Sunday 22 March 2015

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Dunya TV

Crowe hails 'courageous' Guptill

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - New Zealand great Martin Crowe on Monday praised Martin Guptills record-breaking World Cup feats after helping the batsman reinvent himself late in his career.Crowe, who is battling terminal cancer, also tipped another of his proteges Ross Taylor to come good for the Black Caps, who face South Africa on Tuesday for a spot in the final.Guptill hit a World Cup-record 237 not out as New Zealand crushed the West Indies by 143 runs on Saturday, the second-highest individual score in one-day international history.After the 163-ball knock, the opener revealed that tips from Crowe had helped improve his batting, particularly his footwork and stance.But Crowe said Guptill deserved the credit for being prepared to ask for help, then going back to the basics to alter his technique.Its a courageous move to rebuild at 28, Crowe told Fairfax New Zealand.He wants to be a successful Test batsman and he made the right call at the right time.Crowe said he sent Guptill a text message reading OMG after his innings, although he said it did not carry the standard meaning of Oh My God.(It) could also be read as Oh Marty Guptill but actually it meant Oh My Gap, he said. Weve talked a lot over the last few months about not looking at fielders, about looking at gaps. The more the mind is focused on gaps the more it will find them.Crowe, who was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame this month and is widely regarded as New Zealands greatest ever batsman, also backed Taylor to shine.The ex-captain struggled early in the tournament but has scored 42 and 56 in his last two innings and Crowe, who has mentored Taylor throughout his career, was confident the player was coming out of his slump. Hes made the adjustments for this tournament and lets hope he can really express himself at the back end, Crowe told Fairfax.I think he has had enough time in the middle now to express himself. The whole point is to peak at the back end and I think he can nail it.Crowe led New Zealand to the semi-final of the 1992 World Cup. He retired in 1995 and in October 2012 revealed he had lymphoma.

Tennis: Djokovic beats Federer to defend Indian Wells title

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INDIAN WELLS (AFP) - Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 to successfully defend his Indian Wells crown and claim his 50th career ATP title on Sunday.The 27-year-old world number one from Serbia also captured his fourth Indian Wells crown and is now tied with world number two Federer for the most mens titles in the California desert.The trophy is very heavy, Djokovic told the crowd as he celebrated adding to the titles he won in 2008 and 2011.It was another epic struggle in a long list of hardcourt battles between the two top players in the world, who have met 38 times with Swiss great Federer still holding a slight 20-18 edge.Djokovic had lost his last two matches to Federer in straight sets after beating him in last years Wimbledon final.Djokovic also needed three sets to beat Federer in the 2014 Indian Wells title match.Federer insisted people shouldnt read too much into this loss.I have beat him the last couple times. It is not like I lost 10 in a row, Federer said. A lot depends on how well he serves and returns. We usually play in finals so we are both peaking at the same time.The two have combined to win eight of the last 12 Indian Wells titles but this is the first time they have met in back-to-back finals.Djokovic blasted eight aces, 26 winners and broke Federer five times in the two hour, 17 minute battle in front of a crowd of about 15,000 on inside the Tennis Garden stadium.Djokovic surpassed his coach Boris Becker (49) to become the 12th player in Open Era history with 50 ATP Tour titles.Even though he had the crowd on his side, Federer couldnt overcome his poor serving and 43 unforced errors. Novak did well to sustain the lead for most of the match, Federer said. I think he found an extra gear in the end. Controlled aggression was the key out there.Djokovic jumped all over Federers serve, allowing the Swiss to win just 15 points off the second serve.He (Djokovic) returns so well off the second serve. That is what was also was tough today against him, Federer said. I am disappointed the end was flat from my side. Federers best moments came in the last half of the middle set when he broke Djokovic for the first time in the match to rally from an earlier break and level the set at 4-4.Federer won the second set tiebreaker 7-5 but he got some help from Djokovic who made three double faults and then hammered a backhand long on set point.But Djokovic broke Federer again early in the third to grab a 2-0 lead. The Swiss got one back in a 10-minute third game that extended the epic battle to the two-hour mark.The tight third game went back and forth until Federer won it on the fifth break chance after Djokovic slammed a backhand into the net.My best spell was midway through the second to midway through the third set, Federer said. It was disappointing to let it slip away.

