⚡️Several people have been injured in a shooting in Paris and a suspect detained - local media reports, citing a police source.

Six people have reportedly been injured one of whom is in serious condition

🇯🇵The Japanese government approved a draft budget for the next fiscal year for a record 114,38 trillion yen ($862 billion) with a record-high defense budget in the amount of 6.8 trillion yen, Japanese media reported on Friday.

▪️According to reports, Japan's military spending amounted to 5.4 trillion yen in 2022, which is about 1.24% of GDP. The growth of the defense budget is connected with the government's decision to ensure an increase in defense spending to 2% of the country's gross domestic product by 2027, which is approximately 11 trillion yen per year.

▪️The draft budget for 2023-2024 also provides for the allocation of about 3 trillion yen to ensure defense capability and weapons development in the future.

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📹Video from the scene

⚡️Two people died, four injured, two of them in critical condition, as a result of the shooting in Paris - report

Koo CEO Shares What Makes World's 2nd Largest Microblogging Platform So Special

🐥 India's homegrown social network Koo is the second-largest microblogging site in the world with more than 60 million downloads

▪️Why is Koo growing so rapidly?

▪️What makes it stand out from other social media platforms, especially Twitter?

▪️Why is their logo a yellow bird?

Learn about this and more in our exclusive interview with Koo CEO & co-founder Aprameya Radhakrishna

US Closely Tracking Russia-China Joint Drills in East China Sea

The US, along with its allies and partners, is closely monitoring the joint naval exercises of China and Russia in the East China Sea, the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) said on Friday.

"Alongside our Allies and partners, we are closely tracking the military activities of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the South China Sea and Philippine Sea, as well as the ongoing Russia-China exercise in the East China Sea," the US military said in a statement.

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📹 A Sputnik correspondent has shared a video showing the aftermath of the shooting in Paris

Can 'Likes' Be Removed From Twitter? Elon Musk Confirms Upcoming Change

👍 Elon Musk has made another change in Twitter functional - now it is possible to remove likes from tweets.

He confirmed the development via a tweet on Friday after a user urged him to "get away from Likes" to which Musk replied in the affirmative, saying "yeah".

👉 READ FULL STORY

❗️ Russian MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️ More than 30 Ukrainian troops, two infantry fighting vehicles and four other vehicles were destroyed in the Kharkov region;

▪️ In the LPR, aviation and artillery attacked the accumulation of enemy soldiers and equipment, and also destroyed two Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups. Enemy losses per day in this direction amounted to more than 40 Ukrainian troops and mercenaries, three armored combat vehicles and two pickup trucks;

▪️ Russian aviation hit enemy strongholds near the city of Artemovsk, DPR. More than 80 Ukrainian troops and mercenaries, two tanks, five armored fighting vehicles and six other vehicles were destroyed;

▪️ Up to 45 Ukrainian troops, four armored personnel carriers and three pickup trucks were destroyed in the areas of settlements Novomayorske, Prechistovka and Vodiane of the DPR;

▪️ Russian Aviation, missile forces and artillery hit 62 artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 87 districts. Two depots of artillery ammunition of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed in the DPR, as well as a US-made counter-battery station AN / TPQ-50 which was destroyed;

▪️ Near the city of Kharkov, a radar station of the Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile system S-300 was destroyed;

▪️ Two US-made M777 artillery systems were destroyed in the DPR. In addition, two Ukrainian Grad rocket launchers were destroyed, from which the shelling of settlements in the DPR was carried out;

▪️ Russian aviation shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 aircraft and Mi-8 helicopter in the DPR;

▪️ Russian air defense systems shot down ten unmanned aerial vehicles.

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⚡️ The UN resident coordinator in Burkina Faso, Barbara Manzi has been ordered to leave the country immediately, the Foreign Ministry stated on Friday.

Manzi was declared "persona non grata", according to the press release.

💬 "She is therefore asked to leave Burkina Faso today, December 23, 2022," the statement said.

The statement, however, did not offer the reasons behind the diplomat's expulsion.

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🇺🇸US President Joe Biden will cancel his official visit to the United Kingdom if London and the European Union fail to reach an agreement on the post-Brexit trade arrangements known as the Northern Ireland Protocol, British media reported.

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EU’s $23 Billion for Hungary Held Back After Brussels Nods $18 Billion Ukraine Package

Brussels and Budapest have repeatedly locked horns over the rule of law, as well as education and migration policies. Hungary also voiced opposition to the EU’s decision last month to provide a hefty sum to Kiev amid the ongoing Russian special military operation.

The European Commission has pledged to hold back all €22 billion ($23 billion) of the bloc’s cohesion funds for Hungary until Budapest meets conditions on the asylum system, academic freedoms, LGBTQ+ rights and judiciary independence.

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In Search of Big Bucks: Zelensky Zips Over to Washington

The recent visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the United States and the allocation of another $45 billion in funds were actively advertised by many western media outlets. However, what is really behind it and what are the consequences?

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From Real Estate Heir to Ex-Rap Mogul: Top-10 Highest Bails Set in US History

Former FTX boss Sam Bankman-Fried has been released to his parents on a $250 million bond while he awaits trial on charges that he swindled investors and looted customer deposits on his crypto platform.

With US Assistant Attorney Nicolas Roos noting on Thursday that the $250 million bond for the release of the ex­-FTX head is believed to be the highest federal pretrial bail bond ever set, Sputnik takes a look at ten other hefty bails in US history.

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Biden Signs $858Bln US Defense Policy Bill

US President Joe Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2023 on Friday providing nearly $858 billion in funding for defense programs and priorities, the White House said.

"Today, I have signed into law H.R. 7776, the 'James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023," Biden said in a statement released by the White House.

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UK May Block Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill, Reports Say

The UK government may block a Scottish bill that would allow people to apply for legal gender reassignment from the age of 16, the British press reported on Thursday, citing sources.

Earlier in the day, the Scottish parliament passed a gender recognition reform bill by 86 votes to 39. The reform would lower the age at which a person can change the gender in their identification papers from 18 to 16 years. The bill has been discussed for several days.

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⚡️ US House secures votes to pass $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill, voting continues.

📹 Combat use of the Russian MLRS Uragan in the zone of the special operation.

A record of the destruction of Ukrainian equipment by Russian Uragan multiple-launch rocket systems.

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