Former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shot Dead During Campaign Speech

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated earlier Friday during a campaign speech in Nara, a city in the western part of Japan.

Local broadcaster NHK reported Abe was shot in the chest and a male suspect was detained at the scene.
Abe served as prime minister of Japan and president of the Liberal Democratic Party from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020.
He was known for his aggressive financial and economic policies, dubbed “Abenomics,” which relied on monetary easing and strong fiscal policies to aid growth and development among the country's aging population.
U.S. premarket equity index futures dropped following the reports. S&P 500 futures fell 0.36% and Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 0.50%. In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 pared gains.

DISCLOSURE

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.

Shaurya Malwa

Shaurya is the Deputy Managing Editor for the Data & Tokens team, focusing on decentralized finance, markets, on-chain data, and governance across all major and minor blockchains.

Follow @shauryamalwa on Twitter

Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.