Bodies found piled on staircase as Japan's worst mass killing in decades claims 33 lives - CNN

The suspected arson attack on Kyoto Animation on Thursday has left anime fans world-over grieving the loss of life and a studio, which claimed to put its employees first and was a major force in the industry.

Twelve men, 20 women and another individual whose gender was unknown died in the blaze and 35 were injured.

After dousing flames, firefighters entered the building Thursday morning and found 20 bodies lying on on the staircase leading to the roof exit. Another team found 11 bodies on the second floor of the building and two on the ground floor.

Police said that 74 people were inside the building, in Kyoto's Fushimi-ku district, at the time of the blaze, including employees of the company.

The fire spread so rapidly that many inside did not have time to escape, Kyoto Prefectural police told CNN. Several people jumped out of the second and third floor windows and suffered bone fractures.

Police said that as they apprehended the 41-year-old suspect he spoke about his work being plagiarized, but cautioned that they need to wait until the suspect is formally interviewed before confirming a motive. Officers have so far been unable to question the suspect, who the police have not yet named, owing to the severe burns he sustained during the attack.

The attack was the worst mass killing in the country since a 2001 arson attack on a building in Tokyo's Kabukicho district, which killed 44 people. The death toll from Thursday's fire was greater than the Tokyo sarin gas attack on a subway in 1995, which killed 13.

Anime fans and mourners Friday began visiting the building and laid flowers in tribute to those who had lost their lives.

"I was so encouraged by the KyoAni works," said one young fan, calling the studio by its popular name. "I have no words to say in sorrow."

On Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe added his voice to the outpouring of grief on Twitter, saying that he was left speechless at the "gruesomeness of the crime," and offered condolences to victims.

Explosion-like sound

The fire started at Kyoto Animation's 1st Studio at 10:30 a.m. local time on Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET) after the suspect began pouring what appeared to be gasoline on the first floor of the studio before setting it alight.

Police said a local resident reported hearing an explosion-like sound coming from the building around the time the fire broke out.

A witness told police the suspect shouted "Die" as he spilled the unidentified liquid. A backpack containing several knives and two canisters of the gasoline-like liquid were discovered near the site, according to Kyoto police.

As flames tore through the building an employee ran to report the fire. On his return, he saw the suspect lying on the ground about 100 meters away from the studio, police told CNN.

The suspect, who suffered heavy burns to his face, legs, arms and torso, asked officers who had arrived to apprehend him "are you going to arrest me?"

Footage from the scene Thursday showed thick smoke billowing out of the building, which is located in a residential area several kilometers south of Kyoto Station. It took four hours for firefighters to bring the blaze under control.

Fire department officials confirmed that the building abided by fire prevention regulations.

'A terrible loss for both humanity and art'

Kyoto Animation's CEO Hideaki Yata told reporters the company had received death threats by mail, which had been sent to the police, and expressed sorrow that workers in the industry had been targeted.

"They are the people who carry the Japan's animation industry on their shoulders. I can't bear to accept the fact they are being hurt or losing their lives," he said.

Founded in 1981, Kyoto Animation -- known as KyoAni -- has made a name for itself producing high quality animations that draw on both the mystical and the mundane.

Among Japan's better-known studios, its popular works include "Free!," manga series "K-On!," the anime TV adaptation of "the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" and "Violet Evergarden," which Netflix picked up in 2018.

On its website, the company said its philosophy included promoting a "humanitarian" corporate culture and "promoting the growth of people."

Writing for CNN, Susan Napier, Goldthwaite Professor of Rhetoric and Japanese Studies at Tufts University, said KyoAni had "developed a reputation for being a unique workplace" by employing writers on a salaried basis and "offering the money and security that allowed them to create works of high quality."

The studio also operated a school for animators.

Napier said the destruction was "a significant loss, both in terms of the terrific tragedy of human life and the lost creative work that may have been stored in the studio over its almost 40-year existence."

