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i'm michael holmes, coming to you live from the cnn center? atlanta. breaking news out of japan, former prime minister shinzo abe has been rushed to hospital, after being shot according to japan's broadcaster nhk. this happened as he was giving a speech in western japan. for those just catching up on things, let's start with what we know happened. >> japanese public broadcaster nhk is reporting that former japanese prime minister shinzo abe house shot twice in the chest while delivering a speech at 12:30 local time. abe was rushed to the hospital, bleeding from his chest in a state of cardiac arrest. nhk says that abe was conscious and responsive. will be transported after the shooting. witnesses say abe was shot from

behind. he didn't collapse after the first shot but did collapse after the second shot at the time. the suspect did not attempt to run. was arrested on the spot. a man believed to be in his 40s, has been arrested with possession of a gun. the gun is believed to be handmade. nhk reporters on the scene, again heard two shots while abe was delivering that stump speech. he was there in japan's western city, ahead of the upper house election, set for this sunday, speaking on behalf of ldp liberal party candidates. abe is japan's longest serving prime minister, michael, first elected in 2006, at the time the youngest prime minister ever elected in japan. before stepping down in 2020, because of health concerns

relating to ulcer colitis. despite stepping down, abe remains a key player in japanese politics. speaking candidly about taiwan, hinting at japan's military role, if china were to invade. some of his policies and remarks are seen as controversial. some of the policies operated outside of japan's pacifist constitution, including revising the defense policy to allow japanese troops to fight overseas for the first time since the second world war. she wanted to revise the constitution to legitimize the military. policies aside, japan's former prime minister, longest serving prime minister in japan's history, shot twice.

his condition is unknown. >> how rare guns are in japan. laws are strict. we're getting information that the suspect in this case used a handmade gun. we're trying to get a sense of what that is. getting hands on a real gun is difficult. >> pretty difficult. just to put things into perspective, gun violence is almost nonexistent. the annual deaths hasn't reached triple digits since the year 2,000. the reason, according to gun control advocates is that firearm regulations are restrictive, under the 1958 firearm and sword law. most guns are illegal in the country.

under law possession is allowed if special approval is obtained. before that can happen, you must pass a background check and explain to police while you need a gun. receive formal instruction and pass a collection of written, mental and drug tests. when it's rare, when it does come to mass killings in japan. some resort to using knives and arson instead of guns. it's interesting to learn more about that. getting a real gun here in japan, is really difficult. >> when we look at the video, the level of security, the video from the scene, seemed to show, it was pretty minimal. there were people close to the former prime minister. the shooter himself, from what we could tell, was pretty close, as well.

>> here in japan, it's different than the united states, where you have a security detail assigned to the president of the united states for the rest of their lives. i was just speaking with one of our local producers here, asking, you know, those exact questions about the security detail that is assigned to a prime minister, after they leave office. and from what i was told, you know, that doesn't happen. in all likelihood, there might have been one or two security personnel that might have been outside hires, to provide protection for the former prime minister. but again, when you're comparing what a security detail looks like for a former president, that doesn't exist here. and going back to the gun violence and the attempt on a former prime minister's life, this is unfathomable here in

japan. perhaps at this point, those policies are going to have to be looked at. to provide protection moving forward. what was in place, clearly not enough. >> good to have you on the spot, blake, in tokyo. i want to get more on the attack of the former prime minister. will ripley speaking to us from taipei in taiwan. you were our correspondent in japan for some time. let's start with taiwan. mr. abe was talking about taiwan recently, speaking about japan's role in the region when it comes to where you are. >> he's been vocal talking about defending taiwan. it's so close to japan's outlying islands. he's been a driving force behind

the heightened public signaling on the part of japanese officials. if china were to make a move on this island, which they claim is their own territory and they've claimed that for 70 years, despite never controlling the island, from the japanese p persp perspective, taiwan maintaining its democracy, with the united states and japan. they understand clearly their security, meaning japan's security, is contingent upon taiwan saying what it is, a self-governing democracy with a military in alliance with the western world. shinzo abe, after leaving his office as prime minister, has said publicly on a number of occasions that it's time for the united states, to end its policn question. whether the united states would send troops to defend taiwan, despite what the united states

