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announcer: and now, "bbc world news". >> i am laura w york and thisbbc world news america. japan is morning the former prime minister shinzo abe, assassinated by a gunman. japan's longest-serving postwar prime minister was shot dead during a campaign rally. president biden signs an execute order meant to protect american women's access to abortion but the details are vague. the tech war in ukraine. weollow ukrainian forces trying to hold back the russians with drones. the race is on to replace boris johnson as conservative lear and become britain's next prime minister. the former chancellor wants the job. and in tennis, novak djokovic reaches another wimbledon final,

beating cam norrie from the u.k. ♪ welcome to world news america on pbs and around the globe. japan's former and longest-serving postwar prime minister has been assassinated during a campaign rally. shinzo abe was shot at close range while making a speech. doctors were unable to save him. police arrested a 41-year-old man immediately afterwards. as shock and disbelief in japan which has low rates of violent crime and very tough gun laws. our correspondent reports. a warning, you might find some of his report distressing. >> this was shinzo abe this morning, standing on the street corner rallying support for his party in sunday's elections. lurking a few meters away, this man was caught on camera by a

local tv crew. then suddenly, two very loud bangs rang out. [explosions] mr. abe's bodyguards are on the assailant in seconds. lying on the street, a strange looking gun made of steel pipes put together by black tape. the former prime minister is flown to a nearby hospital, but the news is bad. he has been hit in the back and neck, and his heart has stopped. this is where mr. abe was brought and this is where doctors worked for hours to try to save his life. it was from here at a little after 5:00 this evening that we got the news that he died. tonight, the whole of japan is in shock. there has been political assassinations here before but nothing like this, certain not in more than half a century. >> i was really shocked.

i never thought a gun would be used. using a gun in japan, i've never heard of this. >> it seems guns are becoming more common. that makes me feel very sad. >> back in tokyo, the prime minister could barely hold back the tears as he went before the media. >> i prayed that somehow his life would be spared, but unfortunately, he is gone. this is a terrible day. i have no words. >> this evening, police begin searchinthe suspect's home, reportedly finding more homemade firearms, but no clear motive. from around the world, the tributes have been pouring in. president biden to boris johnson. and mr. ab'es old golfing partner -- abe's old golfing partner donald trump. he had his detractors, too,

nothing least of which was chinese president xi jinping. but he brought japan and america closer together than eve before. he champions free trade in the pacific and served his country longer than any other leader. for that, he will be remembered. laura: rupert joins us now live from japan. it is morning there. how would you describe the national mood the day after mr. abe was killed? rupert: it is still one of profound shock in japan. just a few minutes before we came on air, a cavalcade, a car motorcade left from the hospital behind me with a large black hearse. we think that was carrying mr. abe's body and he's now heading back towards tokyo by road which will take some hours

for him to get there. we don't know what the arrangements will be for his funeral yet. japan has to get through an election on sunday. it is absolute one of profound shock. japan is a country where this sort of gun crime just doesn't happen. to give you an idea of how different japan is, there are fewer than 10 gun related deaths a year for the whole country. so, this is something the japanese people just don't think happens in japan. the second thing i think it who would happened to. mr. abe, he's a huge figure in japanese politics. he dominated this country for more than decade. he emphasized very much the relationship between japan and the united states. he wanted japan to step up and be a much fuller, take a fuller role than it did in postwar decades. he's a massive figure.

the people have been used to having him around foa long time. the idea he is now gone is profoundly shocking. laura: what more are the police saying about the suspect and his positive motive -- his possible motive? rupert: very little. the police released a statement last night saying the man had told him, he admitted the crime, and sold them during questioning he had a grudge against an organization that mr. abe was connected to. more than that, they have not said. we really don't know whether this was actually a politically motivated crime or whether this suspect is one of those sort of lonely men who have a grudge agains society, want to be famous, carry out a dramatic act in order to do that. we have to wait for more information from the police to find out what his motivation was. laura: rupert in japan, thank you.

