NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-27-2024 5PM EST

Episode Date: December 27, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Hurst. The investigation into the crash this week of an Azerbaijan airline passenger jet in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people continues. One focus of the probe? A possible mistaken attack by Russian anti-aircraft weapons. The plane crashed in Kazakhstan as it headed to a city in Russia with 67 passengers and crew on board, 29 people survived. U.S. officials say it's possible Russian weapons hit the plane and

Azerbaijan Airlines says it suffered external, physical and technical interference. But the head of Russia's aviation watchdog, Dmitry Medvedev, says the diversion was necessary because of a difficult situation around the Grozny airport. I should note that the situation in the area of Grozny airport that day during those hours was quite difficult. Ukrainian combat drones were mounting terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure in the cities of Grozny and Vladikavkaz. Because of this, all aircraft had to leave the indicated airspace immediately." Speaking there through a BBC interpreter. North Korean troops are suffering major losses in Russia's war against Ukraine. And Piers

Michelle Kellerman reports that's according to the Biden administration, which has been watching their involvement closely. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says that 1,000 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded in the past week alone. He says Russia treats them as expendable. He's also raising doubts about Russian President Vladimir Putin's latest comments about possible peace talks with Ukraine. I mean just over Christmas days launching waves of missiles and drones against Ukrainian infrastructure. This is not a man who anyone should take seriously when it comes to saying he's ready for a negotiated settlement. He has proven quite the contrary in almost every

single possible way. Kirby says the Biden administration is trying to put Ukraine in a stronger position ahead of any potential peace talks. Michelle Kelliman, NPR News, Washington. NATO says it's stepping up its presence in the Baltic Sea after power cables between Finland and Estonia were damaged this week. Terry Schultz reports authorities in Finland are treating it as a case of sabotage. Finnish President Alexander Stubbe says NATO has already responded to his call for backup in the Baltic Sea. The Finnish and Estonian governments called on the Alliance for Reinforcements after four

cables were destroyed or damaged around the same time as a vessel which left a Russian port a day earlier crossed over them. Finland seized the ship and Stubb says the crew is cooperating with investigators. It's too soon to draw conclusions yet why this happened, we know who did it. Although sailing under a flag from the Cook Islands, the ship is believed to be among those used by Russia to transport oil in contravention of international sanctions imposed for its war on Ukraine. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels.

This is NPR News. Osamu Suzuki, who led Japanese auto and motorcycle maker Suzuki Motor for more than four decades, has died at the age of 94. And here's Rafael Nam reports, Suzuki was best known for leading his company into spectacular success in India. Drive on any Indian road and you'll soon see a small Suzuki car or motorcycle. The Maruti Suzuki, as the company's car is known in India, is a popular and affordable car driven by everybody from taxi drivers to families all over India. It was all largely thanks to Osamu

Suzuki. He married into the Suzuki family behind the automaker and adopted their family name. Under his leadership, Suzuki entered India in the early 1980s and expanded into other markets. But he was particularly well-known in India where he was a frequent and recognizable visitor thanks to his bushy eyebrows and dedication to the country that brought him one of his biggest successes. Rafael Nam, NPR News. There's another billion dollar plus lottery jackpot in the U.S. This time it's the Mega Millions lottery, and the drawing is tonight. The estimated jackpot is $1.2 billion. No

one's won the grand prize in the last 30 drawings. Mega Millions says the odds of winning are high, though, one in 302,575,350. Megamillions is sold in 45 states, along with the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. I'm Janene Hurst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.