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Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, March 20, 2019. AAP Image/Andrew Taylor/via REUTERS
April 10, 2019
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison plans to call an election on Thursday, with a likely polling date of May 18, the Australian Broadcasting Corp, Sky News and other media reported, without citing sources.
Morrison arranged to fly from Melbourne to the national capital Canberra late on Wednesday so that he could ask the governor-general the following morning to dissolve parliament for an election campaign, media reported.
Australia needs to go to the polls by late May to elect a new parliament as the current three-year term ends.
Most polls suggest Morrison’s conservative coalition government will lose office.
A spokesman for Morrison was not immediately available for comment.
(Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Source: OANN
Apr 9, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Juan Soto (22) hits a three RBI home run during the tenth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
April 10, 2019
Juan Soto hit a three-run home run off Jose Alvarez in the top of the 10th inning to rally the visiting Washington Nationals to a 10-6 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.
Victor Robles, who had three hits, tied the score with a solo homer in the ninth, and Yan Gomes and Howie Kendrick also homered for the Nationals. Anthony Rendon had two hits and two RBIs, and Gomes added two hits.
Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg lasted only four innings and gave up six hits and six runs while walking four and striking out three. Sean Doolittle (3-0) picked up the win in relief.
Bryce Harper and Maikel Franco homered while J.T. Realmuto added three hits for the Phillies, who couldn’t hold a 6-1 lead.
Mariners 6, Royals 3
Dee Gordon had three hits and two RBIs as Seattle claimed a victory at Kansas City. The Mariners extended baseball’s best record to 11-2 with their fourth straight win.
Whit Merrifield continues to be the lone bright spot for the Royals, who lost their eighth game in a row. He led off the bottom of the first with a triple to extend his hitting streak to 30 games, dating back to last season.
The streak is tied for the longest in Royals history with Hall of Famer George Brett’s run from in 1980, the year he hit .390. Merrifield finished 2-for-5.
Angels 11, Brewers 8
Tommy La Stella hit two home runs, but it was a bases-loaded walk by Jonathan Lucroy that drove in the winning run in Los Angeles’ victory over Milwaukee Brewers.
The Angels earned their fifth win in a row, though it wasn’t easy. Los Angeles blew a 6-0 first-inning lead and then lost Mike Trout for the game after the third inning because of a strained right groin. The two-time American League MVP is day-to-day.
The Brewers, thanks in large part to two homers by Yasmani Grandal, rallied to take an 8-7 lead in the fifth before the Angels’ bullpen got stingy and the offense rallied to put Los Angeles in position to sweep the series Wednesday.
Diamondbacks 5, Rangers 4
Pinch hitter Jarrod Dyson hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning as Arizona walked off with a victory over Texas in Phoenix.
With one out, Dyson pulled a 2-2 off-speed pitch from closer Jose Leclerc (1-1) over the fence in right field.
Arizona’s Christian Walker singled to left to lead off the ninth against Leclerc and scored to make it 4-3 when Eduardo Escobar followed with a double to the wall in right-center field. Leclerc struck out Nick Ahmed before Dyson pinch-hit for John Ryan Murphy.
Rays 10, White Sox 5
Austin Meadows had a career-high four hits, including a two-run home run, and drove in four runs, and visiting Tampa Bay continued to match its best start in team history with a win against Chicago.
Avisail Garcia had three hits and Brandon Lowe had two, each hitting solo home runs for the Rays, who improved to 9-3 while clinching their fourth consecutive series to start the season.
Rays starter Charlie Morton (2-0) went five innings, allowing two runs, three hits, striking out seven and walking three.
Giants 7, Padres 2
Kevin Pillar cleared the bases with a three-run double to highlight a six-run second inning that sent San Francisco on its way to a victory over visiting San Diego.
Derek Holland (1-1) allowed just one run in seven innings, helping the Giants beat the Padres for just the second time in six meetings this season.
Hunter Renfroe hit his fourth homer for the Padres.
Braves 7, Rockies 1
Ronald Acuna homered for the second straight game, Dansby Swanson also went deep, and Atlanta beat Colorado in Denver.
Max Fried (2-0) gave up five hits and one unearned run over six innings to lead the Braves to their second straight win in the series.
German Marquez (1-1) was rocked for five runs in five innings, and Ian Desmond had an RBI single for Colorado, which has lost its first five home games this season.
