Accounts emerged on Sunday of heroic attempts to tackle a gunman who slaughtered 50 people at two mosques in New Zealand, as authorities prepared to begin releasing the bodies of victims to their families for burial.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-mosque-attacker-to-represent-himself-in-court-reports-203964">Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28</a>, a suspected white supremacist, was charged with murder on Saturday. Tarrant was remanded without a plea and is due back in court on April 5 where police said he was likely to face more charges.

Friday's attack in the city of Christchurch, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern labelled terrorism, was the worst ever peacetime mass killing in New Zealand.

Ardern also said she wanted to talk to Facebook, as footage of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-mosque-attack-gun-shop-owner-says-christchurch-suspect-bought-weapons-online-203970">the attack on one of the mosques</a> was broadcast live on Facebook, and a "manifesto" denouncing immigrants as "invaders" was posted online via links to related social media accounts minutes before the violence began.

Amid the shock, outrage and recriminations that have consumed New Zealand over the past two days, tales of heroism and self-sacrifice emerged.

Abdul Aziz, 48, was hailed for confronting the shooter at the second mosque and preventing more deaths.

Aziz, originally from Afghanistan, ran outside after the shooting started and picked up a shotgun that the gunman had dropped. The gun had no shells in it, he said.

"I chased him," Aziz said. "He sat in his car and with the shotgun in my hands, I threw it through his window like an arrow. He just swore at me and took off."

Another man, Naeem Rashid from Pakistan, was seen on the gunman's video confronting the shooter before he was killed, the BBC reported. Rashid's 21-year-old son, Talha, was also killed.

The death toll climbed to 50 when police found another body at the Al Noor mosque, where more than 40 people died after a gunman burst in and opened fire on worshippers with a semi-automatic rifle with high-capacity magazines, driving to attack a second mosque.

Police rammed the suspect's vehicle and arrested him as he drove away from the second mosque in the suburb of Linwood.

Police Commissioner Mike Bush said the man was apprehended 36 minutes after police were alerted and he was the only person charged in connection with the shootings. Three people detained earlier were not involved, he said.

'Incomprehensible'

Huge piles of flowers were laid at sites near the mosques and crowds of people of all faiths gathered to pay respects. Some played guitar, sang and lit candles as darkness fell.

Members of a Maori motorbike gang performed a haka war-dance at one site.

Church services for the victims were held, including at Christchurch's "Cardboard Cathedral", a temporary structure built after a 2011 earthquake.

But the priority for grieving family and friends on Sunday was laying their loved ones to rest. It is customary in Islam to bury the dead within 24 hours but no bodies have been released because of the investigation, police said.

Ardern said victims would be handed over to families from Sunday evening.

"It is likely, however, to be a small number to begin with," she told a media briefing, adding that all should be returned by Wednesday.

Wearing a black scarf, Ardern hugged members of the Muslim community at a refugee centre on Saturday, saying she would ensure freedom of religion.

Thirty-four people were in Christchurch Hospital, with 12 in intensive care, while a child was moved to a children's hospital in Auckland.

Greg Robertson, head of surgery at Christchurch Hospital said staff were used to gunshots and other severe injuries, but the scale and nature of the attacks was different.

"The magnitude of this is the thing that is the most significant issue for people. It's just comprehending what is incomprehensible."

The majority of victims were migrants or refugees from countries such as Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Somalia, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

The youngest was a three-year-old boy, according to an unofficial list of the dead.

Pakistan's high commissioner said six citizens had been killed and three were missing. Five Indians were killed, its High Commission said.

Gun law will change

Tarrant did not have a criminal history and was not on any watchlists in New Zealand or Australia.

Ardern said a "manifesto" was emailed to more than 30 recipients including her office, nine minutes before the attack but it gave no location or specific details. She said her office sent it to parliamentary security two minutes after getting it.

In the manifesto, which was also posted online, Tarrant described himself as "Just an ordinary White man, 28 years old" who used profits from cryptocurrency trading to finance travels through Europe from 2016-2018.

The shootings have raised new questions about violence being disseminated online. Facebook said it had removed 1.5 million videos of the attack in the first 24 hours, and it was also removing all edited versions, even those without graphic content.

Ardern told the briefing that she had been contacted by Facebook operations chief Sheryl Sandberg who had acknowledged what had happened.

"This is an issue that I will look to be discussing directly with Facebook," Ardern said.

The violence has also shone a new light on gun control.

Ardern said Tarrant was a licensed gun owner who allegedly used five weapons, including two semi-automatic weapons and two shotguns, which had been modified. She said a ban on semi-automatic weapons would be considered.

"We cannot be deterred from the work that we need to do on our gun laws," Ardern said. "They will change."

Media has reported a rush to buy guns before any ban is brought in.

New Zealand has tried to tighten laws before but a strong gun lobby and culture of hunting has stymied efforts.

There are an estimated 1.5 million firearms in New Zealand, which has a population of only 5 million, but it has had low levels of gun violence.

Accounts emerged on Sunday of heroic attempts to tackle a gunman who slaughtered 50 people at two mosques in New Zealand, as authorities prepared to begin releasing the bodies of victims to their families for burial.

Accounts emerged on Sunday of heroic attempts to tackle a gunman who slaughtered 50 people at two mosques in New Zealand, as authorities prepared to begin releasing the bodies of victims to their families for burial. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, was charged with murder on Saturday. Tarrant was remanded without a plea and is due back in court on April 5 where police said he was likely to face more charges. Friday's attack in the city of Christchurch, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern labelled terrorism, was the worst ever peacetime mass killing in New Zealand. Ardern also said she wanted to talk to Facebook, as footage of the attack on one of the mosques was broadcast live on Facebook, and a "manifesto" denouncing immigrants as "invaders" was posted online via links to related social media accounts minutes before the violence began. Amid the shock, outrage and recriminations that have consumed New Zealand over the past two days, tales of heroism and self-sacrifice emerged. Abdul Aziz, 48, was hailed for confronting the shooter at the second mosque and preventing more deaths. Aziz, originally from Afghanistan, ran outside after the shooting started and picked up a shotgun that the gunman had dropped. The gun had no shells in it, he said. "I chased him," Aziz said. "He sat in his car and with the shotgun in my hands, I threw it through his window like an arrow. He just swore at me and took off." Another man, Naeem Rashid from Pakistan, was seen on the gunman's video confronting the shooter before he was killed, the BBC reported. Rashid's 21-year-old son, Talha, was also killed. The death toll climbed to 50 when police found another body at the Al Noor mosque, where more than 40 people died after a gunman burst in and opened fire on worshippers with a semi-automatic rifle with high-capacity magazines, driving to attack a second mosque. Police rammed the suspect's vehicle and arrested him as he drove away from the second mosque in the suburb of Linwood. Police Commissioner Mike Bush said the man was apprehended 36 minutes after police were alerted and he was the only person charged in connection with the shootings. Three people detained earlier were not involved, he said. 'Incomprehensible' Huge piles of flowers were laid at sites near the mosques and crowds of people of all faiths gathered to pay respects. Some played guitar, sang and lit candles as darkness fell. Members of a Maori motorbike gang performed a haka war-dance at one site. Church services for the victims were held, including at Christchurch's "Cardboard Cathedral", a temporary structure built after a 2011 earthquake. But the priority for grieving family and friends on Sunday was laying their loved ones to rest. It is customary in Islam to bury the dead within 24 hours but no bodies have been released because of the investigation, police said. Ardern said victims would be handed over to families from Sunday evening. "It is likely, however, to be a small number to begin with," she told a media briefing, adding that all should be returned by Wednesday. Wearing a black scarf, Ardern hugged members of the Muslim community at a refugee centre on Saturday, saying she would ensure freedom of religion. Thirty-four people were in Christchurch Hospital, with 12 in intensive care, while a child was moved to a children's hospital in Auckland. Greg Robertson, head of surgery at Christchurch Hospital said staff were used to gunshots and other severe injuries, but the scale and nature of the attacks was different. "The magnitude of this is the thing that is the most significant issue for people. It's just comprehending what is incomprehensible." The majority of victims were migrants or refugees from countries such as Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Somalia, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The youngest was a three-year-old boy, according to an unofficial list of the dead. Pakistan's high commissioner said six citizens had been killed and three were missing. Five Indians were killed, its High Commission said. Gun law will change Tarrant did not have a criminal history and was not on any watchlists in New Zealand or Australia. Ardern said a "manifesto" was emailed to more than 30 recipients including her office, nine minutes before the attack but it gave no location or specific details. She said her office sent it to parliamentary security two minutes after getting it. In the manifesto, which was also posted online, Tarrant described himself as "Just an ordinary White man, 28 years old" who used profits from cryptocurrency trading to finance travels through Europe from 2016-2018. The shootings have raised new questions about violence being disseminated online. Facebook said it had removed 1.5 million videos of the attack in the first 24 hours, and it was also removing all edited versions, even those without graphic content. Ardern told the briefing that she had been contacted by Facebook operations chief Sheryl Sandberg who had acknowledged what had happened. "This is an issue that I will look to be discussing directly with Facebook," Ardern said. The violence has also shone a new light on gun control. Ardern said Tarrant was a licensed gun owner who allegedly used five weapons, including two semi-automatic weapons and two shotguns, which had been modified. She said a ban on semi-automatic weapons would be considered. "We cannot be deterred from the work that we need to do on our gun laws," Ardern said. "They will change." Media has reported a rush to buy guns before any ban is brought in. New Zealand has tried to tighten laws before but a strong gun lobby and culture of hunting has stymied efforts. There are an estimated 1.5 million firearms in New Zealand, which has a population of only 5 million, but it has had low levels of gun violence.

Accounts emerge of heroism in New Zealand mosques; bodies to be released

The owner of a New Zealand gun store said on Monday the man charged with murder in Christchurch's mass shooting had bought firearms and ammunition online from the store, but it did not sell him the high-powered weapon used in the mosque shootings.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-mosque-attacker-to-represent-himself-in-court-reports-203964">Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist</a>, was charged with murder on Saturday. Tarrant was remanded without a plea and is due back in court on April 5 where police said he was likely to face more charges.

Fifty people were killed and dozens wounded at two mosques in Christchurch on Friday.

Gun City owner David Tipple said the alleged gunman bought four weapons and ammunition between December 2017 and March 2018.

"The MSSA, military-style automatic, reportedly used by the alleged gunman was not purchased from Gun City. Gun City did not sell him an MSSA, only A-category firearms," Tipple told a new conference in Christchurch.

Under New Zealand gun laws, A-category weapons can be semi-automatic but limited to seven shots. Video of a gunman in one mosque showed a semi-automatic with a large magazine round.

Tipple said the online purchases followed a police-verified online mail-order process and A-category firearms were bought in three or four purchases.

"We detected nothing extraordinary about the licence holder. He was a brand new purchaser, with a brand new licence," he said.

Tightening New Zealand's gun laws was at the top of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's agenda as she met with her cabinet on Monday for the first time since the massacre.

The shock of the attacks has led to calls for an immediate tightening of laws to restrict access to some firearms, particularly semi-automatic weapons.

"What the public rightly are asking right now is why is it and how is it that you are currently able to buy military style semi-automatic weapons in New Zealand, and that's the right question to ask," Ardern told TVNZ earlier on Monday.

"There are ways we can bring in affective regulation of firearms that actually target those we need to target and that is our focus."

Gun City owner Tipple said he supported Ardern's call for gun law reforms as the Christchurch shootings had raised legitimate concerns.

New Zealand, a country of only 5 million people, has an estimated 1.5 million firearms. The minimum age for a gun license is 16, and 18 to own a semi-automatic weapon.

A Radio New Zealand report, based on police data secured through an Official Information Act request, said more than 99 per cent of people who applied for a firearms licence in 2017 were successful.

A New Zealand standard A-category firearm licence is issued after a police and background check. No licence is required to buy a large round magazine, which can be illegally modified for use in such a weapon.

Only firearm owners are licensed, not weapons, so there is no monitoring of how many weapons a person may possess.

New Zealand's top online marketplace Trade Me Group said it was halting the sale of semi-automatic weapons in the wake of Friday's attack.

Burial frustration

Ardern was the first signatory of a national condolence book for the country's worst mass killing that she opened in the capital Wellington on Monday.

"On behalf of all New Zealanders, we grieve together. We are one. They are us," she wrote in the book.

Frustration was building among the families of victims as under Islam it is custom to conduct burials within 24 hours, but bodies will not be released until post mortems are carried out.

Deputy Police Commissioner Wally Haumaha said the first body was approved for release on Sunday night, but the family was yet to take the body because another relative was also killed and they wanted to collect them together. He said there would be no burials on Monday.

"We’ve been working fairly hard through the night to ensure the process of returning the deceased to their loved ones is taking place expediently," he said.

The burial process, which usually involves washing with three kinds of water, salving wounds and scrubbing skin, would be complicated, volunteers in Christchurch said.

Mo, a volunteer who had flown in from Brisbane to wash the bodies, said the people who died in the mosques were classified as martyrs. That meant there were different views as to whether they would be washed or not because he said Islamic jurisprudence said martyrs are not to be washed as their blood was witness to their martyrdom.

"But some people have said because it was not a battlefield it is okay to wash the body. But it is at the discretion of the family," said Mo. He asked to be identified by just one name.

The two mosques involved in the shootings have been closed since the massacre, but are expected to reopen by Friday prayers after cleansing blessings were carried out, said Haumaha.

"This morning we conducted two important blessings at the Deans Avenue mosques and the Linwood mosque," he said.

"This blessing this morning gave them (the Muslim community) huge confidence...We hope to have those premises in place by the end of the week to allow our Muslim community to go back and undertake prayer."

The owner of a New Zealand gun store said on Monday the man charged with murder in Christchurch's mass shooting had bought firearms and ammunition online from the store, but it did not sell him the high-powered weapon used in the mosque shootings.

