Shinzo Abe

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot while giving a speech in the western city of Nara, according to local media reports and videos posted to ...

NHK reported that Abe was in “cardiopulmonary arrest.” Japanese broadcaster NHK said Abe collapsed while giving a campaign speech for a Liberal Democratic Party candidate at around 11:30 a.m. local time, ahead of an upper house election this weekend. Former Japanese Prime MinisterShinzo Abe was shot while giving a speech in the western city of Nara, the government’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said in a press conference Friday morning.

The country's longest serving prime minister was taken to hospital after shooting on campaign trail for Sunday's upper house election.

According to Associated Press, the term is sometimes used by officials in Japan to describe situations where victims are no longer alive, but before a formal declaration of death has been made. Our prayers are with him, his wife Akie and the people of Japan at this very difficult time According to police, there were 21 arrests for the use of firearms in 2020, with 12 of them gang-related, Nikkei Asia reported. Media reports quoted police as saying that the weapon thought to have been used in the attack was homemade. Fuji TV has reported that the suspect in the shooting is a former maritime self defence force member. Former Prime Minister Abe is not only a good friend of mine, but also a staunch friend of Taiwan’s. He has supported Taiwan for many years and spared no effort to promote the progress of Taiwan-Japan relations.

Local media outlets say Mr Abe collapsed halfway during his speech, and appeared to be bleeding.

Mr Abe did have a team of security police with him. The term is often used before a death is officially confirmed in Japan. The US ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said Mr Abe had been an "outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the US", adding that the US was "praying" for his well-being. Mr Abe was giving a stump speech for a political candidate in Nara at a road junction when the attack happened. But it also quoted a senior member of Mr Abe's party as saying the 67-year-old's situation was "worrisome" and that he was getting a blood transfusion. Mr Abe was shot at twice while he was giving a speech in the southern city of Nara on Friday morning.

Mr Abe has been rushed to hospital and is in a state of heart failure, the country's public broadcaster said.

He didn’t fall and there was a large bang. I condemn this act in the strongest terms.” “The first shot sounded like a toy.

Current prime minister Fumio Kishida said Mr Abe is in a "grave condition". Public broadcaster NHK said he appeared to be in a state of cardiac arrest.

Outgoing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was "utterly appalled and saddened to hear about the despicable attack on Shinzo Abe". Current prime minister Fumio Kishida said "everything that can be done is being done to revive him" but Mr Abe is "currently in a grave condition". Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is in a "grave condition" after being shot while giving a speech in the western city of Nara.

Former PM collapses after gunshots reportedly heard while he spoke in the city of Nara.

“Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the United States,” Emanuel said in a statement. He resigned without presiding over the Games, which were postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic. Amateur video footage showed Abe’s aides rushing towards him as smoke filled the air behind him.

Longest-serving PM, known for his 'Abenomics' policy, shot while making campaign speech in Nara.

The head of the Japan Socialist party was assassinated during a speech in 1960 by a rightwing youth with a samurai short sword. In 2007, the mayor of Nagasaki was shot and killed by a yakuza gangster. There were six reported gun deaths in 2014, according to the National Police Agency, and the number rarely exceeds 10, in a country of 126 million people. Citing the return of a chronic bowel complaint that had contributed to the premature end to his first term in office, Abe resigned without presiding over the Games, which was postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic. Abe, the country’s longest-serving prime minister until he resigned in 2020, was flown to hospital by helicopter after the attack. While in office, Abe failed to realise his main political ambition – to revise Japan’s “pacifist” constitution, which prohibits the country from using force to resolve international disputes.

Japan's former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has died after being shot while giving a campaign speech. He was pictured bleeding and holding his chest as he ...

In 2007 the major of Nagasaki was shot and killed by a Yakuza gangster. The head of the Japan Socialist Party was assassinated during a speech in 1960 by a right-wing youth with a samurai short sword. Boris Johnson said he was ‘utterly appalled’ at the attack as he offered condolences to the Abe family and the Japanese people, adding: ‘The UK stands with you at this dark and sad time. The 67-year-old was shot twice with a shotgun from behind as he rallied supporters of a local political candidate in the southern city of Nara, according to local reports. Mr Abe, who was Japan’s longest-serving PM before stepping down in 2020 for health reasons, is thought to have been wounded in the left side of his torso and neck. A suspect was tackled to the ground by bodyguards as the statesman laid bleeding while holding his chest.

