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Plane Crash in Colombia Kills 15, While Global Tech Sector Sees Shifts
A passenger plane crashed in northern Colombia, killing all 15 people on board, the country's state-run airline Satena confirmed Thursday. The Beechcraft 1900 aircraft "suffered a fatal accident," according to a Satena statement. The wreckage was located in a mountainous area in North Santander, near the Venezuelan border. Contact with the plane was lost 11 minutes before its scheduled landing in the city of Ocaña at 12:05 local time, Satena reported. 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, early Thursday. Multiple eyewitness accounts and videos showed air defense systems apparently engaging unidentified projectiles. According to reports, the situation later calmed down, with an official stating the situation was under control, though without providing further details. The cause of the blasts and potential casualties remain unclear. There has been no official statement from the military government.
Meanwhile, in the technology sector, Tesla is shifting its focus to artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, leading to changes in its car model production. The electric vehicle (EV) maker reported a 3% decline in total revenues in 2025, and a 61% drop in profits in the last three months of the year, according to BBC Technology. Tesla also announced plans to end production of its Model S and Model X vehicles, repurposing its California manufacturing plant to produce its line of humanoid robots, known as Optimus. This shift comes as China's BYD overtook Tesla as the world's biggest EV maker in January.
Adding to the AI trend, Facebook-owner Meta plans to nearly double its spending on AI projects this year, even as some executives warn of a potential bubble in the industry. During a call with financial analysts on Wednesday to discuss the company's 2025 financial results, Meta said it expects to spend up to $135 billion on AI-related infrastructure, according to BBC Technology. This is nearly twice the $72 billion Meta spent last year on AI projects and infrastructure. Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg said he expects "2026 to be the year that AI dramatically changes the way we" operate. In the last three years, the technology giant has spent roughly $140 billion in an attempt to get ahead of the AI boom.
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