A passenger plane and a military helicopter collided mid-air near Ronald Reagan National Airport, killing 67 passengers.

According to Al Jazeera, the incident occurred around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, as reported by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The aircraft involved were a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700, operating as an American Airlines flight, and a US Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

President Bola Tinubu expressed sadness over the incident, offering condolences to the government and people of United States.

The Bombardier plane, operated by an American Airlines subsidiary, was approaching Reagan National Airport at around 9:00 pm (0200 GMT) after flying from Wichita, Kansas, when the collision happened.

The aircraft involved was a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700, operating as an American Airlines flight, and a US Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

According to the US Federal Aviation Administration, the plane carried 60 passengers and four crew members, while the military helicopter had three personnel on board.

US officials said on Thursday that there were likely no survivors.

“We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” Washington Fire Chief John Donnelly, told a news conference at Reagan National Airport.

“At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors,” Donnelly said, adding that 28 bodies had been recovered — including one from the helicopter.

In a post via his verified X handle on Thursday, Tinubu commiserated with the families of the victims, the people of the United States, and all affected by the sad incident.

He wrote, “I am deeply saddened by the tragic incident in Washington, D.C.

“On behalf of Nigeria, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, the people of the United States, and all affected by this profound loss. I commend the courageous efforts of first responders and emergency teams for their selfless work in harsh conditions.

“Nigeria stands in solidarity with the United States Government and its People, united in grief and hopeful for a new day.”

South Africa and Rwanda’s already fraught diplomatic relations have worsened after President Cyril Ramaphosa accused the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group of killing South African peacekeepers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

As the rebels gained the upper hand on the battlefield by capturing most of Goma – the biggest city in the east – South Africa fired a diplomatic salvo, warning that further attacks on its troops would be considered a “declaration of war”.

BBC reports that Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame hit back, accusing South Africa of being part of a “belligerent force” involved in “offensive combat operations” to help the Congolese government “fight against its own people”.

AFP reports that the M23 militants vowed on Thursday to march on the DR Congo capital, Kinshasa, as its fighters made further advances.

“We will continue the march of liberation all the way to Kinshasa,” head of a coalition of groups including the M23, Corneille Nangaa, told reporters in Goma.

“We are in Goma and we will not leave, for as long as the questions for which we took up arms have not been answered,” he said.

A total of 13 South African soldiers were killed in the fighting since last week as the rebels made a lightning advance towards Goma – a major trading hub on the border with Rwanda.

Last year, another seven South Africans were killed in eastern DR Congo – making it one of the country’s deadliest combat-related tragedies in recent times.

South Africa and Rwanda have long had a difficult relationship.

BBC reports that in 2014, South Africa expelled three Rwandan diplomats after an attack on the home of an exiled Rwandan dissident in Johannesburg.

Kagame’s government responded by expelling six South African envoys.

Tensions seemingly eased after Ramaphosa visited Rwanda last year for commemorations to mark the 30th anniversary of the genocide in which about 800,000 people were killed.

But they have flared up again, following the death of the South Africans who were deployed to eastern DR Congo in December 2023 as part of a regional peace-keeping force sent by the Southern African Development Community.

South African soldiers make up the bulk of the force – known by the acronym SAMIDRC – that had the mission of repelling armed groups such as the M23 and bringing peace to the mineral-rich region following decades of unrest.

The latest diplomatic fall-out started with a post shared on Ramaphosa’s X page.

In it, the president confirmed he had spoken to Kagame about the escalating conflict and that both leaders had agreed “on the urgent need for a ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks by all parties to the conflict.”

Ramaphosa also insisted, in a later statement, that the presence of South African troops in DR Congo was not a “declaration of war against any country or state” – an apparent reference to Rwanda.

South Africa’s Defence Minister Angie Motshekga, however, had a slightly different take, telling reporters: “There’s been no hostilities between us, it’s just that when they were firing above our heads, the president did warn them (that) if you’re going to fire, we’re going to take that as a declaration of war.”

But Ramaphosa went further on X, saying the peacekeepers were killed in attacks by the M23 and – he pointedly added – “Rwanda Defence Force militia.”

This angered Kagame, who said statements made by South African officials – including Ramaphosa – contained lies and distortion.

“The Rwanda Defence Force is an army, not a militia,” Kagame replied on X.

“President Ramaphosa has never given a ‘warning’ of any kind unless it was delivered in his local language which I do not understand. He did ask for support to ensure the South African force has adequate electricity, food and water, which we shall help communicate.

“President Ramaphosa confirmed to me that M23 did not kill the soldiers from South Africa, (the Conglese army) FARDC did,” Kagame said.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday that his government would reciprocate if U.S. President Donald Trump decides to impose tariffs on Latin America’s largest economy, and called for mutual respect.

“It is very simple: if he taxes Brazilian products, there will be reciprocity,” Lula told a press conference in Brasilia.
The United States runs a trade surplus with Brazil, which according to Brazil’s government hit $253 million last year. But Trump this week named the country among those he believes meant the U.S. “harm,” threatening potential tariffs.

“China is a tremendous tariff maker, and India, Brazil, so many countries,” Trump said in a speech on Monday. “So we’re not going to let that happen any longer, because we’re going to put America first.”
The U.S. is a large buyer of Brazilian oil, steel products, coffee, aircraft and orange juice, while the South American country buys energy products, pharmaceutical goods and aircraft parts from the U.S., among other products.

A Brazilian official had previously said the country hoped its trade deficit with the U.S. would help it avoid tariffs pledged by Trump on many nations. Brazil has not run a trade surplus with the U.S. since 2008.

“I have governed Brazil while the U.S. had Republican and Democratic presidents, and our relationship has always been between two sovereign countries,” said Lula, who in 2023 took office for his third non-consecutive term.

“Trump was elected to run the U.S. and I was elected to run Brazil. I will respect the U.S. and want Trump to respect Brazil. That’s all,” Lula said.

Leftist Lula had friendly relations with Trump’s Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, while Trump is closer to Brazil’s former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been called “Trump of the tropics.”

Lula at the press conference voiced support for government non-interference in monetary policy and the pricing strategy of state-run oil giant Petrobras, in market-friendly remarks that followed a drop in his approval ratings.

He also said that if additional fiscal measures are needed during the year, “we will consider them,” amid growing market concerns over Brazil’s rising public debt.

Lula said central bank chief Gabriel Galipolo “did what he thought was necessary” after policymakers raised the key interest rate by 100 basis points to 13.25% on Wednesday.

Lula said Galipolo, who took office earlier this month, would set the conditions for lowering interest rates “at the appropriate time” and would have full autonomy in his role.

Amid reports that Petrobras (PETR4.SA) was considering a diesel price hike, Lula emphasized that the decision rests with the company, “not the president.”

“Petrobras does not need to tell me (about fuel price tweaks). If Petrobras decides that it is important to make an adjustment, then they can do it,” he said.

A Genial/Quaest poll released this week showed Lula’s approval ratings slipping, with disapproval surpassing approval for the first time in two years, driven by rising food prices, concerns over increased taxation, and market volatility.

When asked about measures to ease food-related inflation, Lula ruled out steps that could lead to the creation of a black market. “What we can do is increase production of everything we can produce,” he said.

The Brazilian real pared some earlier losses after Lula’s remarks, trading down about 0.4% against the U.S. dollar, while the benchmark Bovespa stock index (.BVSP)