The owner of a New Zealand gun store said on Monday the man charged with murder in Christchurch's mass shooting had bought firearms and ammunition online from the store, but it did not sell him the high-powered weapon used in the mosque shootings. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, was charged with murder on Saturday. Tarrant was remanded without a plea and is due back in court on April 5 where police said he was likely to face more charges. Fifty people were killed and dozens wounded at two mosques in Christchurch on Friday. Gun City owner David Tipple said the alleged gunman bought four weapons and ammunition between December 2017 and March 2018. "The MSSA, military-style automatic, reportedly used by the alleged gunman was not purchased from Gun City. Gun City did not sell him an MSSA, only A-category firearms," Tipple told a new conference in Christchurch. Under New Zealand gun laws, A-category weapons can be semi-automatic but limited to seven shots. Video of a gunman in one mosque showed a semi-automatic with a large magazine round. Tipple said the online purchases followed a police-verified online mail-order process and A-category firearms were bought in three or four purchases. "We detected nothing extraordinary about the licence holder. He was a brand new purchaser, with a brand new licence," he said. Tightening New Zealand's gun laws was at the top of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's agenda as she met with her cabinet on Monday for the first time since the massacre. The shock of the attacks has led to calls for an immediate tightening of laws to restrict access to some firearms, particularly semi-automatic weapons. "What the public rightly are asking right now is why is it and how is it that you are currently able to buy military style semi-automatic weapons in New Zealand, and that's the right question to ask," Ardern told TVNZ earlier on Monday. "There are ways we can bring in affective regulation of firearms that actually target those we need to target and that is our focus." Gun City owner Tipple said he supported Ardern's call for gun law reforms as the Christchurch shootings had raised legitimate concerns. New Zealand, a country of only 5 million people, has an estimated 1.5 million firearms. The minimum age for a gun license is 16, and 18 to own a semi-automatic weapon. A Radio New Zealand report, based on police data secured through an Official Information Act request, said more than 99 per cent of people who applied for a firearms licence in 2017 were successful. A New Zealand standard A-category firearm licence is issued after a police and background check. No licence is required to buy a large round magazine, which can be illegally modified for use in such a weapon. Only firearm owners are licensed, not weapons, so there is no monitoring of how many weapons a person may possess. New Zealand's top online marketplace Trade Me Group said it was halting the sale of semi-automatic weapons in the wake of Friday's attack. Burial frustration Ardern was the first signatory of a national condolence book for the country's worst mass killing that she opened in the capital Wellington on Monday. "On behalf of all New Zealanders, we grieve together. We are one. They are us," she wrote in the book. Frustration was building among the families of victims as under Islam it is custom to conduct burials within 24 hours, but bodies will not be released until post mortems are carried out. Deputy Police Commissioner Wally Haumaha said the first body was approved for release on Sunday night, but the family was yet to take the body because another relative was also killed and they wanted to collect them together. He said there would be no burials on Monday. "We’ve been working fairly hard through the night to ensure the process of returning the deceased to their loved ones is taking place expediently," he said. The burial process, which usually involves washing with three kinds of water, salving wounds and scrubbing skin, would be complicated, volunteers in Christchurch said. Mo, a volunteer who had flown in from Brisbane to wash the bodies, said the people who died in the mosques were classified as martyrs. That meant there were different views as to whether they would be washed or not because he said Islamic jurisprudence said martyrs are not to be washed as their blood was witness to their martyrdom. "But some people have said because it was not a battlefield it is okay to wash the body. But it is at the discretion of the family," said Mo. He asked to be identified by just one name. The two mosques involved in the shootings have been closed since the massacre, but are expected to reopen by Friday prayers after cleansing blessings were carried out, said Haumaha. "This morning we conducted two important blessings at the Deans Avenue mosques and the Linwood mosque," he said. "This blessing this morning gave them (the Muslim community) huge confidence...We hope to have those premises in place by the end of the week to allow our Muslim community to go back and undertake prayer."

New Zealand mosque attack: Gun shop owner says Christchurch suspect bought weapons online

Democrats led by an Arab-American lawmaker attacked President Donald Trump's "silence" on the rise of white supremacy Sunday as a reaction to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-mosque-attacker-to-represent-himself-in-court-reports-203964">New Zealand mosque massacre</a> spilled into a heated US debate over religious and racial bigotry.

With controversy swirling over Trump's tepid response to the massacre, White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney was forced to deny any affinity between the president's anti-immigration rhetoric and the accused Christchurch shooter's extremist views.

"The president is not a white supremacist," Mulvaney said in an interview with Fox News Sunday.

But on a separate Sunday talk show, Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Detroit and one of the first two Muslim women ever elected to the US Congress, charged that the president's failure to speak out forcefully against white supremacy was making the country less safe.

"Trump is the most powerful man in the world right now," she said on CNN's "State of the Union." "He, from the Oval Office, from that power position, can be able to send a signal very loud and clear."

"We've done this in the past against foreign terrorism. We need to do it on domestic terrorism, against white supremacy that's growing every single day that we stay silent."&nbsp;

After the attack on two mosques in Christchurch on Friday, which left 50 dead, Trump expressed sympathy and solidarity with the victims and people of New Zealand.

But in comments to reporters in the Oval Office, he dismissed concerns that white nationalism represented a growing danger around the world.

"I don't really. I think it's a small group of people that have very, very serious problems, I guess," Trump said.

Trump 'a symbol'

The alleged gunman -- identified as an Australian white nationalist -- live-streamed the assault on social media and published a manifesto filled with racist conspiracy theories.

He also referred to Trump as "a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose."

At the grassroots level, the New Zealand attacks triggered a surge of solidarity from America's Jewish and Christian communities, with hundreds of people taking part in interfaith vigils from Cincinnati to Philadelphia, Pasadena to New York.

But it also resounded in a US political scene already supercharged by controversy over remarks by Ilhan Omar -- the only other Muslim woman in Congress along with Tlaib -- that supporters of Israel and many fellow Democrats perceived as anti-Semitic.

The debate over bigotry quickly shifted to Trump after the atrocity in New Zealand.

"Time and time again, this president has embraced and emboldened white supremacists -- and instead of condemning racist terrorists, he covers for them. This isn't normal or acceptable," tweeted Kirsten Gillibrand, who formally entered the Democratic race for the White House Sunday.

Mulvaney scoffed at the idea that Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies had anything to do with the New Zealand attack.

"Let's take what happened in New Zealand yesterday for what it is -- a terrible evil, tragic act and figure out why those things are becoming more prevalent in the world. Is it Donald Trump? Absolutely not.

Charlottesville

At key moments of his presidency, however, Trump has soft-pedalled the danger of white nationalism, most famously when he found blame "on both sides" after a "Unite the Right" rally turned violent in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017.

In that case, a Neo-Nazi sympathizer drove into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing a young woman and injuring 19.

Former vice president Joe Biden, a possible Trump challenger in 2020, evoked Trump's response to Charlottesville in a campaign-style speech in Delaware Saturday.

"Our children were listening. Our silence is complicity. With these words, the president of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it," he said.

"And in that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had seen in my lifetime."

Trump has avoided the subject of white nationalism on Twitter, where he instead fired off a string of messages in support of Jeanine Pirro, a Fox News host reprimanded by the network for remarks widely criticized as Islamophobic.

A former federal judge, Pirro had questioned whether the Muslim faith of Ilhan Omar, the Democrat accused of anti-Semitism, prevented her from supporting the US Constitution.

Pirro's show, "Justice with Judge Jeanine" has been off the air since then.

"Bring back @JudgeJeanine Pirro. The Radical Left Democrats, working closely with their beloved partner, the Fake News Media, is using every trick in the book to SILENCE a majority of our Country," Trump tweeted.

Democrats led by an Arab-American lawmaker attacked President Donald Trump's "silence" on the rise of white supremacy Sunday as a reaction to the New Zealand mosque massacre spilled into a heated US debate over religious and racial bigotry.

Democrats led by an Arab-American lawmaker attacked President Donald Trump's "silence" on the rise of white supremacy Sunday as a reaction to the New Zealand mosque massacre spilled into a heated US debate over religious and racial bigotry. With controversy swirling over Trump's tepid response to the massacre, White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney was forced to deny any affinity between the president's anti-immigration rhetoric and the accused Christchurch shooter's extremist views. "The president is not a white supremacist," Mulvaney said in an interview with Fox News Sunday. But on a separate Sunday talk show, Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Detroit and one of the first two Muslim women ever elected to the US Congress, charged that the president's failure to speak out forcefully against white supremacy was making the country less safe. "Trump is the most powerful man in the world right now," she said on CNN's "State of the Union." "He, from the Oval Office, from that power position, can be able to send a signal very loud and clear." "We've done this in the past against foreign terrorism. We need to do it on domestic terrorism, against white supremacy that's growing every single day that we stay silent." After the attack on two mosques in Christchurch on Friday, which left 50 dead, Trump expressed sympathy and solidarity with the victims and people of New Zealand. But in comments to reporters in the Oval Office, he dismissed concerns that white nationalism represented a growing danger around the world. "I don't really. I think it's a small group of people that have very, very serious problems, I guess," Trump said. Trump 'a symbol' The alleged gunman -- identified as an Australian white nationalist -- live-streamed the assault on social media and published a manifesto filled with racist conspiracy theories. He also referred to Trump as "a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose." At the grassroots level, the New Zealand attacks triggered a surge of solidarity from America's Jewish and Christian communities, with hundreds of people taking part in interfaith vigils from Cincinnati to Philadelphia, Pasadena to New York. But it also resounded in a US political scene already supercharged by controversy over remarks by Ilhan Omar -- the only other Muslim woman in Congress along with Tlaib -- that supporters of Israel and many fellow Democrats perceived as anti-Semitic. The debate over bigotry quickly shifted to Trump after the atrocity in New Zealand. "Time and time again, this president has embraced and emboldened white supremacists -- and instead of condemning racist terrorists, he covers for them. This isn't normal or acceptable," tweeted Kirsten Gillibrand, who formally entered the Democratic race for the White House Sunday. Mulvaney scoffed at the idea that Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies had anything to do with the New Zealand attack. "Let's take what happened in New Zealand yesterday for what it is -- a terrible evil, tragic act and figure out why those things are becoming more prevalent in the world. Is it Donald Trump? Absolutely not. Charlottesville At key moments of his presidency, however, Trump has soft-pedalled the danger of white nationalism, most famously when he found blame "on both sides" after a "Unite the Right" rally turned violent in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017. In that case, a Neo-Nazi sympathizer drove into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing a young woman and injuring 19. Former vice president Joe Biden, a possible Trump challenger in 2020, evoked Trump's response to Charlottesville in a campaign-style speech in Delaware Saturday. "Our children were listening. Our silence is complicity. With these words, the president of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it," he said. "And in that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I had seen in my lifetime." Trump has avoided the subject of white nationalism on Twitter, where he instead fired off a string of messages in support of Jeanine Pirro, a Fox News host reprimanded by the network for remarks widely criticized as Islamophobic. A former federal judge, Pirro had questioned whether the Muslim faith of Ilhan Omar, the Democrat accused of anti-Semitism, prevented her from supporting the US Constitution. Pirro's show, "Justice with Judge Jeanine" has been off the air since then. "Bring back @JudgeJeanine Pirro. The Radical Left Democrats, working closely with their beloved partner, the Fake News Media, is using every trick in the book to SILENCE a majority of our Country," Trump tweeted.

Trump slammed for 'silence' on white supremacist threat

Three people have been killed and nine injured after a gunman opened fire on a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht.

"At this stage, we can confirm three deaths and nine wounded, three of them seriously," Utrecht Mayor Jan van Zanen said in a video statement on Twitter.

Head of Dutch counter-terrorism agency said that shooting was taking place at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/holland-shooting-possible-terrorist-motive-in-utrecht-says-police-204084">"several" locations at Utrecht city</a> in Holland,&nbsp;Reuters reported after a gunman opened fire at a tram on Monday morning.

Police quickly moved in to cordon off the area even as a government spokesman said one person was killed in the attack.

Police said it was investigating the incident as a "possible terrorist motive". The gunman opened fire and fled, eyewitnesses said. According to police, the incident occurred at 10:45am(local time).&nbsp;

"Several shots were fired in a tram and several people were injured. Helicopters are at the scene and no arrests have been made," said police spokesman Joost Lanshage.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Mark Rutte convened crisis talks, saying he was deeply concerned about the incident.&nbsp;

Authorities raised the terrorism&nbsp;threat to its highest level in Utrecht province as schools were told to shut their doors and paramilitary police increased security at airports and other vital infrastructure. Security was also stepped up at mosques.

The shooting incident comes just days after a man killed 49 people at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Utrecht police said the tram station stop in a square outside the city centre had been cordoned off. Emergency services were at the scene.

The Netherlands has boosted security at airports and other key buildings after the shooting, Dutch military police said.
<img alt="Tram attack in Utrecht, Holland" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3c9497ce-ea66-4d3b-9050-865e4bd33372" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Utrecht%20tram.jpg" />
&nbsp;

Three people have been killed and nine injured after a gunman opened fire on a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht. "At this stage, we can confirm three deaths and nine wounded, three of them seriously," Utrecht Mayor Jan van Zanen said in a video statement on Twitter.

Three people have been killed and nine injured after a gunman opened fire on a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht. "At this stage, we can confirm three deaths and nine wounded, three of them seriously," Utrecht Mayor Jan van Zanen said in a video statement on Twitter. Head of Dutch counter-terrorism agency said that shooting was taking place at "several" locations at Utrecht city in Holland, Reuters reported after a gunman opened fire at a tram on Monday morning. Police quickly moved in to cordon off the area even as a government spokesman said one person was killed in the attack. Police said it was investigating the incident as a "possible terrorist motive". The gunman opened fire and fled, eyewitnesses said. According to police, the incident occurred at 10:45am(local time). "Several shots were fired in a tram and several people were injured. Helicopters are at the scene and no arrests have been made," said police spokesman Joost Lanshage. Prime Minister Mark Rutte convened crisis talks, saying he was deeply concerned about the incident. Authorities raised the terrorism threat to its highest level in Utrecht province as schools were told to shut their doors and paramilitary police increased security at airports and other vital infrastructure. Security was also stepped up at mosques. The shooting incident comes just days after a man killed 49 people at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. Utrecht police said the tram station stop in a square outside the city centre had been cordoned off. Emergency services were at the scene. The Netherlands has boosted security at airports and other key buildings after the shooting, Dutch military police said.

