A helicopter on a medical evacuation mission has crashed on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, killing all five people on board.

The incident occurred on Wednesday evening, December 24, on one of the mountain’s most popular climbing routes at an altitude exceeding 4,000 meters.

As reported by Tanzanian authorities, the victims included two foreign nationals, a local doctor, a Tanzanian mountain guide, and the pilot.

Police identified the foreign passengers as Czech tourists who were being evacuated due to health issues.

The pilot of the helicopter was a Zimbabwe national.

The helicopter, an Airbus H125 operated by the local company Kilimanjaro Aviation, crashed between the Barafu Camp and the Kibo summit.

The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) confirmed the fatalities and stated that a formal investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident.

The mount is considered as the highest peak of Africa drawing tens of thousands of climbers each year.

While the ascent is non-technical, altitude sickness is a common risk, usually requiring emergency evacuations.

This helicopter crash marks the first aircraft accident on the mountain since 2008. 

Nottingham Forest and Scotland legend John Robertson, described by the iconic Briah Clough as “the Picasso of our game,” has died at the age of 72.

The winger was an essential part of the Forest team that achieved the unthinkable under Clough, rising from the second division to win back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980.

Robertson’s contributions in those finals cemented his legacy, giving the assist for Trevor Francis’s winner in 1979 before scoring the decisive goal himself against Hamburg in 1980.

The legend scored a winning goal for Scotland against England at Wembley in 1981.

Robertson was born in Scotland. At first, he struggled with professionalism at Forest before a stern talk from Clough’s assistant, Peter Taylor, transformed his career.

He became the creative heartbeat of a legendary side, marking over 500 appearances and winning several trophies.

After his retirement, he enjoyed a successful coaching career, highly notable as assistant to former teammate Martin O’Neill at Celtic.

The football industry has started pouring tributes with messages from Forest, Derby County, and the Scottish national team, mourning the loss of the football legend.

King Charles III and members of the royal family — minus his disgraced brother, the former Prince Andrew — walked to church for Christmas services Thursday morning on the king’s private Sandringham Estate, where they traditionally gather for the holiday. 

Charles and Queen Camilla, along with the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, and their children, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte, and their extended family attended the service at St. Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham, in Norfolk, about 100 miles north of London. 

Members of the royal family also stopped to greet people in the crowd outside.

Andrew was not present for the holiday gathering, BBC News reported, in the wake of the scandal over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He did not attend last year either. In October, he was stripped of his remaining titles and honors, including prince, and is now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

Later in the day, the king’s annual Christmas Day speech to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth is expected to focus on the theme of pilgrimage. 

His address was recorded at Westminster Abbey, the landmark known as the site of lavish coronations and royal weddings it has hosted for more than 1,000 years. The abbey is also the focus of an annual pilgrimage to the tomb of Edward the Confessor, which lies at the heart of the church. Edward, a monk-like monarch, was canonized as a saint in 1161.

The monarch’s annual holiday message is watched by millions of people in the U.K. and across the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 56 independent nations, most of which have historic ties to Britain. The prerecorded speech is broadcast at 3 p.m. there, when many families are enjoying their traditional Christmas lunch.

The speech is one of the rare occasions when Charles, 77, can voice his own views and doesn’t seek guidance from the government. It usually has a strong religious framework, reflects current issues and sometimes draws on the monarch’s personal experiences.

This is Charles’ fourth Christmas speech since ascending to the throne after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died in September 2022.

The address comes just two weeks after Charles made a deeply personal television appearance in which he said “good news” from his doctors meant that he would be able to reduce his treatment for cancer in the new year.

The king was diagnosed with a still undisclosed form of cancer in early 2024. Buckingham Palace says his treatment is now moving to a “precautionary phase” and his condition will be monitored to ensure his continued recovery.

During last year’s Christmas address, Charles honored care workers around the country and gave a special thanks to the doctors and nurses who supported him after his cancer diagnosis.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, also underwent treatment for cancer last year. She said in January that she was in remission after going through some “hard times” during her recovery. Kate, as she is widely called, has not shared details about what type of cancer it was. 

She and her husband, Prince William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, have three children: 12-year-old Prince George of Wales, 10-year-old Princess Charlotte of Wales and 7-year-old Prince Louis of Wales.