Christian Atsu, the Ghanaian soccer star and property of Hatayspor, remains missing in the aftermath of the powerful earthquakes that occurred in Turkey and Syria. The once upbeat and hopeful attitude displayed by Atsu's agent earlier this week has now been replaced by confusion and uncertainty. Nana Sechere posted on social media Thursday, "I am currently in Istanbul. The situation remains the same, Christian Atsu is yet to be found. Unless I see Christian, or speak with him, I have no further updates."

The Wednesday update from Sechere that followed kept the news at a standstill: "Following yesterday's (Tuesday's) update from the club that Christian had been pulled out alive, we are yet to confirm Christian's whereabouts. As you can imagine, this continues to be a devastating time for his family and we are doing everything we can to

Former Vice President Mike Pence, a Republican leader and potential presidential candidate in 2024, has been subpoenaed by Special Counsel Jack Smith, in connection to his investigation into efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election results. Marc Short, Pence's former chief of staff, said that the FBI's search of Pence's home in Indiana is likely to occur in the near future, and the former vice president has granted the FBI complete access for the search.

The recent discovery of classified documents in Pence's home follows reports of documents found in President Biden's residence in December. The discovery at Pence's residence coincided with an earlier search of former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, where over 100 documents with various levels of classification were found.

Short said that the White House has shown a "double standard" in handling the documents from Pence and Biden's residences, noting that it

The agent of Ghanaian soccer star Christian Atsu confirmed on Thursday that the player’s whereabouts are still not known, in a devastating turn of events since the earthquake in Turkey and Syria on Monday. Nana Sechere told CNN Sport that Atsu had been rescued from rubble after being caught in the disaster, but has since had to reverse course due to a lack of further information.

The fate of Atsu, who previously played for the Newcastle United, adds to the devastation of the earthquake which began on Monday. Adding to the uncertainty, Ghana’s Ambassador to Turkey Francisca Ashietey-Odunton stated that her office is unsure of the 31-year-old Atsu’s whereabouts, and stated that they “are not sure yet which particular hospital or health facility he has been sent to.”

U.S. sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 successfully recovered a high-altitude surveillance balloon near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Official investigations by the Biden administration revealed the Chinese-tied technology found on the balloon was capable of monitoring American communications.

Senior State Department officials declared the unmanned balloon was part of a fleet of Chinese signals intelligence balloons that had conducted spying activities in 40 countries worldwide. The officials added the U.S. government will explore taking action against Chinese People's Liberation Army entities associated with the balloon's airborne incursion. High-resolution imagery from U-2 reconnaissance photographs revealed the balloon had multiple antennas and solar panels large enough to run multi-sensor operations.

U.S. Representative Mike Turner (R-Ohio) deemed the balloon incident a "crisis" on national security, while Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) used a

This weekend marks the start of Super Bowl LVII as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles. Football fans can tune into Sirius XM for exclusive Radio NFL interviews with players and personalities on the red carpet while Amber Theoharis will host special programming throughout the week. Sirius XM’s original comedy channel, Team Coco Radio, produced by Conan O'Brien and featuring exclusive audio content, is another way to get in on the Super Bowl excitement. Football fans can also check out Fox Sports Radio 98.1/AM 1230, KWSN.com and the KWSN Mobile App for pregame and gameday coverage. Play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan will call the action and Super Bowl XXXIV MVP- and hall of fame quarterback Kurt Warner will return for the fifth consecutive year as lead analyst. Sirius XM and Fox Sports Radio are covering the big

This Saturday was one for the history books as the No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers were defeated by the No. 21 Indiana Hoosiers by a score of 79-74 in an epic upheaval. Assembly Hall was brimming with anticipation before the start, with fans from both teams eagerly watching in suspense.

The Hoosiers were able to take the lead 5-4 in the opening minutes and held on for the remainder of the game, despite Purdue's late surge. Trayce Jackson-Davis led with 25 points, while freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino had 16 and outdueled the reigning National Player of the year candidate in a show of perfect execution. Indiana also held Purdue's star Zach Edey to 33 points and 10 rebounds despite his best efforts, as he accumulated his 19th double-double of the season.