Twins 14, Mets 8
Mitch Garver hit two home runs and tied a career high with four hits, and Jorge Polanco finished a double shy of his second cycle of the season as visiting Minnesota took advantage of a rare hiccup by Jacob deGrom in a win over New York.
The Twins have alternated wins with losses in their last five games. The Mets have dropped two straight and three of four. Polanco and Garver helped the Twins end two historic streaks by deGrom (2-1), who gave up six runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out three over four innings.
DeGrom entered Tuesday having given up three runs or fewer in each of his previous 31 starts, the longest such streak in major league history, and having produced a quality start 26 straight times, tying the record set by Bob Gibson in 1967-68.
Athletics 13, Orioles 2
Jurickson Profar homered on a four-hit, five-RBI night, and Marcus Semien homered and knocked in four as visiting Oakland defeated Baltimore.
Profar ended the night 4-for-5 with a solo homer, three singles and three runs. He drove in four runs in the final three innings as Oakland snapped a four-game losing streak.
Semien finished 1-for-4 and added a sacrifice fly in addition to an early three-run homer.
Astros 6, Yankees 3
George Springer roped a two-run double to left field in the eighth inning, and host Houston rallied against the New York bullpen for a second consecutive night.
Springer drilled a 1-1 fastball from Yankees right-hander Chad Green (0-2) into the left field corner, scoring Yuli Gurriel and Robinson Chirinos to snap a 3-3 tie.
The eighth-inning rally did come at a cost, however, as Bregman left the game with a tweaked right hamstring. After the game, Bregman said he hopes to miss only the Wednesday game.
Reds 14, Marlins 0
Starter Luis Castillo fired seven scoreless innings, the heart of the order hit three consecutive homers in a seven-run sixth inning, and host Cincinnati won for the first time since Opening Day by clobbering Miami. The result snapped the Reds’ eight-game losing streak.
Up 4-0, Cincinnati blew open the first meeting between the two teams in the home half of the sixth as Jesse Winker had an RBI single off reliever Wei-Yin Chen, and a fielding error plated another run.
Matt Kemp later clubbed an opposite-field three-run homer, Eugenio Suarez golfed a solo shot, and Scott Schebler homered in the next at-bat for an 11-0 lead.
Cardinals 4, Dodgers 0
Paul Goldschmidt hit a home run, and Yadier Molina added a pair of run-scoring doubles as St. Louis moved over .500 for the first time this season with a victory over visiting Los Angeles.
Cardinals starter Dakota Hudson only lasted 4 2/3 innings after throwing 100 pitches, but the bullpen took it from there as John Brebbia (1-0), John Gant, Mike Mayers, Andrew Miller and Dominic Leone finished off the shutout.
Enrique Hernandez and Cody Bellinger had two hits each for the Dodgers, who were held without a home run for the second consecutive game after going deep in their first 10 games this season and 14 consecutive going back to last season. The Dodgers lost consecutive games for the first time.
Blue Jays 7, Red Sox 5
Matt Shoemaker pitched into the sixth inning to earn his third straight win, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit an RBI single and stole home, and visiting Toronto defeated Boston on the day the Red Sox unfurled their 2018 world championship banner at Fenway Park.
Boston left-hander Chris Sale (0-3) continued to struggle, allowing seven hits and five runs while striking out three in four innings.
Shoemaker (3-0) gave up five hits, two walks and four runs (two earned) and added four strikeouts as the Blue Jays ended a four-game losing streak.
Indians 8, Tigers 2
Brad Miller smacked one of four Cleveland home runs, scored three runs and knocked in two as the Indians stretched their winning streak to five games by cooling off host Detroit.
Ex-Tiger Leonys Martin, Jake Bauers and Roberto Perez added solo homers for Cleveland. Corey Kluber (1-2) gave up two runs (one earned) on seven hits in six innings while striking out eight.
Miguel Cabrera had two hits and an RBI for the Tigers, who had their five-game winning streak snapped. Jordan Zimmermann (0-1) surrendered up five runs (four earned) and four hits in 4 1/3 innings while serving up three of the homers.
–Field Level Media
Source: OANN
FILE PHOTO – Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison reacts during the APEC CEO Summit 2018 at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 17 November 2018. Fazry Ismail/Pool via REUTERS
April 10, 2019
By Byron Kaye
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s government proposed on Wednesday to criminalise some actions of animal rights protesters after activists blocked traffic in Melbourne and stormed farms and abattoirs this week to protest factory farming.
