There is no place in the world more important for the global supply of oil than the Strait of Hormuz.
The channel, which is only 21 miles (33.7 kilometers) wide at its narrowest point, is the only way to move oil from the Persian Gulf to the world's oceans. And that's why the seizure of a British-flagged ship in the strait Friday is such a concern.
If the Strait were to be closed,it would be a massive blow to the world's economy.
The Strait of Hormuz, which links the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, "is the world's most important choke point," said the US Energy Information Administration.
The Strait is even narrower than its 21-mile width suggests. The shipping channels that can handle massive supertankers are only two miles wide heading in and out of the Gulf, forcing ships to pass through Iranian and Omani territorial waters.
And the amount of oil that passes through the channel is staggering, with roughly 80% of the crude it handles destined for markets in Asia. The world's global economy could not function without that supply of oil lubricating it.
About 22.5 million barrels of oil a day passed through the Strait of Hormuz on average since the start of 2018, according to Vortexa, an energy analytics firm. That's roughly 24% of daily global oil production, and nearly 30% of oil moving over the world's oceans.
The Gibraltar government has successfully renewed the detention of an Iranian supertanker for another 30 days, under suspicion that it violated European Union sanctions.
In a statement on Friday, the day that the detention limitation would have collapsed, Gibraltar’s government announced that that the Supreme Court had approved the extension as it continues to investigate the Panama-flagged Grace 1. The vessel was seized earlier this month by British Royal Marines in waters claimed by Gibraltar, located on the southern tip of Spain, under suspicion that it was carrying crude oil intended for Syria.
The E.U. has stringent sanctions on Syrian leader Bashar Assad as the country’s protracted civil war continues to claim civilian lives.
The vessel’s captain, chief officer, and two second mates – all Indian citizens– remain in the custody of the British overseas territory as the investigation continues, according to AFP.
Earlier this week, U.K’s Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Twitter that he had a “constructive call” with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif, and ensured him that the tanker – which was carrying 2.1 million barrels of light crude oil – will be released if the U.K concludes that it was not Syria bound.
The tanker’s apprehension has infuriated Tehran, who have accused the British of engaging in “piracy.”
A view of the Grace 1 supertanker near a Royal Marine patrol vessel in the British territory of Gibraltar, Thursday, July 4, 2019. Spain's acting foreign minister says a tanker stopped off Gibraltar and suspected of taking oil to Syria was intercepted by British authorities after a request from the United States. (AP Photo/Marcos Moreno)
Gibraltar’s court ruling, which can be extended for up to 90 days, comes amid another uptick in regional tensions after Washington announced on Thursday that it had shot down an Iranian drone that it believed threatened a U.S. naval vessel at the opening of the Strait to Hormuz.
The man accused of setting fire to a Japanese animation studio on Thursday, killing 33 people and injuring dozens, reportedly had a grudge against the company who he believed had "stolen novels" from him.
Aoba told police that he set the fire because he thought "(Kyoto Animation) stole novels," according to Japanese media. It was unclear if he had contacted the studio earlier.
The shocking incident left another 36 injured and some critically wounded as it drew an outpour of grief for the casualties, most of which were employees at the studio.
University student Yuki Seki was also an anime fan and said she traveled from nearby Hyōgo Prefecture to pay her respects.
“After properly recovering while taking their time, I hope Kyoto Animation can once again share their power and energy with us,” she said.
A woman prays to honor the victims of Thursday's fire at the Kyoto Animation Studio building, Friday, July 19, 2019, in Kyoto, Japan. A man screaming "You die!" burst into the animation studio in Kyoto, doused it with a flammable liquid and set it on fire Thursday, killing dozens of people in the attack that shocked the country and brought an outpouring of grief from anime fans. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
About 70 people were working inside the 3-story Kyoto Animation No. 1 studio in Japan’s ancient capital at the time of the attack. The arsonist arrived through the building’s unlocked front door while carrying two containers of flammable liquid, shouting “You die!” before dumping the fluids and setting it ablaze with a lighter.
Authorities at the scene confiscated the gasoline tanks, a knapsack, and knives, but have not yet confirmed they belonged to Aoba.
The blaze blocked the front door and quickly engulfed the workspace, rising up the stairs towards the third floor as it sent panicked employees fleeing. Some were able to escape by crawling out of windows, but many failed in their attempts to escape through the roof.
Smoke billows from a Kyoto Animation building in Kyoto, 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)
The suspect fled the scene but was chased by studio employees who eventually caught him. He collapsed to the ground outside a house and was quickly surrounded by law enforcement.
“They are always stealing. It’s their fault,” he told policemen as they asked him why he set the fire. According to a witness who described the scene outside her house, Aoba complained bitterly about the company.
Some reports state Aoba spent three and a half years in prison for robbing a convenience store in 2012 and also had mental problems, although police have not yet confirmed the accounts.
