American officials said that they do not expect there to be any survivors of a mid-air collision in Washington, DC. On Thursday a regional passenger plane carrying 64 people hit a military helicopter and crashed into the Potomac river. Nearly 30 bodies have been pulled from the water. Several American figure skaters were on the plane; the Kremlin confirmed that Russian citizens were also on board.
President Donald Trump ordered the construction of a migrant detention camp in America’s naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Mr Trump said the facility would be used to house around 30,000 of the “worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people”. Earlier his administration rescinded an order to freeze federal aid funding. The order sparked confusion among those relying on federal grants, including non-profits and schools.
SoftBank is reportedly considering investing up to $25bn in OpenAI. The deal would make the Japanese investment group the biggest backer of the artificial-intelligence firm. Last week the companies said they would work together to build Stargate, a massive data-centre project. SoftBank’s investment of $25bn would be in addition to its commitment to spend more than $15bn on Stargate.
Israel was due to release 110 Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire deal, but suspended the exchange until “further notice”. Earlier, Hamas freed eight hostages–three Israelis and five Thais. The pause raised concerns over the fragile truce. On Wednesday Hamas accused Israel of delaying aid deliveries, which Israel denied.
Deutsche Bank’s profits plunged in the final quarter of 2024, with net income falling 92% year on year to €106m, well below analysts’ expectations. Germany’s largest lender blamed the hit on an increase in litigation costs. Loan losses also exceeded forecasts. Revenue rose 8% year on year, driven by a revival in investment banking activity. Shares fell by 6% on the news.
India ordered an official investigation into the stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela festival in which at least 30 people were killed. The crush was reportedly caused by crowds rushing towards the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. Over the past two weeks around 280m Hindus have flocked to Prayagraj, a city in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, to take a holy dip in the waters.
Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syria’s de facto leader, will become the country’s president during a “transitional phase” according to state media. A government spokesman said that the country’s constitution had been suspended, and that the national army and armed groups had been disbanded. These include Mr Sharaa’s own Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist group which led a coalition of rebels to topple Syria’s dictator, Bashar al-Assad, last month.
Figure of the day: 49%, the share of Republicans who trust the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, compared with 88% of Democrats. Read the full story.
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