(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
49ers 48, Colts 27
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Hornets 132, Cavaliers 139
Pacers 95, Celtics 103
Mavericks 113, Pelicans 119
Jazz 112, Nuggets 135
Grizzlies 103, Thunder 119
Magic 97, Warriors 120
Pistons 110, Trail Blazers 102
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Blues 1, Lightning 4
Canucks 2, Flyers 5
Kraken 3, Ducks 1
Blue Jackets 3, Kings 1
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(LONDON) — Russia launched a “massive” drone and missile strike on Ukraine overnight into Tuesday morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post to Telegram, prompting power outages in several regions around the country, according to the Energy Ministry in Kyiv.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 635 drones and 38 missiles into the country overnight, of which 587 drones and 34 missiles were shot down or suppressed. The impacts of missiles and drones were reported across 21 locations, the air force said.
Monday’s night’s attack was the largest Russian combined strike since Dec. 6, according to Ukrainian air force data analyzed by ABC News, and the third largest of the war to date.
Zelenskyy said Russia was “primarily targeting our energy sector, civilian infrastructure and literally all aspects of daily life.”
At least three people were killed — one person in Kyiv, one in Khmelnytskyi and a 4-year-old child in Zhytomyr — Zelenskyy said. At least 13 regions were targeted, he added. Local officials reported that at least 11 people were also injured across Ukraine.
The Energy Ministry said in a post to Telegram that “emergency power cuts have been introduced in a number of regions of Ukraine. As soon as the security situation allows, rescue workers and energy specialists will begin to repair the damage caused by the attack in order to restore power supply to the regions as quickly as possible.”
“Emergency power cuts will be lifted once the situation in the power grid has stabilized,” the ministry added.
Zelenskyy said the attack “sends an extremely clear signal about Russia’s priorities” as representatives from the warring parties engage in the latest round of U.S.-sponsored shuttle diplomacy intended to secure a peace deal.
“The attack comes just before Christmas, when people want to be with their families, at home, in safety,” he wrote. “The attack actually comes at the height of negotiations aimed at ending this war.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy said, “simply cannot accept the need to stop killing.”
“This means that the world is not putting enough pressure on Russia,” he added. “We need to react now. We need to push Russia towards peace and guaranteed security.” Zelenskyy also called for “air defense for Ukraine, funding for arms purchases, the supply of energy equipment” to help blunt Russian attacks.
Ukraine continued its own long-range strike campaign overnight, with the Russian Defense Ministry reporting the downing of at least 44 drones.
Airports in Volgograd, Grozny, Magas and Vladikavkaz were temporarily closed amid the attacks, according to Russia’s federal air transport agency, Rosaviatsiya.
In the Stavropol region, Gov. Vladimir Vladimirov said an attempted drone attack targeted facilities in Budennovsk, causing a fire in an industrial zone.
In the Rostov region, Gov. Yury Slyusar said drone debris damaged a fence and set fire to a house under construction in the village of Grushevskaya, which was later extinguished.
Meanwhile, on the diplomatic front, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators returned home after meetings with U.S. officials in Miami over the weekend.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in remarks published Tuesday that Russia is waiting for information from the U.S. on talks with Ukrainian and European officials, after which he said Moscow would assess whether any developments “match the spirit of Anchorage” — referring to the summit between Putin and President Donald Trump in Alaska in August.
Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev said he had returned to Moscow after taking part in the Miami talks. Earlier, the Kremlin said he would brief Putin on his return.
Vice President JD Vance on Monday said recent talks had achieved a “breakthrough” in that “all the issues are actually out in the open.”
Peskov, though, told the Rossiya-1 television channel on Tuesday that Russia does not know what Vance was referring to.
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said in social media posts on Monday that he will be briefed by the Ukrainian negotiating team on Tuesday morning. “There are 20 points of the plan,” he said. “Not everything is perfect so far, but this plan is in place.”
Zelenskyy said there is now a framework of security guarantees with European nations and the U.S. The “bilateral” and “legally binding” deal with the U.S. will need to be reviewed by Congress, he added. “As of today, this all looks quite solid and dignified. For now, however, these are working drafts prepared by our military.”
“This indicates that we are very close to a real outcome,” Zelenskyy added, noting that work was ongoing on a separate draft agreement regarding Ukraine’s economic recovery.
“There are certain things we are not prepared to accept,” Zelenskyy said. “And there are things — of that I am sure — that the Russians are not prepared to accept either. The Americans are currently continuing negotiations with Russian representatives. They will hold talks, and then we will receive feedback from them.”