Neighbors interviewed by NHK also said he had troubles with neighbors at his apartment building in Saitama, north of Tokyo. One man said that he had knocked on Aoba’s door to ask him to stop banging on the walls, only for Aoba to shout “I will kill you!” and grab him by his hair and shirt.
Kyoto Animation, better known as KyoAni, was founded in 1981 and has produced many mega-hit anime series. Their hits include “Lucky Star” of 2008, “K-On!” in 2011, “Haruhi Suzumiya” in 2009, and a series about high school girls. The studio also has an upcoming feature film, “Violet Evergarden,” about a woman who professionally writes letters for clients.
The company has done secondary animation work on both a 1998 “Pokemon” feature that appeared in U.S. theaters and a “Winnie the Pooh” film.
Fox News' Morgan Cheung and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tokyo -- Police were investigating Friday the gutted animation studio building in Kyoto where a man raging about theft set a fire that killed 33 people, crushing the hearts of comic fans in Japan and beyond. Witness accounts and reports suggested the man had a grudge against Kyoto Animation, but police only have said the suspect, who is still hospitalized, is a 41-year-old man from near Tokyo who did not work for the studio.
Later Friday, Kyoto police identified the man as Shinji Aoba, according to the Japanese broadcaster NHK and other media. The reports, quoting an unnamed source, said Aoba spent three and half years in prison for robbing a convenience store in 2012 and also had mental problems. Police would not immediately confirm the reports.
The man told police that he set the fire because he thought "(Kyoto Animation) stole novels," according to Japanese media. It was unclear if he had contacted the studio earlier.
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The company founded in 1981 and better known as KyoAni made a mega-hit anime series about high school girls and trained aspirants to the craft.
The shocking attack left another 36 people injured, some critically. It drew an outpouring of grief for the dead and injured, most of them workers at the studio.
Construction worker Takumi Yoshida, 23, was a fan. "I am shocked and I'm sure for their families it must be very difficult. So with those feelings in my mind, I brought flowers," Yoshida said.
Anime fan and university student Yuki Seki traveled from nearby Hyogo prefecture to pay her respects. "After properly recovering while taking their time, I hope Kyoto Animation can once again share their power and energy with us," she said.
About 70 people were working inside the 3-story Kyoto Animation No. 1 studio in southern Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital, Thursday at the time of the attack.
The arsonist arrived carrying two containers of flammable liquid. He shouted, "You die!" as he entered the studio's unlocked front door, dumped the liquid and set it afire with a lighter, according to officials and media reports. Police at the scene confiscated the gasoline tanks, a knapsack and knives, but have not confirmed they belonged to the attacker.
An expert interviewed by CBS News partner network TBS TV said the compactness of the approximately 7,500-sq. foot structure and the fact that there was only one exit made it especially vulnerable to an attack on the building's entrance. The perpetrator apparently went to great lengths to plan the crime and obtain gasoline, the sale of which is tightly controlled in Japan; it is not sold in containers.
The blaze blocked the front door and quickly engulfed the workspace, rising up the stairs to the third floor, sending panicked employees fleeing. Some were able to escape by crawling out of windows. Many tried but failed to escape to the roof, the reports said.
The suspect fled but was chased by studio employees who eventually caught him. He collapsed to the ground outside a house and was quickly surrounded by police.
"They are always stealing. It's their fault," he told policemen bending over and asking him why he set the fire, according to a witness who described the scene outside her house. The man complained bitterly that something had been stolen from him, the witness told NHK and other networks.
Neighbors interviewed by NHK said the suspect had troubles with neighbors at the apartment building in Saitama, north of Tokyo, where he lived.
One man told the broadcaster TBS that he had knocked on Aoba's door to ask him to stop banging on the walls. He said Aoba shouted "I will kill you!" and grabbed him by the hair and shirt.
Kyoto Animation's hits include "Lucky Star" of 2008, "K-On!" in 2011 and "Haruhi Suzumiya" in 2009. It has an upcoming feature film, "Violet Evergarden," about a woman who professionally writes letters for clients.
It's also done secondary animation work on a 1998 "Pokemon" feature that appeared in U.S. theaters and a "Winnie the Pooh" video.
(Newser)
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The man accused of setting fire to an anime studio in Japan, killing at least 33 people in one of the country's deadliest postwar mass murders, has been identified as Shinji Aoba. The 41-year-old man is being treated for burns in a hospital and police have so far been unable to question him, reports the BBC. His motive is unclear, though witnesses say they heard him complain that Kyoto Animation had plagiarized his novel before he splashed flammable liquid from a bucket and set it on fire. CCTV footage reportedly shows Aoba buying gas in containers from a nearby station before the attack. Kyoto Animation president Hideaki Hatti says the studio recently received threatening letters, though he doesn't know whether they were from the suspect.
