Shinzo Abe's body arrives in Tokyo as Japanese mourn assassinated former prime minister

The body of Shinzo Abe was returned to Tokyo on Saturday as mourners gathered in the western city of Nara to pay respects at the place where the former Japanese prime minister was fatally injured by a gunman.

Mourners lowered their heads as a black hearse carrying Abe’s body arrived at his home in Tokyo’s residential area of Shibuya.

The assassination, before Sunday’s parliamentary election, raised questions about the security for the former prime minister.

“I'm just shocked that this kind of thing happened in Nara,” Natsumi Niwa, a 50-year-old housewife, said after offering flowers with her 10-year-old son near the scene of the killing at a railway train station.

Hundreds of people queued to leave flowers on a table next to a photo of Abe. Local officials moved some of the offerings to create space as more tributes arrived.

Ms Niwa said Abe, a conservative and architect of the Abenomics policies aimed at reviving the Japanese economy, inspired the name of her son, Masakuni, with his rallying cry of Japan as a “beautiful nation”. “Kuni” means nation in Japanese.

A night vigil will be held on Monday, with Abe's funeral scheduled for Tuesday, attended by close friends, Japanese media said. There was no word of any public memorial service.

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Abe was campaigning for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) when he was shot. He was flown to a local hospital but died of blood loss despite emergency treatment including large blood transfusions.

Police arrested a man, a former member of Japan’s navy, at the scene on suspicion of murder. They confiscated the home-made gun and said several others were later found at his home.

Suspect Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, told police he believed Abe was linked to a religious group he blamed for ruining his mother financially and breaking up the family, local media reported, citing police sources. Police have not identified the group.

Abe's death has raised questions about security for public figures in Japan, where politicians commonly make direct appeals to voters in public places during campaigning season.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who took office after Abe stepped down in 2020, returned to the campaign trail after making an emergency return to Tokyo on Friday.

Abe's killing “heightens the prospect for stronger turnout and greater support for his Liberal Democratic Party”, according to Eurasia Group, a political consultancy based in New York City.

The LDP had already been expected to gain seats before the assassination.

Abe, 67, served twice as prime minister — for exactly one year in 2006-2007 and then from 2012-2020 — stepped on both occasions down citing health reasons.

“His health was improving so I was hoping he would have a third term,” said Tatsuya Futami, 49, in Nara. “He was still young as a politician — it's a great shame.”

James Brady, vice president at advisory firm Teneo, wrote in a note that a strong election performance “could catalyse Kishida to push for Abe's unfulfilled goal of amending Japan's constitution to allow for a stronger role for the military”.

Abe was a leading figure in the creation of the Quad grouping aimed at countering China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The other members, the US, India and Australia, expressed shock at the assassination in a joint statement.

“We will honour Prime Minister Abe's memory by redoubling our work towards a peaceful and prosperous region,” the statement said.

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips

Rating: 2/5

The stats

Ship name: MSC Bellissima

Ship class: Meraviglia Class

Delivery date: February 27, 2019

Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT

Passenger capacity: 5,686

Crew members: 1,536

Number of cabins: 2,217

Length: 315.3 metres

Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?

Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

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Indian origin executives leading top technology firms

Sundar Pichai

Chief executive, Google and Alphabet

Satya Nadella

Chief executive, Microsoft

Ajaypal Singh Banga

President and chief executive, Mastercard

Shantanu Narayen

Chief executive, chairman, and president, Adobe

Indra Nooyi

Board of directors, Amazon and former chief executive, PepsiCo

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Brave CF 27 fight card

Welterweight:
Abdoul Abdouraguimov (champion, FRA) v Jarrah Al Selawe (JOR)

Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (TUN) v Alex Martinez (CAN)

Welterweight:
Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA) v Khamzat Chimaev (SWE)

Middleweight:
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Rustam Chsiev (RUS)
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) v Christofer Silva (BRA)

Super lightweight:
Alex Nacfur (BRA) v Dwight Brooks (USA)

Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) v Tariq Ismail (CAN)
Chris Corton (PHI) v Zia Mashwani (PAK)

Featherweight:
Sulaiman (KUW) v Abdullatip (RUS)

Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) v Mohammad Al Katib (JOR)

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

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