president biden called shinzo abe a champion of the u.s.-japan alliance. for more on his impact, we are joined by christopher john who served as director of east asia in the security council. i know when prime minister abe came here for the state dinner, you were part of that delegation. how will you remember the prime minister's impact? christopher: thank you for giving me the opportunity to be here today. as your segment noted upfront, abe was a transformational figure in japan. one of the most consequential prime ministers and japan's history. he came to office with a determination, a mission to restore japan as a leader in the world, and he brought a comprehensive strategy to do it. he was head of the curve in recognizing china as a threat to the international order and designed a strategy to manage relations with beijing. he had an ambitious economic strategy. he brought japan into the

transpacific partnership in 2013. he kept japan in the agreement and kept the agreement together after the u.s. pulled out in 2017 under president trump. and finally, he loosened restrictions on japan's military strength, defense capabilities in a way that allows the u.s. to cooperate more closely with japan. just a huge figure. yes, i did have the opportunity to meet with him on a number of occasions when i worked for president obama in the state visit to washington in april of 2015. i was also there when he took president obama to hiroshima in 2016. so, just a number of very significant moments in the u.s.-japan relationship that prime minister abe made possible. laura: one president trump was elected, shinzo abe came to new york city and presented him with goldplated golf clubs.

was that a shrewd move there? christopher: it is an example of abe's great skill in diplomatic capability. unlike other leaders in the region and beyond, he worked very hard early on to build a productive relationship with donald trump. it served him and japan well throughout the trump years. there was very little friction between the u.s. and japan. in contrast with some other major allies that the u.s. has. so he had a sense of how to build relations with partners that were in japan's interest. he was not without controversy, as your segment noted. under his watch, there were difficulties in the relationship with south korea. he pursued a policy of engagement with russia that was a source of some friction during the obama years. in the main, he was a consequential leader. as a result of his work, the u.s.-japan relationship is stronger footing than it's ever been. laura: and did he in recent

months actually influence u.s. policy towards taiwan, do you think? christopher: certainly, he has been an outspoken advocate of taiwan and of the importance of stability in the relationship. he speaks for a growing part of the political spectrum in japan that thinks that taiwan's security is important and things that japan's security is directly linked with taiwan. he has enabled a closer conversation between the united states and japan about how to ensure the dynamic remains stable and peaceful. laura: christopher, thank you for joining us. here in the u.s. today, president biden signed an executive order aiming to give women access to abortion medication. this comes two weeks after the national right to an abortion was overturned weather u.s. supreme court. a number of states have made abortion legal.

here's the president speaking about the impact of the court's ruling. >> what we are witnessing was not a constitutional judgment. it was an exercise in raw political power. on the day the dobbs decision came down, i anced what i would do. i also made it clear, based on the reasoning of the court, there is no constitutional right to choose. the only way to fulfill and restore that right for women in this country is by voting. by exercising the power at the ballot box. let me explain. we need two additional pro-choice senators and pro-choice house to codify roe as federal law. your vote can make that a reality. laura: our north america editor sarah smith is at the white house now. at the moment, there aren't the votes for international abortion law so when the meantime, how does this executive order help women who are living in states where abortion is illegal? sarah: the idea is that the

president is tryinto guarantee that patients can travel to states where abortion is still legal and providers can work with women who come from states that have made abortions illegal to provide this service so they can still access termination. he's hoping to use the federal law to at least guarantee women the right to travel, and that doctors could not then be pursued by ates where the procedure is illegal and either be charged criminally or be sued. he's hoping there is nationwide access to abortion pills which can be taken in the earliest stages of pregnancy. you heard him, turning this into an election pitch as well as a place to help women seeking abortions. saying it is by turning out and voting democrat in november's midterms, and returning a pro-choice senate and house that he would be able to pass a federal law that would guarantee the right to abortion in all 50 states in america. laura: in the meantime, what's happening in those states where abortion is illegal and there is

