Japan's ex-PM Abe assassinated– reports

Japan’s ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died. Prior he had been rushed to the hospital after apparently being shot while giving an address, local media reports said, noting that bystanders heard two loud bangs before Abe collapsed.

Abe, 67, fell to the ground during a speech in the city of Nara on Friday morning and was seen bleeding.

"Former prime minister Abe was shot at around 11.30 am in Nara. One man, believed to be the shooter, has been taken into custody. The condition of former prime minister Abe is currently unknown," chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters, adding that the attack was "unforgivable."