Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev accused Russia of shooting down Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243, which crash-landed in Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Christmas Day. The incident claimed the lives of 38 passengers and crew out of the 67 onboard. Aliyev alleged that evidence points to Russian surface-to-air missiles as the cause, though he clarified there is no indication the attack was intentional.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation into an incident involving drones crashing into a crowd during a Christmas drone light show over Eola Lake in Orlando, Florida.
A driver was arrested in Florida this week after hitting a 16-year-old boy crossing the road in Deltona and fleeing the scene, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
Another tragic death has underscored the consequences of lax immigration enforcement in Harris County, Texas. On December 1, 7-year-old Ivory Smith was killed by a drunk driver in northeast Houston. Her mother sustained serious injuries in the crash. The alleged driver, 41-year-old Venezuelan national Joel Enrique Gonzalez Chacin, was in the country illegally and had a prior criminal record. He now faces charges of intoxicated manslaughter.
The Pentagon has temporarily grounded its fleet of V-22 Osprey aircraft following concerns over weakened metal components that may have contributed to a recent near-crash. This marks the latest challenge for the embattled tiltrotor aircraft, which has faced increasing safety issues in recent years.