Tennis: Halep beats Jankovic for Indian Wells title

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INDIAN WELLS (AFP) - Simona Halep claimed the biggest title of her career on Sunday, lifting the Indian Wells WTA trophy with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory over former champion Jelena Jankovic.The hard-fought triumph over the former world number one from Serbia made Romanias 23-year-old Halep the first player to win three WTA titles this year. Halep, ranked third in the world, won four of the final five games in the third set to earn the marathon victory in two hours, 37 minutes.I dont know how I won today because I didnt play my best, Halep said. But I just wanted to fight till the end. Every match was very important for me, for my mind.I just had the confidence that I had a chance here in this tournament, and I just did everything to get it.Im really happy that I have another title.Halep and Jankovic have a history of playing long, tight matches and Sunday was no different.They have now gone to three sets in all five career meetings with Halep leading the series 4-1.Jankovic, who served for the match at 5-4 in the second set but couldnt close it out, was gracious in defeat.My opponent Simona was unbelievable, said Jankovic, who turned 30 last month. She was running like two dogs, left and right for about three hours and at the end I just couldnt keep up anymore.She is the younger one and she was too good at the end.Halep advanced to the semi-final on a walkover after Serena Williams cut short her long-awaited Indian Wells return because of a knee injury.Halep has shot up the world rankings in the past few years, going from 64 in May 2013 to her current No. 3.She started the 2015 season with her ninth career title by winning the Shenzhen, China tournament. She followed that with a victory in Dubai and also reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in January.She got off to a blistering start to the season, winning nine straight matches and 18 consecutive sets.Halep broke Jankovic for the ninth and last time in the final game of Sundays contest as she clinched the premier level title with cross-court forehand winner that Jankovic had no chance on.Both players had difficulty holding their serves throughout as there were a total of 18 breaks.I was a little nervous during the match but I knew I could keep it in my hands. I did really, really great today, Halep said.Jankovic looked dominant in winning the final five games to take the first set but then her serve let her down in the second and third as she won just 12 points in total on her second serve.By the middle of the third set, Jankovic appeared to have completely lost her focus and was still thinking about blown chances in the second set.During one changeover she told her coach, I havent been able to hold my serve. Not one. Wheres my serve? Whats going on?Thats why I lost that second set.