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(NEW YORK) — The Justice Department on Monday released additional documents from its files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Following a congressional mandate to release all of its Epstein files by Friday, the Justice Department on Friday released thousands of documents — ranging from investigative material to photos taken by Epstein and his friends — but said it was unable to fully release all the files by the deadline due to the vetting process required to protect Epstein’s victims.
A group of alleged Epstein victims on Monday accused the Justice Department of missteps, including violations of the law, in releasing what they said was “a fraction of the files,” which were “riddled with abnormal and extreme redactions with no explanation” while “numerous victim identities were left unredacted, causing real and immediate harm.”
Epstein, the wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019.
The Epstein Transparency Act, passed last month by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump following blowback the administration received from MAGA supporters seeking the release of the materials, contains exemptions to protect victims’ identities, as well as exemptions for records that “would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution, provided that such withholding is narrowly tailored and temporary.”
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Who’s the bestselling country artist of all time? It’s an answer that evolved over the last few months of 2025, as The Recording Industry Association of America tallied the latest numbers.
In early October, the RIAA declared Luke Combs not only the bestselling male, but the country artist with the most certifications in history, racking up 168 million units during his career.
You might recall it’s a record previously held by Garth Brooks.
“I mean, it’s all very unexpected, I think,” Luke said just prior to November’s CMA Awards. “You can’t plan to get to this point, you know. And obviously when I moved here, I just wanted to be able to make a living doing music, whatever that looked like.”
Luke was ever humble and quick to give the credit to his supporters: “It’s all been a blessing, and I’m very fortunate and I’m just thankful, man, for the fans. I mean, it’s all them.”
Near the end of October, the RIAA revealed Carrie Underwood shares similar honors, having sold 95 million units, including 22.5 million albums and 72.5 million singles.
“Accomplishments like this are more than I would have ever dared to dream of when I was starting out,” she said in a statement. “I owe everything to the fans, who have literally voted for me from the beginning of my career and have showed up and given me so much love for over 20 years. I feel truly blessed.”
When the final tallies were announced in December, it was Morgan Wallen who would come out on top.
He’s sold 239.5 million singles and 26 million albums, for a total of 265.5 million units, according to the RIAA. That makes him not only the bestselling artist in country music, but also the third-most-certified artist in any genre, behind Drake and Taylor Swift.
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For George Birge and his wife Kara Birge, Dec. 25 typically starts with a visit from Santa in Music City, followed by packing up the kids and hopping on a plane to their native Austin, Texas.
But this year, things will be different for 6-year-old Luke Birge and older brother George James Birge, who’ll be 9 in January.
“I finally this year, I was like, ‘Can we please stay at home for Christmas?,'” George Sr. tells ABC Audio. “So we’re gonna stay home for Christmas.”
“We’ve got a neighborhood with a bunch of friends in it and the kids love to all run around and it’s just warm enough around Christmas in Nashville. So [it’ll] be nice to wake up in our own bed, open some presents and then, you know, for once, instead of packing and feeling like Christmas, like [in] Home Alone,” he laughs, “running through the airport, we’ll get to kind of kick up, have a cup of coffee on the couch and enjoy it a little bit.”
The Birges did travel back to the Lone Star State for some time with family at Thanksgiving.
George will start 2026 with one of the most enviable gigs around, playing Luke Bryan‘s Crash My Playa getaway in Cancun in January, right before the start of his Cowboy Songs Tour.
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The finale of Apple TV’s Pluribus, about an alien virus that connects almost everyone in the world to an exceedingly cheerful hive mind, airs Wednesday. Karolina Wydra, who plays Zosia on the show, says it will leave you shook — and wondering what’s next.
“I think there’s gonna be a lot of questions raised. I think people are gonna be surprised,” she tells ABC Audio. “I think they’re gonna be shocked. I think people are going to be left with a big ‘what?’ question mark.”
Referring to the final moments of the episode, she adds, “When I read it, I went, ‘What the hell?’ Like, ‘What is happening? What?’ We all did!”
Pluribus has become Apple TV’s most-watched series ever — bigger than Ted Lasso and Severance. “I think our show is so original and it’s never been done before. And I think people want original stories,” Wydra explains.
It’s also a show where, as she puts it, “You actually have to lean in and listen and observe and be present. And I think people are enjoying that. And also that it’s coming out weekly and people have to wait for it and have something to look forward to.”
