Officials say there are no survivors after a plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided mid-air with a US Army helicopter over Washington DC.

American Airlines flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, crashed into the Potomac River following the collision.

The plane, a Bombardier CRJ700, was approaching Reagan Washington National Airport 9pm local time on Wednesday (2am GMT), when the collision occurred with a Black Hawk helicopter on a training exercise.

Among the dead on board the commercial flight were members of the American figure skating team, and three soldiers in the helicopter.

Investigators are trying to piece together moments leading up to the disaster.

The Standard podcast is joined by Graham Braithwaite, professor of safety and accident investigation at Cranfield University

In part two, The London Standard’s transport editor Ross Lydall discusses his interview with Lime boss Wayne Ting and the pay-as-you-ride firm’s investment blitz on borough councils to turn more car bays into e-bike drop zones - could it help create “another Amsterdam” cycling haven in the capital?

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Rachel Reeves confirmed the government will support building a third runway at Heathrow in a major speech aimed to boost economic growth and jobs.

But she is expected to face fierce opposition to expanding the west London airport from senior Labour colleagues, including Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan who posted immediately on X after the chancellor’s speech in Oxfordshire he remains against the plan.

Also among the chancellor’s announcements in a “dash for growth” was government backing for the £9 billion Lower Thames Crossing linking Kent and Essex under a PFI deal, an Oxbridge rail link and reiterating plans to limit judicial reviews by campaigners fighting mega-projects.

The London Standard’s chief political correspondent, Rachael Burford joins us to examine the detail.

In part two, TfL signals the end of the Wild West End for ‘rip-off’ pedicabs in a licencing crackdown - our City Hall and transport editor, Ross Lydall has the latest.

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The emergence of Chinese artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek has rocked US tech giants’ stocks over concerns the new low-cost generative AI model could topple their dominance.

Tech shares plunged and chip maker Nvidia suffered falls of nearly 17 per cent as trading opened on Monday - and just a week after launch, DeepSeek became the most downloaded free app in the US.

The twist is this huge language AI model made at a fraction of the cost of its rivals, reportedly around £5 million, including the use of much cheaper processor chips to train its chatbot software.

Are the likes of Google and OpenAI preparing to be disrupted?

The Standard podcast asked Dr Cecila Rikap, associate professor in economics and head of research at UCL’s Institute of Innovation and Public Purpose.

In part two, ahead of a major speech on Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to give news on airport expansion plans - The Standard podcast examines changing political language around environmental concerns about a Heathrow third runway.

We’re joined by Alethea Warrington, head of aviation, energy & heat at climate action charity Possible.

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London’s black cab drivers are famous for having a very active part of the brain that’s critical for mapping thousands of streets.

By the time taxi students hop off their training moped and pass The Knowledge licence exam, a driver will have memorised over 26,000 of the capital’s roads thanks to how their posterior hippocampus region develops as a result.

The international study, led by UCL neuroscientists, included quizzing London cabbies to examine how long it takes humans to compute the capital’s A to Z and, crucially, to contextualise routes without the help of artificial intelligence-powered maps.

It’s hoped better insights, described as showing “insights into the genius of the human mind”, could help develop better navigation tools.

The Standard’s Rachelle Abbott is joined by Hugo Spiers, professor of cognitive neuroscience at UCL’s department of psychology & language sciences, to discuss the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In part two, latest developments in multiple lawsuits between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni centring on behaviour on-set during filming of It Ends with Us - we speak with The London Standard culture and lifestyle writer India Block.

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Scientists at London’s Natural History Museum have discovered mysterious giant mounds on Mars that are believed to be billions of years old.

Examining high-resolution images and compositional data snapped by Martian orbiters and surface rovers, the team analysed over 15,000 of the geological features - many as big as Australia’s Uluru.

We speak with Dr Joe McNeil, who led the study for his Open University PhD with results published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

In part two, the best skincare products 2025 and the ingredients to look out for to soothe your city-weathered epidermis, with The London Standard’s beauty and wellness editor, Madeleine Spencer.

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Storm Eowyn smashed into the British Isles bringing record gusts of up to 100mph with millions of Britons urged not to travel and northern regions issued a rare ‘red’ risk-to-life warning.

Tree toppled, causing road closures and more than 1,000 flights were cancelled at airports across the UK, with rail operators halting services and hundreds of schools closed in Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England.