does for providing weapons. japan would likely step in. in fact, they are deploying missile launchers and some of the equipment to outlying islands. a signal that they are ramping up militarization, as china continues its assertive, others say aggressive movements, in the south china sea. and conducting flyovers in the taiwan straight. shinzo abe have a lot of people here in taiwan, who appreciate his efforts on behalf of this island. the taiwanese president said she is sending her best and wishing he can recover from this. it is a extraordinarily startling and troubling to have something like this happen in this part of the world. in asia, we're lulled into a false sense of security because there aren't guns on the street. you don't see mass shootings or gun crimes hardly at all,

because of the way the gun crimes are structures, particularly in japan. it's extraordinarily difficult to get a gun through legal means. it's a time that everybody here in the region is taking a step back. you know, trying to catch their breath and certainly, many, many people are shooting for shinzo abe's recovery and hoping that the news, which sounds grim at the moment, will turn out to be good and he's able to pull through, michael. >> absolutely. going back to your time in japan, shinzo abe was seen as a nationalist politician. i mean, how did that play out politically, policy-wise and how people viewed him? >> well, he certainly was somebody who believed in the national dignity of japan. as you said, a japanese nationalist, who wanted to see japan play a more assertive role in the region, when it comes to its military involvement. after japan's defeat, without

unconditional surrender at the end of world war ii, the united states helped the japanese write this constitution, that calls the japanese military, a self-defense force. and it limits the military to do much of anything, other than defend japan from some sort of attack or invasion. under abe, that was -- they were trying to get self-defense forces a more assertive role. i remember the massive protests in tokyo. hundreds of thousands of people protesting outside the diet, the japanese parliament. the policies were controversial, at home and as well internationally like the defensive of taiwan in military conflicts around the globe. japan had been talking about the possibility of installing

missiles that had first strike capability. they could launch missiles to hit enemy targets before japan was actually under attack. this was in response to north korea's increasingly powerful weapons test. certainly, he was not without critics. he resigned, citing health issues the second time he did that. it was public anger over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, that was likely the reason he decided to step aside, in terms of being the face of japanese nationalism. he was working behind the scenes. just doing things like what we saw him doing just today. hitting the grouped, giving interviews, giving stump speeches. he did not have a large security detail traveling with him. in japan, the way it works, you might have security officers or local police who assist you if

you're a politician. you wouldn't have a secret service detail of the level of security, that are needed in the united states. you don't have that concern in japan or you didn't up until about 10:30 local time, when this shooting may really have changed a lot of people's perspectives about safety and security in this part of the world. >> i want to ask you something else, too. and it pertains to this. donald trump just tweeted in the last few minutes, saying that it's absolutely devastating news. he describes shinzo abe as a truly great man and leader and praying for shinzo abe. it raises the point that donald trump and shinzo abe, from donald trump's point of view, it was a bit of a love affair. and they saw themselves getting on very well. how did shinzo abe handle that relationship?

he was, some calling the trump whi whisperer. >> shinzo abe understood before any other world leader what would need to be done to coax and cajole donald trump. to do things that were in the best interest of japan and the united states, as well. it was shinzo abe that first called to congratulate president-elect trump. as a result, trump, who signs of respect were so important, he a always had time for shinzo abe and would do what shinzo abe tried to do. he didn't try to take him for a traditional dinner. he brought him to tokyo's best ham berger place. they had a meal and played golf. it's not that shinzo abe was a huge fan of president trump before he became the president. we don't know if he was or doesn't. shinzo abe believed strongly that japan's security was

reliant on a strong and stable relationship with the united states. no matter who was elected. and so, he did what needed to be done to really work with donald trump. as a result, during all of -- abe's term, which was ended while president trump was still in office, they had a productive and successful relationship and a warm relationship. donald trump would answer the phone for shinzo abe. and you wouldn't say that about a lot of world leaders, especially traditional u.s. allies that bristoled at trump and didn't take him seriously, didn't treat him with the respect that he felt he deserved. >> will, good to see you there. we're going to take a quick break. our breaking news coverage will continue after we come back. this is how it feels to have a dedicated fidelility advisr looking at your full financial picture. this is what it's like to have a comprehensnsive wealth plan