The new law proposed by Prime Minister Scott Morrison is unusual, legal experts say, because it appears to be a specific response to the actions of a vegan activist group, AussieFarms.
The group has posted an interactive map online of animal businesses, including farms, zoos and horse racing tracks, to promote a documentary film that calls for a ban on slaughterhouses.
Under the new law, people who encourage trespassers by posting the location of an agricultural business on the Internet could face up to a year in prison if found guilty, the government said.
“When they are using people’s personal information, details about their homes, it’s not just their farm, it’s their home, it’s where their kids live and grow up,” Morrison told reporters in the rural state of Tasmania.
“They are being targeted in the most mercenary way by an organisation that can only think of itself and not think to the real damage that is being done to the livelihoods of these hard-working Australians,” he added.
Australia is due to hold an election in May and most polls predict Morrison will lose, partly due to a drift of rural voters to other conservative parties.
Traffic stopped for an hour in central Melbourne on Monday when about 100 protesters waved signs to promote the AussieFarms documentary, Dominion, which used drones and undercover footage to film feedlots and saleyards. [nL3N21Q1B8]
It was part of a wave of action in three states, where activists targeted abattoirs in the middle of the night and at some farms chained themselves to equipment.
Hugh de Kretser, executive director of the Human Rights Law Centre, said there were laws in place that limited the actions of environmental campaigners, including a ban on trespassing.
“There’s a suite of powers available to police and law enforcement agencies to deal with trespass and obstruction of traffic and the like,” de Kretser told Reuters.
“Any attempts to further limit protest rights need to be very carefully scrutinised to make sure any penalty is not crushing, and the scope of any offence is not disproportionate to the conduct they’re trying to prevent,” he added.
Chris Delforce, the director of Dominion, said he would rather go to jail than take down the group’s website.
“All we’re trying to do is enforce transparency on these industries,” he told Reuters by telephone. “Whatever happens to me cannot compare to what’s happening to animals.”
(Reporting by Byron Kaye; editing by Darren Schuettler)
Source: OANN
FILE PHOTO: Actor Lori Loughlin, and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, leave the federal courthouse after facing charges in a nationwide college admissions cheating scheme, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., April 3, 2019. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo
April 9, 2019
BOSTON (Reuters) – U.S. prosecutors filed fresh conspiracy and money laundering charges on Tuesday against 16 parents charged with paying bribes to secure their children seats in elite universities in the largest college admissions scam uncovered in U.S. history.
Parents including “Full House” actor Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli had already been charged with racketeering conspiracy for their alleged role in the scheme, in which parents paid some $25 million in bribes to secure their offspring places at universities including Yale, Georgetown and the University of Southern California.
Fourteen parents, including “Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman, on Monday pleaded guilty to taking part in the scam, masterminded by California college admissions consultant William “Rick” Singer.
Singer last month pleaded guilty to facilitating the cheating scam and bribing coaches to present the parents’ children as fake athletic recruits.
Prosecutors have not yet charged any applicants and said that in some cases the parents involved took steps to try to prevent their children from realizing they were benefiting from fraud.
Colleges have begun revoking the admissions and pursuing expulsion of students who obtained their seats as a result of the fraud.
(Reporting by Scott Malone, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
Source: OANN
FILE PHOTO: United Airlines planes, including a Boeing 737 MAX 9 model, are pictured at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, U.S., March 18, 2019. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo
April 9, 2019
CHICAGO (Reuters) – United Airlines’ use of larger aircraft on routes previously flown by Boeing Co’s grounded 737 MAX jets is costing the carrier money in the short-term, President Scott Kirby said in a letter to employees seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
“Of course, we can’t keep this up forever,” Kirby said, while noting that eligible employees will receive a one-time $100 bonus on April 17 despite an “unusually high number of headwinds thrown our way in the first quarter.”
(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Source: OANN
FILE PHOTO – Elton John performs during his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” final tour at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, U.S. January 22, 2019. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
April 9, 2019
By Stephanie Nebehay
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) – Elton John is the big draw at this summer’s Montreux Jazz Festival, part of an eclectic line-up packed with big names that also features Sting, Janet Jackson, Chick Corea and Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke.
The former The Police singer will open the 53rd edition of one of Europe’s most celebrated summer music festivals on June 28, while veteran producer Quincy Jones will host the closing concert – an orchestral soundtrack of his 80s hits – on July 13.
In between, Sir Elton, Anita Baker and Joan Baez will appear as part of their respective farewell tours.