Current leader Fumio Kishida said he hopes Mr Abe will survive after the shooting at an election campaign event in Nara, western Japan.

He told reporters at the time that it was “gut wrenching” to leave many of his goals unfinished. Mr Abe stepped down in 2020 because he said a chronic health problem has resurfaced. Mr Abe was giving a speech when people heard gunshots. A double-barrelled device, which appeared to be a handmade gun, can be seen on the ground. “I’m praying for former prime minister Abe’s survival, from the bottom of my heart,” he said. Nara prefectural police confirmed the arrest of Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, on suspicion of attempted murder.

Former PM was airlifted to hospital after campaign trail shooting, but was not breathing and his heart had stopped.

The head of the Japan Socialist Party was assassinated during a speech in 1960 by a right-wing youth with a samurai short sword. In 2007, the mayor of Nagasaki was shot and killed by a yakuza gangster. Japan’s relations with China undergo a particularly rough patch but begin to improve after Mr Abe meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the APEC summit in Beijing. A doctor said Mr Abe had bled to death from two deep wounds, one on the right side of his neck. 2021: Despite leaving office, Mr Abe shows he can still rile Beijing with comments on Taiwan, the self-governing island China claims as its own territory and threatens to attack. He has been suffering from ulcerative colitis but was able to control it with medication. My thoughts are with his family, friends and the Japanese people.” Much remains unclear about the motive and identity of the suspect in Friday’s attack, who was taken into custody at the scene. A doctor said Mr Abe had bled to death from two deep wounds, one on the right side of his neck. Police have arrested a 41-year-old man suspected of carrying out the shooting. Stabbings are more common as a fatal crime. Eight of those cases were gang-related.

Mr Abe was not breathing and his heart had stopped beating as he was airlifted to hospital on Friday. | ITV National News.

I mourn with his family, his friends and all the people of Japan." Japan is considered one of the world’s safest countries with virtually no gun crime due to incredibly strict private ownership laws. I send my deepest condolences to his wife Akie, with whom my wife Cherie also worked closely, and to all the people of Japan.” A shameful act of cowardice to silence a political leader." The UK stands with you at this dark and sad time." My thoughts are with his family, friends and the Japanese people," he tweeted."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter that he was “utterly appalled and saddened to hear about the despicable attack on Shinzo Abe”. He added: “My ...

I recall him asking after the recent loss of our pet when I met him, a small gesture but one that speaks to the kind of person he is,” Ms Ardern said. Former US president Donald Trump said the attack on Mr Abe was devastating. “Mr Abe is a good friend of Singapore. I had just hosted him to lunch in May, on my visit to Tokyo. My thoughts and prayers are with Mr Abe and his family,” Mr Lee said on Facebook. “Deeply distressed by the attack on my dear friend Abe Shinzo. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. “My thoughts are with his wife and the people of Japan. Events like this shake us all to the core.” “Our thoughts, our prayers are with him, with his family, with the people of Japan. This is a very, very sad moment,” he said on the sidelines of a G20 meeting on Indonesia’s Bali island.

Police tackled and arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of an attack that shocked many in Japan, which is one of the world's safest nations and has some ...

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Under the "Abenomics" policy, the former prime minister introduced stimulus measures and major reforms.

I believe that's the key to how the new form of capitalism is going to be different from the past," he said. But it failed to reach the point of creating a 'virtuous cycle'. It does, however, warn that economic recovery will be "sluggish". He mounted campaigns to encourage domestic tourism which opponents said contributed to a resurgence in infections. Abenomics did help drive growth, though not at the pace that the country had seen during its post-war boom. Perhaps the most high profile policy of his time in office was "Abenomics", the economic programme that bears his name.

Shinzo Abe and the Queen met in 2016 during his second stint as Prime Minister.