Just down in Ames, Iowa State dominated No. 8 Kansas 68-

On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan personally inspected the damage left behind after Monday's devastating twin earthquakes. In heaps of rubble where once homes and lives were destroyed, the president surveyed what remained of the victims' despair. This sense of loss is all too familiar for many, and with the admirable human tenacity in rescue, relief and rebuilding efforts, it is reflected in the response of local NGOs and civil society groups.

Unfortunately, Erdogan's paranoia and mistrust for NGOs in the past have significantly weakened the institutions that his country now needs in the wake of the disaster. Though their role is essential in any natural disaster situation, providing food, medical assistance, overseeing governmental aid assistance and guarding against corruption and wrongdoings, the President's hostility makes it difficult, if not impossible, for the organizations to receive proper funding or resource allocations.

Erdogan must understand that though the safety and security of

Former Vice President Mike Pence has been subpoenaed by the special counsel, led by Jack Smith, tasked with investigating Donald Trump and his actions leading up to the fatal attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The subpoena seeks documents and testimony specifically related to Pence's communications and interactions with Trump in the weeks and days leading up to the Capitol attack.

A source familiar with the matter told CNN of the subpoena, and a spokesman for the Special Counsel's office declined to comment. Pence's office likewise declined to confirm the reports to CNN. The subpoena was preceded by months of negotiation and ABC News was the first to report it.

Smith is tasked with investigating Trump's role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and the former president's handling of classified documents after he left office. To that end, the subpoena seeks any and all information related to the 2020 election and the events of Jan. 6. The Justice Department also

The Los Angeles Lakers are gaining ground in the race for the NBA Championship. On Thursday, they traded center Thomas Bryant to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for reserve guard Davon Reed and three second-round draft picks. Bryant, who had been filling in for Anthony Davis while he was injured, is averaging 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. The exchange is part of an effort to open up more minutes for back-up center Wenyen Gabriel.

Things got even busier when it was also announced that the Lakers traded Patrick Beverley in exchange for Mo Bamba of the Orlando Magic, along with at least one second-round pick. Bamba is well-known for his defensive abilities, with a tremendous wing span and a knack for rim protecting. He won't be entirely one-dimensional either, as he ranks in the 89th percentile for 3-point shooting among bigs

The US Senate held the first public hearing on the Chinese spy balloon on Thursday, during which visibly angered lawmakers grilled defense department officials on when they learned of the balloon and why they waited a week to shoot it down. It has now been revealed that the Defense Intelligence Agency privately sent an internal report two days before the balloon entered US airspace, although the report was not flagged as an urgent warning and top defense and intelligence officials were not immediately alarmed by it.

Rather than acting quickly, the US chose to investigate the object and observe it for the opportunity to gain intelligence. It wasn't until the balloon entered Alaskan airspace and abruptly changed direction south that officials came to believe it was bell heading to cross over the continental US and spy on the mainland. The lack of urgency has spurred discontent from some Republicans, who have criticized the administration for not sounding the alarm sooner.

As more

After one of the deadliest earthquakes to surge through Syria and Turkey, Baby Aya has been dubbed "the little miracle" for having been rescued from the rubble completely unharmed with her umbilical cord still connecting her to her deceased mother. Hundreds of thousands of people have been behind the brave effort of recovery teams, volunteers, and local nongovernmental organizations, yet it was the story of baby Aya, born moments before the devastating quake, that captivated people around the world.

Videos went viral on social media of a man sprinting away from the rubble in Aleppo holding a tiny baby blanketed in dust. The overwhelming support for baby Aya's miraculous recovery did not end there. Thousands of people on social media have asked for details to adopt her with some even seeking to fund her upbringing.

Khalil Al-Suwadi, a distant relative found at

On Monday, the US Air Force shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon that allegedly carried multiple antennas capable of collecting signals intelligence from military assets in countries and areas of strategic interest to China, according to officials with knowledge of the matter. Reports suggest that the balloon, believed to be part of an ongoing surveillance project for several years, was targeting countries such as India, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines.

