A passenger plane crashed in northern Colombia, killing all 15 people on board, according to the country's state-run airline Satena. The crash occurred on Thursday, and the wreckage was located in a mountainous area in North Santander, Colombia, near the Venezuelan border, according to BBC World.
Satena confirmed in a statement that its Beechcraft 1900 aircraft "suffered a fatal accident," but did not provide further details. Contact with the plane was lost 11 minutes before its scheduled landing in the city of Ocaña at 12:05 local time, according to initial reports from Satena. The official passenger list included lawmaker Diógenes Quintero Amaya and Carlos Salcedo, a candidate in upcoming congressional elections.
In other news, heavy gunfire and loud explosions were heard near the international airport outside Niamey, the capital of Niger, also on Thursday. Multiple eyewitness accounts and videos showed air defense systems apparently engaging unidentified projectiles in the early hours. According to BBC World, the situation later calmed down, with an official reportedly saying the situation was now under control, without elaborating. The cause of the blasts and potential casualties remain unclear, with no official statement from the military government. The gunfire and blasts began shortly after midnight, according to reports.
Meanwhile, Storm Kristin tore through central and northern Portugal, resulting in at least five deaths, according to BBC World. The Portuguese government described the storm as an "extreme climactic event," causing flooding, landslides, and widespread damage. Schools were shuttered, buildings were damaged, and travel was severely disrupted. In the coastal city of Figueira da Foz, a Ferris wheel overturned, and several vehicles were hit when part of a roof was torn from a building. Portugal has been hit by a succession of storms in recent days, including one over the weekend in which a man died after his car was swept away in floods.
In the United Kingdom, Waymo, the US driverless car firm, hopes to launch a robotaxi service in London as soon as September of this year, according to BBC Technology. The UK government plans to change regulations in the second half of 2026 to enable driverless taxis to operate in the city but has not given a specific date. Waymo said a pilot service will launch in April. Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood said, "We're supporting Waymo and other operators through our passenger pilots, and pro-innovation regulations to make self-driving cars a reality on British roads."
Finally, Tesla is cutting car models as it shifts its focus to artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, according to BBC Technology. The electric vehicle (EV) maker reported a 3% decline in total revenues in 2025, while profits fell 61% in the last three months of the year. Tesla also announced plans to end production of its Model S and Model X vehicles and will use the manufacturing plant in California that made those cars to produce its line of humanoid robots - known as Optimus. In January, China's BYD overtook Tesla as the world's biggest EV maker. Tesla is run by Elon Musk.
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