Aoba would not have been able to enter the studio building if he had chosen a different day, the Asahi Shimbun reports. Hatti says people normally need ID cards to enter the building, but the system was temporarily deactivated Thursday because of a meeting involving outside guests. Experts say nature of the blaze and the construction of the building—which did not have sprinklers, and wasn't required to under Japan's fire code—may have contributed to the high number of deaths. They say a spiral staircase leading from the first to the third floors would have acted as a "chimney," causing fire and smoke to spread with terrifying speed. Nineteen bodies were found piled on top of each other on stairs between the third floor and roof; Kyodo reports the door was shut but could reportedly be opened from the roof side. Police say that out of 74 people in the building when the fire broke out, only six escaped uninjured. (Read more Japan stories.)
KYOTO, Japan — He can’t get the women out of his mind.
A day after an apparent arson killed 33 people at an animation studio in the Japanese city of Kyoto, a neighbor, the 81-year-old Ken Okumura, remembered seeing several women jump from the building’s second floor. They were so badly burned that blood was coming from their noses, and all of their clothes but their underwear were gone.
“Just horrible,” Mr. Okumura said on Friday, as the smell of burning still hung in the humid air.
Much was still unknown about the Thursday fire, which appeared to be Japan’s worst mass killing in decades. The police identified Shinji Aoba, 41, as a suspect in the case, based on statements they said he made when he was apprehended. They said Mr. Aoba was being treated for severe burns and had not been arrested.
Japanese news reports, citing unnamed police sources, said the suspect had told the police that he started the fire because he believed the studio, Kyoto Animation, “stole a novel” from him.
NHK, the public broadcaster, reported that Mr. Aoba had served time in prison for robbery and that he was being treated for an unspecified mental illness. The report, which cited an unidentified source, said he lived in the city of Saitama, near Tokyo.
As of Friday, none of the names of the 33 people killed in the fire had been released. What was known was that almost two-thirds of them — 20 — were women.
That appears to reflect a trend in Japan’s animation industry, as well as the hiring practices at Kyoto Animation. There are about twice as many women as men among working animators in their 20s, according to Daisuke Okeda, a lawyer and adviser to the Japan Animation Creators Association.
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Mourning the fire’s victims on Friday. Thirty-three people were killed.CreditJae C. Hong/Associated Press
Male animators still lead the industry, and they outnumber women among animators over 35, Mr. Okeda said. But Kyoto Animation — known as KyoAni to its fans — is known for employing more women, particularly younger women.
More than half of the workers in the burned building were women, based on figures released by the Kyoto fire officials about the dead as well as the dozens of injured.
On Friday, a man distraught about his 21-year-old granddaughter, who worked at Kyoto Animation, told NHK that he could not find her name on lists of people taken to local hospitals.
“She was my pride,” the man, Kazuo Okada, 69, said of his granddaughter, Megumu Ohno. “Her name started appearing on the screens of anime movies. I was so happy to see that. I was proud of her. I want to see her face soon.”
Kyoto Animation was co-founded by Yoko Hatta and her husband, Hideaki Hatta, in 1981, and went on to produce high-quality, meticulously detailed works. They included “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya,” a science fiction series based at a high school, and “Lucky Star,” whose intelligent female protagonist is distracted from her studies by anime and video games.
Kyoto Animation also played a role in the careers of two star women directors of television anime, said Patrick W. Galbraith, a lecturer at Senshu University who has written extensively about the art form. “That’s significant,” he said.
Naoko Yamada directed the series “K-On!” for Kyoto Animation, and Hiroko Utsumi directed “Free!” a series about a boys’ swimming team. “Free!” stood out in the anime world, often known for being preoccupied with the female form, because it focused on the male body instead.
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Flowers at the site of the fire on Friday.CreditKim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
Ms. Utsumi has since moved to another anime studio, Mappa. According to Nikkan Sports, a daily newspaper, Ms. Yamada was not hurt in the fire.
Kyoto Animation is also unusual among anime studios in that it pays its workers salaries, rather than freelance fees. Japan’s animation industry has been accused of exploiting workers, who work long hours for low wages.
Ironically, KyoAni’s system may have exposed its workers to greater risk by concentrating so many of them in one studio. “It’s a rare system in the industry,” Mr. Okeda said.
The arsonist is believed to have purchased about 10 gallons of petroleum at a gas station near the studio, about half an hour before starting the fire. According to police reports, the man brought it to the studio in two cans, on a hand cart, then poured it out on the building’s first floor and ignited it with a lighter.
“We saw yesterday that anyone can cause mass killings and tremendous damage with cheap and easy tools anyone can obtain in daily life,” said Daiju Wada, a lecturer on security at Seiwa University in Chiba, Japan, and a security consultant. “It’s difficult not to sell gasoline to people.”
Hatsumi Yamashita, 74, who teaches dance at a nearby community center where firefighters treated some of the injured in a garage, remembered seeing one woman sitting on a staircase, wearing what Ms. Yamashita first thought was a jet-black outfit. “But when she laid down on the floor, I saw she was so burned that she was almost naked,” she said.
“I could never forget this young woman,” Ms. Yamashita said.
