While you were sleeping…

Good morning!

Overnight, U.S. politicians and public digested the President’s State of the Union address, while senior officials prepared for two-day talks in Havana.
A well-loved cardiac surgeon died after a heartless shooting at a Boston hospital, but nobody was killed in the 10-person stabbing in Israel.

Republicans recovered from Obama’s ‘burn’ during his State of Union speech
The president responded to Republican cheers about the end of his tenure with an epic put-down during his State of the Union speech – full details below. Republicans, members of Congress and the rest of the U.S. digested Obama’s proposals on a wide range of domestic and international issues, as he suggested ways to boost middle-class incomes, make childcare more affordable, improve relations with Cuba, and tackle extremists.

Four men were charged over Paris supermarket shootings

French police detained then charged four men who are said to have helped Amedy Coulibaly prepare for his attack on the Paris supermarket in which he killed four.

Commuters were stabbed on a Tel Aviv bus
A 23-year-old man from Palestine’s West Bank jumped on a bus in Israel’s coastal city of Tel Aviv and stabbed the bus driver before turning his knife to nine passengers. The attacker’s escape from the scene was thwarted as he was spotted by a car full of prison officers, one of whom shot him in the leg, stopping him as he attempted to get away.

High-level officials awaited diplomatic talks in Havana
U.S. officials prepared to talk about immigration with Cuban counterparts in Havana today in the first of two days of talks between the two countries. It’s the first time in 35 years that such high-ranking government officials from the two countries have met. The plan is to tackle some basic issues so that diplomatic relations can reinstated, with a view to normalizing relations further down the line.

A cardiac surgeon died after being shot in Boston
After a lifetime of saving lives, the director of endovascular cardiac surgery at Boston’s Brigham and Women Hospital died hours after he was shot by an attacker at the medical facility. The gunman asked Dr. Michael Davidson to confirm his name before opening fire on the doctor then fatally shooting himself, though the motive has not yet been revealed.