Heavy gunfire and explosions were heard near the international airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger, late Wednesday night, prompting the deployment of heavy security around the area, according to multiple news sources. The blasts occurred near the airport, which is adjacent to Base Aérienne 101, a military base, The Guardian reported.
The gunfire and explosions began shortly after midnight, according to residents living near the airport, BBC World reported. Eyewitness accounts and videos indicated that air defense systems appeared to be engaging unidentified projectiles. While the situation reportedly calmed down later, the cause of the blasts and potential casualties remained unclear. An official reportedly stated that the situation was under control, but did not elaborate, according to BBC World. As of Thursday morning, there was no official statement from the military government regarding the incident.
The Guardian reported that a source indicated two aircraft on the ground in Niamey were destroyed by gunfire, although authorities have yet to comment on the situation. A satellite image taken two weeks prior showed the military zone of Niamey airport, The Guardian noted.
In other news, Tesla announced a shift in focus to artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, leading to cuts in car models, BBC Technology reported. The company's annual revenue fell for the first time, with a 3% decrease in 2025, and profits fell 61% in the last three months of the year. Tesla plans to end production of its Model S and Model X vehicles, repurposing the California manufacturing plant to produce its humanoid robots, known as Optimus, according to BBC Technology. This shift comes after China's BYD overtook Tesla as the world's biggest EV maker in January.
Meanwhile, Meta, the owner of Facebook, plans to nearly double its spending on AI projects this year, BBC Technology reported. Meta expects to spend up to $135 billion this year, primarily on AI-related infrastructure, according to a call with financial analysts on Wednesday discussing the company's 2025 financial results. This is nearly twice the $72 billion Meta spent on AI projects and infrastructure last year. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's boss, said he is expecting "2026 to be the year that AI dramatically changes the way we [Meta] build products," according to BBC Technology. 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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