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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Sunday that the U.S. government believes missing American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared 12 years ago near the Syrian capital, is alive and that Washington is committed to bringing him home after Bashar Assad’s ouster from power in Damascus. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Sunday that the U.S. government believes missing American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared 12 years ago near the Syrian capital, is alive and that Washington is committed to bringing him home after Bashar Assad’s ouster from power in Damascus. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Sunday that the U.S. government believes missing American journalist Austin Tice, who disappeared 12 years ago near the Syrian capital, is alive and that Washington is committed to bringing him home after Bashar Assad’s ouster from power in Damascus. “We think we can get him back,” Biden told reporters at the White House, while acknowledging that “we have no direct evidence” of his status. “Assad should be held accountable.” Biden said officials must still identify exactly where Tice is after his disappearance in August 2012 at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus. “We’ve remained committed to returning him to his family,” he said. Tice, who is from Houston and whose work had been published by The Washington Post, McClatchy newspapers and other outlets. A video released weeks after Tice went missing showed him blindfolded and held by armed men and saying, “Oh, Jesus.” He has not been heard from since. Syria has publicly denied that it was holding him. The United States has no new evidence that Tice is alive, but continues to operate under the assumption he is alive, according to a U.S. official. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. will continue to work to identify where he is and to try to bring him home. His mother, Debra, said at a news conference Friday in Washington that the family had information from a “significant source,” whom she did not identify, establishing that her son was alive. “He is being cared for and he is well — we do know that,” she said. The Tice family met this past week with officials at the State Department and the White House. “To everyone in Syria that hears this, please remind people that we’re waiting for Austin,” Debra Tice said in comments that hostage advocacy groups spread on social media Sunday. “We know that when he comes out, he’s going to be fairly dazed & he’s going to need lots of care & direction. Direct him to his family please!” AdvertisementSindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that the efforts of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto made the 26th Constitutional Amendment possible, and constitutional courts were established under it. The Sindh province took the initiative in establishing these courts. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari aims to provide immediate justice to the people and quick solutions to their problems. We have seen in the past that there were cases where those accused of murder were sentenced to death. However, after an appeal, these individuals were acquitted, even though they had already been sentenced to death. We believe that the constitutional courts have provided significant relief to the people. Talking to the media outside the NAB court in Karachi, Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon said that President Asif Ali Zardari spent 12 years in jail without being convicted. He added that various political parties have also faced the courts, and those who create such cases are now facing cases themselves. In response to a question, he said that there should be trust in the courts. The courts should not be intimidated or made controversial, and efforts should always be made to achieve justice based on truth and fairness. Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that yesterday Imran Khan left the court, demonstrating an authoritarian mentality. The courts cannot be bent in this way. Since 2015, we have been facing cases and appearing in court for 9 years. We have also appeared in court under pressure, when our party and we were under pressure, and we have faced cases even while sitting in jail. He said that Imran Khan’s mentality is that the establishment, judiciary, and Election Commission should all follow his orders. When the Election Commission did not comply with his demands, he made the most controversial appointment of Sikandar Sultan Raja. PTI’s mentality is authoritarian. Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that Governor KP Faisal Karim Kundi organized an APC regarding public order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in which 16 parties, besides PTI, participated. He added that it was PTI’s responsibility to bring all political parties together. He said that the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is worsening, with the police not seen on the streets after dark. The police in KP have been demoralized, and the situation there is no longer under the control of the government. The PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is failing, and PTI’s priority is to spread anarchy, chaos, and confrontation with the institutions in the country. Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that this is the third term of the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is shameful that members there cannot go to their constituencies. The police, which were supposed to maintain public order, were instead asked to provide security for the long march and weapons, so they could attack the federation. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PTI has bowed its knees before terrorists. In response to another question, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that Imran Khan also talked about civil disobedience during the sit-in. Imran Khan was the first to burn his bill, but when his electricity was cut off for non-payment, he was the first to submit the bill. Imran Khan had said that money should not be sent abroad through official channels, but through Hawala Hundi. His aim is to set fire to everything in the country. Now is the time for him to come forward with positive thinking and admit that he has tried to mislead the people. PTI has nothing to offer the youth except chaos. Negativity is never sustainable. In response to another question, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, Chief Minister of Sindh, and the Sindh government have taken a clear stand on the issue of water. Water matters should be governed by the 1992 agreement, and nothing else. In response to another question, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the APS tragedy occurred during the PTI government, and the Bannu jail was attacked. However, PTI’s priority is focused on how to attack the federation. Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had said in her last speech that the Pakistani flag would be hoisted in Swat. During the operation, 2.8 million people were displaced, and the PPP worked to provide them with relief. He said that the entire PTI is working on the agenda of Israel and international lobbyists. The people of KP are innocent, but PTI is leading them down the wrong path. PTI’s priority is not the people of KP, but the interests of one person.
