New Delhi: Friday’s shocking assassination of Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in one of the world’s safest countries stunned leaders and drew wide spread condemnation.
Abe, 67, was shot from behind in Nara in western Japan while giving a campaign speech. He was airlifted to a hospital but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was pronounced dead later at the hospital. Abe was Japan’s longest-serving leader before stepping down in 2020 for health reasons.
Meanwhile, in India, the national flag will be flown at half-mast throughout India on Saturday on all buildings where it is flown regularly with the government announcing a day of mourning as a mark of respect to former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.
“The national flag will be flown at half-mast on the day of mourning throughout India on all buildings where the national flag is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment on the day,” the home ministry said in a statement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a national mourning after news of Abe’s death was made public.