service of members

(Vanguard) The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has vowed to withdraw the services of its members from all duties if the Federal High Court judgement that barred the Central Bank of Nigeria from paying allocation to Rivers State affects the well-being of its members.

The Rivers State Council of NLC took this position during an emergency meeting in Port Harcourt, on Thursday, attended by labour leaders.

The Chairman of NLC in the state, Alex Agwanwo, who addressed pressmen after the meeting, said the council condemned the decision by court stopping the state’s allocation.

Agwanwo said the council considered the decision of the court and found out that the judge, who entered the judgement did not consider the interest of the entirety of the people of the state, describing it as anti-development.

The labour leader opined that the judgement lacked human face and empathy, adding that workers would be affected heavily.

He said: “Yesterday, there was a court judgement stopping the state allocation. As a state council, we have looked at the issues. We condemn that judgment.

“The judgement lacks a human face. The judgement lacks empathy. The judge did not take the citizens and workers of Rivers State into consideration before giving the judgment.

“Everybody knows what taking allocation away from a state will look like. It will put the state into suffering. It will disrupt governance in a state because governance will not take place without fund.”

He urged the court to reverse the judgement, noting that if the ruling affects the welfare of its members NLC would have no option than to withdraw members from service.

Agwanwo said: “It will affect the workers in the state and at the local government levels. Even the private sector doing business in the state will also be affected.

“For us as a state council, we will not sit down and watch so we are calling on the judges that going forward they should put the masses into consideration.

“There is no politician in the state that does not have a sister or brother working in the state. If they seize the allocation are you going to be paying them?

“We condemn this judgement and we are saying whatever court that will take up this matter should reverse it. If this will affect the well-being of our members we will have no option than to withdraw the service of our members.”

Credit: Vanguard 

Donald Trump opens three-point lead over Kamala Harris in final Daily Mail poll before Election Day

(Daily Mail Exclusive) Donald Trump has overtaken Kamala Harris in the final DailyMail.com/J.L. Partners national poll before Election Day, with the former president holding a three-point lead over the vice president.

Both candidates have shored up their bases, but Trump has done better at picking up support from independents and undecided voters in the final push, according to the data.

The poll of 1,000 likely voters, which has  margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent, shows that Trump is trending up, with the support of 49 percent to Harris' 46 percent.

The race is still close. Yet, with five days to go, the numbers mean Trump is currently on course to become the first Republican candidate since George W. Bush in 2004 to win the popular vote.

The vice president held a one-point lead when the poll was last conducted in September.

She enjoyed a two-month honeymoon after President Joe Biden announced he was ending his reelection campaign. Her poll numbers and fundraising surged amid a wave of enthusiasm.

But since then the race has tightened to become one of the closest in history.  

James Johnson, co-founder of J.L. Partners said the poll was good news for Trump's chances of winning the White House. 

'The movement under the surface suggests Trump is having a better closing moment in driving up enthusiasm than Harris is, and undecideds and third-party candidate supporters have also broken for Trump in the last month,' he said. 

'He has also seen improvement among voters of every race, and leads in all age groups apart from 18–29-year-olds.'

The full results show third-party candidates making little headway.

Independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Green Party candidate Jill Stein, and Libertarian Chase Oliver are all on just one percent.

Independent Cornel West's share is rounded to zero percent.   

Perhaps the starkest finding is the gender mismatch in the contest. 

'One thing makes this election stand out from others: When voters go to the polls next week, they will be sharply divided on their gender, with women being more likely to vote for Harris and men more likely to vote for Trump,' said Johnson.

Harris can count on the support of 54 percent of women, while Trump has the backing of 40 percent.

Men break 59 to 37 for Trump.

After wobbles on both sides, the two candidates can now rely on their own party support. Harris is backed by 94 percent of Democrats; Trump is backed by 93 percent of Republicans.

And there is more good news for Trump as his campaign works to turn out the vote. Enthusiasm for the former president is higher (74 percent say they are very enthusiastic for him) than Harris (67).

A month ago, Harris led Trump by five points. 

 Credit: Daily Mail 

My Take 

The hand of God Almighty is on Trump for good but against those that want to terminate American Children in the womb, that want to stop procreation by promoting anti God-ordained marriage values. The United States of America Wins ultimately.

Elon Musk is secretly buying properties reportedly so his children and their mothers can all live together

 

Elon Musk on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania.(Samuel Corum via Getty Images).

BY Alena Botros

(Fortune) The world’s richest man is buying real estate. What’s so surprising about that? Not much. But what if I told you he’s bought three mansions, one that’s behind another and a third that’s a 10-minute walk away, all in Austin, supposedly for his children and their mothers. 

It seems Elon Musk has been attempting to build a sort of family compound, according to reporting by the New York Times, citing people familiar with his plans. Musk apparently recently told people close to him that he sees his children, of which there are at least 11 per the Times, and two of their three mothers, all living together in the adjoining properties. 

Credit: Fortune