In last week’s episode, Zosia and Carol, played by Rhea Seehorn, become lovers. But since Zosia is part of the hive mind — or as the actors call it, The Collective — does Zosia have actual feelings for Carol?
“The Collective … really love[s] her unconditionally. They have genuine love for her, and I think for them, sex is an expression of true love. It’s not an act, but just sharing oneself with another,” Wydra explains. She adds, “I mean, we would laugh because we would say she basically just had an intimate moment with the rest of the world!”
But though Zosia is part of The Collective, Wydra still has questions about how it all works.
“I’m very curious still to find out, when you’re born, do you automatically become full of knowledge, and a two-year-old can perform open-heart surgery?” she muses, wondering, “…[D]oes innocence still exist?”
Pluribus has been renewed for season 2.
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Cardi B went viral for her courtroom drama in 2025, but she wasn’t the only major figure forced to face a judge. One of the most defining legal moments of the year came when Sean “Diddy” Combs stood trial in a high-profile federal case involving charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Jury selection began on May 5, 2025, with opening statements delivered the following week. Numerous witnesses testified over the course of the multiweek trial, but Combs’ ex Cassie Ventura’s testimony was the centerpiece of the prosecution’s case. She and several others described alleged patterns of violence, coercion and sexual exploitation, before the verdict was delivered in early July.
Combs was acquitted on the most serious charges — racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking — but was convicted on two federal counts of transportation to engage in prostitution under the Mann Act. In October, he was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $500,000 fine, followed by supervised release. He is currently serving his sentence at FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey.
His legal team has filed an appeal in an attempt to reduce his prison term; they’ve been granted an expedited appeal schedule for his conviction.
While Diddy has largely remained out of public view, photos and short clips have been released, offering rare insight into his incarceration.
As the legal process continues, Combs ends the year as the subject of renewed public scrutiny following the release of the Netflix documentary Sean Combs: The Reckoning, executive produced by 50 Cent. 50 claimed he believed Combs would like the documentary, though reports say Combs attempted to block its release. His attorneys have since sent a cease and desist letter, alleging the project uses “stolen footage that was never authorized for release,” according to CNN.
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If you watch British TV shows or movies, you may be aware of the distinctly British Christmas tradition of the “Christmas cracker“: a wrapped cardboard tube that pops when you pull it apart, revealing a paper crown, a tiny present and a terrible joke. While they’ve become more popular in the U.S. in recent years, one British pop star recalls searching in vain for them for her first American Christmas.
“I remember when I first came to America and had a Christmas here, me and my mom were like, ‘Okay, let’s go get the Christmas crackers,'” Leona Lewis told ABC Audio. “Y’know, we went to the shops, it’s Christmas Eve. And people were like ‘What? You want what?'”
“We’re like, ‘Christmas crackers!’ — no one knew what we were talking about!” the “Bleeding Love” singer laughed. “I was like, ‘They don’t have Christmas crackers in America — this is so crazy!'”
But Leona, who’s currently doing a holiday residency in Las Vegas, said one thoughtful fan made sure she had the experience, even in Sin City.
“Someone bought me a Christmas cracker to the show. And when I was walking on the catwalk, he handed it to me and we pulled the Christmas cracker together,” she laughed. “It was so cute!”
Meanwhile, another British pop star thinks it’s “wild” that Christmas crackers aren’t a regular part of holiday celebrations in the U.S.: Spice Girl Mel C.
“We need to introduce them, because they’re fun!” she told ABC Audio. “The presents are always rubbish. It’s not about the gift, it’s about the corny jokes you get inside.”
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2025 began with the surprise news that the original Black Sabbath lineup — Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward — would be reuniting for one final show. It was also announced that the concert would mark Ozzy’s final live performance, a promise that he sadly fulfilled upon his death just over two weeks after the show.
The concert, dubbed Back to the Beginning, was set for July 5 at Villa Park, a stadium in Sabbath’s hometown of Birmingham, England. Along with sets by Sabbath and Ozzy, the lineup promised nearly every big-name metal and hard rock band you could think of: Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Gojira, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Anthrax, Rival Sons and Mastodon.
Additionally, music director Tom Morello put together all-star jams featuring artists including Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, Yungblud, Disturbed‘s David Draiman, Sammy Hagar, Aerosmith‘s Steven Tyler, Adam Jones and Danny Carey of Tool, blink-182‘s Travis Barker, Ghost‘s Tobias Forge and Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Those who wouldn’t be able to attend the massive show in person would be able to watch it streaming online.