The English singer-songwriter was initially booked for two nights, but those appearances have been merged into single show for 15,000 fans on June 29 at Saussaz stadium, a new venue for Montreux.
It will be the first ever open-air performance at the festival, better known for the intimacy and superb sound quality of its concert hall settings.
Janet Jackson, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last month, will perform days after the 10th anniversary of her brother Michael’s death from an overdose of an anesthetic he used as a sleep agent.
For jazz purists, multiple Grammy winner Corea brings a flamenco flavor with his Spanish Heart Band, while New Orleans trumpeters Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah and Terence Blanchard will open for drummer Billy Cobham, celebrating his 75th birthday.
“When you see the strong personalities booked at (the main) Stravinski Auditorium, maybe that is the guiding principle of this year … – all artists who marked a moment in music,” festival director Mathieu Jaton told Reuters.
“There is an equilibrium between legends, returning acts, (and) the young stars.”
The latter include Canadian Jessie Reyez and U.S. rapper Lizzo, in the charts with her third single “Juice” and opening for actress and singer Janelle Monae – returning after a Grammy album of the year nomination for “Dirty Computer”.
Melody Gardot is making her first appearance in the cabaret 600-seat Club. “Shotgun” singer George Ezra, who won the British Male Solo Artist at the BRIT Awards in February, moves to the main stage.
Lauryn Hill is expected to revisit Nina Simone classics and her own R&B hits.
(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; editing by John Stonestreet)
Source: OANN
Justin Rose of England hands a club to his caddie during practice for the 2019 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, U.S., April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
April 8, 2019
By Amy Tennery
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – When Justin Rose launches his 14th bid for Masters glory this week he will be armed with expert knowledge of Augusta National’s notoriously tricky greens and something perhaps even more valuable — a good friend.
After three months apart, the newly re-minted world number one told reporters on Monday that he was pleased to be reunited with long-time caddie Mark ‘Fooch’ Fulcher, who had to take time off following heart surgery in January.
“I feel like we’ve learned together so much here, I wouldn’t expect a nugget of information I don’t know to come out during practice,” Rose said after a practice round.
He added that Fulcher’s presence would be especially valuable in the later rounds of the tournament, when emotions run high.
“It’s when the going gets tough,” Rose said. “We have so many positive experiences out there under pressure that we can draw on together.”
The 2013 U.S. Open champion has clinched a top-10 finish on five separate occasions at The Masters.
But perhaps no single outing at Augusta National was more formative to Rose than his devastating playoff loss to Spaniard Sergio Garcia in 2017.
“I felt like that was the first major I’ve been close to and not won, really, like a heartbreaker,” Rose said. “I think I took comfort in the fact that you can’t get through a career without something like that happening.”
It was far from the only setback. Injuries to his shoulder and back nagged at Rose in 2014 and 2016, respectively, and he pulled out of an August 2018 World Golf Championships event citing joint tightness.
The 38-year-old Olympic gold medalist has had time to bounce back, notably netting his 10th PGA tour victory in January with a two-shot win over Adam Scott at Torrey Pines.
Rose, who took a month off in February after missing the cut at the Saudi International, is now looking to add to his trophy case with a second major win.
“I would take four, as long as it’s one of each,” Rose said. “That would be awesome. That would be enough.”
(Reporting by Amy Tennery; editing by Ken Ferris)
Source: OANN
Actor Felicity Huffman leaves the federal courthouse after facing charges in a nationwide college admissions cheating scheme in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., April 3, 2019. REUTERS/Gretchen Ertl
April 8, 2019
BOSTON (Reuters) – Actress Felicity Huffman and 13 other people have agreed to plead guilty to participating in what prosecutors call the largest college admissions scam uncovered in U.S. history, federal prosecutors said on Monday.
The 14 are among 50 people accused by federal prosecutors in Boston of engaging in schemes that involved cheating on college entrance exams and paying $25 million in bribes to secure their children admission at well-known universities.
(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; editing by Scott Malone and Bill Berkrot)
Source: OANN
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., March 22, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
April 8, 2019
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) – A Chinese woman charged with bluffing her way into President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Florida resort last month, renewing concerns about security at the club, appeared in court on Monday at a hearing to determine whether she will remain in custody, according to U.S. media.
The woman, Yujing Zhang, was arrested after giving conflicting reasons for being at the club during one of Trump’s routine weekend visits. According to prosecutors, she was carrying four cell phones, a laptop computer, an external hard drive and a thumb drive containing what investigators described as “malicious malware.”