Football: Suarez stunner hands Barca victory over Madrid

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BARCELONA (AFP) - Barcelona moved four points clear at the top of La Liga as Luis Suarezs brilliant individual effort handed them a 2-1 win over Real Madrid on Sunday.Jeremy Mathieu headed Barca in front early on from Lionel Messis free-kick, but Cristiano Ronaldo hit back at his critics in recent weeks with a deserved equaliser before the break.Suarez was to have the final say, though, as he registered his first goal in El Clasico by controlling Dani Alvess long ball before turning to strike into the far corner.It is my most important goal for Barca so far, it has an extra meaning given the opponents that it was against, Suarez told TV3.Barca boss Luis Enrique hailed the Uruguayans quality and said that is why the Catalans splashed out a club record fee for him despite his checkered past.It is clear the goal is something very few players can do. That is why we signed him. We valued him because he is a player that makes the difference, said Enrique.Ever since he arrived we have been very happy with his performances, his commitment and everything he does for the team.A third defeat in four games for Madrid will see coach Carlo Ancelotti come under increasing pressure to hold onto his job, but he insisted he had been encouraged by his sides performance for the first hour.We played a lot better until the second goal. After that it was very difficult, said the Italian.In the first-half we played very well, we had control, were dangerous up front and solid at the back.We lacked a bit of a cool head to try and equalise rather than playing long balls.And Ancelotti believes Madrids title fight is far from over despite dropping eight points in their last four league games.Four points is obviously an advantage for Barcelona. We wont give up, particularly because of the way we played in the first-half. We have to keep going to try and play like that for 90 minutes.Madrid started the brighter as Karim Benzema pulled a shot wide of the far post before his teasing cross was volleyed onto the bar at the back post by Ronaldo.However, it was Barca who went in front on 18 minutes when Mathieu headed home Messis in-swinging free-kick from the left for his first league goal for the club.Neymar should have doubled the hosts advantage on the half hour when he fired straight at Iker Casillas with the goal gaping after a mishit Suarez shot rolled across goal.Seconds later Real were level thanks to a lovely move as Benzema backheeled Luka Modrics pass into Ronaldos path and he poked the ball past Claudio Bravo on the stretch.The visitors then went on to end the half the stronger as Gareth Bale had a goal ruled out for offside, whilst Bravo tipped a piledriver from Ronaldo over and Bale stabbed inches wide from the resulting corner.But Madrid were caught by a sucker punch 11 minutes into the second-half when Alvess ball over the top was brilliantly controlled and finished by Suarez on the turn.Neymar nearly made amends for his miss in the first period with an incredible run from inside hs own half past numerous Madrid players, but again his finishing was wayward as he blasted over.Messi had been very quiet given his stunning performances of late, but he was inches away from sealing the points 17 minutes from time as his shot curled just wide.Neymar then blazed wide again from a Messi pass as space began to open up for Barca.Those wasted opportunities nearly came back to haunt the Catalans as Bravo had to produce a brilliant save to turn Benzemas deflected effort behind for a corner.Casillas kept Madrid in the game at the other end with a pair of fine saves to deny Jordi Alba and Messi, but it was to no avail as Barca racked up their 18th win in 19 games.

Football: Bayern suffer shock home defeat to Gladbach

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BERLIN (AFP) - Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich suffered only their third defeat of the season on Sunday as they lost 2-0 at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach, whose Brazilian striker Raffael scored twice.It was Bayerns first home defeat of the season and was only Gladbachs third win in Munich in 47 league games, lifting Lucien Favres side back to third in the table.Following a defeat to Manchester City in the Champions Leagues group stages in November and a 4-1 thrashing at Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga in January, it was only Bayerns third defeat in all competitions this campaign.Despite the loss, Champions League quarter-finalists Bayern still hold a ten-point lead at the top of the table and are on course for a third straight league title.They barely got into our half before they scored their first goal and its not easy to break down a side who pack their defence, said Bayern coach Pep Guardiola.We failed to break down their defence and they counterattacked superbly.We still have a 10 point lead, but we must fight until the end to defend our title.Raffael, who turns 30 next Saturday, profited from a rare mistake by Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who failed to block the Brazilians long-range shot which rolled into the Munich goal with half an hour gone.Gladbach claimed their second on 77 minutes when Germany midfielder Christoph Kramer squared for Raffael to fire his second past Neuer.There was more bad news for Bayern coach Pep Guardiola as Dutch winger Arjen Robben was forced off in the first-half and taken to hospital -- he also missed last weeks win at Werder Bremen with a trapped nerve.Earlier, second-placed Wolfsburg were held to a surprise 1-1 draw at mid-table Mainz after the hosts took a shock seventh-minute lead when defender Niko Bungert out-jumped the visiting defence to head home from a corner.Wolfsburg made their possession count as Brazil midfielder Luiz Gustavo hit the post, then scored their equaliser on 61 minutes.On Saturday, Germany winger Karim Bellarabi kept Bayer Leverkusen fourth in the table with a 1-0 win at Schalke 04.Bellarabi, who has been linked to Arsenal, grabbed the 35th-minute winner from the tightest of angles with a superb shot across goal.Schalke coach Roberto di Matteo was bitterly disappointed as the defeat left his side five points from a possible Champions League place for next season.Borussia Dortmund bounced back from their midweek Champions League exit with a 3-2 win at 10-man Hanover to earn their first victory in four games.Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted twice as Dortmund picked up valuable league points after goalless draws against Hamburg and Cologne.The win left Borussia tenth with Hanover 14th and two points from relegation.Bremen stay ninth after being held to a 1-1 draw at mid-table Cologne as a first-half goal by Germany Under-19 striker Davie Selke for the visitors was cancelled out by an 88th-minute penalty from Cologne midfielder Matthias Lehmann.Freiburg climbed out of the bottom three with a 2-0 win at home to Augsburg thanks to second-half goals from Jonathan Schmid and Nils Petersen.Paderborn stay second-from-bottom after their goalless draw at home to ten-man Hoffenheim, who had Bosnia defender Ermin Bicakcic sent off for a second yellow card.VfB Stuttgart remain rooted to the foot of the table despite their 3-1 comeback win at home to Eintracht Frankfurt.The result means two points separate the bottom four teams of Stuttgart, Freiburg, Paderborn and Hamburg, who sacked coach Joe Zinnbauer on Sunday after losing 1-0 at home to Hertha Berlin on Friday.