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/19/asia/kyoto-animation-fire-investigation-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-07-19 08:11:00Z
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Bodies found piled on staircase as Japan's worst mass killing in decades claims 33 lives - CNN

The suspected arson attack on Kyoto Animation on Thursday has left anime fans world-over grieving the loss of life and a studio, which claimed to put its employees first and was a major force in the industry.

Twelve men, 20 women and another individual whose gender was unknown died in the blaze and 35 were injured.

After dousing flames, firefighters entered the building Thursday morning and found 20 bodies lying on on the staircase leading to the roof exit. Another team found 11 bodies on the second floor of the building and two on the ground floor.

Police said that 74 people were inside the building, in Kyoto's Fushimi-ku district, at the time of the blaze, including employees of the company.

The fire spread so rapidly that many inside did not have time to escape, Kyoto Prefectural police told CNN. Several people jumped out of the second and third floor windows and suffered bone fractures.

The attack was the worst mass killing in the country since a 2001 arson attack on a building in Tokyo's Kabukicho district, which killed 44 people. The death toll from Thursday's fire was greater than the Tokyo sarin gas attack on a subway in 1995, which killed 13.

Anime fans and mourners Friday began visiting the building and laid flowers in tribute to those who had lost their lives.

"I was so encouraged by the KyoAni works," said one young fan, calling the studio by its popular name. "I have no words to say in sorrow."

On Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe added his voice to the outpouring of grief on Twitter, saying that he was left speechless at the "gruesomeness of the crime," and offered condolences to victims.

Explosion-like sound

The fire started at Kyoto Animation's 1st Studio at 10:30 a.m. local time on Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET) after a 41-year-old suspect began pouring what appeared to be gasoline on the first floor of the studio before setting it alight.

Police said a local resident reported hearing an explosion-like sound coming from the building around the time the fire broke out.

A witness told police the suspect shouted "Die!" as he spilled the unidentified liquid. A backpack containing several knives and two canisters of the gasoline-like liquid were discovered near the site, according to Kyoto police.

As flames tore through the building an employee ran to report the fire. On his return, he saw the suspect lying on the ground about 100 meters away from the studio, police told CNN.

The suspect, who suffered heavy burns to his face, legs, arms and torso, asked officers who had arrived to apprehend him "are you going to arrest me?"

An eyewitness told CNN affiliate TV Asahi that the suspect told officers, "They plagiarized."

Police have cautioned that they need to wait until the suspect is formally interviewed before confirming a motive. Officers were not able to question the suspect on Thursday as he was receiving treatment for severe burns sustained during the attack.

Footage from the scene Thursday showed thick smoke billowing out of the four-story building, which is located in a residential area several kilometers south of Kyoto Station. It took four hours for firefighters to bring the blaze under control.

Fire department officials confirmed that the building abided by fire prevention regulations.

'A terrible loss for both humanity and art'

Kyoto Animation's CEO Hideaki Yata told reporters the company had received death threats by mail, which had been sent to the police, and expressed sorrow that workers in the industry had been targeted.

"They are the people who carry the Japan's animation industry on their shoulders. I can't bear to accept the fact they are being hurt or losing their lives," he said.

Founded in 1981, Kyoto Animation -- known as KyoAni -- has made a name for itself producing high quality animations that draw on both the mystical and the mundane.

Among Japan's better-known studios, its popular works include "Free!," manga series "K-On!," the anime TV adaptation of "the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" and "Violet Evergarden," which Netflix picked up in 2018.

On its website, the company said its philosophy included promoting a "humanitarian" corporate culture and "promoting the growth of people."

Writing for CNN, Susan Napier, Goldthwaite Professor of Rhetoric and Japanese Studies at Tufts University, said KyoAni had "developed a reputation for being a unique workplace" by employing writers on a salaried basis and "offering the money and security that allowed them to create works of high quality."

The studio also operated a school for animators.

Napier said the destruction was "a significant loss, both in terms of the terrific tragedy of human life and the lost creative work that may have been stored in the studio over its almost 40-year existence."