Shooting at several locations in Holland's Utrecht city: Anti-terrorism agency

Indonesia summoned Canberra's ambassador Monday after an<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-have-made-a-decision-we-are-unified-pm-ardern-says-new-zealand-will-tighten-gun-laws-204011"> Australian senator blamed </a>last week's mosque attacks by a white supremacist in New Zealand on immigration.

Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi said she had called ambassador Gary Quinlan to her office to convey the Muslim majority country's "strong condemnation" of Queensland Senator Fraser Anning's controversial comments.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UdM1DVfcraE" width="560"></iframe>

The people killed in Friday's massacre in Christchurch included one Indonesian, while another was seriously injured.

"Ambassador Quinlan conveyed his reassurance that the statement made by Senator Anning does not reflect the position and sentiments of the government and the people of Australia," Marsudi said.

She added: "Indonesia strongly condemns this act of terrorism which has no place in New Zealand or anywhere else in this world."

On Friday, Anning said in a statement the attack in the southern New Zealand city was the result of Muslim immigration into the country.&nbsp;

Anning's remarks drew condemnation from across the political spectrum in Australia.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the comments as "appalling" and "ugly" with "no place in Australia", as he announced a bipartisan motion of censure would be launched.

Former PM Kevin Rudd dubbed Anning a "racist and a fascist", and encouraged Australians to sign a petition calling for him to be booted out of parliament.

On Saturday, Anning - elected in 2017 by a fluke of Australia's proportional voting system, having received only 19 first preference votes - had to be restrained after punching a teenager who threw an egg at him in protest over his comments.

Indonesia summoned Canberra's ambassador Monday after an Australian senator blamed last week's mosque attacks by a white supremacist in New Zealand on immigration.

Indonesia summoned Canberra's ambassador Monday after an Australian senator blamed last week's mosque attacks by a white supremacist in New Zealand on immigration. Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi said she had called ambassador Gary Quinlan to her office to convey the Muslim majority country's "strong condemnation" of Queensland Senator Fraser Anning's controversial comments. The people killed in Friday's massacre in Christchurch included one Indonesian, while another was seriously injured. "Ambassador Quinlan conveyed his reassurance that the statement made by Senator Anning does not reflect the position and sentiments of the government and the people of Australia," Marsudi said. She added: "Indonesia strongly condemns this act of terrorism which has no place in New Zealand or anywhere else in this world." On Friday, Anning said in a statement the attack in the southern New Zealand city was the result of Muslim immigration into the country. Anning's remarks drew condemnation from across the political spectrum in Australia. Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the comments as "appalling" and "ugly" with "no place in Australia", as he announced a bipartisan motion of censure would be launched. Former PM Kevin Rudd dubbed Anning a "racist and a fascist", and encouraged Australians to sign a petition calling for him to be booted out of parliament. On Saturday, Anning - elected in 2017 by a fluke of Australia's proportional voting system, having received only 19 first preference votes - had to be restrained after punching a teenager who threw an egg at him in protest over his comments.

Indonesia summons Australian foreign minister over Senator's remark

New Zealand will tighten gun laws in the wake of its worst modern-day massacre, the government said Monday, as it emerged the white supremacist accused of carrying out the killings at two mosques will represent himself in court.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her coalition was unified on the need to reduce the availability of the kind of weapons used by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-mosque-attacker-to-represent-himself-in-court-reports-203964">Brenton Tarrant</a> as he went room to room shooting Muslims gathered for Friday prayers.

"We have made a decision as a cabinet, we are unified," she said, flanked by her coalition partner and deputy prime minister, Winston Peters.

Peters, whose New Zealand First party has previously opposed changes, said he backed the prime minister fully.

"The reality is that after one pm on Friday our world changed forever, and so will our laws," he said.&nbsp;

The new laws are expected to be announced within 10 days.&nbsp;

Ardern, the youthful premier who has become the face of the nation's tragedy, said there would be an inquiry into the horrifying attack, as questions swirl over whether intelligence agencies should have spotted warning signs.

The role of social media has also come under the spotlight, after the gunman livestreamed his rampage on Facebook.

A teenager, whose name cannot be published, appeared in court Monday charged with distributing that footage.

Grief continued to wash across the nation Monday, with New Zealanders of all stripes gathering to express revulsion over the killings -- and unity in the face of racial hatred.

A Maori cleansing ceremony was performed at the Al Noor mosque -- the scene of the largest massacre -- bringing together indigenous Kiwis, Muslim leaders and local officials.

Later, dozens of students gathered there to pay their respects, laying flowers and lighting candles.&nbsp;

Many came together for a haka -- a traditional Maori ceremonial dance that has been performed by groups across New Zealand in the wake of killings.

And in Auckland, students at Orewa College gathered to form a heart and the message "Kia Kaha" -- "stay strong" in Maori.

"It brings to mind our own values and why we find this so abhorrent. Ideas held by the perpetrator have no place in our community and school," the college said.

'Nothing extraordinary' 
The organisers of New Zealand’s largest gun show -- the Kumeu Militaria Show, near Auckland -- announced Monday they had cancelled the event in the wake of the massacre and because of "elevated security risks"

Despite having tightened the rules in the 1990s after the last mass shooting, New Zealand has relatively permissive gun laws, with nearly all of those who apply granted gun licences.

David Tipple, the managing director of Gun City, whose online store sold Tarrant four weapons, said he felt no responsibility for the killings.

"We detected nothing extraordinary about this licence holder," he told reporters.

Tarrant, who appeared in court on Saturday charged with murder, on Monday sacked his state-appointed lawyer.

Richard Peters, who represented the alleged killer during the hearing, told AFP the 28-year-old "wants to be self-represented in this case."&nbsp;

"The way he presented was rational and someone who was not suffering any mental disability. He seemed to understand what was going on," Peters said.

Under New Zealand law, if Tarrant pleads not guilty his case would normally go to trial, raising the possibility that he could face survivors and victims' families in court.

Mustafa Farouk, president of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand, told reporters he had faith in the system.

"As a community, we would like that person to go through the process, the due process, and to be given all his rights," he said.

"We believe in the justice system here and we know it will do what is right."

But, he cautioned, the attitudes that gave rise to the killing -- documented in a rambling, racist screed released online minutes before the attacks began -- must be tackled.

"This rise in hatred... by people who call themselves right-wing, whether smaller groups or through reckless politicians, should not be allowed to continue.&nbsp;

"What happened to our community here will happen to another community," he said.

Graves 
Frustrated families of the 50 victims were still waiting Monday for the release of the bodies of their loved ones, as officials worked their way through a painstaking investigation.

Dozens of graves were being dug in readiness for that release, which Police Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha said he hoped would happen soon.

"The process has been highly emotional and stressful for all... as in accordance with Islamic faith the families have wanted the bodies to be returned as soon as possible," he said.

"We have burial expert teams in place ready to receive the bodies at a point in time."

The dead from Friday's attack span generations, aged between three and 77, according to a list circulated among relatives.&nbsp;

Some victims came from the neighbourhood, others from as far afield as Egypt. At least two of the dead came from the same family -- a father and son.

Delhi said Sunday that five of its nationals were killed, while Pakistan said nine of its citizens were among the dead, including one man who died trying to rush Tarrant.&nbsp;

Authorities said 31 people remained in hospital, nine in critical condition.

The ripples from Friday's horror continued to spread across New Zealand, with the brief shuttering of an airport in Dunedin after a suspicious package sparked a security alert.

Reigning Super Rugby champions Canterbury Crusaders, who play in Christchurch, said Monday they would consider changing their name after criticism that it was historically insensitive.

Distinctive writing on the mosque attacker's weaponry included the names of figures from the Crusades, the religious wars waged by European Christians against Muslims for control of the Holy Land in the Middle Ages.

New Zealand will tighten gun laws in the wake of its worst modern-day massacre, the government said Monday, as it emerged the white supremacist accused of carrying out the killings at two mosques will represent himself in court.

New Zealand will tighten gun laws in the wake of its worst modern-day massacre, the government said Monday, as it emerged the white supremacist accused of carrying out the killings at two mosques will represent himself in court. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her coalition was unified on the need to reduce the availability of the kind of weapons used by Brenton Tarrant as he went room to room shooting Muslims gathered for Friday prayers. "We have made a decision as a cabinet, we are unified," she said, flanked by her coalition partner and deputy prime minister, Winston Peters. Peters, whose New Zealand First party has previously opposed changes, said he backed the prime minister fully. "The reality is that after one pm on Friday our world changed forever, and so will our laws," he said. The new laws are expected to be announced within 10 days. Ardern, the youthful premier who has become the face of the nation's tragedy, said there would be an inquiry into the horrifying attack, as questions swirl over whether intelligence agencies should have spotted warning signs. The role of social media has also come under the spotlight, after the gunman livestreamed his rampage on Facebook. A teenager, whose name cannot be published, appeared in court Monday charged with distributing that footage. Grief continued to wash across the nation Monday, with New Zealanders of all stripes gathering to express revulsion over the killings -- and unity in the face of racial hatred. A Maori cleansing ceremony was performed at the Al Noor mosque -- the scene of the largest massacre -- bringing together indigenous Kiwis, Muslim leaders and local officials. Later, dozens of students gathered there to pay their respects, laying flowers and lighting candles. Many came together for a haka -- a traditional Maori ceremonial dance that has been performed by groups across New Zealand in the wake of killings. And in Auckland, students at Orewa College gathered to form a heart and the message "Kia Kaha" -- "stay strong" in Maori. "It brings to mind our own values and why we find this so abhorrent. Ideas held by the perpetrator have no place in our community and school," the college said. 'Nothing extraordinary' The organisers of New Zealand’s largest gun show -- the Kumeu Militaria Show, near Auckland -- announced Monday they had cancelled the event in the wake of the massacre and because of "elevated security risks" Despite having tightened the rules in the 1990s after the last mass shooting, New Zealand has relatively permissive gun laws, with nearly all of those who apply granted gun licences. David Tipple, the managing director of Gun City, whose online store sold Tarrant four weapons, said he felt no responsibility for the killings. "We detected nothing extraordinary about this licence holder," he told reporters. Tarrant, who appeared in court on Saturday charged with murder, on Monday sacked his state-appointed lawyer. Richard Peters, who represented the alleged killer during the hearing, told AFP the 28-year-old "wants to be self-represented in this case." "The way he presented was rational and someone who was not suffering any mental disability. He seemed to understand what was going on," Peters said. Under New Zealand law, if Tarrant pleads not guilty his case would normally go to trial, raising the possibility that he could face survivors and victims' families in court. Mustafa Farouk, president of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand, told reporters he had faith in the system. "As a community, we would like that person to go through the process, the due process, and to be given all his rights," he said. "We believe in the justice system here and we know it will do what is right." But, he cautioned, the attitudes that gave rise to the killing -- documented in a rambling, racist screed released online minutes before the attacks began -- must be tackled. "This rise in hatred... by people who call themselves right-wing, whether smaller groups or through reckless politicians, should not be allowed to continue. "What happened to our community here will happen to another community," he said. Graves Frustrated families of the 50 victims were still waiting Monday for the release of the bodies of their loved ones, as officials worked their way through a painstaking investigation. Dozens of graves were being dug in readiness for that release, which Police Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha said he hoped would happen soon. "The process has been highly emotional and stressful for all... as in accordance with Islamic faith the families have wanted the bodies to be returned as soon as possible," he said. "We have burial expert teams in place ready to receive the bodies at a point in time." The dead from Friday's attack span generations, aged between three and 77, according to a list circulated among relatives. Some victims came from the neighbourhood, others from as far afield as Egypt. At least two of the dead came from the same family -- a father and son. Delhi said Sunday that five of its nationals were killed, while Pakistan said nine of its citizens were among the dead, including one man who died trying to rush Tarrant. Authorities said 31 people remained in hospital, nine in critical condition. The ripples from Friday's horror continued to spread across New Zealand, with the brief shuttering of an airport in Dunedin after a suspicious package sparked a security alert. Reigning Super Rugby champions Canterbury Crusaders, who play in Christchurch, said Monday they would consider changing their name after criticism that it was historically insensitive. Distinctive writing on the mosque attacker's weaponry included the names of figures from the Crusades, the religious wars waged by European Christians against Muslims for control of the Holy Land in the Middle Ages.

We have made a decision... we are unified: PM Ardern says New Zealand will tighten gun laws

An 18-year-old has appeared in a New Zealand court charged with distributing the livestream video of a deadly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-mosque-attack-gun-shop-owner-says-christchurch-suspect-bought-weapons-online-203970">mass shooting</a> at Christchurch's Al Noor mosque.

The teenager, whose name was suppressed by the judge, was also charged with publishing a photograph of the mosque with the message "target acquired", and for inciting violence.

He faces a maximum of 14 years in prison for each charge, prosecutors said.&nbsp;

A judge did not grant him bail and he is due back in court on April 8.

The hearing came after 28-year-old <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-have-made-a-decision-we-are-unified-pm-ardern-says-new-zealand-will-tighten-gun-laws-204011">Australian Brenton Tarrant allegedly carried out the shootings</a> at Al Moor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch on Friday in which 50 people were killed and dozens more injured.

Investigators had said that the teenager was so far not believed to be directly involved in his attacks.

District Court Judge Stephen O'Driscoll added that details related to the charges were also to be suppressed.

An 18-year-old has appeared in a New Zealand court charged with distributing the livestream video of a deadly mass shooting at Christchurch's Al Noor mosque. The teenager, whose name was suppressed by the judge, was also charged with publishing a photograph of the mosque with the message "target acquired", and for inciting violence.

An 18-year-old has appeared in a New Zealand court charged with distributing the livestream video of a deadly mass shooting at Christchurch's Al Noor mosque. The teenager, whose name was suppressed by the judge, was also charged with publishing a photograph of the mosque with the message "target acquired", and for inciting violence. He faces a maximum of 14 years in prison for each charge, prosecutors said. A judge did not grant him bail and he is due back in court on April 8. The hearing came after 28-year-old Australian Brenton Tarrant allegedly carried out the shootings at Al Moor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch on Friday in which 50 people were killed and dozens more injured. Investigators had said that the teenager was so far not believed to be directly involved in his attacks. District Court Judge Stephen O'Driscoll added that details related to the charges were also to be suppressed.