As ambitious as all that seemed, the main concern going into Back to the Beginning was Ozzy’s health, which had kept him from performing a full live set for over six years. Ozzy cautioned that he and Sabbath would “only be playing a couple songs each,” telling The Guardian, “I’ll be there, and I’ll do the best I can. So all I can do is turn up.”
When the big day finally came, Ozzy did indeed take the stage following hours of performances and tributes courtesy of the aforementioned stacked lineup. While seated, Ozzy was first joined by his solo band for a five-song set featuring classics including “Crazy Train,” “Mr. Crowley” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” He then returned while flanked by his Sabbath bandmates to rock out four more songs: “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” “N.I.B.” and “Paranoid.”
Following the concert, the participating artists flocked to social media to reflect on the special experience. A new Ozzy memoir called Last Rites was announced days later, suggesting that while Ozzy may have played his final concert, he was still planning to be busy.
However, the celebrations soon turned to grief when, on July 22, it was announced that Ozzy had died at age 76.
Tributes poured in from every corner of the music universe and beyond, which remembered him not only for his artistic achievements but also his massive impact on culture in general. A funeral procession was held in Birmingham on July 30.
On Sept. 7, the MTV Video Music Awards staged a tribute to Ozzy featuring a performance by Yungblud alongside Tyler and his Aerosmith bandmate Joe Perry.
Members of the Osbourne family eventually issued their own statements, culminating with a return of The Osbournes Podcast featuring widow Sharon Osbourne, daughter Kelly Osbourne and son Jack Osbourne.
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The Beatles may have broken up in 1970, but the band continues to live on and 2025 was no exception.
-Fans of the band got a new look at their 1990s Anthology project with reissues of the documentary series, music and book.
-Disney+ debuted a restored and remastered version of the Anthology documentary series, which aired on ABC in 1995, with the eight-part series expanded to nine episodes. In addition, the music was reissued as The Anthology Collection, a box set featuring the first three Anthology albums, along with a new fourth edition, featuring 13 previously unreleased recordings. Anthology 4 was also released as a standalone.
-A 25th anniversary edition of The Beatles Anthology book, featuring more than 1,300 photos, documents, artwork and memorabilia, was also released.
-This year also brought casting news for Sam Mendes‘ four Beatles films, The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, due out in April 2028. The project, in which each film will be told from the point of view of a different band member, will star Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.
Among this year’s other Beatles highlights:
-Ringo released a new country album, Look Up, and as part of the promotion for his Grand Ole Opry debut. He also headlined two nights at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, joined by some famous friends, with the shows turned into a special that aired on CBS.
-The Beatles won another Grammy, taking home best rock performance for “Now and Then.” In addition, Lennon’s son Sean Ono Lennon won the Grammy for best boxed or special limited edition package for his work on the reissue of his late father’s Mind Games album.
-McCartney surprised fans in New York City by headlining three shows at the 575-person-capacity Bowery Ballroom. The shows were a lead-up to his performance on the SNL 50 anniversary special.
-A new documentary about Lennon and wife Yoko Ono, One to One: John & Yoko, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald, opened in theaters in April.
-Original Beatles drummer Pete Best announced his retirement from music.
-The Lennon documentary Borrowed Time: Lennon’s Last Decade, from director Alan G. Parker, debuted in London in May. The film eventually opened in the U.S. in December.
-McCartney returned to the stage in the band’s hometown of Liverpool, joining Bruce Springsteen for The Boss’ show at Anfield Stadium. They played two songs together, The Beatles’ classic “Can’t Buy Me Love” and a cover of the Leiber & Stoller tune “Kansas City,” which The Beatles recorded in 1964.
-McCartney brought his Got Back tour back to North America in September, starting with a warm-up show in Santa Barbara, California, before officially kicking things off in Palm Desert, California.
-A new box set celebrating John and Yoko’s activism, Power to the People (Super Deluxe Edition), produced by Sean Ono Lennon, was released to coincide with what would have been John’s 85th birthday. It featured 123 tracks, 90 of which had either never been heard before or were previously unreleased.
-McCartney released a new book, Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, dedicated to his post-Beatles career in Wings. A new documentary focusing on that time period, Man on the Run, was acquired by Amazon MGM and will debut on Prime Video Feb. 25, 2026. It is also expected to be released in select theaters.
-The BBC announced it had picked up a new drama series, Hamburg Days, which will focus on The Beatles’ early days as a band. The six-part series is based on the autobiography by German artist, musician and longtime Beatles pal Klaus Voormann.
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