Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe dies after shooting in Japan

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died after being shot while campaigning in the western city of Nara.

Officials said Abe was shot at about 11:30 am while he was delivering a campaign speech on the street near a train station in Nara.

Abe was shot from behind minutes after he started his speech. He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was pronounced dead later at the hospital.

Political violence is rare in Japan, a country with strict gun regulations.

The 67-year-old Abe was Japan’s longest-serving leader before stepping down for health reasons in 2020.

But he has remained a dominant presence over the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), controlling one of its major factions.