Christchurch teenager charged with distributing mosque rampage livestream

As New Zealanders struggled to cope with the deadly mayhem in Christchurch, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/accounts-emerge-of-heroism-in-new-zealand-mosques-bodies-to-be-released-203872">stories of heroism</a> have emerged from the tragedy, including a worshiper who chased away the gunman armed only with a credit card machine.

Fifty people were killed on Friday and dozens more injured. But the police and eyewitnesses say a second attack by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-mosque-attack-gun-shop-owner-says-christchurch-suspect-bought-weapons-online-203970">28-year-old Brenton Tarrant</a> was partly thwarted by Abdul Aziz, 48, who was born in Afghanistan.

Aziz said he charged at Tarrant outside the Linwood mosque when someone shouted that a gunman had opened fire. Tarrant had already killed dozens at the Al Noor mosque nearby, and on the streets.

"He had on army clothes. I wasn't sure if he was the good guy or the bad guy. When he swore at me, I knew that he's not the good guy," Aziz told Reuters in an interview.

When he realised the mosque was being attacked, he ran towards Tarrant, picking up a credit card machine as a makeshift weapon.

Tarrant ran back to his car and got another gun. Aziz said he threw the credit card machine, ducking between the cars as Tarrant opened fire.

He then picked up a gun dropped by Tarrant and pulled the trigger, but it was empty. Aziz told the attacker: "Come over here, come over here", hoping to draw his attention to himself and away from the mosque.

Aziz said Tarrant went inside the mosque, and he followed, eventually confronting the gunman again.

"When he saw me with the shotgun in my hands, he dropped the gun and ran away toward his car. I chased him," he said.

"He sat in his car and with the shotgun in my hands, I threw it through his window like an arrow. He just swore at me and took off."

Aziz said four of his children were with him at the mosque when the attack occurred.

Nearly 100 Muslim worshippers who had taken cover in the mosque as the rampage unfolded were left unharmed.

Aziz said when he came back to the mosque, everyone was frightened.

"Brothers get up, he is gone he is no more here. He is gone," he told them.

The attack is the worst ever peacetime mass killing in New Zealand. Tarrant was arrested within 36 minutes after the attack started and charged with murder on Saturday, even as the death toll continued to rise and families waited to bury their dead.

As New Zealanders struggled to cope with the deadly mayhem in Christchurch, stories of heroism have emerged from the tragedy, including a worshiper who chased away the gunman armed only with a credit card machine.

As New Zealanders struggled to cope with the deadly mayhem in Christchurch, stories of heroism have emerged from the tragedy, including a worshiper who chased away the gunman armed only with a credit card machine. Fifty people were killed on Friday and dozens more injured. But the police and eyewitnesses say a second attack by 28-year-old Brenton Tarrant was partly thwarted by Abdul Aziz, 48, who was born in Afghanistan. Aziz said he charged at Tarrant outside the Linwood mosque when someone shouted that a gunman had opened fire. Tarrant had already killed dozens at the Al Noor mosque nearby, and on the streets. "He had on army clothes. I wasn't sure if he was the good guy or the bad guy. When he swore at me, I knew that he's not the good guy," Aziz told Reuters in an interview. When he realised the mosque was being attacked, he ran towards Tarrant, picking up a credit card machine as a makeshift weapon. Tarrant ran back to his car and got another gun. Aziz said he threw the credit card machine, ducking between the cars as Tarrant opened fire. He then picked up a gun dropped by Tarrant and pulled the trigger, but it was empty. Aziz told the attacker: "Come over here, come over here", hoping to draw his attention to himself and away from the mosque. Aziz said Tarrant went inside the mosque, and he followed, eventually confronting the gunman again. "When he saw me with the shotgun in my hands, he dropped the gun and ran away toward his car. I chased him," he said. "He sat in his car and with the shotgun in my hands, I threw it through his window like an arrow. He just swore at me and took off." Aziz said four of his children were with him at the mosque when the attack occurred. Nearly 100 Muslim worshippers who had taken cover in the mosque as the rampage unfolded were left unharmed. Aziz said when he came back to the mosque, everyone was frightened. "Brothers get up, he is gone he is no more here. He is gone," he told them. The attack is the worst ever peacetime mass killing in New Zealand. Tarrant was arrested within 36 minutes after the attack started and charged with murder on Saturday, even as the death toll continued to rise and families waited to bury their dead.

Afghan-born worshiper challenged Christchurch attacker with credit card machine

Pakistan bestowed a national award on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/new-zealand-mosque-attack-foreign-ministry-calls-qureshi-to-condole-deaths-of-9-pak-citizens-203982">one of the victims of last week's mosque attack in New Zealand</a> who died along with his son while trying to confront the suspected white supremacist accused of the country's worst peacetime mass shooting.

Mian Naeem Rashid and his son Talha were among nine Pakistanis killed when a gunman attacked two mosques in the new Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday, the foreign ministry confirmed on Sunday.

Fifty people from countries including Afghanistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt and Jordan were killed in the attack. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, was charged with murder on Saturday.

"Pakistan is proud of Mian Naeem Rashid who was martyred trying to tackle the white supremacist terrorist and his courage will be recognized with a national award," Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a statement posted on Twitter.

The BBC reported that footage filmed by the gunman himself showed Rashid confronting him outside the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch before he was killed along with his son.

The Pakistan government pledged support for families of all the Pakistani victims and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced a national day of mourning with flags flown at half-mast on Monday.

"The whole nation mourns this shock," he told reporters in Islamabad.

For Pakistan, which has suffered thousands of deaths from extremist violence over the years while facing accusations of allowing militant Islamist groups to operate from its soil, the attack showed that terrorism was a universal phenomenon.

"The mindless killing spree carried out by the terrorists once again proved that terrorism knows no religion or boundaries," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"This affirms Pakistan's narrative that terrorism is an international phenomenon, having no religion and should not be associated with any religion."&nbsp;

Relatives of Rashid mourned his death in the northern city of Abbottabad on Sunday and Safi Rizwan, a nephew, said his uncle had left a message for everyone.&nbsp;

"If you see something happening that is not good for other humans, or if that is hurting other people, you give your everything to save them, even it means giving your life."

Pakistan bestowed a national award on one of the victims of last week's mosque attack in New Zealand who died along with his son while trying to confront the suspected white supremacist accused of the country's worst peacetime mass shooting.

Pakistan bestowed a national award on one of the victims of last week's mosque attack in New Zealand who died along with his son while trying to confront the suspected white supremacist accused of the country's worst peacetime mass shooting. Mian Naeem Rashid and his son Talha were among nine Pakistanis killed when a gunman attacked two mosques in the new Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday, the foreign ministry confirmed on Sunday. Fifty people from countries including Afghanistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt and Jordan were killed in the attack. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, was charged with murder on Saturday. "Pakistan is proud of Mian Naeem Rashid who was martyred trying to tackle the white supremacist terrorist and his courage will be recognized with a national award," Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a statement posted on Twitter. The BBC reported that footage filmed by the gunman himself showed Rashid confronting him outside the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch before he was killed along with his son. The Pakistan government pledged support for families of all the Pakistani victims and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced a national day of mourning with flags flown at half-mast on Monday. "The whole nation mourns this shock," he told reporters in Islamabad. For Pakistan, which has suffered thousands of deaths from extremist violence over the years while facing accusations of allowing militant Islamist groups to operate from its soil, the attack showed that terrorism was a universal phenomenon. "The mindless killing spree carried out by the terrorists once again proved that terrorism knows no religion or boundaries," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "This affirms Pakistan's narrative that terrorism is an international phenomenon, having no religion and should not be associated with any religion." Relatives of Rashid mourned his death in the northern city of Abbottabad on Sunday and Safi Rizwan, a nephew, said his uncle had left a message for everyone. "If you see something happening that is not good for other humans, or if that is hurting other people, you give your everything to save them, even it means giving your life."

Pakistan salutes hero of New Zealand mosque shooting, awards national award

The carnage in Christchurch has sent shock waves across the Indian Ocean. Distant New Zealand suddenly has unmasked the horribly ugly face of racism that is on the rise almost everywhere in the western world and is often married to religious bigotry of the worst kind. Unfortunately, the demonisation of ‘Islamic Terror’ has diverted our attention from brutalities perpetrated by White psychopaths. After, the attack on the Noor Masjid it is impossible to turn a blind eye to the ghastliness that threatens to target us. &nbsp; 
 
Let there be no mistake we, the people of the sub-continent, are the primary target of those who can no longer be dismissed as the mentally disturbed, socially dysfunctional microscopic minority. Descendants of those who perpetrated genocide against indigenous people now have assumed the responsibility of cleansing ‘their land’ of outsiders/interlopers/immigrants. They daren’t incur the wrath of China but the open season has been declared on Asians-mostly Indians and Pakistanis. True, Turks are mentioned in the same breath but it is south Asians who comprise the largest section of visible aliens- hard working, irritatingly, prosperous, upwardly mobile. In New Zealand alone Indian population approximates 200,000 of which 20,000 are students. Australia is the first choice of those Indians looking in the South Easterly direction and understandably these numbers are larger there.&nbsp; 
 
What is disturbing is that our government has been working overtime to forge closer economic and strategic ties with countries in this region. The QUAD is conceived as a counterpoise to China and we have been happily opening our markets to produce from Australia. Synergies in diverse fields from mining to technology are repeatedly harped upon.

But can any real progress be made in the face of violent racial prejudice and climate of hate? It may be argued that what happened is an unfortunate accident and its unfair to hold the country responsible for it. It must be admitted that the New Zealand prime minister has promptly condemned the atrocity as an act of terrorism and made it clear that all who dwell in that country ‘are our own’. Still, it is not easy to be reassured. The fair-skinned imperialists who colonised Asia and Africa in the 18th-19th century are extremely reluctant to treat those with darker skin and practising a different faith as equals. The only language they understand is of power.&nbsp; 
 
A few years back the Skull Heads and Punks in London bragged about ‘Dot Busting’ and ‘Paki Bashing.’ Then started the attacks on Mom and Pop stores in US towns and cities. Nor have the university campuses remained safe for Indian students. Most regrettably the election of Donald Trump as the POTUS has aggravated the situation drastically. All this talk of building a wall to keep away the Mexicans, Cubans and sundry Hispanics has only fuelled racist prejudices. Tidal waves of Syrian and other refugees hitting European shores has unnerved many governments.&nbsp;

No one, however, has the time to recall what has rendered these wretched people homeless. Hadn’t the US so ruthlessly implemented a policy of regime change in the Middle East/West Asia the ‘White Christian Civilisation’ wouldn’t have been imperilled. Climate Change is a reality that has triggered a Tsunamis of Hate. From Germany to Sweden, from the US to Australia White Supremacists have been emboldened to embark on a reckless path of revenge and retribution. Restraint and reconciliation are for the meek and weak.&nbsp; 
 
Distance for most of us remains a geographical concept. Countries situated far away are not viewed as neighbours or significant in bilateral relations. Emotional distance is no less problematic. Neighbours next-door (Pakistan and China, for instance) often are perceived (and act) as enemies. This makes it almost impossible to resolve inherited disputes or irritants that crop up in the to time. Friends far away appear attractive allies. 
 
Why the tragic events in New Zealand have agitated us so much is for this reason that geographical distance should not lull us into a false sense of security. This time it was the Bangladeshi Cricket Team that had a narrow escape. Next time someone from India may not be so lucky. The Bell that is tolling is tolling for us.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

The carnage in Christchurch has sent shock waves across the Indian Ocean. Distant New Zealand suddenly has unmasked the horribly ugly face of racism that is on the rise almost everywhere in the western world and is often married to religious bigotry of the worst kind.

The carnage in Christchurch has sent shock waves across the Indian Ocean. Distant New Zealand suddenly has unmasked the horribly ugly face of racism that is on the rise almost everywhere in the western world and is often married to religious bigotry of the worst kind. Unfortunately, the demonisation of ‘Islamic Terror’ has diverted our attention from brutalities perpetrated by White psychopaths. After, the attack on the Noor Masjid it is impossible to turn a blind eye to the ghastliness that threatens to target us. Let there be no mistake we, the people of the sub-continent, are the primary target of those who can no longer be dismissed as the mentally disturbed, socially dysfunctional microscopic minority. Descendants of those who perpetrated genocide against indigenous people now have assumed the responsibility of cleansing ‘their land’ of outsiders/interlopers/immigrants. They daren’t incur the wrath of China but the open season has been declared on Asians-mostly Indians and Pakistanis. True, Turks are mentioned in the same breath but it is south Asians who comprise the largest section of visible aliens- hard working, irritatingly, prosperous, upwardly mobile. In New Zealand alone Indian population approximates 200,000 of which 20,000 are students. Australia is the first choice of those Indians looking in the South Easterly direction and understandably these numbers are larger there. What is disturbing is that our government has been working overtime to forge closer economic and strategic ties with countries in this region. The QUAD is conceived as a counterpoise to China and we have been happily opening our markets to produce from Australia. Synergies in diverse fields from mining to technology are repeatedly harped upon. But can any real progress be made in the face of violent racial prejudice and climate of hate? It may be argued that what happened is an unfortunate accident and its unfair to hold the country responsible for it. It must be admitted that the New Zealand prime minister has promptly condemned the atrocity as an act of terrorism and made it clear that all who dwell in that country ‘are our own’. Still, it is not easy to be reassured. The fair-skinned imperialists who colonised Asia and Africa in the 18th-19th century are extremely reluctant to treat those with darker skin and practising a different faith as equals. The only language they understand is of power. A few years back the Skull Heads and Punks in London bragged about ‘Dot Busting’ and ‘Paki Bashing.’ Then started the attacks on Mom and Pop stores in US towns and cities. Nor have the university campuses remained safe for Indian students. Most regrettably the election of Donald Trump as the POTUS has aggravated the situation drastically. All this talk of building a wall to keep away the Mexicans, Cubans and sundry Hispanics has only fuelled racist prejudices. Tidal waves of Syrian and other refugees hitting European shores has unnerved many governments. No one, however, has the time to recall what has rendered these wretched people homeless. Hadn’t the US so ruthlessly implemented a policy of regime change in the Middle East/West Asia the ‘White Christian Civilisation’ wouldn’t have been imperilled. Climate Change is a reality that has triggered a Tsunamis of Hate. From Germany to Sweden, from the US to Australia White Supremacists have been emboldened to embark on a reckless path of revenge and retribution. Restraint and reconciliation are for the meek and weak. Distance for most of us remains a geographical concept. Countries situated far away are not viewed as neighbours or significant in bilateral relations. Emotional distance is no less problematic. Neighbours next-door (Pakistan and China, for instance) often are perceived (and act) as enemies. This makes it almost impossible to resolve inherited disputes or irritants that crop up in the to time. Friends far away appear attractive allies. Why the tragic events in New Zealand have agitated us so much is for this reason that geographical distance should not lull us into a false sense of security. This time it was the Bangladeshi Cricket Team that had a narrow escape. Next time someone from India may not be so lucky. The Bell that is tolling is tolling for us. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

New Zealand massacre: Lack of racial empathy a major cause of concern for Asians

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-pm-says-received-gunmans-manifesto-minutes-before-attack-203799">New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern</a> on Sunday said she would be looking for answers from Facebook and other social media firms about how an attack that killed 50 mosque-goers was live-streamed on their platforms.

