US & World News

Explosion in Moscow kills 3 people. Official says Ukrainian intelligence was behind it

Russian investigators say that an explosion in Moscow has killed three people, including two police officers. Wednesday's blast comes days after a car bomb killed a high-ranking general not far away. An official from Ukraine’s military intelligence said the attack had been carried out as part of an agency operation. Another official from the agency said the police officers had taken part in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Russian authorities did not comment on who may be behind the attack. A spokesperson from Russia's Investigative Committee said two police officers were approaching a suspicious individual when a device detonated. The officers and another person nearby died.

Turkey recovers black boxes from jet crash that killed top Libyan military officials

Search teams in Turkey have recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from a jet crash that killed eight people, including Libya’s military chief. The private jet carrying Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad and others crashed on Tuesday after taking off from Ankara. Libyan officials say a technical malfunction caused the crash. The delegation was returning to Tripoli after defense talks in Ankara. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya says wreckage is scattered over a large area, complicating recovery efforts. Libya has declared three days of national mourning. An investigation into the crash is underway.

How Christian artists are winning over listeners and entering pop's mainstream

Christian music is growing in popularity while other genres struggle to grow new listenership. Experts and artists say there are a variety of reasons why this religious music is connecting. Social media and streaming are factors. So is the music's hopeful lyricism, which has evolved to reflect real life. Christian music has also begun embracing many different genres of music and industry professionals say the quality as improved. Certain Christian artists have also begun to crossover into mainstream music, like Lauren Daigle and Brandon Lake. The latter has a Grammy-nominated song in “Hard Fought Hallelujah” with the country singer Jelly Roll. They hope this isn't just a trend but a movement.

Christmas schedule: Cavs-Knicks, Spurs-Thunder, Mavs-Warriors, Rockets-Lakers, Wolves-Nuggets

Jalen Williams and the Oklahoma City Thunder are set to play the San Antonio Spurs on Christmas Day. This marks the Thunder's first appearance in the NBA's Christmas Day games since feeling overlooked last year. The holiday lineup includes five games, starting with Cleveland at New York and ending with Minnesota at Denver. LeBron James is expected to play his 20th Christmas game, extending his records in various categories. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant will play for his fifth team on Christmas. Some teams, like Sacramento and Indiana, continue to wait for their chance to play on this special day.

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