“I have fond memories of meeting Mr Abe and his wife during their visit to the United Kingdom in 2016. The Queen said her statement to Emperor Naruhito of Japan: “My family and I were deeply saddened to hear the news of the sudden and tragic death of former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe. The Queen has offered her condolences to the people of Japan following the fatal shooting of their former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Shinzo Abe, a divisive arch-conservative who was Japan's longest-serving prime minister and remained a powerful and influential politician after leaving ...

Mr Abe was praised in Washington for his push for a stronger US-Japan relationship, which he saw as a means of bolstering Japan’s defence capability. … He also wanted Japan to not have to keep apologising for World War Two.” Mr Abe stepped down as prime minister in 2020 because he said the ulcerative colitis he had had since he was a teenager resurfaced. For Mr Abe, too, the 1947 charter was symbolic of what he saw as the unfair legacy of Japan’s war defeat and an imposition of the victors’ world order and western values. Public broadcaster NHK aired a video of Mr Abe as he gave a speech outside a train station in the western city of Nara. Mr Abe was attacked minutes after he started speaking at the political rally in Nara and was pronounced dead hours later at a hospital, medical officials said.

The shooting of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has sparked condemnation from political leaders across the world. Abe, 67, Japan's longest-serving ...

The shooting of the former prime minister is shocking in a country where gun control is very strict.

Firearms are tightly controlled, and strict laws have been in place for decades. Most of these were politically motivated. Police will also inspect guns once a year. The strict rules on gun ownership are reflected in the data on gun violence in Japan. Police have said the suspect who was apprehended, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, told them he had made it. It does not appear to have a loading mechanism or traditional grip.

A blue-blooded political showman who sought to revive Japan and revise its pacifist constitution.

Here are photos from the scene when Japan's former leader, Shinzo Abe, was assassinated while giving a campaign speech.

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Japanese politician who as prime minister had sought to stimulate the economy through the radical monetary policy of Abenomics.

In 1993, he formally entered the family business – politics – when he was elected to the House of Representatives. The seat he took had long been held by his father, a career politician and former minister. Abe’s long struggle to revise the Japanese constitution was often seen as a continuation of a battle that his grandfather championed. In September 2020, he stepped down to become one of the most influential politicians on the back benches, ensuring the succession of his allies Suga and Fumio Kishida into the prime ministership. He lowered the voting age to get young people on board, he launched public relations campaigns against some outmoded phrasing in the document, and he raised the issue after every election win. Yet constitutional revision has long been controversial among a public that has embraced the Peace Article as a part of national identity. Amendment had long been a part of the LDP platform, but Abe went much further than his predecessors to push for changing a document that had not been revised since 1947. When the US pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Abe kept the pact alive, becoming the standard-bearer of the regional alliance. In this new context, the money scandals that continued to dog Abe across his second term were a mere annoyance rather than a real threat. The opposition parties were in disarray, and stalwarts from Abe’s Liberal Democratic party could only cheer when its main rival, the Democratic party of Japan, split in two. What was the secret of his success? The excitement of change and an open future propelled Abe into the global spotlight as he declared, “Japan is back”. When he stepped down as prime minister in 2007 after only a year, most people assumed he would fade into an undistinguished career on the backbenches.

SEOUL — Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated Friday, stunning a nation where gun violence and political attacks are rare.

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Japan's longest-serving prime minister became perhaps the most transformational politician in the country's post-World War II history.

