Japanese PM Abe lays wreath in Australia city bombed in WWII

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Japanese PM Abe lays wreath in Australia city bombed in WWII

2018-11-16 16:04 Last Updated At：16:10

Shinzo Abe has become the first prime minister of Japan to visit Darwin since the northern Australian city was bombed by Japanese forces in World War II.

He arrived for his one-day visit Friday afternoon and immediately went to lay a wreath at the city's main war memorial, alongside his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.

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Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center back, lays a wreath along with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, center forward, at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a two-day visit to Australia. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

Shinzo Abe has become the first prime minister of Japan to visit Darwin since the northern Australian city was bombed by Japanese forces in World War II.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, observes a silent prayer after laying a wreath along with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, right, at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Australia, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. (Glenn CampbellPool Photo via AP)

The visit continues Abe's moves to show remorse for Japan's role in the war, following his trip to Pearl Harbor in 2016.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison observes a silent prayer after laying a wreath along with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Australia, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. (Glenn CampbellPool Photo via AP)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, walks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, left, as they arrive at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Australia, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Behind Abe is his wife Akie Abe. (Glenn CampbellPool Photo via AP)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, shakes hands with a woman as he walks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, left, after they laid wreaths at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a two-day visit to Australia. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, second left, meets with Australian defense force personnel along with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, left, after laying wreaths at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a two-day visit to Australia. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, walks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, center right, as they arrive at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a two-day visit to Australia. At right is Abe's wife Akie Abe. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, second right, pauses after laying a wreath at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a 2-day visit to Australia. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, right, walks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, center, as two Aboriginal men play a didgeridoo and carry a ceremonial fire as they arrive at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a two-day visit to Australia. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

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Shinzo Abe has become the first prime minister of Japan to visit Darwin since the northern Australian city was bombed by Japanese forces in World War II.

The visit continues Abe's moves to show remorse for Japan's role in the war, following his trip to Pearl Harbor in 2016.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison observes a silent prayer after laying a wreath along with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Australia, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. (Glenn CampbellPool Photo via AP)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, walks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, left, as they arrive at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Australia, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Behind Abe is his wife Akie Abe. (Glenn CampbellPool Photo via AP)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, shakes hands with a woman as he walks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, left, after they laid wreaths at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a two-day visit to Australia. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, second left, meets with Australian defense force personnel along with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, left, after laying wreaths at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a two-day visit to Australia. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, walks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, center right, as they arrive at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a two-day visit to Australia. At right is Abe's wife Akie Abe. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, second right, pauses after laying a wreath at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a 2-day visit to Australia. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, right, walks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, center, as two Aboriginal men play a didgeridoo and carry a ceremonial fire as they arrive at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a two-day visit to Australia. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

Abe then stood solemnly with head bowed as an army bugler played "The Last Post."

The visit continues Abe's moves to show remorse for Japan's role in the war, following his trip to Pearl Harbor in 2016.

Darwin was bombed in 1942, with the loss of an estimated 240 lives.

Abe then went into meetings with Morrison, with the pair expected to announce stronger defense ties later Friday.

Athletics express sadness, some relief at moving out of Oakland at the end of the season

2024-04-06 01:24 Last Updated At：01:30

DETROIT (AP) — The Oakland Athletics no longer have to wonder where they'll play the next few seasons. That won't make the long goodbye any easier.

The A's reacted to the announcement that this will be their last year in Oakland with a mixture of sadness and relief.

“At least as a player, you know where you’re headed,” outfielder Seth Brown said Friday before a game against the Tigers in Detroit. “There’s obviously a lot of moving parts, a lot of stuff we’re not privy to, so it’s just been kind of a waiting game on our end. Where are we going to go? Where are we going to be? So I think just having that knowledge -- at least we know where we’re going to be playing next year.”

Vivek Ranadivé, who owns the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher announced Thursday that the A’s will temporarily relocate to West Sacramento's Sutter Health Park for at least three seasons. The A's are moving to Las Vegas after a new ballpark is constructed.

The River Cats, who are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, will continue to play at the same facility.

Fisher was unable to reach an agreement with Oakland city officials on extending the lease at Oakland Coliseum, which expires at the end of this season. The A's have played in the city since 1968.

“There's direction now, which we've talked a lot about,” Oakland A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “We've got time to kind of reflect on what this really means from an organizational standpoint, the history that we've had in Oakland, with this being now the final season. There's a lot of emotion that goes behind this.”

It will not only cause some upheaval for the players and staff but also members of the organization that work behind the scenes.

“At the end of the day, we know where we're going to be for the next three seasons after the finish this year and that in itself gives a little bit of stability,” Kotsay said. “At the same time, in the present, it's challenging in certain ways to think about the finality of this organization in Oakland.”

Sacramento will be a much smaller environment to house a major league team. Ranadivé said the River Cats venue currently seats 16,000 when counting the stands, the lawn behind center field and standing room only.

First baseman Ryan Noda is concerned with the facilities. He's hopeful that significant upgrades will be made, much like the Toronto Blue Jays did at Buffalo's Triple-A facility. The Blue Jays played at Buffalo's Sahlen Field in 2020 in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“New walls, new dugouts, new locker rooms — everything they needed to become a big league stadium,” said Noda, who played some games in Sacramento as a minor leaguer. “As long as we can do something like that, then it'll be all right. But it's definitely going to be different than playing in stadiums that hold 40,000 people.”

Kotsay is confident the upgrades will occur.

“I know it will be of major league baseball quality,” he said. “It's has to be of major league baseball quality. I know the Players Association will make sure that takes place, as they did in Buffalo.”

For the rest of this season, the A's will have to deal with small home crowds and disappointed fans.

“We’re sad for the fans, the diehard fans, who always come to our games, always support us, always support the boys wearing the jersey,” Noda said.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Japanese PM Abe lays wreath in Australia city bombed in WWII

Japanese PM Abe lays wreath in Australia city bombed in WWII

Shinzo Abe has become the first prime minister of Japan to visit Darwin since the northern Australian city was bombed by Japanese forces in World War II.

The visit continues Abe's moves to show remorse for Japan's role in the war, following his trip to Pearl Harbor in 2016.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison observes a silent prayer after laying a wreath along with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Australia, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. (Glenn CampbellPool Photo via AP)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, walks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, left, as they arrive at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Australia, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Behind Abe is his wife Akie Abe. (Glenn CampbellPool Photo via AP)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, shakes hands with a woman as he walks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, left, after they laid wreaths at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a two-day visit to Australia. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, walks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, center right, as they arrive at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a two-day visit to Australia. At right is Abe's wife Akie Abe. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, second right, pauses after laying a wreath at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a 2-day visit to Australia. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

Shinzo Abe has become the first prime minister of Japan to visit Darwin since the northern Australian city was bombed by Japanese forces in World War II.

The visit continues Abe's moves to show remorse for Japan's role in the war, following his trip to Pearl Harbor in 2016.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison observes a silent prayer after laying a wreath along with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Australia, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. (Glenn CampbellPool Photo via AP)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, walks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, left, as they arrive at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Australia, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Behind Abe is his wife Akie Abe. (Glenn CampbellPool Photo via AP)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, shakes hands with a woman as he walks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, left, after they laid wreaths at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a two-day visit to Australia. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, walks with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, center right, as they arrive at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a two-day visit to Australia. At right is Abe's wife Akie Abe. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, second right, pauses after laying a wreath at the Cenotaph War Memorial in Darwin, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. Abe is on a 2-day visit to Australia. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft, Pool)

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Athletics express sadness, some relief at moving out of Oakland at the end of the season