NBA: LeBron powers Cavaliers to win at Milwaukee

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MILWAUKEE (AFP) - LeBron James scored 28 points, pulled down 10 rebounds, passed out six assists and made five steals Sunday to spark the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 108-90 NBA victory at Milwaukee.J.R. Smith added 23 points and Kyrie Irving contributed 20 points and seven assists for the Cavaliers, who won their third game in a row and seventh in eight starts to stand 46-26 on the season, second in the Eastern Conference.Michael Carter-Williams scored a team-high 19 points for Milwaukee, but the Bucks slid to 34-36 with their sixth loss in a row.Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo each had 15 points for the Bucks.Down 53-44 at half-time, the Cavaliers made a 14-6 run sparked by Irving to pull close. James scored six points in a row late in the quarter and Iman Shumperts jumper put Cleveland ahead 75-73 entering the fourth quarter.James scored seven points in a run of 10 in a row by the Cavs to seize an 87-76 edge to seal Milwaukees fate.

New Zealand, South Africa eye end to years of pain

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AUCKLAND (AFP) - New Zealand and South Africa clash in the World Cup semi-finals at Aucklands Eden Park on Tuesday hoping to end years of pain and near-misses.Both sides, who between them have appeared in nine semi-finals without reaching the final, have met expectations by making the last four.Lying in wait will be the winner of Thursdays second semi-final in Sydney between India, defending the title they won in 2011, and Australia, who lifted the three preceding World Cups.New Zealand have lost all six of their previous World Cup semi-finals, with South Africa falling at the same hurdle on three occasions.But New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said he did not expect either side to be weighed down by past failures.I dont think theres any baggage with anyone, he insisted. Its a one-off game and were all desperate to be at the big party and Im sure well both turn up.Two sides are playing good cricket and its going to be a heck of a show.Their one common opponent in the tournament has been the West Indies, who South Africa clobbered in pool play by 257 runs after batting first and posting 408 for five.New Zealand beat the West Indies by 143 runs in a Wellington quarter-final on Saturday after scoring 393 for six on the back of Martin Guptills World Cup record 237 not out .South Africa emerged from their quarter-final against Sri Lanka with an overwhelming nine-wicket victory as they moved to dispel talk they are chokers.Afterwards, defiant Proteas skipper AB de Villiers said: I think we like being called chokers. Well just keep that tag and move along, as long as we keep winning.And the star batsman was adamant that, whatever else happened, his side would not crack under pressure.We are committed to the fact that were not going to show any weakness, he said.Proteas leg-spinner Imran Tahirs four for 26 against Sri Lanka should raise a red flag for New Zealands talismanic opener and captain Brendon McCullum, whose swash-buckling reputation carries a postscript that he is vulnerable to leggies.When New Zealand and South Africa met in a pre-tournament hit out, Trent Boult took five for 51 in a 134-run win over a Proteas side without key figures Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn.South Africa won an one-day international series 2-0 against New Zealand without Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor late last year, and Hesson said that result was further skewed by South Africa being in full flight while New Zealand were just gearing up for the season.In September and October the pitches are different, wed come out of a winter, theyd come out of a campaign, said Hesson. They hit us hard early and we didnt respond well. Were more match-hardened now.It was the start of a build-up that has seen New Zealand hit form at the right time with wins in their past nine games -- they have never won 10 in a row -- while South Africa were beaten by Pakistan in World Cup pool play.Their crunch showdown takes place at Eden Park, whose drop-in pitch and short boundaries ought to favour batsmen, but where results show the 300 mark has been bettered only six times in ODIs.Between them, New Zealand and South Africa provide half of the top 10 bowlers at this World Cup.Boult is the leading wicket-taker with 19 and is joined by fellow Kiwis Daniel Vettori and Tim Southee with 15 scalps, the same as Tahir, while South Africa fast bowler Morne Morkel has 14.Guptill, coming into form with back-to-back centuries is the second-highest run scorer with 498, with de Villiers in fourth place, a further 81 runs further back.Although the bookmakers have South Africa as favourites, New Zealand have come out on top the last three times the teams have clashed at a World Cup.However, the Black Caps were handed a setback on Monday when fast bowler Adam Milne was ruled out of the tournament with a left heel injury.Late call-up Matt Henry will duel with seasoned international Kyle Mills and Mitchell McClenaghan to take Milnes place.