Mr. Green’s book “Line of Advantage: Japan’s Grand Strategy in the Era of Abe Shinzo” argues that it was Mr. Abe who helped push the West to counter China’s increasingly aggressive actions in Asia. “He was chosen for the prime ministership because of a sense in Japan that they were being humiliated by China at every turn,” Mr. Green said. And the American ambassador to Japan in the 1960s, Edwin O. Reischauer, was stabbed in the thigh by a 19-year-old Japanese man; Mr. Reischauer survived and returned to his post as Harvard’s leading scholar of Japanese politics. In addition to showing up at Trump Tower with a gold-plated golf club, he traveled to Mar-a-Lago to celebrate the birthday of Melania Trump, the first lady. In 2012, as Mr. Abe returned to the prime minister’s office, President Barack Obama’s aides worried he was too hawkish, but over time they warmed to him. “What Abe did was transform the national security state in Japan,” said Michael J. Green, a former senior official in the George W. Bush administration who dealt with Mr. Abe often. Mr. Abe pushed further, suggesting that it was time for Japan to establish some kind of nuclear sharing agreement with the United States — breaking his country’s longtime taboo on even discussing the wisdom of possessing an arsenal of its own. China loomed larger, North Korea kept lobbing missiles across the Sea of Japan and Mr. Abe believed that he needed to preserve his country’s relationship with Washington, even if that meant delivering a gold-plated golf club to Donald J. Trump at Trump Tower days after he was elected president. Mr. Abe was not killed for his hard-line views, which at moments triggered street protests and peace rallies in Japan, at least according to initial assessments. His efforts to loosen the restraints on Japan that date back to its postwar, American-written Constitution reflected a recognition that Japan needed its allies more than ever. “We didn’t know what we were going to get when Abe came to office with this hard nationalist reputation,” said Richard Samuels, the director of the Center for International Studies at M.I.T. and the author of books on Japan’s military and intelligence capabilities. “What we got was a pragmatic realist who understood the limits of Japan’s power, and who knew it wasn’t going to be able to balance China’s rise on its own.

Shinzo Abe and the Queen met in 2016 during his second stint as Prime Minister.

“I have fond memories of meeting Mr Abe and his wife during their visit to the United Kingdom in 2016. The Queen said her statement to Emperor Naruhito of Japan: “My family and I were deeply saddened to hear the news of the sudden and tragic death of former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe. The Queen has offered her condolences to the people of Japan following the fatal shooting of their former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Japan's former leader Shinzo Abe assassinated · He was rushed to the hospital, but showed no vital signs, per NHK. · Police have arrested the suspected shooter, ...

- "He was a dear friend who loved this country," Kishida added. He was assassinated. What he's saying: "Really BAD NEWS FOR THE WORLD! Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is dead. - "This is shocking. The big picture: Abe, who was most recently in office from December 2012 to September 2020, was Japan's longest-serving prime minister. There were 10 shootings and one gun-related death in Japan last year,the Washington Post notes.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died at age 67 after being shot during a speech on Friday in Nara, Japan. Follow here for the latest live news ...

During his term, Abe sought to improve relations with Beijing and held a historic phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2018. He has continued to campaign for a stronger security policy and last year angered China by calling for a greater commitment from allies to defend democracy in Taiwan. In response, Beijing summoned Japan's ambassador and accused Abe of openly challenging China's sovereignty. The end of Abe's first term opened a revolving door in which five different men held the prime minister post in five years until his re-election in 2012. He came from a family of Japanese prime ministers: Abe was born on Sept. 21, 1954, in Tokyo, to a prominent political family. Abe was first elected to Japan's House of Representatives in 1993, at age 38. His second stint was the longest consecutive term for a Japanese head of government.

Politicians vow not to let assassination of their longest-serving PM stop democratic process, as tributes continue to pour in.

“I followed Abe’s career as prime minister and admired what he was trying to do for Japan. I’ll remember him as someone who faced huge challenges but always came back and carried on. Biden – who earlier said he was “stunned, outraged and deeply saddened” – has ordered flags on US government buildings to fly at half-mast. They bowed and clasped their hands in prayer; some shed tears and lowered their heads again as they turned towards banks of TV cameras. We will honour prime minister Abe’s memory by redoubling our work towards a peaceful and prosperous region.” Meanwhile, tributes have continued to pour in for the leader. They have declined to name the organisation, though several Japanese media outlets described it as a religious group.

As Japan's longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe brought unusual political stability and optimism to the country; his shocking assassination has evoked ...