NoneWe’ll try to refrain from bad baseball puns like “It’s a home run for animals!” and “Take a swing at adoption!” – but we’re weak and won’t really apologize. If you’re within eyeball range of the Angels’ Big A along the 57 freeway this month, you may notice a trio of adorable beasties staring back at you. “Adopt me!” it says over their furry little heads, and the A is ringed with the Angels’ distinctive halo. We’ll tell you how the Angels came to join forces with Social Compassion in Legislation animal activist Judie Mancuso to create the AdoptOC.com website aiming to boost shelter adoptions – it started with a Nextdoor request for cat traps, believe it or not – but first, let’s talk about why it’s important. Some 8 million animals land in American shelters each year, and as many as 1 million a year have been euthanized, according to national data kept by Animal Shelters Count . Deaths plunged during the pandemic, but they’re climbing again, hitting about 690,000 last year. The picture at Orange County’s biggest shelter, OC Animal Care, illustrates the trend on the local front. Things are far better than they were 15 years ago, when thousands of animals were euthanized each year, but hundreds are still put down every year, nonetheless. • Between January and September, 1,780 animals were euthanized at OC Animal Care, the vast majority of them young kittens (1,253). • In 2023, 2,084 animals were euthanized, the vast majority of them young kittens. • That was up quite a bit from 2022, when 1,563 animals were euthanized, the vast majority of them young kittens. Young kittens , people! The AdoptOC.com address leads to a page hosted by Mancuso’s Social Compassion website, linking to a multitude of area shelters and rescue organizations – OC Animal Care , PUP Laguna Beach , Promise 4 Paws , and shelters in Mission Viejo , Irvine , Newport Beach , San Clemente and Long Beach – as well as Petfinder and Adopt A Pet sites. Mancuso is ecstatic about what this can do for shelter animals. After all, there are 81 regular-season home games a year. “If we can do something at each game to promote pet adoption – all those people, all those eyeballs – it’s a coup,” Mancuso said. Mancuso crossed paths with Elizabeth Carpino, who’s married to Angels president John Carpino, on Nextdoor some years back. Carpino was looking for cat traps, which folks use to catch strays so they can be spayed/neutered/rehomed. Mancuso had some – but how could she be sure the captured cats wouldn’t be used for coyote food or somesuch? Carpino responded with a photograph of her Pet Lover license plate, which raises money for low-cost spay and neuter surgeries. The plate was a pet project of Mancuso’s Social Compassion in Legislation. A friendship was born. Recently, they got to brainstorming about how to help more animals. That big screen – maybe it could feature a pet of the week? They scrambled to get the website domain and put together content on responsible adoption and link to the shelters and rescues. This month, everything went live and the “Adopt OC” ad appeared on screen on the Big A. It’s expected to make 2 million impressions in December alone. In the 2000s, things were bleak. At OC Animal Care, the county’s largest shelter, some 13,000 animals were euthanized in a single year . That makes the 2,000 or so we’re seeing these days seem paltry. Thank things like California’s ban on pet store sales from commercial breeders, and more emphasis on chipping and spaying and neutering. So while almost half of shelter intakes were euthanized during the darkest days back then, nearly 95% of dogs and 79.5% of cats had live releases so far this year, according to OC statistics from January through September . That’s better than 2023 , when 94.1% of dogs and 71% of cats made it out alive, and bests 2022, when 94.8% of dogs and 77% of cats made it out alive. Michael Mavrovouniotis, animal lover, volunteer number-cruncher and close watcher of O.C. Animal Care, is heartened by the partnership with the Angels. It can only help. Mavrovouniotis pushed hard to convince the shelter to open its kennels to would-be adopters more often, rather than asking them to go online to schedule appointments with animals they only see in pictures. His research paper, published in the Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health , found that visitors strolling through kennels and meeting more dogs face-to-face resulted in more adoptions. “The statistics show that the save rate held up well in the first half of the year with kennel viewing hours helping adoptions. But it’s slipping a little in the 3rd Quarter,” he said by email. “The smart move for the shelter would be to expand viewing hours on weekends. That’s when most adopters want to visit.” OC’s shelter hosts fewer hours of open kennel viewing than many local shelters, he said: 21 hours a week in O.C. compared to 28 in Mission Viejo, 29.5 in Long Beach, 30 in Irvine, 36 in Los Angeles County and 48 in L.A. city. More hours would help, and campaigns like the one on the Big A will help. “Our local shelters have many wonderful adoptable animals,” he said. “Go visit and bring home a new loyal friend!” It could be a grand slam. Related Articles