New Zealand fast bowler Milne out of World Cup

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AUCKLAND (AFP) - New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne has been ruled out of the remainder of the World Cup after suffering a foot injury, New Zealand Cricket announced Monday.Matt Henry has been rushed to Auckland ahead of Tuesdays semi-final against South Africa and will join the squad, subject to International Cricket Council approval.Milne felt discomfort following New Zealands comprehensive quarter-final win against the West Indies on Saturday and a scan showed significant swelling around the heel.He will not be fit to play any further part in the tournament, a New Zealand Cricket spokesman said.Milne, who bowled Chris Gayle for 61 in New Zealands 143-run quarter-final victory, has taken five wickets for 199 in the tournament and kept seasoned international Kyle Mills and Mitchell McClenaghan on the bench.McClenaghan replaced Milne when a shoulder injury kept him out of the Bangladesh match during the pool phase.Henry, who has only played eight ODIs, has impressive career figures of 21 wickets at an average of 15.42.

Nation set to celebrate Pakistan Day today

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Day is being celebrated today (Monday) with traditional zeal and enthusiasm for which preparations have been completed for the conventional parade being held after a gap of seven years at the newly constructed Parade Ground near Faizabad Interchange in Islamabad, Dunya News reported.The day will dawn with 31-gun salute in the federal capital and 21-gun salute in provincial capitals. Special prayers will be offered in mosques after Fajr prayers for progress, prosperity and solidarity of the country.It will be a public holiday today and the national flag will be hoisted on important government and private buildings across the country and all Pakistani missions abroad.Various political, social, religious, educational and other organizations have arranged functions to highlight importance of Pakistan Resolution that paved the way for the creation of an independent homeland for Muslims of the subcontinent.A ceremony will be held at Aiwan-e-Sadar in the afternoon wherein President Mamnoon Hussain will confer awards and medals on different people for their outstanding performance in different fields.

Al Qaeda leader Umar Farooq killed Tirah Valley operation

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RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – Several militants, including Al Qaeda commander Umar Farooq, were killed during security forces operation in Khyber Agency tribal region’s Tirah Valley on early Monday morning.Some sources said that Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah was also among those killed, but there was no official confirmation.Sources further said that for the last couple of days, the hideouts of banned organisations have continuously been targeted by the security forces. Tirah valley is home to militants of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and an allied group called Lashkar-e-Islam.