Friday's assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in one of the world's safest countries has stunned leaders and drawn condemnation.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped Abe’s killer will be dealt with “swiftly and harshly.” “Really BAD NEWS FOR THE WORLD!” he said on his social media platform. The International Olympic Committee praised Abe for his “vision, determination and dependability” that allowed it to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “My thoughts, our thoughts here at the G-20 meeting are with his family, with his friends, and it is with great sadness that we also send our greetings to all the citizens of Japan.” “Mr. Abe made an immense contribution to elevating India-Japan relations to the level of a special strategic and global partnership. “I have fond memories of meeting Mr. Abe and his wife during their visit to the United Kingdom in 2016,” Queen Elizabeth II said in a written statement. “Italy is distraught over the terrible attack against Japan and its free, democratic debate. “Events like this shake us all to the core.” A double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun is seen on the ground. Above all, he cared deeply about the Japanese people and dedicated his life to their service.“ U.S. President Joe Biden said he was “stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened” and offered his condolences to Abe’s family. “This is a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him,” Biden said. Jordan’s King Abdullah II said he was shocked and saddened by the attack.

TOKYO — The assassination of former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe at a political rally on Friday rocked a country where strict firearms laws mean gun violence ...

“On behalf of the Biden family and all of America we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the Abe family and the people of Japan,” Biden wrote. The shooting reverberated throughout the country, which has low crime rates and some of the world’s most restrictive gun laws. He died Friday of blood loss less than five hours after being shot in the neck and chest. Akie Abe, the slain leader’s wife, headed back to Tokyo from Nara on Saturday morning, and Abe’s body was transported back in a hearse. Yamagami was arrested on-site and admitted to shooting Abe with a homemade gun, officials said. The campaign for Japan’s upper house resumed Saturday, with candidates and surrogates — including incumbent Prime Minister Fumio Kishida — returning to the trail ahead of Sunday’s election.

The body of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived back at his home in Tokyo on Saturday, a day after he was assassinated in a daylight shooting, ...

While searching the residence, police found multiple types of guns with iron pipes wrapped in adhesive tape, NHK reported -- the guns had three, five, and six such pipes as barrels. People are finding it very much hard to digest the reality," Taniguchi said on Friday. At the time of the shooting, Abe was speaking in support of ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) candidates ahead of Upper House elections on Sunday, which are still scheduled to go ahead. Police have not named the group. Presidents, prime ministers and other international leaders sent tributes expressing outrage and sadness over the killing. Officials will now meet with the family to discuss funeral arrangements, Abe's office told CNN.

Police at the scene arrested Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a former member of Japan's navy, on suspicion of murder. Police confiscated a homemade gun used in the attack ...

He said then it was difficult to leave many of his goals unfinished, especially his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia, and a revision of Japan’s war-renouncing constitution. Campaign organisers shouted through loudspeakers asking for medical experts to provide first aid to Mr Abe, whose heart and breathing had stopped by the time he was airlifted to hospital. Police confiscated a homemade gun used in the attack, and several others were later found at his home. Japanese media reported the man had developed hatred towards a religious group his mother was devoted to. As Mr Abe turned to see where the noise came from, a second shot went off. He blamed a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis he had had since he was a teenager.

Crowds gather to pay respects to former prime minister at a memorial site close to where he was attacked.

Fitch lifts long-term debt outlook on US to 'stable' · Elon Musk says he is terminating $44bn Twitter deal · US government bonds slide after strong employment ...

The police said the man charged with killing Shinzo Abe had a “grudge” against a group he associated with the ex-prime minister. Mr. Abe's body was taken ...