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2019-07-19 07:08:00Z
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Trump says U.S. Navy ship shot down Iranian drone - NBCNews.com

President Donald Trump on Thursday said that a U.S. Navy ship shot down an Iranian drone over the Strait of Hormuz — the latest in a series of tense incidents between the U.S. and Tehran.

Trump told reporters at the White House Thursday that the USS Boxer — a U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship — “took defensive action” against an Iranian drone that had “closed into a very, very near distance, approximately 1,000 yards” and ignored “multiple calls to stand down.”

The drone was “threatening safety of the ship and the ship's crew” and “was immediately destroyed,” Trump said.

“This is the latest of many provocative and hostile actions against vessels operating in international waters,” the president said, adding that the U.S. “reserves the right to defend our personnel, our facilities, our interests, and calls upon all nations to condemn Iran's attempts to disrupt freedom of navigation and global commerce. “

July 18, 201901:25

“I also call on other nations to protect their ships as they go through the Strait and to work with us in the future,” Trump added.

The downing of the drone was just the latest incident to be reported near the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway off Iran's coast which separates the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. A third of the world's seaborne oil shipments and 20 percent of oil traded worldwide pass out of the Persian Gulf through the Strait.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard forces seized a foreign oil tanker after accusing 12 crew members of smuggling oil, state TV reported Thursday.

Earlier this month, several Iranian boats attempted to stop a British commercial vessel sailing through the strait, but the Iranian vessels were driven away by a British military ship, a senior U.S. defense official and a British government spokesperson said.

And last month, Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it shot down a U.S. surveillance drone. Iranian officials claimed they shot down the unmanned aircraft after it entered Iranian airspace, but the United States has disputed that and said the drone was in international airspace above the Strait of Hormuz.

After the U.S. drone was shot down, Trump tweeted that the U.S. was "cocked & loaded" to retaliate with military strikes on Iranian targets, but called off the action after being told 150 people could die.

The U.S. has also blamed Iran for what the military said was a limpet mine attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman in June. Iran has denied any involvement in the incident.

Pressure in the region has been building since the Trump administration withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement and imposed punishing sanctions on the country. The administration has also designated the Revolutionary Guard a foreign terrorist organization. Last month, Trump signed an executive order putting in place new sanctions.

Adam Edelman

Adam Edelman is a political reporter for NBC News.

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2019-07-18 19:32:00Z
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'No-deal' Brexit dealt blow by UK parliament - Aljazeera.com

British parliamentarians dealt a blow on Thursday both to the dying embers of Prime Minister Theresa May's administration and to the likely next leader, Boris Johnson, even before he's been confirmed.

MPs defeated the government in a vote that should thwart any efforts to suspend parliament in order to push through a "no-deal" Brexit.

Parliament has repeatedly voted against allowing a "no-deal" withdrawal from the European Union, and the notion of suspending - or "proroguing" - the elected chamber had been mooted as the most likely way the next prime minister would be able to force the United Kingdom to crash out without a deal.

Such an eventuality, analysts say, would trigger a near-unprecedented consitutional crisis.

Johnson has made the UK's withdrawal on October 31 - "with or without a deal" - the central thrust of his campaign to become the next leader of the country's ruling Conservative Party, and has never ruled out the possibility of proroguing parliament in order to get his way.

"Many assume Boris Johnson will be the next British prime minister," said Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull, reporting from Westminster.

Tory leadership debate: Johnson edges closer to power

"During his leadership campaign he has set out a number of new red lines which will make getting a new exit deal with the EU more difficult, if that were even possible within the timeline we have. Now we have this vote which makes getting a 'no-deal' exit much more complicated for him.

"And so we're into the territory, presumably, of considering another extension before withdrawal, and during that time another general election. And that isn't a prospect relished by the Conservatives, because there's no guarantee they'd win it. Which means some Conservatives might even start pushing for a second Brexit referendum."

Rebellion

The move to block any suspension was backed in the House of Commons with a majority of 41 votes - 315 to 274 - after several senior government figures abstained.

