Five things to know to start your Thursday

An American Airlines plane and military helicopter collided and crashed into a river

A collision occurred at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington DC when an American Airlines passenger plane hit a military helicopter during landing, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The aircraft involved was American Airlines Flight 5342, which had taken off from Wichita, Kansas. The plane in question could carry up to 65 passengers, according to American Airlines’ website.

Emergency services rushed to respond, with multiple helicopters from various agencies – including the US Park police, DC Metropolitan police department and US military – flying over the area where the incident occurred in the Potomac River. As the DC Fire and EMS department posted on X (formerly Twitter), their fireboats were also dispatched to the scene.

The airport confirmed they were dealing with “an aircraft incident on the airfield” and had emergency personnel responding.

The Washington Post, citing sources, said multiple bodies had been pulled from the water. No survivors had so far been found.

PETROAN sealed a PMS distribution deal with the Dangote refinery

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has reached an agreement to distribute petrol produced by the Dangote refinery across the country.

Billy Gillis-Harry, who leads PETROAN, announced this on Tuesday, saying: “PETROAN sealed a partnership with Dangote/MRS for greater and more efficient petroleum distribution nationwide. By this agreement reached today, Nigerians will henceforth get the best value for money paid for the purchase of PMS, and the era of price disparity will be a thing of the past, even as consideration for the cost of transportation is inclusive in the scheme.”

The partnership involves not just the Dangote refinery but also MRS, another major player in Nigeria’s oil sector.

NLC is planning a telecoms boycott and a February 4 protest

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced plans for nationwide protests on February 4 against a proposed 50 per cent increase in telecom tariffs. This decision came after the Nigerian Communications Commission announced the price hike, and was made during the NLC’s National Administrative Council meeting on January 29.

Joe Ajaero, the NLC’s National President also said in his communiqué that the union might call for a nationwide boycott of telecom services if the government doesn’t reverse the price increase.

Notably, the Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre, the National Civil Society Council of Nigeria, and the Take It Back Movement have all condemned the tariff increase and promised to join the protests.

Read Also: NCC’s 50% tariff hike to create 2m jobs, N1.6trn in tax revenue

Congo’s president vowed resistance over M23’s seizure of Goma

President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo has made his first public statement since Rwandan-backed M23 rebels captured Goma.

Speaking on national television, he warned: “The presence of thousands of Rwandan troops on our soil, their political, logistical and military support for their M23 puppets, as well as their involvement in the illegal exploitation of our minerals, is driving us straight into to an escalation with unpredictable consequences and putting in danger” the entire region.

The situation appears to be worsening, with M23 rebels not only controlling Goma but also expanding their activities into South Kivu province, an area rich in minerals. In response, President Tshisekedi urged the Congolese people to show “resilience and, above all, resistance.”

Trump ordered agencies to scrub ‘gender ideology’ from contracts and websites

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has issued new guidance to federal agencies following an executive order from President Donald Trump that requires the government to recognise only two biological sexes. According to Wednesday’s memo, federal agencies must remove references to “gender ideology” from their contracts, job descriptions and social media accounts.

The order specifically states that “women are biologically female, and men are biologically male” and requires agencies to designate facilities like restrooms based on biological sex rather than gender identity. The memo also instructs agencies to review and remove any content from their websites and social media that promotes what it terms “gender ideology.”

Trump has previously stated that he will not use federal funds to promote what his administration terms “gender ideology.”