Ghanaian soccer player Christian Atsu has been rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building in Turkey following the deadly earthquakes that hit the region. His agent reported that he is in a stable condition at a local hospital, and the Ghana Football Association has asked people to continue to pray for him. The Turkish government has declared a state of emergency in the region and is providing aid to those affected.
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President Joe Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address on Tuesday, facing the challenge of responding to an election that ended his party's unified control of Congress. Each of his predecessors had to grapple with a similar power shift in Washington, and the State of the Union address has remained largely unchanged. Biden will have to find a way to bridge the partisan divide and make his case for the policies he wants to pursue, a difficult task that all of his predecessors have faced.
On Monday, a devastating earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, leaving thousands dead and injured. Local activists in Aleppo reported a particularly tragic scene, in which a pregnant mother died before rescue workers could reach her. The World Health Organization warned that the death toll could rise "eightfold" as rescue efforts continue, and the current death toll stands at 2,600.
A lucky ticket holder in Washington state has won the fifth-largest Powerball jackpot in history, worth $754.6 million. More than 2 million tickets won cash prizes in the Saturday drawing, with four tickets matching five of the numbers and winning $1 million each. The winner of the jackpot has yet to be identified, but they will have the option to take the lump sum or an annuity of 30 payments over 29 years.
Rescue teams in Turkey and Syria have been working tirelessly to pull survivors from the rubble following a powerful earthquake on Friday, including Ghanaian national soccer star Christian Atsu, who was successfully rescued and is receiving treatment. CNN Turk broadcast the rescue live, with a 14-year-old boy with a black eye also being carried on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance. The rescue of Atsu offers a glimmer of hope that others will survive the freezing conditions, and the Ghana Football Association has asked people to keep praying for those still missing.
Renowned author Salman Rushdie has made a triumphant return to the literary world, six months after surviving a brutal stabbing attack. Despite sustaining physical and mental injuries, Rushdie has refused to adopt the role of a victim and is promoting his new book, Victory City. His return is a testament to his resilience and determination, as he has vowed to eschew feelings of bitterness and continue writing.
At a briefing on Monday, Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck revealed that Chinese balloon threats have gone undetected by the United States in the past, highlighting an “awareness gap” that needs to be resolved. The discovery of the balloon has raised questions about the security of the U.S. and Gen. VanHerck said that the U.S. needs to figure out how to better detect these threats in the future. The Biden administration has not yet commented on the issue.
Authorities in Ohio have successfully released toxic chemicals from a train that derailed on Friday night, after Governor Mike DeWine ordered evacuations in the area. Flames and black smoke billowed from the derailment site late in the afternoon, and the exact amount of vinyl chloride released into the air is still unknown. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is monitoring air quality in the area and no injuries have been reported.