Chancellor Philip Hammond, Justice Secretary David Gauke, Business Secretary Greg Clark and International Development Secretary Rory Stewart were among the Cabinet ministers who did not vote.

Margot James resigned as minister for digital and the creative industries to support the amendment.

"The prime minister is obviously disappointed that a number of ministers failed to vote in this afternoon's division," said a statement from May's office, which concluded with a slightly foreboding statement: "No doubt her successor will take this into account when forming their government."

In total, 17 Conservatives voted against the government, despite a three-line whip - essentially the strongest possible insistence from the leadership to toe the party line - indicating both the May administration's lack of authority now and the strength of feeling against "no-deal" on Tory benches.

The Conservatives are in power with a minority government by virtue of a supply-and-confidence deal with Northern Ireland's DUP. Their working majority is so slim that 17 of their own MPs voting against the government will worry the incoming administration. For all intents and purposes, Johnson has lost his ability to govern before even taking office.

How did they do it?

In a deft wrangling of parliamentary procedure, a relatively routine motion put before parliament - which essentially delayed the approval of a budget for the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland which has not sat for more than two years amid its own consitutional crisis - had an amendment added to it by Labour's Hilary Benn and Alistair Burt of the Conservatives.

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The amendment enshrines in law that the government must update parliament every two weeks on progress in talks to restore the Northern Ireland Assembly, and that parliament must be in session for five days after each update in order to debate it.

This, in essence, means the House of Commons will have to sit through the autumn session, and members can't be sent home in order for a "no-deal" Brexit to happen by automatic operation of law on October 31, while parliament is suspended.

The House of Lords, the UK parliament's upper chamber, strongly backed a bid to block any suspension of parliament by a margin of 103 votes on Wednesday.

Gauke said before the vote that proroguing parliament would be "outrageous".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "At a crucial point in this country's history, if you like - that parliament should not be able to sit, should not be able to express its opinion and its will, I think would be outrageous.

"I very much doubt that any prime minister would in fact suspend parliament in these circumstances, but I can understand the concerns that a lot of my colleagues have."

Gauke, Clark and Hammond are at the centre of influential Conservative politicians who will provide a counterweight to Johnson's push for an immediate exit from the EU.

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2019-07-18 19:22:00Z
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UK will plunge into recession if it leaves Europe without a Brexit deal - CNN

The UK Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) warned Thursday that "heightened uncertainty and declining confidence" would deter investment while higher trade barriers would slam exports.

"These push the economy into recession, with asset prices and the pound falling sharply," said the government's budget watchdog. UK stock markets would fall 5%, while the pound would plummet 10%. GDP would shrink by 2% by the end of 2020.

The report is a stark warning ahead of October 31, the latest deadline for Britain to depart the European Union.

Boris Johnson, the frontrunner to succeed Theresa May as prime minister next week, has said that he'd be willing to force Brexit on that date if he's unable to negotiate a new exit deal with EU officials.

Rising Brexit risks

The potential consequences of such a departure are generating alarm, and hurting the pound. It sank to a two-year low below $1.24 earlier this week.

UK Treasury chief Philip Hammond told reporters Thursday that he is "greatly" afraid of the economic impact of the type of break that is "realistically being discussed" by some prominent politicians.

Hammond noted that the OBR report does not even reflect the most severe outcome.

According to a Bank of England simulation of the most chaotic Brexit, the UK economy could contract by 8%. The value of the pound could slump by as much as 25%.

The economic fallout of that scenario would be worse than Britain suffered because of the global financial crisis.

"The report that the OBR have published ... shows that even in the most benign version of a no-deal exit, there would be a very significant hit to the UK economy, a very significant reduction in tax revenues and a big increase in our national debt," Hammond said.

The watchdog said that leaving without a deal would force the UK government to borrow an extra £30 billion ($37.4 billion) per year starting in 2020.

Meanwhile, the European Union is sticking to its guns. The bloc has said that it's unwilling to make significant revisions to the Brexit agreement it negotiated with May.

