Author: News Desk

Real Salt Lake signed 14-year-old Axel Kei to a first-team contract on Friday, making him the youngest signing in MLS history. “Over the last year Axel has proven to be one of the top attacking prospects in the country,” RSL general manager Elliot Fall said in a release. “His propensity in front of goal is well beyond his years, and coupled with his elite athleticism, he projects to become a goal-scoring force in our league in the years to come.” Kei starred for Real Salt Lake’s U15 team, scoring five goals in five games during the MLS Next Cup last year…

A tsunami warning has been issued for the islands of Tonga after an underwater volcano in the South Pacific exploded in a violent eruption on Saturday, sending a cloud of ash and gas steam into the air. The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano first erupted Friday, sending a plume of ash 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) into the air. A second eruption hit on Saturday at 5:26 p.m. local time Satellite imagery shows a massive ash cloud and shockwaves spreading from the eruption. Waves from the eruption crossed the shoreline of Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa, flowing onto coastal roads and flooding properties, according to RNZ.…

US : Donald Trump will rally the faithful in Arizona on Saturday, rehearsing yet again his unfounded claims that the US presidential election was stolen from him, and repeating his familiar litany of complaints. After abandoning a pledged press conference on January 6 — the anniversary of the invasion of the Capitol by his supporters — the defeated former president will be back in front of a sympathetic crowd. “Many topics will be discussed,” he said in a statement Friday, “including the Rigged Presidential Election of 2020, the fake Big Lie, the corrupt LameStream Media, the Afghanistan disaster, Inflation, the…

Paris : Around 560,000 coronavirus health passes are at risk of deactivation in France, the Health Ministry said, as new rules surrounding booster shots for all adults goes into effect. Starting on Saturday, adults who got their second Covid-19 vaccination more than seven months ago must have also received a third booster shot in order for their pass to remain valid. France began rolling out the digital health certificates last summer. They offer proof of vaccination or recovery and are mandatory for entering restaurants, cafes, cultural venues and other sites. The government began tightening the booster rules for the pass…

Bahrain : The Ministry of Education has reported that in light of continuous coordination with the Ministry of Health, the online learning system has been activated in Al Noor International School and Al-Sharqyia School for all students after detecting a number of active coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the two schools. The ministry stated that this measure is taken for a precautionary period, starting from next Sunday (January 16) until further notice.

Bahrain :  Education Minister Dr. Majid bin Ali Al Nuaimi received Council of Representatives member Mp. Ahmed Al Ansari and briefed him about development programmes and projects. The two sides discussed educational services at the diplomat’s constituency.

NEW YORK :  Three women are facing federal charges of attacking an airline security worker who tried to block them from boarding a flight at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport in September because of what prosecutors say was problematic behavior, including a refusal to wear a face mask properly. The three were released on $25,000 bond each after arraignment Thursday in federal court in Brooklyn. Two defendants’ attorneys, Mia Eisner-Grynberg and Jacob Barclay Mitchell, declined to comment Friday; a message was left for the third woman’s attorney. Prosecutors said in court papers that the women were trying to board…

Riyadh: Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani  visited the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu and was received by the commission’s CEO Dr. Ahmed bin Zaid Al Hussein. The visit aimed to review the exchange of expertise and experiences and benefit from them in planning and developing the current and future industrial cities in Bahrain. They also visited a number of factories, and made an inspection tour in the city, followed by a number of presentations given by the companies in Jubail. The minister praised the development of Jubail and Yanbu, which reflects the major industrial…

WASHINGTON : President Joe Biden will hold a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, the eve of the one-year anniversary of his inauguration. The news conference comes as Biden is attempting to salvage his voting rights initiative and economic agenda, both of which lack the votes to move forward in the evenly-split Senate. His administration is confronting a pandemic that has continued despite the majority of adults being vaccinated and high inflation that has eroded public support for the president. Biden has held just nine news conferences so far during his first year, substantially fewer than his past five predecessors. He’s done just…

WASHINGTON :  U.S. intelligence officials have determined a Russian effort is underway to create a pretext for its troops to further invade Ukraine, and Moscow has already prepositioned operatives to conduct “a false-flag operation” in eastern Ukraine, according to the White House. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday the intelligence findings show Russia is also laying the groundwork through a social media disinformation campaign that frames Ukraine as an aggressor that has been preparing an imminent attack against Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine. Psaki charged that Russia has already dispatched operatives trained in urban warfare who could…