Grey Market Labs announces $8M Series A funding led by Capri Ventures to accelerate growth of its Replica Platform - First of its kind "Secure Environment as a Service"How wine jargon leaves Brits in terroir: More than 50% of wine lovers are baffled by its terminology while a third are left embarrassed when asked to describe a typeThe New York Rangers and goalie Igor Shesterkin have agreed to a record-setting eight-year, $11.5 million average-annual-value contract, a league source confirmed to The Athletic on Friday, the largest deal for a goalie in NHL history. The deal comes on the heels of New York trading captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks earlier in the day, which cleared $8 million of cap space off the books for 2025-26, the year Shesterkin’s extension sets in. Advertisement Drafted in the fourth round in 2014, Shesterkin debuted in 2019-20 and emerged as one of the league’s top goaltenders in 2021-22. He won the Vezina Trophy that season with a .935 save percentage and a 36-13-4 record and finished third in Hart Trophy voting. Though his regular-season numbers have not reached the same heights since, he’s further established himself as one of the world’s best, especially when the games matter most. He has a .928 career save percentage in 44 playoff games and has helped New York to a pair of Eastern Conference finals. Carey Price had the previous highest average annual value for goalies ($10.5 million). This deal also puts Shesterkin in a similar salary range to Artemi Panarin , the highest-paid player on the Rangers. Panarin has a $11,642,857 cap hit. Shesterkin has an 8-9-1 record with a .908 save percentage to start the season. He’s below his career save percentage of .920 but has not been helped by a porous Rangers defense. He ranks seventh in the NHL with 9.83 goals saved above expected, per Evolving-Hockey . Questions about Shesterkin’s next deal can now be put to rest, and the Rangers front office can look ahead to other looming decisions, including how to upgrade their 2024-25 roster after clearing cap space with the Trouba trade. (Photo: Danny Wild / USA Today)
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Why Indonesia needs to reform its oil, gas exploration landscapeIs Jets owner Woody Johnson listening? Because former NFL players are doing everything but fly a plane over the facility in Florham Park tugging a banner that says, “Kiss Aaron Rodgers goodbye when the season ends. Don’t exercise an option. Don’t agree to a pay cut. Dump him.” OK, maybe that’s too much for a single $1,500 banner, but you get the idea. The latest NFL alumnus who has taken a shot (or more) at the aging-before-our-eyes Rodgers is former Pittsburgh Steelers star and Super Bowl champion Ryan Clark , who has been embroiled in a slow-burning feud with the diminshed Rodgers. The most recent episode began when Clark called Rodgers “a fraud” for criticizing players who leverage their popularity on social media and in the media. Clark pointed out that Rodgers has a standing paid gig to appear on The Pat McAfee Show , one of the most popular platforms for sports personalities, hosted by a former NFL punter. “To call out former players, while on a former player’s show? Yes, that made you a fraud to me,” Clark said. Rodgers responded (on McAfee’s show) by insisting that anyone who criticizes him must declare their vaccine status, because, in his mind, any criticism of him, as a celebrated anti-vaxxer, must come from being a pawn in the pharmaceutical industry’s push of Covid vaccines and others. Clark, who is vaccinated, has sickle cell trait, has had his spleen removed, and is immunodeficient, he says. So getting vaccinated against Covid is possibly life-saving for him, not political. Widespread criticism of Rodgers couldn’t have anything to do with his play during a 4-11 season — which has led to the head coach’s firing, the offensive coordinator’s demotion and just one 300-yard passing game, could it? By making any criticism about vaccines and political issues, Rodgers is trying to shield himself from legitimate raps from NFL analysts, who say that he isn’t the quarterback he once was, Clark said on The Stephen A. Smith Show . “I said a million times to you on your show, I think he’s the best quarterback I’ve ever played against,” Clark said. “But that doesn’t in any way negate what we’re seeing from him now — and the arrogance, the smugness, the entitlement he displays as a person when it comes to people who object or people who see things differently than him ... I mean, I’m just tired of it. “And I’m tired of people allowing him to say whatever the hell he wants to say, whenever the hell he wants to say it, without in any way pushing back.” (That final line was Clark firing at McAfee, an ESPN colleague who chuckled at Rogers’ comments.) Clark insists he doesn’t have the luxury of getting personal or using “vaccination, partisanship, or whatever to try to ignore the facts,” as Rodgers has. Clark added that he felt compelled to respond again because Rodgers used ESPN — which produces McAfee’s show — to attack an ESPN employee. “I am an NFL analyst, so in responding to Aaron Rodgers, I need to be able to respond with facts,” Clark said. “I can’t just come out and insult his fashion, I can’t just come out and say things that make zero sense like, ‘State your vaccination status.’ I don’t get to do that. I have to be factual. “Instead of saying ‘Ryan Clark is wrong about me being hypocritical because of X, Y and Z,’ [or] ‘Ryan Clark is wrong to call me arrogant because of X, Y and Z’ ... that is what athletes will do now. They don’t have to combat you with facts, because ... [they are] more popular than I am,” Clark said. Clark’s criticism followed an attack by former Jets star Bart Scott, who called Rodgers record-chasing “despicable.” Rodgers admitted he tried to get his buddy Davante Adams (who caught Rodgers’ 200th and 400th career touchdown passes) to catch Rodgers’ 500th TD pass in the second quarter of Sunday’s 19-9 loss to the L.A. Rams . “Wish he would have caught it,” Rodgers said. Rodgers was 28-for-42 for 256 yards and a TD pass, but couldn’t muster points in the fourth quarter as the Rams rallied to win. Said Scott: “To have a 10-minute drive and end up with nothing. And it’s because you’re going for records, right? Sentimental records. And you’re deciding who gets your record. And I think that’s — that’s despicable.” Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
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Saudi Arabia hosts this year's Indian Premier League player auction in a partnership between a money-spinning cricket tournament expanding its global reach and a kingdom using sports to improve its image. De facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has backed extravagant sports investments -- set to culminate in Saudi Arabia hosting the soccer World Cup in 2034 -- to diversify its oil-rich economy. Critics point to Saudi Arabia's human rights record and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018, accusing the kingdom of "sportswashing". The two-day auction beginning Sunday in Jeddah is the first cricketing event of this stature to be hosted in Saudi Arabia, a country with an under-served fanbase for the sport among millions of South Asian migrant workers. Saudi cricket federation chairman Prince Saud bin Mishal said that staging the auction reflected the kingdom's "commitment to developing the sport and showcasing its position as a global destination for sporting events". Saudi Arabia's big spending on sporting events had helped "to promote the narrative of a changing kingdom", Rice University's Kristian Coates Ulrichsen told AFP. "To the extent that there is now a buzz associated with Saudi Arabia in football and in boxing, the spending has succeeded in changing the subject," he added. Saudi Arabia has in recent years recruited top footballers including Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar into its league while hosting world championship boxing, Formula One racing, tennis and golf. Visit Saudi, the state tourism arm, and state-owned energy giant Saudi Aramco have both been IPL sponsors. Cricket already has a fanbase in the kingdom among expatriate workers. Non-Saudi nationals account for more than 13 million of Saudi Arabia's 32.2 million people, over 40 percent of whom hail from cricket-mad India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, according to the 2022 census. The kingdom's cricket federation is also trying to boost the sport's popularity among Saudis and has launched a program to introduce it in schools. "There is a general perception that it's a street game," Kabir Khan, the federation's head coach, told English-language daily Arab News in August. "We need to change that perception." The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not required to regularly publish its finances and details of the agreement for Jeddah to host the auction have not been released. But the IPL has generated billions in revenue since its inception in 2008, turning the BCCI into one of the richest governing bodies in sport. Two years ago it sold the broadcast rights for five IPL seasons to global media giants for $6.2 billion. Its player auctions are watched by millions eager to see which of the sport's top stars will make their teams and the BCCI has sought to broaden the tournament's profile by staging the spectacle abroad. Last year's auction was held in Dubai, a regular host for international cricket tournaments and which also has a large base of prospective fans among its migrant worker population. Veteran Indian cricket journalist Ayaz Memon told AFP that holding this year's auction in Saudi Arabia benefitted both the kingdom and the board. "Saudi authorities have been very keen on promoting sports in their own country... and you get to expand the horizons of the IPL in the sense of creating more awareness for the sport." A total of 574 players are up for grabs this year with Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, England veteran James Anderson and New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra among the top names in contention. Australian pacer Mitchell Starc smashed auction records last time when he signed with Kolkata Knight Riders for $2.98 million. An incremental rise in the tournament's salary cap means his price is likely to be eclipsed in the coming days. "Just as always you will find certain players breaking records," media analyst Karan Taurani of Mumbai-based advisory firm Elara Capital told AFP. For all the big names, Taurani said many cricketers on the auction list were promising youngsters at the start of their career and signing an IPL contract was their first shot at a big payday. "There are not too many players who have got more than two to three years of international experience," he said. "Those players will see a big jump in terms of compensation." Dates for next year's IPL have not been released but seasons usually run from March to May.