The Standard podcast hears about the super-storm’s causes from Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin.

In part two, The London Standard’s political editor Nicholas Cecil discusses his exclusive report revealing how transport secretary Heidi Alexander opposed a third runway at Heathrow in 2020 during her tenure as Sir Sadiq Khan’s deputy mayor for transport.

It comes amid suggestion Heathrow expansion is back on the table as chancellor Rachel Reeves hunts for economic growth, likely setting her up for a clash with cabinet colleagues - and potentially Sir Sadiq over environmental concerns.

We’re also joined by Paul Beckford, policy director at Hacan - the Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise - which represents communities living under the airport’s flight paths to discuss air quality, noise and financial impact.

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The British cousin of an Israeli hostage held by Hamas in Gaza has described his family’s ongoing anguish ahead of a milestone update on the fate of the remaining captives this weekend. 

Adam Ma’anit, who’s from Brighton and is digital communication officer at the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told The Standard podcast they are hoping for news very soon about Tsachi Idan, who is among 94 remaining hostages.

Idan, a 50-year-old IT worker, was dragged away from his kibbutz home after his 18-year-old daughter, Maayan, was shot dead by a Hamas gunman in the October 7 terror attacks over 15 months ago.

A phased ceasefire deal has seen the first three hostages released, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Idan is listed among 33 captives set to be freed, but the family say they are “living day to day” awaiting firm news.

It comes amid a spike in antisemitic attacks and shortly before Holocaust Memorial Day.

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UK chancellor Rachel Reeves will bid for more investment in Britain as she travels to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos this week.

Reeves is expected to meet the heads of major international banks during her two-day Swiss visit to promote Britain’s fiscal credentials for the future.

But it comes amid record government borrowing, government department cuts ahead and minuscule growth of just 0.1 per cent.

The Standard podcast is joined by Ashwin Kumar, director of research and policy at the Institute of Public Policy Research, professor of social policy at Manchester Metropolitan University and former advisor to ex-PM Gordon Brown.

In part two, The London Standard’s chief political correspondent Rachael Burford on why some residents of two boroughs are being warned their council tax bills will double, but there’s - slightly - better news for fellow Londoners in the most cash-strapped authorities.

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Join host Nicola Barron in conversation with David Larbi, the poet, writer, and musician who has built a million-strong community through his authentic takes on mindfulness across TikTok and Instagram. In this illuminating episode, David shares insights from his debut book Frequently Happy: 52 Mindful Moments to Bring Hope and Joy, exploring how we can find joy in everyday moments and use creativity to reconnect with ourselves.

Don't miss David's live online workshop Frequently Happy: Exploring Creativity, Mindfulness, and the Power of Wordson Tuesday, January 28, 2025 (6-7pm GMT). Book at standard.co.uk/masterclasses.

Part of The Bigger Life Festival, brought to you by Masterclasses from The Standard.

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Donald Trump made an astonishing return to the White House on Monday when he was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.

The inauguration, which took place at the US Capitol Rotunda building due -3C temperatures, follows four tumultuous years out of office which saw the 78-year-old Republican businessman and ex-reality star survive assassination attempts and face a series of legal cases.

We asked Mike Rogers, chief security analyst west at US-based International SOS, about heightened security arrangements around the ceremony.

In part two. University College London’s Dr Thomas Gift, associate professor of political science and director of the Centre on US Politics, discusses Big Tech’s influence and direction of policy for Trump’s White House 2.0. 

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The Israeli security cabinet has ratified an initial six-week deal with Hamas for a ceasefire in the war that will see some of the hostages held in Gaza being released.

The breakthrough marks the cessation of 15 months of fighting since the Hamas terror attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023, and also brings hope of border crossings being reopened for aid to ease the Palestinian humanitarian crisis.

The US-brokered ceasefire on Sunday will see the exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and comes a day before president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. 

The Standard podcast is joined by Dr Rob Geist Pinfold, lecturer in international security in the Defence Studies department at King’s College London.

In part two, amid food shortages, toxic air and price-gouging, how Angelenos are supporting each other in the aftermath the deadly LA wildfires.

We're joined by Kenia Alcocer, an organiser with Union de Vecinos, part of the Los Angeles Tenants Union.

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