Saying there were "further questions to be answered" by the tech giants, Ardern said Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg had been in contact and "acknowledged what has occurred here in New Zealand".

A horrific video shot by the gunmen who carried out the mosque massacre was live-streamed on Facebook before being removed by the company.

But the stream, lasting 17 minutes, was shared repeatedly on YouTube and Twitter, and internet platforms were scrambling to remove videos being reposted of the gruesome scenes.

"We did as much as we could to remove, or seek to have removed, some of the footage that was being circulated in the aftermath of this terrorist attack," Ardern said.

"But ultimately it has been up to those platforms to facilitate their removal."

"I do think that there are further questions to be answered."

In a statement on Sunday, Mia Garlick of Facebook New Zealand vowed to "work around the clock to remove violating content".

"In the first 24 hours we removed 1.5 million videos of the attack globally, of which over 1.2 million were blocked at upload," the company said.

Ardern was joined by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in expressing doubts that current rules go far enough.

Morrison said that social media companies had "co-operated" since the attack.

"But I sadly have to say that the capacity to actually assist fully is very limited on the technology side."

He said "assurances were given" that once such content was pulled down, a regime would make sure it did not go back up. "Clearly it hasn't (happened)."

"So I think there are some very real discussions that have to be had about how these facilities and capabilities as they exist on social media, can continue to be offered." 
&nbsp;

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Sunday said she would be looking for answers from Facebook and other social media firms about how an attack that killed 50 mosque-goers was live-streamed on their platforms.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Sunday said she would be looking for answers from Facebook and other social media firms about how an attack that killed 50 mosque-goers was live-streamed on their platforms. Saying there were "further questions to be answered" by the tech giants, Ardern said Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg had been in contact and "acknowledged what has occurred here in New Zealand". A horrific video shot by the gunmen who carried out the mosque massacre was live-streamed on Facebook before being removed by the company. But the stream, lasting 17 minutes, was shared repeatedly on YouTube and Twitter, and internet platforms were scrambling to remove videos being reposted of the gruesome scenes. "We did as much as we could to remove, or seek to have removed, some of the footage that was being circulated in the aftermath of this terrorist attack," Ardern said. "But ultimately it has been up to those platforms to facilitate their removal." "I do think that there are further questions to be answered." In a statement on Sunday, Mia Garlick of Facebook New Zealand vowed to "work around the clock to remove violating content". "In the first 24 hours we removed 1.5 million videos of the attack globally, of which over 1.2 million were blocked at upload," the company said. Ardern was joined by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in expressing doubts that current rules go far enough. Morrison said that social media companies had "co-operated" since the attack. "But I sadly have to say that the capacity to actually assist fully is very limited on the technology side." He said "assurances were given" that once such content was pulled down, a regime would make sure it did not go back up. "Clearly it hasn't (happened)." "So I think there are some very real discussions that have to be had about how these facilities and capabilities as they exist on social media, can continue to be offered."

New Zealand wants answers from tech giants after mosque attack livestream

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her office received a "manifesto" from the gunman suspected of killing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/student-pilot-takeaway-store-owner-among-victims-of-new-zealand-mosque-shootings-203794">50 people in two Christchurch mosques</a> minutes before Friday's attack.

"I was one of more than 30 recipients of the manifesto that was mailed out nine minutes before the attack took place," Ardern told reporters on Sunday.

"It did not include a location, it did not include specific details," she said, adding that it was sent to security services within two minutes of receipt.

Ardern said she had read "elements" of the lengthy, meandering and conspiracy-filled far-right "manifesto".

"The fact that there was an ideological manifesto with extreme views attached to this attack, of course, that is deeply disturbing," she said.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her office received a "manifesto" from the gunman suspected of killing 50 people in two Christchurch mosques minutes before Friday's attack.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her office received a "manifesto" from the gunman suspected of killing 50 people in two Christchurch mosques minutes before Friday's attack. "I was one of more than 30 recipients of the manifesto that was mailed out nine minutes before the attack took place," Ardern told reporters on Sunday. "It did not include a location, it did not include specific details," she said, adding that it was sent to security services within two minutes of receipt. Ardern said she had read "elements" of the lengthy, meandering and conspiracy-filled far-right "manifesto". "The fact that there was an ideological manifesto with extreme views attached to this attack, of course, that is deeply disturbing," she said.

New Zealand PM says received gunman's 'manifesto' minutes before attack

An aircraft engineer, a takeaway store owner, a student pilot; details emerging of some of the 50 people gunned down at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/five-indians-confirmed-dead-in-new-zealand-terror-attack-death-toll-rises-to-50-203766">two New Zealand mosques</a> paint a picture of dozens of ordinary lives suddenly and savagely ended.

Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, was charged with murder on Saturday. Tarrant was remanded without a plea and is due back in court on April 5 where police said he was likely to face further charges.

Friday's attack, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern labelled as terrorism, was the worst ever peacetime mass killing in New Zealand.

At Hagley College, a school across a park from the Al Noor mosque where more than 40 people were killed, a makeshift support centre was set up on Sunday

A stream of victims' friends and relatives entered, one woman carrying sandwiches and falafel.

Muzzamil Pathan arrived to offer his condolences for a friend, Imran Khan, who was killed at a second mosque in the suburb of Linwood.

Khan ran a takeaway and had recently opened a butcher shop, he said.

"He was a good person. We wish this did not happen. He came here to New Zealand 18 years ago - he was just 47. He was a self-made man," Pathan said.

National carrier Air New Zealand said Lilik Abdul Hamid, an aircraft maintenance engineer, was in killed at the Al Noor mosque.

“Lilik has been a valued part of our engineering team in Christchurch for 16 years, but he first got to know the team even earlier when he worked with our aircraft engineers in a previous role overseas," Air New Zealand Chief Executive Christopher Luxon said in a statement.

"The friendships he made at that time led him to apply for a role in Air New Zealand and make the move to Christchurch. His loss will be deeply felt by the team."

Hafiz Musa Patel, an Imman visiting from Fiji, was also killed, according to Abdul Aroon, a friend from Auckland.

“We didn’t think something like this could happen in this country,” Aroon told Reuters.

One student, who asked not to be identified, said a friend had been killed.

“He was studying to be a pilot and we saw him for morning classes. Then he went to the mosque as usual, and we aren't hearing from him," he said.

"I got a call last night from a friend, around midnight, to say he has passed away.”

The majority of victims were migrants or refugees from countries such as Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Somalia and Afghanistan.

Pakistan's high commissioner said six citizens had been killed and three were missing.

Khaled Mustafa, a recent refugee from Syria, had also been killed at the Al Noor mosque, Syrian Solidarity New Zealand spokesman Ali Akil told news website Stuff.

Mustafa and his family had "survived atrocities" in their home country and "arrived here in a safe haven only to be killed in the most atrocious way".

His son, Hamza, who is about 16, was missing, and his son Zaid, who is about 13, is in Christchurch Hospital where he underwent a six-hour operation, Akil said.

An aircraft engineer, a takeaway store owner, a student pilot; details emerging of some of the 50 people gunned down at two New Zealand mosques paint a picture of dozens of ordinary lives suddenly and savagely ended.

An aircraft engineer, a takeaway store owner, a student pilot; details emerging of some of the 50 people gunned down at two New Zealand mosques paint a picture of dozens of ordinary lives suddenly and savagely ended. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, was charged with murder on Saturday. Tarrant was remanded without a plea and is due back in court on April 5 where police said he was likely to face further charges. Friday's attack, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern labelled as terrorism, was the worst ever peacetime mass killing in New Zealand. At Hagley College, a school across a park from the Al Noor mosque where more than 40 people were killed, a makeshift support centre was set up on Sunday A stream of victims' friends and relatives entered, one woman carrying sandwiches and falafel. Muzzamil Pathan arrived to offer his condolences for a friend, Imran Khan, who was killed at a second mosque in the suburb of Linwood. Khan ran a takeaway and had recently opened a butcher shop, he said. "He was a good person. We wish this did not happen. He came here to New Zealand 18 years ago - he was just 47. He was a self-made man," Pathan said. National carrier Air New Zealand said Lilik Abdul Hamid, an aircraft maintenance engineer, was in killed at the Al Noor mosque. “Lilik has been a valued part of our engineering team in Christchurch for 16 years, but he first got to know the team even earlier when he worked with our aircraft engineers in a previous role overseas," Air New Zealand Chief Executive Christopher Luxon said in a statement. "The friendships he made at that time led him to apply for a role in Air New Zealand and make the move to Christchurch. His loss will be deeply felt by the team." Hafiz Musa Patel, an Imman visiting from Fiji, was also killed, according to Abdul Aroon, a friend from Auckland. “We didn’t think something like this could happen in this country,” Aroon told Reuters. One student, who asked not to be identified, said a friend had been killed. “He was studying to be a pilot and we saw him for morning classes. Then he went to the mosque as usual, and we aren't hearing from him," he said. "I got a call last night from a friend, around midnight, to say he has passed away.” The majority of victims were migrants or refugees from countries such as Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Somalia and Afghanistan. Pakistan's high commissioner said six citizens had been killed and three were missing. Khaled Mustafa, a recent refugee from Syria, had also been killed at the Al Noor mosque, Syrian Solidarity New Zealand spokesman Ali Akil told news website Stuff. Mustafa and his family had "survived atrocities" in their home country and "arrived here in a safe haven only to be killed in the most atrocious way". His son, Hamza, who is about 16, was missing, and his son Zaid, who is about 13, is in Christchurch Hospital where he underwent a six-hour operation, Akil said.

Student pilot, takeaway store owner among victims of New Zealand mosque shootings

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-navy-says-ins-vikramaditya-nuclear-submarines-deployed-in-northern-arabian-sea-amid-indo-pak-tensions-203846">Indian Navy says INS Vikramaditya, nuclear submarines were deployed in </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-navy-says-ins-vikramaditya-nuclear-submarines-deployed-in-northern-arabian-sea-amid-indo-pak-tensions-203846">northern</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-navy-says-ins-vikramaditya-nuclear-submarines-deployed-in-northern-arabian-sea-amid-indo-pak-tensions-203846"> Arabian Sea after Pulwama terror attack</a>

The Indian navy said that it had deployed its assets including INS Vikramaditya and nuclear submarines in northern Arabian sea in the last week of February amid tension between India and Pakistan following Pulwama terror attack on February 14.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-bjp-releases-andhra-arunachal-candidates-list-203879">Lok Sabha polls: BJP releases Andhra, Arunachal candidates list</a>

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its list of candidates for the 54 seats of Arunachal Pradesh and 123 seats of Andhra Pradesh for upcoming legislative assembly elections on Sunday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-returns-the-favour-leaves-seven-seats-for-sp-bsp-combine-in-uttar-pradesh-203877">Lok Sabha polls: Congress returns the favour, leaves seven seats for SP-BSP combine in Uttar Pradesh&nbsp;</a>

Pakistan: Four killed, 10 wounded after bomb went off on train track in Balochistan

Four people were killed and 10 injured in Pakistan on Sunday when a bomb went off on a train track in the resource-rich province of Balochistan, where separatist rebels have been fighting the security forces for years.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/suspicious-package-shutters-new-zealands-dunedin-airport-203848">'Suspicious package' shutters New Zealand's Dunedin airport</a>

New Zealand police closed Dunedin airport late Sunday after a suspicious device was reported on the airfield.&nbsp;

'Dunedin Airport is currently closed' a statement said. 'Police are at the scene and specialist teams have been deployed to determine the nature of the package.'

Indian Navy says INS Vikramaditya, nuclear submarines were deployed in northern Arabian Sea after Pulwama terror attack The Indian navy said that it had deployed its assets including INS Vikramaditya and nuclear submarines in northern Arabian sea in the last week of February amid tension between India and Pakistan following Pulwama terror attack on February 14.

Indian Navy says INS Vikramaditya, nuclear submarines were deployed in northern Arabian Sea after Pulwama terror attack The Indian navy said that it had deployed its assets including INS Vikramaditya and nuclear submarines in northern Arabian sea in the last week of February amid tension between India and Pakistan following Pulwama terror attack on February 14. Lok Sabha polls: BJP releases Andhra, Arunachal candidates list The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its list of candidates for the 54 seats of Arunachal Pradesh and 123 seats of Andhra Pradesh for upcoming legislative assembly elections on Sunday. Lok Sabha polls: Congress returns the favour, leaves seven seats for SP-BSP combine in Uttar Pradesh Pakistan: Four killed, 10 wounded after bomb went off on train track in Balochistan Four people were killed and 10 injured in Pakistan on Sunday when a bomb went off on a train track in the resource-rich province of Balochistan, where separatist rebels have been fighting the security forces for years. 'Suspicious package' shutters New Zealand's Dunedin airport New Zealand police closed Dunedin airport late Sunday after a suspicious device was reported on the airfield. 'Dunedin Airport is currently closed' a statement said. 'Police are at the scene and specialist teams have been deployed to determine the nature of the package.'

