News Headlines - 18 July 2019

▽33 dead after arson attack at Kyoto Animation studio, dozens injured - The Mainichi

An arson attack at a Kyoto Animation studio on the morning of July 18 has left 33 people dead, police and firefighters said, making it the worst such attack in Japan in decades.
A man allegedly entered the No. 1 studio of the Kyoto Animation building in Fushimi Ward in the western Japan city of Kyoto at around 10:30 a.m., poured what appeared to be gasoline around while screaming, "Go die," and set fire to it. The man was injured and admitted to a hospital.
A plastic container and a knife were found left at the scene. The 41-year-old suspect told prefectural police that he set fire to the three-story building.

▽Ghosn sues Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors for breach of contract - Japan Today

Former auto titan Carlos Ghosn, currently under house arrest in Tokyo, is suing Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors in a Dutch court for "improper termination" of his contract, French newspaper Le Figaro reported Wednesday.
Ghosn is accusing the Japanese manufacturers of breaching his contract as an employee of NMBV, their joint subsidiary based in the Netherlands, and seeking up to 15 million euros ($16.8 million) in damages, it said.

▽Toyota unveils electric vehicle to be used at Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic venues | The Japan Times

Toyota Motor Corp. on Thursday unveiled an electric vehicle especially designed to transport people within the venues of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games next year.
Japan’s biggest automaker, which is also one of the major sponsors of the 2020 Tokyo Games, said it plans to provide about 200 “Accessible People Mover (APM)” vehicles that will offer short-distance rides not only for visitors but also athletes and Olympic and Paralympic staff.

▽Trump Nominates Esper to Be Defense Chief, Succeeding Mattis | Voice of America

President Donald Trump on Monday asked the Senate to confirm Mark Esper as the successor to former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, whose resignation last December opened an unprecedented period of senior-level instability at the Pentagon.
The moment the nomination was received by the Senate on Monday afternoon, Esper was required to step out of his role as acting defense secretary - a job he has held since June - until he is confirmed as the permanent secretary. He reverted to his previous position of Army secretary.

▽'Send her back' will be the Trump era's defining slogan - CNN

At a rally in North Carolina Wednesday night, Donald Trump's supporters broke into a chilling chant when the President invoked the new symbol of his white nationalist campaign for President: Rep. Ilhan Omar.
"Send her back! Send her back!"
Contrary to his claims that he "started speaking very quickly" to silence the chant, the video clearly shows Trump standing back as the chant moved up through the crowd, letting it swell to a crescendo and start to peter out before he began speaking again.