Former PM Shinzo Abe Dies After Shooting At LDP Rally

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died in hospital after being fatally shot at a political rally earlier today the governing Liberal Democratic Party has confirmed.

• Abe was Japan's longest-serving prime minister, having led the gov't from 2006-2007 and from 2012-2020.
• He was viewed as a transformative PM, with his efforts to draw Japan more closely into the western security alliance viewed as a major step in transforming the security outlook in the Indo-Pacific. Abe strongly campaigned for a change to the constitution to allow Japan to construct a standing army, as opposed to its current Self-Defense Forces.
• Also well-known for his 'Abenomics' plan with its 'three arrows' focused on utilising monetary policy, fiscal policy, and structural reform to boost the Japanese economy.
• Abe's assassination is likely to have a major political impact in Japan. Despite having stepped down in 2020, he remained a major political figure in the country, having a significant influence on the Japanese policy debate and on the direction of the LDP.