$20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. That’s how much a Russian court has fined Google for restricting Russian state media channels on YouTube. That’s two undecillion roubles - and far greater than the world’s total GDP, which is estimated by the International Monetary Fund to be $110 trillion.

Jen Monaghan, from BBC Monitoring, talks us through why Google has been hit with such a massive fine, and how it’s impossible to pay. And the BBC’s Anastasia Golubeva shares how the internet and social media apps - including YouTube - are restricted in Russia, and the impact this has on young people there.

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Donald Trump will return to the White House in January 2025, after defeating Democrat rival Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential elections. The win comes just four years after he lost re-election to Joe Biden — and just weeks before his sentencing in his New York criminal trial.

We explain the factors behind his historic win and hear from political analysts about how issues like the economy and immigration influenced voters in the crucial swing states that decided the election.

One of Trump’s campaign promises was to quickly end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and to prioritise America’s interest above all others. We hear from the BBC’s International Correspondent Lyse Doucet and the BBC’s China correspondent Laura Bicker about how international leaders are reacting to the win and what it means for their them.

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Floods have swept through Valencia on Spain’s eastern coast, causing death and destruction in their wake. It’s the worst flooding in Europe this century. More than 200 people have died and many are still missing - it is the country’s deadliest natural disaster in recent memory. There is widespread anger over the government’s response, and when Spain’s king and queen visited the town of Paiporta, they were met with protesters and even had mud thrown at them.

We speak to BBC journalist Iqra Farooq, who has just been to the area. She tells us about the devastating scenes she saw, and the anger people are feeling. The BBC’s Mimi Swaby has been speaking to the mayor of Paiporta, Maribel Albalat, who told her she was shocked by the violence, but that she understood "the frustration and desperation of the people".

And we speak to Stav Danaos from BBC Weather, who explains the Dana phenomenon that caused the flooding and how climate change made it worse.

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COP 16 — the United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity — recently concluded in Colombia. One of the major issues was "biopiracy". That’s when companies take out patents to own the rights to living organisms, like plants — despite the fact many local and indigenous communities may have been using these plants and other biological material for centuries.

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Gaming is growing in Africa. As the continent’s booming youthful population get better access to smart phones and internet connectivity improves, so does its gaming scene.

Esports events are gaining traction too, with South Africa, Kenya, Morocco and Nigeria all hosting large tournaments showcasing Africa’s best gaming talent. We chat to Brian Khisa, a BBC reporter based in Nairobi, about why the scene is taking off, and how representative it is.

We’re also joined by Megan van der Westhuizen, a 21-year-old gamer based in South Africa, and 26-year-old Sylvia Gathoni (aka 'QueenArrow'), from Kenya. They share what it’s like to be pro gamers, and why they’re excited about the future.

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The practice of sending money to family in other countries - known as remittances - is widespread. The World Bank estimates that over $650 billion was sent to low- and middle-income countries in 2023. When it comes to the flow of money from the U.S. to African nations, some people use the term ”black tax.”

As costs are rising around the world, some people are saying it's becoming harder to afford to send money. And recently Kenyan influencer and comedian Elsa Majimbo reignited the long-running debate when she said on Instagram that she hated sending money abroad.

Two BBC journalists, Itoro Bassey in the United States and Makuochi Okafor in Nigeria, talk about their personal experiences of sending or receiving money. And they discuss the broader economic and cultural factors that underpin the issue.

We also hear a range of views from people who send money to relatives in Africa and some who receive it.

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Chris Brown is performing in South Africa for the first time since 2015 this December. Tickets for his concerts sold out Johannesburg's FNB Stadium in just a few hours. But not everyone is happy about it. Campaigners have highlighted that the concert is scheduled just days after the global commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. So, a petition has been started to block his shows. The petition calls them an ‘insult to the millions of women and girls affected by violence in South Africa and worldwide’.

Bulelwa Adonis is from Women for Change. She tells us why her organisation started the petition, and the conversations its sparked online and IRL. We also hear from a mother whose been directly impacted by gender based violence (GBV). Noma Mrwetyana’s daughter was murdered in 2019, at the age of 19. She tells us why she started the Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation in her name. And BBC reporter Danai Nesta Kupemba talks us through what the government is doing to address the issue.

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Two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, abortion remains a central issue in U.S. politics. The backlash from the ruling that allows states to ban abortion shook up the 2022 midterms, and since then, voters have consistently backed abortion rights in ballot measures—even in traditionally conservative states like Ohio, Kentucky, and Kansas.

Now, with Election Day approaching, 10 states are set to vote on how abortion should be regulated. The result could overturn existing bans, or solidify protections.

So could reproductive rights be the issue that changes the course of the election?

In this episode, a doctor breaks down the procedure’s medical aspects and Ana Faguy, our BBC reporter in Washington, explains the high stakes of abortion rights in the presidential race.

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A growing number of young people born in France are choosing to leave the country. Many of them are moving to their parents’ countries of origin in Africa.

We chat with BBC reporter and producer Nathalie Jimenez about “The Homecoming”, a documentary from BBC Africa Eye. It explores the “silent exodus” of French Africans with an emphasis on those re-locating to Senegal, a former French colony.

Among other things, Nathalie explains how racism and the rise of the far right are driving people to seek new beginnings abroad. We also hear from other French citizens who are starting a new life in Senegal.

Just search for "BBC Africa Eye - The Homecoming" to watch the documentary on YouTube.

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More than 100 professional women's footballers have signed an open letter urging Fifa to drop the Saudi oil giant Aramco as a sponsor over humanitarian and environmental concerns. It follows Fifa’s announcement - earlier this year - of a partnership with the firm that will run until 2027, giving the company sponsorship rights to the men’s World Cup in 2026 and the Women’s World Cup the following year.

The words ‘Saudi Arabia’ and ‘football’ are increasingly used in the same sentence, and the country has become a huge player in the game. But it’s not without controversy. The nation has been accused of ‘sportswashing’ - with critics claiming Saudi Arabia is trying to improve its international reputation by investing in sports.

BBC sports correspondent Katie Gornall talks us through why these players are speaking up, and if this petition could change things. We also hear from Manchester City striker Vivianne Miedema and Danish international Sofie Junge Pedersen about why they chose to sign.

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