Asked what would happen if Britain simply tore up its EU membership card, Michel Barnier, Europe's chief Brexit negotiator, said in a BBC interview that "the UK would have to face the consequences."

The threat of Brexit has already caused serious damage to the UK economy. The looming departure has meant three years of uncertainty for British companies, crushing business investment and weakening the country's housing market.

Britain could already be entering a "full-blown recession," the OBR said in its report. The latest data indicates that the UK economy "flatlined at best" in the second quarter of 2019, it added.

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2019-07-18 14:45:00Z
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No-deal Brexit could cause £30bn economic hit, watchdog says - BBC News

Public borrowing could double next year if there is a no-deal Brexit, the country's spending watchdog says.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said borrowing would be almost £60bn if the UK leaves without a deal - up from £29.3bn if it does get a deal.

The watchdog said this scenario was based on assumptions that a no-deal Brexit would cause a UK recession.

The UK is set to leave the European Union on 31 October.

Chances of a no-deal outcome appear to have risen recently, after both Tory leadership contenders said they would be willing to leave the EU without a deal.

• UK 'will have to face consequences of no deal'
• No-deal Brexit: What you need to know

The OBR was created in 2010 to give independent analysis of the UK's public finances.

In its first assessment of the economic impact of a no-deal scenario, the OBR used IMF analysis that shows the UK economy would contract by 2% in 2020 before recovering in 2021.

This would come as tariffs of 4% were imposed on goods traded with the EU - up from zero currently - although the IMF does not expect there to be disruption at the border.

In this scenario, the OBR said that "heightened uncertainty and declining confidence" would deter investment, while higher trade barriers with the EU would "weigh on exports".

"Together, these push the economy into recession, with asset prices and the pound falling sharply," it said.

It said this could raise inflation and squeeze real incomes. It would also hit tax receipts, causing public sector borrowing to rise and leaving debt 12% higher by 2024.

The OBR added this was "not necessarily the most likely outcome" but also "by no means the worst case scenario".

It also warned that both Conservative leadership contenders had made "a series of uncosted proposals for tax cuts and spending increases that would be likely to increase government borrowing by tens of billions of pounds if implemented".

Analysis:

By Faisal Islam, BBC economics editor

The government's official independent budgetary watchdog has for the first time put a price on the impact to the public finances of leaving the European Union without a deal.

The numbers come at a sensitive time politically when both likely future Prime Ministers suggest that a no-deal Brexit is possible this year.

The OBR is legally obliged to consider all threats to the public finances, and today's new numbers come as part of its biannual Fiscal Risks report.

The fall in tax revenue is forecast to significantly outweigh any benefit from no longer paying the UK's subscription fee as a member of the EU.

The numbers show a deep crisis-like impact on the public finances, and are based on the IMF's projections for the economy.

But they go further, showing a long-run hit to the economy.

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The forecast used by the OBR is less severe than those of the Bank of England and the Treasury.

In November, the Bank said a no-deal outcome could send the pound plunging and trigger a worse recession than the 2008 financial crisis.

The economy could shrink by 8% in the immediate aftermath if there was no transition period, the Bank said.

The Treasury meanwhile has predicted a £90bn hit to the economy by 2035 - although prominent eurosceptics dispute this view.

In a comment piece for the Telegraph newspaper earlier this week, Conservative backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg called the forecast "silliness", adding that a no-deal scenario could instead boost the economy by £80bn.

On Thursday, Mr Hammond said: "The report that the OBR has published shows that even in the most benign version of a no-deal exit, there would be a very significant hit to the UK economy.

"But that most benign version is not the version that is being talked about by prominent Brexiteers. They are talking about a much harder version that would cause much more disruption."

John McDonnell, Labour's shadow chancellor, said: "We know that a no-deal Brexit would devastate the UK economy and the public finances, and it comes on top of the failed economic approach for the last nine years.

"This warning makes it even more imperative MPs from across Parliament back today's amendments to try and block the next prime minister from shutting down Parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit."