Biden opens final White House holiday season with turkey pardons and first lady gets Christmas tree WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has kicked off his final holiday season at the White House, issuing the traditional reprieve to two turkeys who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in Minnesota. The president welcomed 2,500 guests under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach” and “Blossom.” He also sounded wistful tones about the last weeks of his presidency. Separately, first lady Jill Biden received the delivery of the official White House Christmas tree. And the Bidens are traveling to New York later Monday for an early holiday celebration with members of the Coast Guard. Formula 1 expands grid to add General Motors' Cadillac brand and new American team for 2026 season LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 will expand the grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a federal investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti, who has since stepped aside. The 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer. Naeher is on the team’s roster for a pair of upcoming matches in Europe but those will be her last after a full 11 years playing for the United States. Naeher was on the U.S. team that won the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and the gold medal at this year's Olympics in France. She’s the only U.S. goalkeeper to earn a shutout in both a World Cup and an Olympic final. Bah, humbug! Vandal smashes Ebenezer Scrooge's tombstone used in 'A Christmas Carol' movie LONDON (AP) — If life imitates art, a vandal in the English countryside may be haunted by The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Police in the town of Shrewsbury are investigating how a tombstone at the fictional grave of Ebenezer Scrooge was destroyed. The movie prop used in the 1984 adaption of Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” had become a tourist attraction. The film starred George C. Scott as the cold-hearted curmudgeon who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him what will become of his life if he doesn’t become a better person. West Mercia Police say the stone was vandalized in the past week. Megachurch founder T.D. Jakes suffers health incident during sermon at Dallas church DALLAS (AP) — The founder of Dallas-based megachurch The Potter's House, Bishop T.D. Jakes, was hospitalized after suffering what the church called a “slight health incident.” Jakes was speaking to churchgoers after he sat down and began trembling as several people gathered around him Sunday at the church. Jakes' daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and her husband Touré Roberts said in a statement on social media late Sunday that Jakes was improving. The 67-year-old Jakes founded the non-denominational The Potter's House in 1996 and his website says it now has more than 30,000 members with campuses in Fort Worth and Frisco, Texas; and in Denver. At the crossroads of news and opinion, 'Morning Joe' hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn't it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning Joe” has attacked Trump, its viewers felt insulted. Many reacted quickly by staying away. It all reflects the broader trend of opinion crowding out traditional journalist in today's marketplace, and the expectations that creates among consumers. By mid-week, the show's audience was less than two-thirds what it has typically been this year. Pilot dies in plane crash in remote woods of New York, puppy found alive WINDHAM, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a pilot and at least one dog he was transporting died when a small plane crashed in the snowy woods of the Catskill Mountains, though a puppy on the flight was found alive with two broken legs. The Greene County sheriff’s office says Seuk Kim of Springfield, Virginia, was flying from Maryland to Albany, New York, when the plane crashed at about 6:10 p.m. Sunday in a remote area. Officials believe the pilot died from the impact. The surviving dog was hospitalized, while a third dog was not located. The flight was connected with a not-for-profit group that transports rescue animals. Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by handing out more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations Monday, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. Buffett said he has no regrets about his decision to start giving away his fortune in 2006. Pop star Ed Sheeran apologizes to Man United boss Ruben Amorim for crashing interview MANCHESTER, England (AP) — British pop star Ed Sheeran has apologized to Ruben Amorim after inadvertently interrupting the new Manchester United head coach during a live television interview. Amorim was talking on Sky Sports after United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich on Sunday when Sheeran walked up to embrace analyst Jamie Redknapp. The interview was paused before Redknapp told the pop star to “come and say hello in a minute.” Sheeran is a lifelong Ipswich fan and holds a minority stake in the club. He was pictured celebrating after Omari Hutchinson’s equalizing goal in the game at Portman Road. A desert oasis outside of Dubai draws a new caravan: A family of rodents from Argentina AL QUDRA LAKES, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A desert oasis hidden away in the dunes in the far reaches of skyscraper-studded Dubai has drawn a surprising new set of weary world travelers: a pack of Argentinian rodents. A number of Patagonian mara, a rabbit-like mammal with long legs, big ears and a body like a hoofed animal, now roam the grounds of Al Qudra Lakes, typically home to gazelle and other desert creatures of the United Arab Emirates. How they got there remains a mystery in the UAE, a country where exotic animals have ended up in the private homes and farms of the wealthy. But the pack appears to be thriving there and likely have survived several years already in a network of warrens among the dunes.