Former Japan PM Shinzo Abe was assassinated today. He was shot twice, at a campaign in the Nara region on the eve of Sunday's upper house elections in Japan. For India, this is a huge loss, he was a true friend, credited with transforming ties between New Delhi and Tokyo. He was one of the first leaders to look at India as a major Asian democratic power and a force to reckon with. His warm relationship with Narendra Modi dates back to his days as Gujarat Chief Minister.