News brief: Big stories of the day

A carnage in far way New Zealand has left three families grieving in Gujarat as four of their relatives are among those killed in the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch that shook the world. 
 
At least <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/five-indians-confirmed-dead-in-new-zealand-terror-attack-death-toll-rises-to-50-203766">50 people were killed</a> in the ghastly terror attack on Friday as worshippers gathered for weekly prayers. 
 
Two of the deceased were natives of Bharuch and Navsari districts in Gujarat. 
 
Besides, a father-son duo killed in the attack hailed from Vadodara and their family back home is shattered and finding it hard to cope with the loss of two of their members in the gun attack on a mosque in New Zealand last Friday. 
 
Yasmeen Vora from Vadodara said their relative Arif Vora (58) went to New Zealand with his wife on February 14 to see their son Rameez Vora (28), who was recently blessed with a baby boy. 
 
Rameez Vora, who was settled in New Zealand, took his parents to offer Friday prayers at the mosque when the incident took place, she said. 
 
'Arif's other son Raheel, who lives in Australia, confirmed that both Arif Bhai and Rameez were killed in the attack,'&nbsp;said the distraught woman. 
 
The family members approached Lok Sabha member from Vadodara, Ranjan Bhatt, who has assured help, she said. 
 
Equally, heart-wrenching is the case of deceased Hafiz Musa Patel (56), an Imam hailing from Luwara village in Bharuch, who had gone to New Zealand only a few weeks back as he was planning to settle there, his relative Ayub Ghadi said. 
 
Patel was living in Fiji for the last three decades. His two daughters and three sons are settled in Australia and New Zealand. 
 
'He went to New Zealand three weeks ago after his citizenship there was confirmed,'&nbsp;Ghadi said. 
 
'He had gone to the mosque to offer Friday prayers with his wife and a friend when the shooting happened. Bullets hit Patel's back following which he was shifted to a hospital in Christchurch where he succumbed,'&nbsp;he said. 
 
Besides, Juned Kara from Navsari was also among those killed in the attack, district Superintendent of Police Girish Pandya said. 
 
'Kara, a native of Adada village in Navsari, was among those killed in the attack. It was confirmed last night'&nbsp;Pandya said.

A carnage in far way New Zealand has left three families grieving in Gujarat as four of their relatives are among those killed in the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch that shook the world.

A carnage in far way New Zealand has left three families grieving in Gujarat as four of their relatives are among those killed in the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch that shook the world. At least 50 people were killed in the ghastly terror attack on Friday as worshippers gathered for weekly prayers. Two of the deceased were natives of Bharuch and Navsari districts in Gujarat. Besides, a father-son duo killed in the attack hailed from Vadodara and their family back home is shattered and finding it hard to cope with the loss of two of their members in the gun attack on a mosque in New Zealand last Friday. Yasmeen Vora from Vadodara said their relative Arif Vora (58) went to New Zealand with his wife on February 14 to see their son Rameez Vora (28), who was recently blessed with a baby boy. Rameez Vora, who was settled in New Zealand, took his parents to offer Friday prayers at the mosque when the incident took place, she said. 'Arif's other son Raheel, who lives in Australia, confirmed that both Arif Bhai and Rameez were killed in the attack,' said the distraught woman. The family members approached Lok Sabha member from Vadodara, Ranjan Bhatt, who has assured help, she said. Equally, heart-wrenching is the case of deceased Hafiz Musa Patel (56), an Imam hailing from Luwara village in Bharuch, who had gone to New Zealand only a few weeks back as he was planning to settle there, his relative Ayub Ghadi said. Patel was living in Fiji for the last three decades. His two daughters and three sons are settled in Australia and New Zealand. 'He went to New Zealand three weeks ago after his citizenship there was confirmed,' Ghadi said. 'He had gone to the mosque to offer Friday prayers with his wife and a friend when the shooting happened. Bullets hit Patel's back following which he was shifted to a hospital in Christchurch where he succumbed,' he said. Besides, Juned Kara from Navsari was also among those killed in the attack, district Superintendent of Police Girish Pandya said. 'Kara, a native of Adada village in Navsari, was among those killed in the attack. It was confirmed last night' Pandya said.

New Zealand attack: Three families in Gujarat mourn their relatives' death

"Just an ordinary White man, 28 years old," was how Brenton Harrison Tarrant, accused of killing 49 people and injuring more at two mosques in New Zealand, introduced himself to the world in a manifesto circulating online.

"Born in Australia to a working class, low-income family," he added.

Other than that, the country that spawned the man accused of the world's second-deadliest shooting was scrambling for clues about a life that those in his hometown said left little impression until he unleashed a long, articulate screed published online along with a link to a livestream video of the mosque shootings.

Under New Zealand's contempt rules, there are limits on what can be published about him, to preserve his right to a fair trial.

Although his social media profiles on Facebook and Twitter were taken down soon after news of the incident spread, police said Tarrant had lived in Grafton, an inland city split by a river and known for its logging industry, about 500 kilometres (310 miles) north of Sydney.

In his 74-page manifesto, he said he had gone to the local high school. Grafton High School did not return a Reuters phone call seeking comment.

Tarrant said in his document he received "little education during my schooling, barely achieving a passing grade", skipping university to work and deal in cryptocurrency, which he said was profitable.

He also became a committed member of his local gym, Big River Squash and Fitness Centre, as a high school student, qualifying as a personal trainer, the Sydney Morning Herald quoted its owner, Tracey Gray, as saying.

"He started coming to my facility as a boy that was finishing school and showed a lot of dedication to his own training," the paper quoted Gray as saying. "He never showed any extremist tendencies in conversations I had with him."

Tarrant left Grafton around the time of his father's death in about 2011, Gray told the Herald. On Saturday, no one was answering the gym's phone and its Facebook page had been disabled.

Grafton Police declined to comment on whether they had any previous dealings with Tarrant, as did the New South Wales state police. New Zealand authorities have said he was not on any watchlists.

Experiences abroad&nbsp;

Tarrant wrote that he used the spoils of his cryptocurrency dealings to travel in France, Spain and Portugal in 2017.

Several countries checked their records after the attacks and discovered that he had also embarked on other travels.

A few months before his Western Europe trip, in late 2016, Tarrant visited Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia, where he stopped by historic battle sites, Bulgarian Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov told Reuters.

He returned to the region in November 2018 to tour historic sites of Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary.

His interest showed "a very serious knowledge of the Balkan history in details I would say even few people in the Balkans know," Bulgarian Foreign Minister Elaterid Zachariah said.

Tarrant also visited Turkey "multiple times and spent an extended period of time in the country", a senior Turkish official told Reuters, without giving dates. The authorities there were now investigating his movements domestically in the wake of the shooting, added the official, who was not authorised to speak to the media and commented on condition of anonymity.

His suspended Facebook page also showed a post from Pakistan in 2018 in which he called the country "an incredible place filled with the most earnest, kind-hearted and hospitable people in the world," according to the Herald.

In Grafton, which holds a jacaranda festival each October, councillor Greg Clan said the city was conservative with no mosque or significant Muslim population.

"Why this particular person from Grafton had a set against Muslims I would not know," he said. "It's just weird, apart from being shocking."

"Just an ordinary White man, 28 years old," was how Brenton Harrison Tarrant, accused of killing 49 people and injuring more at two mosques in New Zealand, introduced himself to the world in a manifesto circulating online.

"Just an ordinary White man, 28 years old," was how Brenton Harrison Tarrant, accused of killing 49 people and injuring more at two mosques in New Zealand, introduced himself to the world in a manifesto circulating online. "Born in Australia to a working class, low-income family," he added. Other than that, the country that spawned the man accused of the world's second-deadliest shooting was scrambling for clues about a life that those in his hometown said left little impression until he unleashed a long, articulate screed published online along with a link to a livestream video of the mosque shootings. Under New Zealand's contempt rules, there are limits on what can be published about him, to preserve his right to a fair trial. Although his social media profiles on Facebook and Twitter were taken down soon after news of the incident spread, police said Tarrant had lived in Grafton, an inland city split by a river and known for its logging industry, about 500 kilometres (310 miles) north of Sydney. In his 74-page manifesto, he said he had gone to the local high school. Grafton High School did not return a Reuters phone call seeking comment. Tarrant said in his document he received "little education during my schooling, barely achieving a passing grade", skipping university to work and deal in cryptocurrency, which he said was profitable. He also became a committed member of his local gym, Big River Squash and Fitness Centre, as a high school student, qualifying as a personal trainer, the Sydney Morning Herald quoted its owner, Tracey Gray, as saying. "He started coming to my facility as a boy that was finishing school and showed a lot of dedication to his own training," the paper quoted Gray as saying. "He never showed any extremist tendencies in conversations I had with him." Tarrant left Grafton around the time of his father's death in about 2011, Gray told the Herald. On Saturday, no one was answering the gym's phone and its Facebook page had been disabled. Grafton Police declined to comment on whether they had any previous dealings with Tarrant, as did the New South Wales state police. New Zealand authorities have said he was not on any watchlists. Experiences abroad Tarrant wrote that he used the spoils of his cryptocurrency dealings to travel in France, Spain and Portugal in 2017. Several countries checked their records after the attacks and discovered that he had also embarked on other travels. A few months before his Western Europe trip, in late 2016, Tarrant visited Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia, where he stopped by historic battle sites, Bulgarian Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov told Reuters. He returned to the region in November 2018 to tour historic sites of Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. His interest showed "a very serious knowledge of the Balkan history in details I would say even few people in the Balkans know," Bulgarian Foreign Minister Elaterid Zachariah said. Tarrant also visited Turkey "multiple times and spent an extended period of time in the country", a senior Turkish official told Reuters, without giving dates. The authorities there were now investigating his movements domestically in the wake of the shooting, added the official, who was not authorised to speak to the media and commented on condition of anonymity. His suspended Facebook page also showed a post from Pakistan in 2018 in which he called the country "an incredible place filled with the most earnest, kind-hearted and hospitable people in the world," according to the Herald. In Grafton, which holds a jacaranda festival each October, councillor Greg Clan said the city was conservative with no mosque or significant Muslim population. "Why this particular person from Grafton had a set against Muslims I would not know," he said. "It's just weird, apart from being shocking."

In New Zealand, a journey around the world and into darkness

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-mass-shooting-suspect-remanded-until-april-5-203622">New Zealand mass shooting suspect charged with murder, remanded until April 5</a>

The main suspect in mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques was charged with one count of murder on Saturday, a day after the attack that killed 49 people and wounded dozens, prompting the prime minister to vow reform of the country's gun laws.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-vetoes-measure-to-end-his-emergency-declaration-on-border-wall-203626">Trump vetoes measure to end his emergency declaration on </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-vetoes-measure-to-end-his-emergency-declaration-on-border-wall-203626">border</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-vetoes-measure-to-end-his-emergency-declaration-on-border-wall-203626"> wall</a>

President Donald Trump issued the first veto of his presidency on Friday to block a&nbsp;measure passed by Democrats and Republicans&nbsp;in Congress that would terminate his emergency declaration for a wall on the&nbsp;US border with Mexico.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-to-host-fifa-u-17-womens-world-cup-in-2020-203620">India to host FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in 2020</a>

India is set to host the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in 2020. The decision to award the rights to India was taken at the FIFA Council meeting in Miami, USA on Friday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-pm-vows-gun-reforms-after-racist-mosque-massacre-203623">New Zealand PM vows gun reforms after mosque massacre</a>

New Zealand's prime minister vowed to toughen the country's gun laws after revealing Saturday that the man&nbsp;accused of murdering 49 people&nbsp;in two mosques legally purchased the arsenal of firearms used in the massacre.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-secretary-of-state-pompeo-says-us-hopes-to-continue-talks-with-north-korea-203592">US Secretary of State Pompeo says </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-secretary-of-state-pompeo-says-us-hopes-to-continue-talks-with-north-korea-203592">US</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-secretary-of-state-pompeo-says-us-hopes-to-continue-talks-with-north-korea-203592"> hopes to continue talks with North Korea</a>

The United States is hopeful that it can continue to hold&nbsp;denuclearization talks&nbsp;with North Korea, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday (March 15) following reports that a top Pyongyang official had said the country may suspend negotiations.

New Zealand mass shooting suspect charged with murder, remanded until April 5 The main suspect in mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques was charged with one count of murder on Saturday, a day after the attack that killed 49 people and wounded dozens, prompting the prime minister to vow reform of the country's gun laws.

New Zealand mass shooting suspect charged with murder, remanded until April 5 The main suspect in mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques was charged with one count of murder on Saturday, a day after the attack that killed 49 people and wounded dozens, prompting the prime minister to vow reform of the country's gun laws. Trump vetoes measure to end his emergency declaration on border wall President Donald Trump issued the first veto of his presidency on Friday to block a measure passed by Democrats and Republicans in Congress that would terminate his emergency declaration for a wall on the US border with Mexico. India to host FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in 2020 India is set to host the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in 2020. The decision to award the rights to India was taken at the FIFA Council meeting in Miami, USA on Friday. New Zealand PM vows gun reforms after mosque massacre New Zealand's prime minister vowed to toughen the country's gun laws after revealing Saturday that the man accused of murdering 49 people in two mosques legally purchased the arsenal of firearms used in the massacre. US Secretary of State Pompeo says US hopes to continue talks with North Korea The United States is hopeful that it can continue to hold denuclearization talks with North Korea, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday (March 15) following reports that a top Pyongyang official had said the country may suspend negotiations.

Six Pakistani nationals were killed in the terror attack on two mosques in New Zealand and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistani-man-dies-trying-to-overpower-new-zealand-mosque-attacker-203728">one of them died while he was reportedly attempting to stop</a> the shooter.

Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal confirmed that six Pakistanis were among 49 worshippers killed by an Australia-born gunman at two mosques during Friday prayers in New Zealand's Christchurch city.

The deceased has been identified as Sohail Shahid, Syed Jahandad Ali, Syed Areeb Ahmed, Mahboob Haroon, Naeem Rashid and his son Talha Naeem.

The Foreign Office spokesman said that three others who are missing are yet to be identified.

Our Mission and family members of the missing persons, currently in Christchurch, are assisting in this process, he said.

Faisal said that New Zealand police circulated 74 names of missing persons after the incident as reported by families and diplomatic representatives.

Authorities informed that they have only 49 bodies and police sought assistance to delete names that were duplicated.

According to a media report, one of the deceased, Naeem Rashid, died while he was attempting to stop the shooter during the attack.

Rashid succumbed to his wounds while under treatment following the attack and was identified as the individual who rushed at the right-wing terrorist attacking the mosque in Christchurch city, the Express Tribune reported.

Rashid, hailing from Abbottabad, received bullet wounds as he tried to overpower the shooter as he entered one of the mosques in Christchurch, the daily said. His son Rashid also died in the attack.

The 28-year-old gunman, identified Brenton Tarrant, live-streamed footage of himself going room-to-room, victim to victim, shooting the wounded from close range as they struggled to crawl away.

He also published a racist 'manifesto' on social media before the attack, featuring conspiracy theories about Europeans being "displaced" by immigrants and details of two years of preparation and radicalisation leading up to the shootings.

His two targets were the Masjid al Noor mosque, where 41 people died, and a second, smaller mosque in the suburb of Linwood, where seven more died. The remaining victim succumbed in hospital.

The survivors included 17 members of Bangladesh's cricket team, whose game against New Zealand on Saturday has been cancelled, and a Palestinian man who fled for his life after seeing someone being shot in the head.

The attack has shocked New Zealanders, who are used to seeing around 50 murders a year in the entire country of 4.8 million and pride themselves on living in a secure and welcoming place.

Police warned Muslims all over the country not to visit mosques anywhere in New Zealand in the wake of the Christchurch attacks.&nbsp;

Six Pakistani nationals were killed in the terror attack on two mosques in New Zealand and one of them died while he was reportedly attempting to stop the shooter.

Six Pakistani nationals were killed in the terror attack on two mosques in New Zealand and one of them died while he was reportedly attempting to stop the shooter. Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal confirmed that six Pakistanis were among 49 worshippers killed by an Australia-born gunman at two mosques during Friday prayers in New Zealand's Christchurch city. The deceased has been identified as Sohail Shahid, Syed Jahandad Ali, Syed Areeb Ahmed, Mahboob Haroon, Naeem Rashid and his son Talha Naeem. The Foreign Office spokesman said that three others who are missing are yet to be identified. Our Mission and family members of the missing persons, currently in Christchurch, are assisting in this process, he said. Faisal said that New Zealand police circulated 74 names of missing persons after the incident as reported by families and diplomatic representatives. Authorities informed that they have only 49 bodies and police sought assistance to delete names that were duplicated. According to a media report, one of the deceased, Naeem Rashid, died while he was attempting to stop the shooter during the attack. Rashid succumbed to his wounds while under treatment following the attack and was identified as the individual who rushed at the right-wing terrorist attacking the mosque in Christchurch city, the Express Tribune reported. Rashid, hailing from Abbottabad, received bullet wounds as he tried to overpower the shooter as he entered one of the mosques in Christchurch, the daily said. His son Rashid also died in the attack. The 28-year-old gunman, identified Brenton Tarrant, live-streamed footage of himself going room-to-room, victim to victim, shooting the wounded from close range as they struggled to crawl away. He also published a racist 'manifesto' on social media before the attack, featuring conspiracy theories about Europeans being "displaced" by immigrants and details of two years of preparation and radicalisation leading up to the shootings. His two targets were the Masjid al Noor mosque, where 41 people died, and a second, smaller mosque in the suburb of Linwood, where seven more died. The remaining victim succumbed in hospital. The survivors included 17 members of Bangladesh's cricket team, whose game against New Zealand on Saturday has been cancelled, and a Palestinian man who fled for his life after seeing someone being shot in the head. The attack has shocked New Zealanders, who are used to seeing around 50 murders a year in the entire country of 4.8 million and pride themselves on living in a secure and welcoming place. Police warned Muslims all over the country not to visit mosques anywhere in New Zealand in the wake of the Christchurch attacks.

Pak Foreign Office confirms deaths of six Pakistanis in New Zealand terror attack

US President Donald Trump on Friday said that he did not see a rise in white nationalism across the world after the accused in the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-mosque-shootings-kill-49-in-what-pm-calls-terrorist-attack-203560"> New Zealand mosque terror attack </a>called the president "a symbol of renewed white identity."

“I don't really think so. I think it’s a small group of people that have very, very serious problems,” The Hill quoted Trump as saying when asked if he saw a rise in white nationalism.

"If you look at what happened in New Zealand, perhaps that’s the case. I don’t know enough about it yet," he added.

Earlier, a social media account believed to be linked to the Australian-born suspect, who filmed himself, while carrying out the attack, had posted a lengthy manifesto, expressing anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim views.

He wrote that he supported Trump “as a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose” but not as a “policymaker and leader.”

Responding to the same, Trump said that he was yet to see the manifesto and called the mass shootings "horrible".

The 28-year-old suspect, identified as Brenton Harrison Tarrant <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-mass-shooting-suspect-remanded-until-april-5-203622">appeared before a Christchurch court</a> on Saturday on murder charges connected with Friday's terror attacks in Christchurch, which left at least 49 people dead.

He was remanded in custody without plea until April 5.

The accused is an Australian-born citizen and is a resident of Dunedin, situated around 360 km south of Christchurch.

Earlier, Trump spoke to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and offered assistance to the country in the wake of the terror attack.

"Just spoke with Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, regarding the horrific events that have taken place over the past 24 hours. I informed the Prime Minister that we stand in solidarity with New Zealand - and that any assistance the USA can give, we stand by ready to help. We love you New Zealand!" he wrote on Twitter.

In the worst ever terror attack in New Zealand, multiple gunmen carried out indiscriminate shootings at two mosques in Christchurch during the Friday prayers, leaving 49 people dead and at least 48 wounded, besides giving a scare to the Bangladesh cricket team which had a narrow escape.

Using automatic weapons, the gunmen, four of who were initially taken into custody, launched a "well-planned" attack on the mosques when devotees had assembled for the weekly prayers.

According to the police, 41 people were killed at Al Noor mosque and seven at Linwood mosque while one injured died in a hospital.

Condemning the terror strike, Ardern had described it as a “terror attack” and said it “appears to have been well planned”. She asserted that New Zealand “will not and cannot be shaken” by this attack.

Several guns have been recovered from both mosques, while, two explosive devices were found on two vehicles at the scene, one of which was defused, the police confirmed.

Ardern vowed that gun laws "will change" in the wake of the worst terror attacks in the country`s history.

The New Zealand premier, her cabinet ministers and opposition leader Simon Bridges flew to Christchurch from Wellington today morning in the wake of the terror attacks.

Upon her arrival, Ardern visited the Canterbury Refugees Centre, where she interacted with Muslim community leaders who were expressing their concerns about finding a place of worship after all mosques in the city were shut down in the wake of the shootings, according to New Zealand Herald.

Ardern assured the group that local council leaders were working tirelessly to provide alternative and safe places for worship, adding that security was beefed up to ensure safety.

Around 3,000 people from all walks of lives and representing different faiths gathered for a peace vigil in Aotea Square in Auckland to stand in solidarity with the victims of the Christchurch terror attacks.

Several events scheduled for today have been cancelled in the wake of the mass shootings in Christchurch.

US President Donald Trump on Friday said that he did not see a rise in white nationalism across the world after the accused in the New Zealand mosque terror attack called the president "a symbol of renewed white identity.

US President Donald Trump on Friday said that he did not see a rise in white nationalism across the world after the accused in the New Zealand mosque terror attack called the president "a symbol of renewed white identity." “I don't really think so. I think it’s a small group of people that have very, very serious problems,” The Hill quoted Trump as saying when asked if he saw a rise in white nationalism. "If you look at what happened in New Zealand, perhaps that’s the case. I don’t know enough about it yet," he added. Earlier, a social media account believed to be linked to the Australian-born suspect, who filmed himself, while carrying out the attack, had posted a lengthy manifesto, expressing anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim views. He wrote that he supported Trump “as a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose” but not as a “policymaker and leader.” Responding to the same, Trump said that he was yet to see the manifesto and called the mass shootings "horrible". The 28-year-old suspect, identified as Brenton Harrison Tarrant appeared before a Christchurch court on Saturday on murder charges connected with Friday's terror attacks in Christchurch, which left at least 49 people dead. He was remanded in custody without plea until April 5. The accused is an Australian-born citizen and is a resident of Dunedin, situated around 360 km south of Christchurch. Earlier, Trump spoke to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and offered assistance to the country in the wake of the terror attack. "Just spoke with Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, regarding the horrific events that have taken place over the past 24 hours. I informed the Prime Minister that we stand in solidarity with New Zealand - and that any assistance the USA can give, we stand by ready to help. We love you New Zealand!" he wrote on Twitter. In the worst ever terror attack in New Zealand, multiple gunmen carried out indiscriminate shootings at two mosques in Christchurch during the Friday prayers, leaving 49 people dead and at least 48 wounded, besides giving a scare to the Bangladesh cricket team which had a narrow escape. Using automatic weapons, the gunmen, four of who were initially taken into custody, launched a "well-planned" attack on the mosques when devotees had assembled for the weekly prayers. According to the police, 41 people were killed at Al Noor mosque and seven at Linwood mosque while one injured died in a hospital. Condemning the terror strike, Ardern had described it as a “terror attack” and said it “appears to have been well planned”. She asserted that New Zealand “will not and cannot be shaken” by this attack. Several guns have been recovered from both mosques, while, two explosive devices were found on two vehicles at the scene, one of which was defused, the police confirmed. Ardern vowed that gun laws "will change" in the wake of the worst terror attacks in the country`s history. The New Zealand premier, her cabinet ministers and opposition leader Simon Bridges flew to Christchurch from Wellington today morning in the wake of the terror attacks. Upon her arrival, Ardern visited the Canterbury Refugees Centre, where she interacted with Muslim community leaders who were expressing their concerns about finding a place of worship after all mosques in the city were shut down in the wake of the shootings, according to New Zealand Herald. Ardern assured the group that local council leaders were working tirelessly to provide alternative and safe places for worship, adding that security was beefed up to ensure safety. Around 3,000 people from all walks of lives and representing different faiths gathered for a peace vigil in Aotea Square in Auckland to stand in solidarity with the victims of the Christchurch terror attacks. Several events scheduled for today have been cancelled in the wake of the mass shootings in Christchurch.

White nationalism not a rising threat: Trump on New Zealand mosque shooter

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/17-minutes-of-carnage-how-new-zealand-gunman-broadcast-his-killings-on-facebook-203719">17 minutes of carnage: How New Zealand gunman broadcast his killings on Facebook</a>

A gunman who killed 49 people at two New Zealand mosques live-streamed the attacks on Facebook for 17 minutes using an app designed for extreme sports enthusiasts, with copies still being shared on social media hours later.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/controversial-australian-senator-egged-after-new-zealand-shootings-statement-203716">Watch: Controversial Australian senator egged after New Zealand shootings statement</a>

An Australian senator, who made controversial comments about the New Zealand mosque shootings yesterday, punched a 17-year-old boy after he was egged at an event in Melbourne on Saturday.

Senator Fraser Anning, who has a history of racist comments, was egged at a news conference and proceeded to physically assault the person who egged him.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-to-us-afghanistan-should-have-an-elected-political-structure-post-us-withdrawal-203699">India to </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-to-us-afghanistan-should-have-an-elected-political-structure-post-us-withdrawal-203699">US</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-to-us-afghanistan-should-have-an-elected-political-structure-post-us-withdrawal-203699">: Afghanistan should have an elected 'political structure' post US withdrawal</a>

India recently told the US that an elected political structure should remain in place post-US withdrawal from Afghanistan. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, who was in Washington last week, met United State's special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad during which both discussed the peace process in strife-torn, landlocked South Asian country.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistani-man-dies-trying-to-overpower-new-zealand-mosque-attacker-203728">Pakistani man dies trying to overpower New Zealand mosque attacker</a>

Two Pakistani nationals were killed in the terror attack on two mosques in New Zealand and one of them died while he was attempting to stop the shooter during the attack, according to a media report.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jammu-kashmir-spo-khushboo-jan-shot-dead-by-terrorists-in-shopian-district-203721">Jammu &amp; Kashmir: SPO shot dead by terrorists in Shopian district</a>

A woman special police officer (SPO) was shot dead by terrorists in south Kashmir’s Shopian on Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;

SPO Khushboo Jan was shot by unidentified terrorists at her home in Vehil village following which she was shifted to a hospital for treatment. Later, she succumbed to critical wounds.

17 minutes of carnage: How New Zealand gunman broadcast his killings on Facebook A gunman who killed 49 people at two New Zealand mosques live-streamed the attacks on Facebook for 17 minutes using an app designed for extreme sports enthusiasts, with copies still being shared on social media hours later.

17 minutes of carnage: How New Zealand gunman broadcast his killings on Facebook A gunman who killed 49 people at two New Zealand mosques live-streamed the attacks on Facebook for 17 minutes using an app designed for extreme sports enthusiasts, with copies still being shared on social media hours later. Watch: Controversial Australian senator egged after New Zealand shootings statement An Australian senator, who made controversial comments about the New Zealand mosque shootings yesterday, punched a 17-year-old boy after he was egged at an event in Melbourne on Saturday. Senator Fraser Anning, who has a history of racist comments, was egged at a news conference and proceeded to physically assault the person who egged him. India to US: Afghanistan should have an elected 'political structure' post US withdrawal India recently told the US that an elected political structure should remain in place post-US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, who was in Washington last week, met United State's special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad during which both discussed the peace process in strife-torn, landlocked South Asian country. Pakistani man dies trying to overpower New Zealand mosque attacker Two Pakistani nationals were killed in the terror attack on two mosques in New Zealand and one of them died while he was attempting to stop the shooter during the attack, according to a media report. Jammu & Kashmir: SPO shot dead by terrorists in Shopian district A woman special police officer (SPO) was shot dead by terrorists in south Kashmir’s Shopian on Saturday afternoon. SPO Khushboo Jan was shot by unidentified terrorists at her home in Vehil village following which she was shifted to a hospital for treatment. Later, she succumbed to critical wounds.