no exception for rape or incensed? -- incest? sarah: there are 10 states that already have abortion bans in place. some of them allow an exception if the life of the mother is in danger. but 10 where there is no exception for rape or incest. the presint highlighted that and got visibly angry and emotional when he talked about the case of a 10-year-old girl in ohio who was raped, six weeks pregnant. because she was in ohio had to travel to another state to access a termination. saying that is the sort of thing that should not happen anywhere, especially not in america. that is why he would like to pass this law guaranteeing federal abortion rights. he made another promise. even if you can't do that, he says if republicans try to pass a federal law banning abortion in all 50 states in america, and we know a lot of republicans have said that is what they want to do, if they are able to do that, president biden promised he would veto that bill because he would not sign it.

laura: sarah smith at the white house, thank you. russian forces are continuing heavy shelling of towns and villages in eastern ukraine ahead of a new offensive. the time of russia's invasion, while parts of the regions were held by russian-backed separatists. now russia occupies large areas of the south and east of ukraine, and it is pushing forward in the donetsk region. the latest target -- from there, jonathan sent this report. >> near the front line close to the city, ukrainian troops prepared to target russian positions. they know this next battle will be crucial. >> the city is next aim for russians. >> do you think you can stop it? >> sure, we will. we will. >> blasts of artillery, the

familiar sounds of this war. but there's also a quieter, harder to see battle involvi on and electronic warfare jamming and tracking signals. >> the russians have a lot of stuff for blocking the drones, the signal. remote control, camera, and so on. >> it is also a dangerous game of hidand seek. as we soon found out. just heard some sound of aircraft. the soldiers told us to to cover under the trees. the russians are flying over these positions, trying to spot where they are. >> it's the russians. >> they've been using drones, small ones to spot enemy positions and direct artillery. they've already lost five.

they believe they are getting results. back at base, they are even making their own bombs to target the russians. >> three or four more. maybe up to 100 soldiers. five or six. >> the russians are not just tracking their drums, they are also trying to jam communications, but u.s. technology is helping overcome that. another secret location, they are using one of the thousands of satellite units provided by elon musk. >> russia -- the other western name that is popular among ukrainian troops is boris johnson. but even though he will soon be gone, there is still hope that britain will continue to back ukraine.

>> now we are defending western values here. modernizingur army and providing sufficient weapons will bring peace to your country, to you in britain. >> russia's already targeting the city. it still out guns ukraine and has the advantage in electronic warfare. homegrown ingenuity and western support is making a difference. but is it sufficient to halt the russian advance? bbc news, the donbas. laura: in the u.k., the race to replace boris johnson is underway after the prime minister's resignation as conservative party leader. mr. johnson will stay otil the new leader is chosen and several candidates have already declared they are running. let's get the latest from a political correspondent. who is the first with the campaign video?

>> rishi sunak, the former chancellor, has released a very slick campaign video announcing his leadership bid today. another who has announced their bid today is the mp, announcing her leadership bid and pledging shrink the size of the state and intervention of the state in the u.k. there are now four candidates that have publicly put themselves forward. they are joining the backbench mp and the attorney general as well. privately, there are lots more mp's that have been shoring up support among conservative colleagues, including some of the big names that stood in boris johnson's cabinet. people like the chancellor, the former health secretary, the defense secretary, the foreign secretary peter these are all names that have been thrown around that tory mps are

thinking about backing. in terms of the process, we are still waiting for the official timetable of how this will all work which we should be getting next week. just a few days time. laura: why is boris johnson having to apparently move the venue of his wedding party? >> that's right. there has been some reports about him having a wedding party at his countryside home. it is understood he's now not going to host that wedding party there. they got married during the coronavirus pandemic, so we had a very small ceremony at the time, but then decided to have a party this summer. it was decided it was not appropriate to hold a big gathering at that countryside residents, given he's no longer going to be conservative party leader for very much longer. and will not be the prime minister without access to that residence either.

