Investigators are working to figure out why a plane crashed in Kazakhstan, leaving more than two dozen people dead. And what police say might have caused a taxicab to jump the curb and plow into pedestrians in New York City. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024.

Questions surround plane crash in Kazakhstan, 38 killed

The cause of a plane crash in Kazakhstan that killed at least 38 people is still under investigation, though several different theories are being discussed and circulating. One centers on a possible connection to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

The Azerbaijan Airlines flight originated Wednesday morning, Dec. 25, from the capital city of Baku and was en route to Grozny in Russia when the plane, an Embraer 190 aircraft, attempted to make an emergency landing approximately two miles from Akta in western Kazakhstan. That’s when it did what appeared to be a figure-eight in the air then slammed into the ground, killing at least 38 people on board while 29 others survived.

According to Russia’s civil aviation authority, a bird strike led to the attempted emergency landing. Reuters reported that Russian news agencies said the flight had been re-routed due to fog in Grozny. 

During a press conference, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said it was too soon to give a reason behind the crash. He also said the weather had forced the plane to change from its planned course. 

The plane crash-landed in a field and burst into flames before making it to the destination. 

On Wednesday evening, a Wall Street Journal story cited an aviation security firm’s take on the incident. It said Osprey Flight Solutions assessed footage of the crash, plane damage and recent military developments in the area between Russia and Ukraine. The U.K.-based firm said the flight was “likely shot down by a Russian military air-defense system.”  

Just hours before the crash, Russia’s defense ministry downed 59 Ukrainian drones in the region. 

Matt Borie, Osprey’s chief intelligence officer, said, “Video of the wreckage and the circumstances around the airspace security environment in southwest Russia indicates the possibility the aircraft was hit by some form of anti-aircraft fire.” 

Andriy Kovalenko, a Ukrainian national security official, gave a similar viewpoint on X, saying the plane “was shot down by a Russian air-defense system,” citing visible damage to the plane. Kovalenko said Russia should have closed the airspace over Grozny. 

Though Russian President Vladimir Putin has given his condolences to the victims, Russian officials have not yet responded to these remarks and theories. 

Reports said the cockpit recorder has been recovered as Azerbaijani and Kazakh authorities launch their investigation. There were 62 passengers and 5 crew members on the flight, including 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russian nationals, six Kazakhs and three Kyrgyzstan nationals, according to Kazakh officials.

Zelenskyy says Russia launched ‘inhumane’ attack on power grid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces launched an “inhumane” Christmas Day attack on Ukraine’s power grid. He said more than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than 100 drones targeted the energy infrastructure in Ukraine. 

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian air defense systems intercepted more than 50 missiles and most of the drones, but some facilities were still hit, causing power outages in various regions of Ukraine. The Russian attack on the power grid left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without heat in very cold temperatures.

Every massive Russian strike requires time for preparation. It is never a spontaneous decision. It is a deliberate choice – not only of targets but also of timing and date.

Today, Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane? Over 70 missiles,… pic.twitter.com/GMD8rTomoX

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 25, 2024

Ukrainian forces said they launched an airstrike against a Russian command post in Lgov, part of the Ukrainian-occupied areas in the Kursk region. The acting Russian governor of Kursk said at least four people died and five more were hurt in the attack. 

Russian forces also said they shot down a Ukrainian drone in the north Ossetia region. Debris from that air battle caused an explosion and a fire at a shopping center, leaving one person dead.

Body discovered in wheel well of United Airlines flight at Hawaii airport

Investigators are continuing to search for answers after a body was found in the wheel well of a United Airlines plane on Christmas Eve after a flight from Chicago to Maui. 

A United Airlines spokesperson said, “the wheel well is only accessible from outside the aircraft.” The airline is working with law enforcement to figure out how the person was able to get in. 

According to flight tracking website FlightAware, the plane had previously flown from São Paulo, Brazil on a direct flight to Chicago. The plane then had about a four-and-a-half-hour layover before the flight to Maui, which takes a little over nine hours on average. 

So far, there is no identity on the person who died.

3 hospitalized after taxi hits 6 pedestrians in New York City

In New York City, paramedics rushed three people to the hospital after a taxicab struck six pedestrians, including a 9-year-old boy, on Christmas Day. Police said the cab veered onto the sidewalk on 6th Street near Herald Square in midtown Manhattan just after 4 p.m. ET. 

They said the taxi driver might have suffered a medical episode, but that’s still under investigation. No charges or citations have been filed, as of yet.

Mega Millions jackpot soars to $1.15 billion after no Christmas Eve winner

If you were hoping for the $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot for Christmas, you did not get your Christmas wish. There were no jackpot-winning tickets in the Christmas Eve drawing on Tuesday, Dec. 24, which means the jackpot has now gone up to $1.15 billion. 

Four people won $3 million apiece for matching five numbers. 

The next drawing will be Friday night, Dec. 27.

Beyoncé performs during NFL’s Netflix debut

The Baltimore Ravens crushed the Houston Texans 31-2 in the second game of the NFL’s Christmas double-header Wednesday. However, according to social media and online reviews, the big winner of the day was Beyoncé. 

The 32-time Grammy-award winner performed during halftime of the game, which was part of the NFL’s debut on Netflix. Dubbed the “Beyoncé Bowl” by the streaming service, the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer was joined on the field by entertainers Post Malone and Shaboozey, as well as her daughter Blue Ivey. 

This marked the first time Beyoncé sang songs off her country album “Cowboy Carter” in front of a live audience. The album has garnered 11 Grammy nominations. 

Just to be clear, this was the halftime show of the Christmas Day game, not the Super Bowl. That one will be performed by Kendrick Lamar.