The US State Department has accused China of disregarding civil aviation regulations and infringing US airspace with its balloons. US officials have briefed more than 150 diplomats in 40 embassies worldwide, explaining why the US took action against the balloon, which China has said was a 'civilian airship' intended for meteorological research.

The revelation is significant since counter-intelligence experts have raised questions as to why China chose to use such an apparently "low-tech" method of collecting intelligence when

The United States has uncovered a large Chinese fleet of surveillance balloons just days after shooting down one in its disputed waters off the South Carolina coast. According to anonymous defense and intelligence officials, the sophisticated spy balloons have operated for several years, collecting data on strategic targets in countries across Asia. The US has briefed almost 150 foreign diplomats in Washington and Beijing to explain the reasoning behind the shooting, presenting evidence that the balloon was a military device, not a civilian weather balloon as China had claimed.

The disclosed information has drawn significant attention, not only to the capabilities of the Chinese military, but to the heightened regional tensions between Asia's major powers. As US and regional allies have pushed back against Chinese aggression, they have faced a perplexing challenge of a low-tech balloon being used for strategic intelligence-gathering. The United States has insinuated that Chinese secretiveness about the balloon is highly suspicious.

On January 27, the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) discreetly alerted the US government of a foreign object headed towards US airspace. However, the report was not given priority, and top officials that received it were not placed on any urgent alert. Despite the report, US officials instead chose to investigate the object, treating it as an opportunity for intelligence collection, rather than an immediate threat. Just one day later, the suspected Chinese spy balloon entered Alaskan airspace, quickly drawing the attention of US defense officials who identified the threat and took action. This timeline of events has raised the concern of some US Republicans who have criticized the Biden administration for not acting sooner.

The Chinese government has since admitted to the balloon's origin and issued a formal apology, claiming that it had been taken off course by the westerly winds. A series of related events has since occurred, including a closed-door briefing between US Senate staff

The death toll has climbed to nearly 12,000 following the Monday tremors in Turkey and Syria. A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake has left a path of utter devastation in its wake. Civil authorities from both Turkey and Syria are now leading recovery and rescue efforts, working long hours with dwindling hope for survivors as the region was already facing the challenges of a humanitarian crisis.

Cold weather, limited infrastructure, and a lack of adequate aid are found to have contributed heavily to the rising death toll in both countries. Haunts of the 2001 Gujarat, India and 2010 Haiti quakes are made fresh in these terrible images and video.

In the same vein, it is the heroic local Non-governmental Organizations, anonymous volunteers, and resourceful village residents that have provided the most support and relief to victims of this tragedy after the initial shock and destructions.

Families are displacing and burials are beginning, as

Rescue teams across Turkey and Syria are racing to find survivors of a massive earthquake that occurred Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. As of Thursday, the magnitude 7.8 quake has killed more than 16,000 people combined in the two countries, with more than 60,000 reported injured in Turkey and another 5,000 in Syria.

In areas near the epicenter, rescue teams are braving freezing temperatures to pull bodies from the rubble of thousands of collapsed buildings. Experts estimate that the 72-hour time window since the initial quake hit has now passed, limiting the chance of finding survivors in these areas.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has visited the area near the epicenter, acknowledging shortfalls in the government's immediate response to the crisis. Erdoğan cited winter weather conditions and destroyed infrastructure, including airport runways, as contributing factors.

Public anger has been mounting

Turkey and its neighboring Syria are reeling after the two major earthquakes that recently rocked the area, with the death toll now at an estimated 15,000. Freezing temperatures have made the rescue mission of finding survivors even more difficult, and people express their frustration with the government's slow disaster response, with international rescue teams and foreign rescuers scrambling to give aid.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged to rebuild the many demolished towns and cities within a year, but with a full extent of the disaster not yet known and over 6,400 collapsed buildings, it may not be achievable. He also offered 10,000 Turkish lira to families, but did not release the eligibility criteria.

Unfortunately, the grim reality of the situation was made vulnerable in southern Turkey when people scuffled for tents distributed by aid agencies and scrambled for blankets. Additionally, the current political situation of the US has made helping Syrian victims difficult, attempting