Chuka Umunna, the Liberal Democrat business and treasury spokesman, said: "It would be unforgiveable to heap further stress and anxiety on families who are already struggling by deliberately pursuing a policy that the government's own independent economic watchdog now says will result in a recession."

The chances of a no-deal appear to have risen in recent weeks after both candidates in the race to replace Theresa May hardened their positions on the controversial Irish backstop - an insurance policy to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland after Brexit.

Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson both said the backstop was "dead", but the EU said it would not support any deal that excludes it.

In an interview with the BBC's Panorama programme - conducted in May before the start of the Conservative leadership contest - the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said the UK would have to "face the consequences" if it opted to leave without a deal.

Mr Barnier said the thrice-rejected withdrawal agreement negotiated by Theresa May was the "only way to leave the EU in an orderly manner".

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2019-07-18 13:54:54Z
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33 killed in fire at Japanese anime studio after man screaming 'you die!' set building alight - Fox News

A man screaming “You die!” when he burst into an animation studio in Japan before allegedly igniting the building on Thursday was arrested as authorities said 33 people were killed in the blaze.

Most of the dead and the injured, at least 36 of them, were workers at Kyoto Animation, known for stories featuring high school girls. A fire official told reporters that everyone is accounted for and nobody else is believed to be missing from the blaze.

The fire started in the three-story building in Japan’s ancient capital after the suspect, 41, sprayed an unidentified liquid accelerant near the front door. Workers inside were forced to find other exits and possibly delaying their escape, Kyoto prefectural police and fire department officials said.

Smoke billows from a three-story building of Kyoto Animation in a fire in Kyoto, western Japan, Thursday, July 18, 2019.  (Kyodo News via AP)

Kyoto fire department official Kazuhiro Hayashi said 36 others have been injured, 10 of them critically.

He said firefighters found the largest number of victims on the top floor of the three-story building, including some who had collapsed on the stairs leading to the roof. Two of the dead were found on the first floor, 11 on the second and 20 on the third floor.

9 DEER AT FAMED JAPANESE PARK DIE AFTER SWALLOWING PLASTIC BAGS

Survivors who saw the suspect told Japanese networks he was not their colleague and that he was screaming “(You) will die!” when he dumped the liquid and started the fire. They said some of the survivors got splashed with the liquid.

A witness told local reporters that the suspect admitted to spreading gasoline and setting a fire with a lighter. She told NHK public television that the man had burns on his arms and legs and that he was angrily complaining that something of his had been “stolen,” possibly by the company.

The fire broke out in the three-story building in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto, after a suspect sprayed an unidentified liquid to accelerate the blaze, Kyoto prefectural police and fire department officials said. (Kyodo News via AP)

'MENACING' FIRE WHIRL WHIPPED UP BY 'TURBULENT' WINDS DURING BLAZE IN WASHINGTON

Kyoto Animation, better known as KyoAni, was founded in 1981 as an animation and comic book production studio, and its hits include “Lucky Star,” “K-On!” and “Haruchi Suzumiya.” The company does not have a major presence outside Japan, though it was hired to provide secondary animation work on a 1998 “Pokemon” feature that appeared in U.S. theaters and a “Winnie the Pooh” video.

"Why on earth did such violence have to be used?" company president Hideki Hatta asked, as he condemned the attack. Hatta said his company has received anonymous death threats by emails in the past but responded "sincerely" each time, though he was not linking them to Thursday's attack.

Hideaki Hatta, center, president of Kyoto Animation speaks to the media at the company's headquarters, following a fire of his company's building, in Uji, Kyoto prefecture, western Japan, Thursday, July 18, 2019. The fire broke out in the three-story building in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto, after a suspect sprayed an unidentified liquid to accelerate the blaze, Kyoto prefectural police and fire department officials said.(Kyodo News via AP)

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Fire department officials said more than 70 people were in the building at the time of the fire and many of them ran outside.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-07-18 13:34:58Z
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