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Nagasaki city mayor is shot dead Japan PM denounces mayor's death
(about 11 hours later)
The mayor of the Japanese city of Nagasaki has died several hours after being shot, police said. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has denounced the murder of Nagasaki's mayor Itcho Ito as unforgivable.
Itcho Ito, 61, was shot at least twice in the back in the centre of the city just before 2000 (1100 GMT) on Tuesday, and died in hospital on Wednesday. Mr Ito was shot in the back outside a train station on Tuesday evening, and died early on Wednesday in hospital.
Police said they had arrested a man, who was allegedly a member of one of Japan's leading organised crime groups. "This murder, which took place in the middle of an election campaign, is a threat to democracy," said Mr Abe.
Japanese media said the murder appeared to be linked to an alleged controversy over public works contracts. Police said they had arrested a man named Tetsuya Shiroo, who is alleged to be a member of one of Japan's leading criminal groups, the Yamaguchi-gumi.
Mr Ito was campaigning for re-election to a fourth term as mayor of Nagasaki, 980km (610 miles) south-west of Tokyo on the island of Kyushu. Japanese media said the murder appeared to be linked to an alleged controversy over the city's handling of a traffic accident four years ago.
Police identified the suspect as Tetsuya Shiroo, who was arrested on the spot. The attack has shocked people in Japan - a nation which sees little gun crime and where handguns are strictly banned.
Television pictures showed police struggling with Mr Shiroo and pushing him into a police car. No forgiveness
Paramedics treated Mr Ito on the ground outside a train station in the centre of Nagasaki before he was taken to hospital in an ambulance. "We are truly saddened by the passing of Mayor Ito," Nagasaki's Vice Mayor Nobuhiro Uchida said in a statement on Wednesday.
Doctors worked for several hours to keep him alive but he died at 0228 (1728 GMT on Tuesday). "We could never forgive such a cowardly act and we feel strong indignation."
"It cannot be forgiven no matter what," Mr Abe added. "We have to show our strong determination to get rid of such violence."
Mr Ito was shot while out campaigning for re-election for a fourth term as mayor of the southern city - which is best known worldwide for being virtually flattened by a US atomic bomb in the closing days of World War II.
Paramedics treated him on the ground before he was taken to hospital in an ambulance. Doctors worked for several hours to keep him alive but he died at 0228 on Wednesday (1728 GMT Tuesday).
One of the bullets had reached his heart, hospital officials said.One of the bullets had reached his heart, hospital officials said.
Despite the fact that gun violence is rare in Japan, Nagasaki has seen attacks on politicians before.
Mr Ito's predecessor Hitoshi Motoshima was shot and seriously injured in 1990 by a right-wing extremist, after he said that Emperor Hirohito bore some responsibility for World War II.