laura: is there still a concern it is not clear when he's leaving downing street? >> i think it is pretty clear. the expectation is there will be a new prime minister by september. that is the wide consensus in westminster. the exact timetable has not been determined yet but the expectation is there will be a leadership contest that will take place over the summer. tory mp's will while down the list of candidates to a final two will then be put to a vote among tory members. the expectation is the new conservative pty leader will be in place by the autumn and a new prime minister expected by september. laura: thank you. in other news from around the world, angola's former president, who ruled africa second-biggest will producer for nearly four decades, has died. before taking office, he funded the country's war against portuguese colonial rule.

his presidency was marred in controversy with allegations of nepotism and corruption. he had been in hospital in spain after suffering a heart attack last month. in june, the u.s. economy added 373,000 job a higher number than predicted. the unemployment rate is close to a record low. the strong job growth could mean higher interest rates in the near future and may suggest the u.s. is not quite as close to a recession as previously thought. the city of mumbai is on red alert as heavy rain continues and could lead to more flooding. the monsoon rains meanome people are living in waist deep water, making normal life impossible. experts say climate change has made the seasonal rains more intense and less predictable than usual. two former heads of european and world football have been acquitted of corruption by a court in switzerland. they both were banned from the sports international governing bodies in 2015 when a criminal

investigation was opened. mr. blatter who served as the present for 17 years called his acquittal a victory. now tennis now were novak djokovic -- >> i thank this court for taking this matter very seriously. thank you. >> the biggest victory of your life? >> yeah, it's justice, but it is a victory for me definitely. sure. laura: sepp blatter there. in tennis, novak djokovic beat cameron norrie to reach the wimbledon's men's final. we have the roundup from sw 19. >> time and time again when you think this could be the day that novak djokovic is beaten, he finds a way to power through. for the first set, taken by britain's cameron norrie. the fans behind me and the

british fans on centre urt really believed an upset was on the cards. cam nore's development has been extorted or he, playing for just -- extraordinary, playing for just the second time in the semifinal. he showed that topspin forehand, the backhand that is perfect for the surface. it was causing djokovic all sorts of problems he couldn't deal with. the defending champion, as he so often does, took a breath, rese and won the second, third and fourth sets to reach an eighth wimbledon final. trying to win his seventh title. the 32n grand slam final four djokovic. he's hoping to win 21, which would bring him within one of nadal's record of 22. awaiting in sunday's final will be nick kyrgious who had friday off. nadal withdrawn because of the a domino injury which means kyrgios did not have to play on

friday. before that, we havehe women's final. ons jabeur chasing history. the world number two hoping to become the first african and arab player to win a grand slam in the open era. she will be facing elena ryba kina, also in her first grand slam final at the age of 23. whatever happens, we will have a first time grand slam winter at the women's final. at the moment, it is too tough to call which way it will go. laura: before we go tonight, walking the dog has been redefined. meet tom and his dog savanna who over seven years walked a whopping 30,000 miles over mountains, deserts and oceans. tom becoming the 10th person ever to walk around the world. savannah is the first talk to do so. she gets the bragging rights and i hope she gets an awful lot of treats.

i'm laura trevelyan. thank you for watching "bbc world news narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... narrator: financial services firm, raymond james. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. and by contributions to this pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ ♪ narrator: you're watching pbs. ♪ da-da-da-duh-da-da-da♪ ♪ da-da-da-da-da-da ♪♪

♪ judy: good evening. i'm judy woodruff. on the "newshour" tonight... an assassination -- japan's former prime minister shinzo abe is fatally shot at a campaign event, rocking a nation that rarely experiences gun violence. then... employment gains -- a strong jobs report staves off recession fears for now, even as concerns about rising prices linger. plus... protecting abortion -- president biden signs an executive order to ensure abortion access but stops short of broader measures some activists were hoping for. and it's friday... david brooks and jonathan capehart reflect on the state of our nation after the july fourth holiday is marred by yet another mass shooting. all that and more on tonight's