New Zealand's prime minister vowed to toughen the country's gun laws after revealing Saturday that the man <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gunman-was-very-calm-during-the-rampage-survivors-tell-of-new-zealand-mosque-shootings-203612">accused of murdering 49 people</a> in two mosques legally purchased the arsenal of firearms used in the massacre.

Jacinda Ardern said the gunman, 28-year-old Australian Brenton Tarrant, obtained a "Category A" gun licence in November 2017 and began purchasing the five weapons used in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-mosque-shootings-kill-49-in-what-pm-calls-terrorist-attack-203560">Friday's attacks</a> in the southern city of Christchurch the following month.

The firearms included two semi-automatic rifles, two shotguns and a lever-action weapon, she said, speaking to reporters in Wellington before heading to Christchurch.

"The mere fact... that this individual had acquired a gun licence and acquired weapons of that range, then obviously I think people will be seeking change, and I'm committing to that," she said.

"While work is being done as to the chain of events that led to both the holding of this gun licence, and the possession of these weapons, I can tell you one thing right now -- our gun laws will change."&nbsp;

She confirmed that the gunman and two suspected associates who were also arrested had not been on the radar of any intelligence agencies, even though he had published a manifesto online indicating plans for attacks on Muslims.

"They were not on any watchlists either here or in Australia," she said.

"The individual charged with murder had not come to the attention of the intelligence community, nor the police, for extremism," she added.

"I have asked our agencies this morning to work swiftly on assessing whether there was any activity on social media or otherwise, that should have triggered a response. That work is already underway.

"Given global indicators around far-right extremism, our intelligence community has been stepping up their investigations in this area."&nbsp;

Relaxed laws

New Zealand tightened its gun laws to restrict access to semi-automatic rifles in 1992, two years after a mentally ill man shot dead 13 people in the southern town of Aramoana.

But firearms laws are lax compared to neighbouring Australia, which enacted a strict gun control regime in the wake of a similar massacre in 1996, and most other developed nations outside of the United States.

Anyone over 16 can apply for a New Zealand firearms licence, valid for 10 years after completing a safety course and a police background check.

Most guns do not require registration under New Zealand's Arms Act and police do not know "how many legally or illegally owned firearms there are in New Zealand", according to a police statement last year.

In 2014, police estimated there were up to 1.2 million legal firearms in civilian ownership, or around one for every four members of the public -- twice the per capita number of guns in Australia.

Separate "endorsements" are required to own semi-automatic weapons like those used in Friday's attack, as well as pistols and other restricted weapons.&nbsp;

But police and firearms experts have pointed to several loopholes allowing owners to bypass registration of semi-automatics.

Ardern noted the failure of several earlier attempts to reform gun laws and said a ban on semi-automatic weapons would be considered.

A 1997 police review of gun laws called for such a ban, but attempts to update the Arms Act since 1992 have stalled in parliament.

New Zealand's prime minister vowed to toughen the country's gun laws after revealing Saturday that the man accused of murdering 49 people in two mosques legally purchased the arsenal of firearms used in the massacre.

New Zealand's prime minister vowed to toughen the country's gun laws after revealing Saturday that the man accused of murdering 49 people in two mosques legally purchased the arsenal of firearms used in the massacre. Jacinda Ardern said the gunman, 28-year-old Australian Brenton Tarrant, obtained a "Category A" gun licence in November 2017 and began purchasing the five weapons used in Friday's attacks in the southern city of Christchurch the following month. The firearms included two semi-automatic rifles, two shotguns and a lever-action weapon, she said, speaking to reporters in Wellington before heading to Christchurch. "The mere fact... that this individual had acquired a gun licence and acquired weapons of that range, then obviously I think people will be seeking change, and I'm committing to that," she said. "While work is being done as to the chain of events that led to both the holding of this gun licence, and the possession of these weapons, I can tell you one thing right now -- our gun laws will change." She confirmed that the gunman and two suspected associates who were also arrested had not been on the radar of any intelligence agencies, even though he had published a manifesto online indicating plans for attacks on Muslims. "They were not on any watchlists either here or in Australia," she said. "The individual charged with murder had not come to the attention of the intelligence community, nor the police, for extremism," she added. "I have asked our agencies this morning to work swiftly on assessing whether there was any activity on social media or otherwise, that should have triggered a response. That work is already underway. "Given global indicators around far-right extremism, our intelligence community has been stepping up their investigations in this area." Relaxed laws New Zealand tightened its gun laws to restrict access to semi-automatic rifles in 1992, two years after a mentally ill man shot dead 13 people in the southern town of Aramoana. But firearms laws are lax compared to neighbouring Australia, which enacted a strict gun control regime in the wake of a similar massacre in 1996, and most other developed nations outside of the United States. Anyone over 16 can apply for a New Zealand firearms licence, valid for 10 years after completing a safety course and a police background check. Most guns do not require registration under New Zealand's Arms Act and police do not know "how many legally or illegally owned firearms there are in New Zealand", according to a police statement last year. In 2014, police estimated there were up to 1.2 million legal firearms in civilian ownership, or around one for every four members of the public -- twice the per capita number of guns in Australia. Separate "endorsements" are required to own semi-automatic weapons like those used in Friday's attack, as well as pistols and other restricted weapons. But police and firearms experts have pointed to several loopholes allowing owners to bypass registration of semi-automatics. Ardern noted the failure of several earlier attempts to reform gun laws and said a ban on semi-automatic weapons would be considered. A 1997 police review of gun laws called for such a ban, but attempts to update the Arms Act since 1992 have stalled in parliament.

New Zealand PM vows gun reforms after mosque massacre

The main suspect in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gunman-was-very-calm-during-the-rampage-survivors-tell-of-new-zealand-mosque-shootings-203612">mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques</a> was charged with one count of murder on Saturday, a day after the attack that killed 49 people and wounded dozens, prompting the prime minister to vow reform of the country's gun laws.

Brenton Harrison Tarrant, a 28-year old Australian citizen, appeared in a Christchurch District Court and was remanded without a plea until his next scheduled appearance in the South Island city's High Court on April 5.

Handcuffed and wearing a white prison suit, Tarrant did not speak. His court-appointed lawyer made no application for bail or name suppression.

He was likely to face further charges, police said.

The attack, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern labelled as terrorism, was the worst ever peacetime mass killing in New Zealand and the country raised its security threat level to the highest.

Footage of the attack on one of the mosques was broadcast live on Facebook, and a "manifesto" was also posted online that denounced immigrants as "invaders".

The video footage showed a man driving to the mosque, entering it and shooting randomly at people inside. Worshippers, possibly dead or wounded, lay on the floor, the video showed. Reuters was unable to confirm the footage's authenticity and police urged people not to view or share it.

Police said two other people were in custody.

Armed police were deployed at several locations in all cities, unusual in a country where levels of gun violence are low.

Ardern said the main suspect was a licensed gun owner who used five weapons during his rampage, including two semi-automatic weapons and two shotguns.

"I can tell you one thing right now, our gun laws will change," Ardern told reporters, saying a ban on semi-automatic weapons would be considered.

None of those arrested had a criminal history or was on any watchlist in New Zealand or Australia.

Sorrow sympathy

There was a heavy police presence at the hospital where families of the more than 40 wounded had gathered. Funerals were planned on Saturday for some of the victims, several of whom were born overseas.

Dozens of people laid flowers at cordons near both mosques in Christchurch, which is still rebuilding after a devastating earthquake in 2011 that killed almost 200 people.

Leaders around the world expressed sorrow and disgust at the attacks, with some deploring the demonisation of Muslims.&nbsp;

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, who condemned the attack as a "horrible massacre", was praised by the accused gunman in a manifesto posted online as "a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose".

Asked by a reporter in Washington if he thought white nationalism is a rising threat around the world, Trump said, "I don’t really. I think it’s a small group of people that have very, very serious problems. I guess if you look at what happened in New Zealand perhaps that’s a case, I don’t know enough about it yet."

Ardern, who flew to Christchurch on Saturday, said she had spoken to Trump, who had asked how he could help.

"My message was sympathy and love for all Muslim communities," she said she told him.

Political and Islamic leaders across Asia and the Middle East voiced concern over the targeting of Muslims.

"I blame these increasing terror attacks on the current Islamophobia post-9/11," Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan posted on social media. "1.3 billion Muslims have collectively been blamed for any act of terror."

Shooting everyone in the mosque

One man who said he was at the Al Noor mosque told media the gunman burst into the mosque as worshippers were kneeling for prayers.

"He had a big gun...He came and started shooting everyone in the mosque, everywhere," said the man, Ahmad Al-Mahmoud. He said he and others escaped by breaking through a glass door.

Facebook said it had deleted the gunman's accounts "shortly after the livestream commenced" after being alerted by police. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube all said they had taken steps to remove copies of the videos.&nbsp;

Ardern said she had asked authorities to look into whether there was any activity on social media or elsewhere ahead of the attack that should have alerted them.

Forty-one people were killed at the Al Noor mosque, seven at a mosque in the Linwood neighbourhood and one died in hospital, police said.

The visiting Bangladesh cricket team was arriving for prayers at one of the mosques when the shooting started but all members were safe, a team coach told Reuters.&nbsp;

Muslims account for just over 1 per cent of New Zealand's population, a 2013 census showed, most of whom were born overseas.

A website set up for victims had raised more than NZ$1 million ($684,000) in less than a day, and social media was flooded with messages of shock, sympathy and solidarity.

One image shared widely was of a cartoon kiwi, the country's national bird, weeping. Another showed a pair of figures, one in a headscarf, embracing. "This is your home and you should have been safe here" the caption read.

The main suspect in mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques was charged with one count of murder on Saturday, a day after the attack that killed 49 people and wounded dozens, prompting the prime minister to vow reform of the country's gun laws.

The main suspect in mass shootings at two New Zealand mosques was charged with one count of murder on Saturday, a day after the attack that killed 49 people and wounded dozens, prompting the prime minister to vow reform of the country's gun laws. Brenton Harrison Tarrant, a 28-year old Australian citizen, appeared in a Christchurch District Court and was remanded without a plea until his next scheduled appearance in the South Island city's High Court on April 5. Handcuffed and wearing a white prison suit, Tarrant did not speak. His court-appointed lawyer made no application for bail or name suppression. He was likely to face further charges, police said. The attack, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern labelled as terrorism, was the worst ever peacetime mass killing in New Zealand and the country raised its security threat level to the highest. Footage of the attack on one of the mosques was broadcast live on Facebook, and a "manifesto" was also posted online that denounced immigrants as "invaders". The video footage showed a man driving to the mosque, entering it and shooting randomly at people inside. Worshippers, possibly dead or wounded, lay on the floor, the video showed. Reuters was unable to confirm the footage's authenticity and police urged people not to view or share it. Police said two other people were in custody. Armed police were deployed at several locations in all cities, unusual in a country where levels of gun violence are low. Ardern said the main suspect was a licensed gun owner who used five weapons during his rampage, including two semi-automatic weapons and two shotguns. "I can tell you one thing right now, our gun laws will change," Ardern told reporters, saying a ban on semi-automatic weapons would be considered. None of those arrested had a criminal history or was on any watchlist in New Zealand or Australia. Sorrow sympathy There was a heavy police presence at the hospital where families of the more than 40 wounded had gathered. Funerals were planned on Saturday for some of the victims, several of whom were born overseas. Dozens of people laid flowers at cordons near both mosques in Christchurch, which is still rebuilding after a devastating earthquake in 2011 that killed almost 200 people. Leaders around the world expressed sorrow and disgust at the attacks, with some deploring the demonisation of Muslims. US President Donald Trump, who condemned the attack as a "horrible massacre", was praised by the accused gunman in a manifesto posted online as "a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose". Asked by a reporter in Washington if he thought white nationalism is a rising threat around the world, Trump said, "I don’t really. I think it’s a small group of people that have very, very serious problems. I guess if you look at what happened in New Zealand perhaps that’s a case, I don’t know enough about it yet." Ardern, who flew to Christchurch on Saturday, said she had spoken to Trump, who had asked how he could help. "My message was sympathy and love for all Muslim communities," she said she told him. Political and Islamic leaders across Asia and the Middle East voiced concern over the targeting of Muslims. "I blame these increasing terror attacks on the current Islamophobia post-9/11," Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan posted on social media. "1.3 billion Muslims have collectively been blamed for any act of terror." Shooting everyone in the mosque One man who said he was at the Al Noor mosque told media the gunman burst into the mosque as worshippers were kneeling for prayers. "He had a big gun...He came and started shooting everyone in the mosque, everywhere," said the man, Ahmad Al-Mahmoud. He said he and others escaped by breaking through a glass door. Facebook said it had deleted the gunman's accounts "shortly after the livestream commenced" after being alerted by police. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube all said they had taken steps to remove copies of the videos. Ardern said she had asked authorities to look into whether there was any activity on social media or elsewhere ahead of the attack that should have alerted them. Forty-one people were killed at the Al Noor mosque, seven at a mosque in the Linwood neighbourhood and one died in hospital, police said. The visiting Bangladesh cricket team was arriving for prayers at one of the mosques when the shooting started but all members were safe, a team coach told Reuters. Muslims account for just over 1 per cent of New Zealand's population, a 2013 census showed, most of whom were born overseas. A website set up for victims had raised more than NZ$1 million ($684,000) in less than a day, and social media was flooded with messages of shock, sympathy and solidarity. One image shared widely was of a cartoon kiwi, the country's national bird, weeping. Another showed a pair of figures, one in a headscarf, embracing. "This is your home and you should have been safe here" the caption read.

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