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the former prime minister shinzo abe, the longest serving prime minister in japan's history, has been rushed to hospital after twice being shot while giving a speech in western japan. that's now being confirmed by japan's chief cabinet secretary. you're looking at the moment, that he was attacked. what you're seeing is the gunman, the alleged gunman, being tackled by security agents. and you'll see the weapon used in this attack, as well. there it is, right there. this was a homemade weapon. it looks like it has two rudimentary barrels there. that's the moment the gunfire rang out. a different angle showed a path of smoke that speaks to the

homemade nature of the weapon. quickly tackled to the ground. as we were discussing earlier, with blake, the level of security, there is security there. but that gunman was close to the former prime minister. we're told that local fire officials are saying that the former prime minister is being treated at the moment. we're getting new reaction to the attack. the ambassador, rahm emanuel writes this, we're satined and shocked by the shooting. he's been an outstanding leader in japan and unwavering alley of the u.s. and malcolm turnbull tweeting he is horrified by the use. he says, that abe is one of the

great leaders of our time. right now, we must hope and pray he pulls this. anthony blinken is in bali. here's what he had to say. >> i have to say before we meet, deeply saddened about the news coming to japan, for prime minister abe. we don't know his condition. we do know he's been shot. our thoughts, our prayers, are with him and his family, with the people of japan. this is a very, very sad moment. and we're awaiting news from japan. thank you. >> those talking earlier to will ripley, there was a fraught

relationship between japan and beijing, especially when it comes to taiwan. speak to that and mr. abe's positions and relationship with the chinese leadership. >> during his time there, his relationship with china was one of the toughest issues with shinzo abe. he was a realist when it came to the relationship with china. so many japanese businesses rely on the chinese market. but he was a proponent of boosting economic alliances. boosting defense alliances. supporting the quad. this created a contentious relationship. as we saw china become more aggressive in areas around japan, this also helped to boost the positioning, something that he was a strong proponent of, to create a fully fledged military for japan. so, his legacy is one that is

divisive and important. he wanted to rescore japan's economic and nationalistic, its military. he wanted to restore this glory. there was a lot of public opposition to that. even though abe stepped down, it's impossible to overstate how important he was to japanese politics. i was based in japan before this. abe is mentioned in japanese politics. he was wounded giving a speech in nara prefecture, to support the candidates, showing how influential he was in the ruling liberal democratic party. you can see the legacy he's left. he was talking about a stronger posture. more forward statements on taiwan. we've heard from taiwan's president that she hopes that

shinzo abe recovers. she called him a good friend, a strong proponent of taiwan/japanese relations. michael? >> great to have you there, too. and covered tokyo for us, there in beijing. thanks so much. our breaking news coverage will continue after a break.

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my blood pressure is borderline. garlique healthy blood pressure formula helps maintain healthy blood pressure with a custom blend of ingredients. i'm taking charge, with garlique. i'm michael holmes. cnn newsroom. updating you on the breaking news out of japan. former prime minister, shinzo abe, being rushed to the hospital, after being shot during a campaign speech. a local official told cnn, abe was in a state of cardio pull nair arrest, a sudden loss of

heart function and breathing. but japan's cap net secretary says his current position is unclear. nhk says the suspect, you see there on your screen, has been arrested. apparently, he had a homemade weapon. the downwall of prime minister boris johnson, as inevitable as it may seem, is sending shock waves through britain and fueling a lot of uncertainty about the future. the pound has been tumbling. a recession is looming. johnson, lamenting his early exit saying, it's painful to not be able to finish so many of his ideas and projects. >> to you, the british public, i

know there are many people that are relieved and perhaps quite a few will be disapointed. and i want you to know how sad i am to be giving up the best job in the world. but them's the breaks. as we've seen at westminster, the herd instinct is powerful. when the herd moves, it's moves. my friends in politics, no one is remotely indispensable. our leader, taking this country forward through tough times. >> the foreign secretary, liz truss, and two of the cabinet, whose exit marked the beginning of the end. the newly appointed finance

min minister. for now, johnson remains in a caretaker position of sorts, while the conservative party works on appointing the next prime minister. the business and energy secretary tweeting, we need a new leader as soon as possible, someone who can rebuild trust, heal the country and set out a new sensible and consistent economic approach to help families. let's go to claire sebastian, who is joining me now, live from downing street early in the morning there. a day of high drama. what now? >> this is almost as dramatic as the tenure of boris johnson. he is still in number 10. he has not left yet. he will remain as caretaker prime minister, until they elect a new leader that can take over

for him. the question in the interim, is how will he lead as caretaker. he told cabinet members that he won't push through new fiscal or policy changes. there's worries about the turbulent times we live in. the cost of living crisis. and many want the conservative leader to be expedited. we should see if the committee sets out the rules for the next contest. and the other big question is, who will replace him and what changes could they bring? the sense that we're getting is many people who put their hat in the ring, will try to set a different tone from boris johnson. to put a calmer face on the leadership. the m.p. never served in cabinet, throwing his hat in the ring, calling for a cleanup, calling for renewal.