“We didn’t know what we were going to get when Abe came to office with this hard nationalist reputation,” said Richard Samuels, the director of the Center for International Studies at M.I.T. and the author of books on Japan’s military and intelligence capabilities. “What we got was a pragmatic realist who understood the limits of Japan’s power, and who knew it wasn’t going to be able to balance China’s rise on its own. There are exceptions for guns used in hunting, but the process of getting a license is time-consuming and expensive, so very few people go through the hassle. A key factor in Mr. Abe’s economic platform was to draw more women into the paid work force, to counterbalance a declining and aging population. While Mr. Abe worked to cultivate diplomatic and trade relations around the world, he never lost sight of his nationalist agenda at home. Police in Nara Prefecture, where Mr. Abe was shot, said the suspect had said he had served in the Self-Defense Forces for three years starting in 2002 but did not specify which branch. Paul Nadeau, a former private secretary and adviser for a Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker from 2015 to 2018, said he had attended campaign stops where Mr. Abe was speaking and that security was not overwhelming, even though he was prime minister at the time. It is a voluntarily enlisted force — conscription would be unconstitutional — that has struggled to fill recruitment targets as the country’s population ages and birthrates remain low. The authorities have not said what penalty they will seek for Mr. Yamagami. Japan is one of the few highly developed countries that have capital punishment; six people have been executed by hanging in the past three years. In a news briefing on Friday night, police officials from the Nara prefectural office said Mr. Yamagami had made the double-barreled gun, about 16 inches long and 7 inches wide. At that point, a group of men who appeared to be part of his security detail tackled the gunman to the ground. The prime minister, he believed, had some association with a group against which Mr. Yamagami held “a grudge.”

The body of Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe has returned to Tokyo a day after he was fatally shot during a campaign speech.

He said then it was difficult to leave many of his goals unfinished, especially his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia, and a revision of Japan’s war-renouncing constitution. Campaign organisers shouted through loudspeakers asking for medical experts to provide first aid to Mr Abe, whose heart and breathing had stopped by the time he was airlifted to hospital. Japanese media reported the man had developed hatred towards a religious group his mother was devoted to. As Mr Abe turned to see where the noise came from, a second shot went off. He blamed a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis he had had since he was a teenager. Police confiscated a homemade gun used in the attack, and several others were later found at his home.

Shinzo Abe's body has been taken back to his home, as police in the city where the former Japanese prime minister was assassinated admitted security flaws.

On Saturday, a steady stream of mourners were visiting the scene in Nara as a motorcade thought to be carrying Mr Abe's body left the hospital. Mr Abe, 67, was shot twice from behind while speaking at a campaign rally in the city of Nara - the first assassination of a sitting or former Japanese prime minister since the 1930s. According to a report in The Japan Times, suspected gunman Yamagami Tetsuya had initially planned to attack the leader of a religious group which he believed former prime minister Shinzo Abe was part of.

Prime minister Fumio Kishida warns violence will not be tolerated in defiant speech after the murder of former leader.

Kishida, who has vowed to smooth the rough edges of Abe’s economic policies and create a “new capitalism”, could end up adopting his hawkish foreign policy mantle, Brady added. “We live in a democracy where disputes and differences are resolved by voting … not with violence.” Largely uncritical media reporting of his numerous public appearances had pundits wondering if he was considering a bid for a third term as prime minister. The LDP was expected to win more than half the seats before Abe’s death, but a wave of sympathy could lift its share of the vote, according to some analysts. His mother, he said, had made several donations to the group, whose name police have not revealed, adding that he had visited several locations where Abe had given campaign speeches. Less certain is how brightly Abe’s torch will shine in the LDP, whose conservative wing is now emotionally, and ideologically, bereft.

The body of Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe has been returned to Tokyo after he was fatally shot on Friday. | ITV National News.

Japanese media reported that the man had developed hatred toward a religious group his mother was devoted to. Mr Abe was fighting for his life as he was airlifted to hospital earlier on Friday Some observers who watched videos of the assassination on social media and television noted a lack of attention in the open space behind Mr Abe as he spoke.

Police at the scene arrested Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, a former member of Japan's navy, on suspicion of murder. Police confiscated a homemade gun used in the attack ...

He said then it was difficult to leave many of his goals unfinished, especially his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia, and a revision of Japan’s war-renouncing constitution. Campaign organisers shouted through loudspeakers asking for medical experts to provide first aid to Mr Abe, whose heart and breathing had stopped by the time he was airlifted to hospital. Police confiscated a homemade gun used in the attack, and several others were later found at his home. Japanese media reported the man had developed hatred towards a religious group his mother was devoted to. As Mr Abe turned to see where the noise came from, a second shot went off. He blamed a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis he had had since he was a teenager.