Prosecutors argued in court that concerns about Zhang’s trustworthiness and the fact that a search of her hotel room turned up a device to detect hidden cameras, five cell phone SIM cards and $8,000 in cash were reasons to keep her in custody, the Washington Post reported.
“She lies to everyone she encounters,” the newspaper quoted Assistant U.S. Attorney Rolando Garcia as saying during the hearing.
The FBI is examining whether Zhang has any links to Chinese intelligence or political influence operations, two U.S. government sources told Reuters last week.
Zhang told one of the U.S. Secret Service agents who protect the property she was there to use the pool and later told a second agent that she had been invited to a U.N. Chinese American Association event, though club officials determined no such event was scheduled. She was arrested after agents determined she had no legitimate reason to be at the club, a business owned by Trump.
Zhang has been charged with making false statements to a federal officer and entering or remaining in a restricted area, charges that carry up to a five-year sentence in federal prison if she is convicted. She is 32 or 33 years old, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Congressional Democrats raised questions on Wednesday about security at the club, where Trump is in close and frequent contact with club members and guests. The president brushed off the concerns, calling the incident a “fluke” and praising the Secret Service.
(Reporting by Zachary Fagenson; Writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Leslie Adler)
Source: OANN
Justin Rose of England chips onto the 2nd hole during practice for the 2019 Master golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, U.S., April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
April 8, 2019
By Andrew Both
AUGUSTA, Ga. (Reuters) – World number one Justin Rose is the man to beat at this week’s Masters, where recent history suggests the sport’s heavyweights will populate the leaderboard by Sunday at a major championship that is more predictable than any other.
Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy is the second favorite from a formidable European contingent, while Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas are the best American bets, even if Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will loom larger in the public imagination.
There has been no long-shot winner at Augusta National since 69th ranked Angel Cabrera collected the Green Jacket in 2009, though even the Argentine’s victory was far from a huge shock given his pedigree as a U.S. Open champion two years earlier.
Nobody ranked outside the top 30 in the world has won since then, and even Patrick Reed, though not one of the favorites last year, was still ranked a healthy 24th and not a completely unexpected champion.
An Augusta winner must be able to draw his driver, fade his irons from hanging lies and have the artistry to hit great recovery shots. He must also be on form and mentally resilient.
Englishman Rose ticks all these boxes.
It is almost as if Augusta National was designed with him in mind.
He has finished top-15 each of the past five years, including a pair of runner-up finishes, most notably a playoff loss to Sergio Garcia in 2017.
Rose has been a machine from tee to green at Augusta, and if the putter co-operates it will take a mighty performance from someone else to beat him.
But to win, he will have to put out of his mind the thought that the clock is ticking.
Though playing as well as ever at age 38, Rose cannot realistically expect too many more chances.
MCILROY IN FORM OF HIS CAREER
Waiting to pounce could be McIlroy, though he too has plenty of pressure as he tries to complete the career grand slam at a tournament where he wilted in the final round last year after starting three strokes behind Reed.
McIlroy’s stock drive is a right-to-left draw, ideal for Augusta, and he has been working with his irons on hitting the soft, high fade that is required with many approach shots.
He has been the best player in the world in 2019 and top-10 finishes the past five years is all the proof needed to be confident he will be in contention again.
However, can he expunge the demons from last year’s collapse and take the final step to the pinnacle?
World number one Johnson is also in sizzling form. His game is not a perfect match for Augusta, but he is good enough to win anywhere, anytime.
The same goes for Thomas.
Others capable of victory include Europeans Francesco Molinari, Jon Rahm, Paul Casey and Tommy Fleetwood, and Americans Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson.
Australians Adam Scott, Jason Day and Marc Leishman, and South African Louis Oosthuizen are also capable.
It would be foolish to write off 43-year-old Woods and 48-year-old Mickelson given their respective records at Augusta, where the former has won four times and the latter three.
That said, time waits for no man and age is not on their side.
A victory would make Mickelson the oldest Masters champion, supplanting Jack Nicklaus, who was 46 when he won in 1986, while Woods would become the second-oldest champion.
A victory by either would be monumental, but a herd of lean and hungry young bucks stand in the way, none of them interested in letting a couple of middle-aged guys steal the show.
Even if those middle-aged guys have seven Green Jackets between them.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
Source: OANN
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