i think, you know, quite often, the way in politics, a remedy to the previous leader is elected. i think you will see many people trying to put themselves forward as a calmer and more sober leader than boris johnson. michael? >> let's get to dominick thomas. he's in los angeles. in 2010, boris johnson prescribed former prime minister gordon brown, who was clinging to office, as, quote, lashing himself to the radiator in number 10 and suggested the nice policeman at the door of number 10, telling him the game is up. what convinced boris johnson the game is up? >> i think just there were so many things here, michael, that we can talk about. this time around, it was another

scandal for embroiling 10 downing street. that behavior modification with boris johnson is not an option. from his immediate entourage, high-ranking cabinet members started to resign, followed by a whole range of other historic levels of resignation. it became clear that he was going to have to be -- he was going to have to be removed. what's unusual about this situation is that, prime ministers are removed from office because people disagree within the party, with their f palsies. policies. it's the individual. there's a lot of hypocrisy here, in terms of how long they tolerated him. it's finally come to the conclusion that the individual boris johnson, is unfit to serve as party leader and therefore as prime minister. that's why there's an urgency to remove him from office, to find a replacement or to find an interim prime minister, so that

they can turn the page on this individual that is doing so much damage to the party and to m.p.s, who are hearing from the constituents at a time when 70% of the people said it's time for boris johnson to move on, michael. >> i'm curious, what you made of his public comments out of the front of number 10. it struck me there was a remarkable lack of self-awareness and a lot of deflection. i guess that's kind of boris johnson, isn't it? that's part of the problem. >> it is the way politics is today. you saw how donald trump behaved when he lost the election to joe biden. and he's talking about the herd in westminster, when he was the shepherd that drove the herd on theresa may, and paved the way for him to the prime ministership. it's something that i said

repeatedly, this is a individual who believes his sense of entitlement leads him to believe that he deserves the privilege and treatment he gets. what he demonstrated, rather than decency, and rather than respect for precedent and institutions, he's chosen to ignore those. that will be one of the most damning aspects of the legacy of this prime minister, when he leaves 10 downing street in the weeks to come. >> yeah. i wish we had more time. the news on shinzo abe h hasshas broken into our time. cnn newsroom continues.

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we're following the breaking news out of japan, where former prime minister shinzo abe has been rushed to a hospital after being shot. this happened when giving a speech in nara in western japan. the city's fire department reporting that abe was in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest.

he was conscious and responsive as he was taken to the hospital. the police quick to arrest the gunman, you saw that happening right now. he was described as a man in his 40s. nhk quoting police saying, he used a homemade gun. abe is the country's longest serving prime minister. he served from 2006-2007, and then 2012-2020. he stepped down in september 2020, citing health problems. the yukrainian flag flying again on an island once held by russia. ukraine says its troops raised the flag on snake island on thursday, after russian forces pulled out last week. they attacked the island on the first day of the war. you'll remember a small group of defenders became a symbol of ukrainian resistance after they

cast off a russian warship. in moscow, vladimir putin says russia is ready to fight the war to the bitter end. he says that's because the west wants it that way. >> translator: we have heard that the west is ready to fight with us until the last ukrainian is standing. this is a tragedy for the ukrainian people. it seems like everything is going towards this. >> ukraine says russia is stepping up strikes, ahead of an expected offensive. ukraine says the next major target is sloviansk, where russia is north and northeast of the city. 45% of the region is in ukrainian hands. scott mcclain joins me now

to talk about what is going on on the battlefield. boris johnson stepping down as prime minister. he's been heavily involved in what is going on in ukraine, what's the reaction of the government there? >> michael, the ukrainians have taken many blows on the battlefield. this resignation seems like an equal blow to the country. and president zelensky seemed disappointed when reacting to the news yesterday. a readout of the call between him and johnson, said that everyone in ukraine loved him. se lzelenskyy will be relieved that they secured support from the united kingdom and boris johnson says he will be sticking around until a new leader is chosen in the fall. and ukrainians are optimistic that the next leader will be supportive of the efforts in

ukraine. it is so, so important for the ukrainians to have the support of countries like the united kingdom in the west, not only to lobby other countries to provide military support and to provide it themselves. barely a day goes by when zelenskyy doesn't plead with the west fordonbas, they are outgun and outmanned. it seems like a good day when they hold the line. in places like the north and the southern parts of the country, where the ukrainians are holding the line, taking back territory, of course, the russians are content to lob missiles on to the other side. yesterday, a missile strike hit in the city center. and the ukrainians say in kha kharkiv, in the northern part of the country, there was shelling that killed three people. >> all right. scott mcclain, appreciate your reporting there, in kyiv for us. our thanks to you.