Manchester United ousts Liverpool from top-4 club in EPL

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LONDON: (AFP) - Manchester United punished Steven Gerrards moment of madness as Juan Matas double secured a vital 2-1 win over bitter rivals Liverpool, while leaders Chelsea reestablished their stranglehold on the Premier League title race with a 3-2 victory at Hull on Sunday.United were already leading through Matas composed finish in the 14th minute at Anfield when Gerrard made Liverpools task even harder as he earned a red card just 43 seconds after coming on as a half-time substitute.Making his final appearance against United before his close-season move to LA Galaxy, Gerrard was sent off, for the eighth time in his career, for a clear stamp on Ander Herrera.United took full advantage of their numerical superiority as Mata scored a quite brilliant second goal in the 59th minute.Angel di Maria picked out the former Chelsea midfielder with a clipped pass that Mata converted with a stunning bicycle kick.Daniel Sturridge got one back for Liverpool 10 minutes later, but Brendan Rodgers side couldnt find an equaliser, leaving Gerrard to apologise for a mistake that could cost his team a place in next seasons Champions League.Fifth placed Liverpool are now five points behind fourth placed United in the race for a top four finish and Gerrard said: I have let my team-mates and manager down today, even more importantly I let all the supporters down and I take full responsibility for my action.Uniteds victory would have been even bigger if Wayne Rooneys stoppage-time penalty hadnt been saved by Simon Mignolet, but boss Louis van Gaal was content with a success which keeps them one point behind third-placed Arsenal.Its an amazing result for the fans, because weve beaten Liverpool three times this season. We now have a gap from positions five, six and seven which is very important, he said.We kept the ball and created a lot of possibilities to score. I said whoever could beat the pressure shall win. Juan Mata was very good.

Chelsea edges Hull to remain 6 points clear at EPL summit

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HULL, England: (AP) - Loic Remy made an immediate impact after coming off the bench to ensure Chelsea avoided another setback in its pursuit of the Premier League title by clinching a 3-2 victory at Hull on Sunday.A week after Chelsea was held by Southampton, the fortuitous winner came after substitute Remys shot squirmed through Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor in the 77th minuteChelsea is six points clear of Manchester City at the top of the league with a game in hand.But the win at Hull would have been more convincing had Chelseas defense not crumbled.After Eden Hazard and Diego Costa scored in the opening nine minutes, Hull scored twice in 74 seconds to draw level through Ahmed Elmohamady and then to Abel Hernandez.

Roar of bombers replaced by drone buzz in North Dakota

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FARGO, North Dakota: (AP) - The roar of mammoth Air Force bombers and tanker planes has long been silenced at the Grand Forks Air Force Base, but backers of the first unmanned aircraft business park in the U.S. say the drones are creating a buzz.Construction on the Grand Sky grounds wont likely begin until May, but national and international companies are jockeying for position in the 1.2 million-square-foot (110,000-square-meter) park that sits near the former alert pad where bombers and tankers were poised for takeoff on a moments notice.North Dakota is one six sites around the country testing unmanned aircraft, for which some Americans have lingering concerns about privacy and safety. The new parks tenants are likely to be researching and developing drones for a host of applications farming, law enforcement, energy, infrastructure management, public safety, coastal security, military training, search and rescue and disaster response.Defense technology giant Northrop Grumman, based in Falls Church, Virginia, has already signed a letter of intent to anchor the park and more big names are likely to follow suit, Grand Sky Development President Tom Swoyer said. He added that he had met with representatives from two prospective companies last week, including a household name in the unmanned system industry that he would not identify.Companies in the industry are starting to take notice, Swoyer said. Were getting a lot of input.One company looking to get into the ground floor of Grand Sky is Smart C2, a fledgling software business that picked North Dakota for its home base because of the states commitment to unmanned aircraft. Stuart Rudolph, company president and CEO, said the park will have all the key players in one space.Grand Sky is going to be the melting pot, Rudolph said. He noted other favorable factors, such as access to talent at the base, with the University of North Dakota aerospace school and a nearby technical school; government support; private equity financing and lots of airspace.The possibility of competitors locating under the same roof also is a good thing, Rudolph said.This is too young of an industry to worry about your competition, he said. Were investing in North Dakota because we think this is where the right people are going to come together to solve the problems of the United States.Not everyone is as optimistic about the future of drones. An Associated Press poll conducted in December showed that 33 percent of Americans oppose using drones to monitor or spray crops, while another third support it. Only 27 percent favor using drones for aerial photography.Even so, the park is expected to bring thousands of jobs to this part of northeastern North Dakota, a boon given that that the number of airmen at the Grand Forks base has dropped since its mission was changed to unmanned aircraft.The base had housed heavy bombing operations for more than 30 years and refueling tankers for 50 years. The last B-1B Lancer departed the facility in 1994, and the final tankers left in 2010. Since 2006, the number of airmen at the base has decreased from 2,450 to about 1,300, while the number of base employees has declined from more than 3,000 to about 1,000.Swoyer estimates that up to about 3,000 workers could be hired overall on and off the campus.The facility will have space for hangars, offices, shops, laboratories and data centers. Its also the first commercial park where manned and unmanned aircraft can take off from the same place, Swoyer said.