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hey, did i tell you i bought our car from carvana? yeah, ma. it was so easy. i found the perfect car under budget too! and i get seven days to love it or my money back... i love it! [laughs] we'll drive you happy at carvana. now, breaking news this hour. the former prime minister shinzo

abe rushed to hospital, after being shot during a campaign speech. it happened in nara in western japan. have a listen. you hear there two distinct booms from what is a homemade weapon. it appeared to be a homemade shotgun. you see the former prime minister being wheeled from a helicopter into the hospital. mr. abe's condition is critical. he's undergoing emergency surgery. and the doctors are, in the words of the current prime minister, fighting to save his life. state broadcaster nhk did say mr. abe was conscious and responsive, as he was being taken to the hospital.

police did arrest the gunman. he is holding the weapon at that time. they describe him as a man in his 40s. nhk reports he did not try to run away. as we were saying, according to police, his weapon was some sort of homemade firearm. women's basketball star brittney griner has pleaded guilty to drug smuggling in russia. she appeared in a moscow court on thursday, admitting to bringing cannabis oil in february. she packed her bags in a hurry and had not intended to break the law. she could face up to ten years in a russian prison. griner's wife spoke to joe biden on wednesday, who reassured her he is working to bring griner home. christine brennan is a cnn sports analyst and columnist for

"usa today." it's good to see you. the last american freed by mimi moscow, he fiercely thought of his innocence. do you think griner's plea could follow that path that it was necessary? >> i think so, michael. there's a playbook here. sad but true. and a strategy to this. no doubt that brittney griner is following that. is doing what is being suggested by those in the state department, who are following this closely. whatever the fact is, if this is a trumped-up charge is. if she had the tcartridges with her. if she had them and thought she could get away with it. who knows? but that seems to be in the

distant pass. that's squarely that she has a guilty plea. it seems the chess match will move on to negotiations and hostage negotiations, that would get her eventually back home. that looks like this is all about and what the strategy seems to be. >> and the russians want the arms dealer back, as well. that could be where this is added. there's been criticism because of the high-profile wnba star gold medal, she's been given attention, not given to others being held in russia, that she's gotten special treatment by the biden administration. do you think that's care criticism? >> i'm not sure if it 's fair criticism. it's ironic. a week ago, the conversation was 180. 180 degrees. the sense that women athletes don't get the attention.

of course, she's in russia because of the pay disparity between male and female professional basketball players. it's extraordinary, the difference, which is why wnba players go overseas to supplement their earnings in the off-season of the u.s. league. the whole conversation was, if she were lebron james, would she be back already? or tom brady? and because women don't get the same attention, the same focus, the same money, that she was being treated differently. and then came the public relations campaign, clamoring, understandable in this heartbreaking situation, from brittney griner's family, from her wife, from her teammates, her coaches. the wnba players have been tryingtry ing to keep her name in the news. it has exploded over the last week. the fact there's conversation, right ly so, as you described, s

you described it, this is happening. it's happening. it's really the ultimate irony because the complaint was, it wasn't happening a week or so ago. and i do think that campaign is working well, now. >> that's a good point. you raise something interesting. the head coach of the mercury, said griner was in russia, as a woman basketballer, she, unlike men, need to supplement her income by playing abroad. how important is that aspect? and do you think other u.s. athletes, male or female, will think twice about playing in russia anytime soon? >> i certainly think so. maybe not this yore. this is all set against the backdrop of the horrors in ukraine. it's hard to imagine any athlete going over there now, with the

thought they will go and play a sport and make more money, that's almost unfathomable at this point. brittney griner is going to play in russia and she is a hero over there. she's paid lots of money. this is her livelihood. this is how she was living her life over the last few years, how many of the wnba players do. that russia piece of it will stop for a while. no one could risk anything like this moving forward. >> college kids who won't make the draft, may play overseas, as well. really quick, in ten seconds, people don't know, what is the difference in average pay between wnba and nba? >> wnba, the highest salary is $250,000. in the nba, it can be north of

$40 million. it is an unbelievable difference between the two. >> wanted to get that out there. good to see you, christine brennan. >> thank you, michael. our coverage continues with kim brunhuber.