Florida man who faked death arrested in North Carolina

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla.: (AP) - A Jacksonville businessman reported dead two years ago in Venezuela was arrested in North Carolina on alleged fraud charges Saturday after his life insurance companies filed a lawsuit alleging he was alive and they shouldnt be making payments.Details of the charges against 62-year-old Jose Lantigua are unclear. But Saturdays arrest ends two years of speculation about whether the former furniture store owner had faked an illness in 2013 while vacationing in Venezuela, leaving his business millions of dollars in debt.His life insurance companies thought they were being swindled and launched an investigation saying the businessman was not dead after two lenders filed claims. The lawsuits by Hartford Life and Annuity Life Insurance Co. also alleged a worker was bribed to falsify documents stating the businessmans body was cremated. They also claim Lantigua fraudulently assigned benefits claims to a local creditor before he disappeared.The South Florida Business Journal reports Lantiguas son accused the insurance company of falsifying its investigation into his fathers death, accusing the company of lying about the Venezuelan government revoking his fathers death certificate.The newspaper reported that the insurance company admitted a Venezuelan lawyer did alter documents to make it seem like the Venezuelan government nullified the death certificate. A judge ruled the papers were faked, but could not determine who faked them.Fast forward to Saturday when officials stopped a car Lantigua was driving in with his wife in Buncombe County, N.C.A Jacksonville prosecutor said Lantigua faces insurance fraud charges in Florida involving policies worth $9 million from seven companies.Assistant State Attorney Joe Licandro said an arrest warrant for Lantigua had been issued more than a year ago, but prosecutors dropped it after problems emerged with some of the underlying information in the case. He said a new warrant charging Lantigua with insurance fraud and schemes to defraud was issued within the past week.Licandro said no warrant had previously been issued for Lantiguas wife because prosecutors werent sure until now whether she knew he was alive. Federal agents released her in North Carolina, but she was arrested Saturday evening in Florida.Attorney Joshua Woolsey, who has represented the family in several civil suits, said Saturday that he and his law firm were withdrawing from the caseI and the law firm were shocked to learn this morning that we have been defrauded by acting and relying on the information that indicated he was dead, Woolsey said.Its unclear whether Lantigua has retained new representation.

American man fatally impaled on fence after falling from tree

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(Reuters) - A California man who authorities believe had been drinking in a tree outside of his home was fatally impaled when he accidentally fell from its branches and landed on a spiked fence, police said on Wednesday.The body of the man, who was not named, was found by officers early on Wednesday morning in the East Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, said Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Officer Liliana Preciado.It appears that the individual may have been drinking on top of a tree and he accidentally fell and impaled himself, Preciado said. This is being investigated as an accidental death.About a dozen beer cans were found at the scene, Los Angeles Police Captain Brian Pratt told KTLA TV.I think there was a party earlier at the house that evening, he said.There was no immediate word on how long the body had been on the fence. The man appeared to have been impaled through the face and neck, Los Angeles Police Sergeant Melvin Gamble told the Los Angeles Times.Over the years, you see stuff like this, Gamble told the newspaper. You still dont get used to it.
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