New Zealand lawmakers on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly in favor of new gun restrictions during the first stage of a bill they hope to rush into law by the end of next week.
The bill would ban the types of weapons a gunman used to kill 50 people at two mosques last month.
Sharer of New Zealand mosque shooting video gets 21 months
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A Christchurch businessman who shared a video of worshippers being slaughtered at a New Zealand mosque was sentenced on Tuesday to 21 months in prison. Philip Arps had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing the video, which was livestreamed on Facebook by a gunman on March 15 as he began killing 51 people at two mosques. Christchurch District Court Judge Stephen O'Driscoll said that when questioned about the video, Arps had described it as "awesome" and had shown no empathy toward the victims.
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New Zealand lawmakers pass initial vote for new gun controls
New Zealand lawmakers on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly in favor of new gun restrictions during the first stage of a bill they hope to rush into law by the end of next week.
The bill would ban the types of weapons a gunman used to kill 50 people at two mosques last month.
Father and son who fled Syria are buried in New Zealand
A father and son who fled the civil war in Syria for "the safest country in the world" were buried before hundreds of mourners Wednesday, the first funerals for victims of shootings at two mosques in New Zealand that horrified a nation known for being welcoming and diverse.
New Zealand fisherman's ocean rescue of toddler 'miraculous'
Gus Hutt was fishing when he plucked a toddler from the ocean in a "miraculous" rescue after thinking he was watching a doll float past. "If I hadn't been there or if I had just been a minute later I wouldn't have seen him," Hutt said. "He was bloody lucky but he just wasn't meant to go. It wasn't his time."
49 killed at mosques in 'one of New Zealand's darkest days'
At least 49 people were shot to death at two mosques during midday prayers Friday — most if not all of them gunned down by an immigrant-hating white supremacist who apparently used a helmet-mounted camera to broadcast live video of the slaughter on Facebook.
Come see forests and peaks, but clean up, New Zealand says
A new campaign is telling everybody traveling to New Zealand to take responsibility for looking after it. The country wants visitors to pick up litter and otherwise take care of their surroundings so that unsightly garbage won't ruin the experience for others.
New Zealand citizens open to gun reform after massacre
The New Zealand leader's promise of tightened gun laws in the wake of the Christchurch mosque shootings has been widely welcomed by a stunned population. Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern said her Cabinet will consider the details of the changes on Monday. She has said options include a ban on private ownership of semi-automatic rifles that were used with devastating effect in Christchurch and a government-funded buyback of newly outlawed guns.
New Zealand's darkest day: 36 minutes of terror
On March 15, New Zealand changed. Some are calling it a loss of innocence, a reminder that distance doesn't bring protection against violence. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has vowed to change gun laws and investigate what went wrong. This is how 36 minutes of terror unfolded, according to witness accounts and livestream video.
Tech companies scramble to remove New Zealand shooting video
Internet companies scrambled Friday to remove graphic video filmed by a gunman in the New Zealand mosque shootings that was widely available on social media for hours after the horrific attack. Facebook said it took down a livestream of the shootings and removed the shooter's Facebook and Instagram accounts after being alerted by police. At least 49 people were killed at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand's third-largest city.
Once sanctuaries, houses of worship struggle with security
Houses of worship have traditionally been places of refuge where strangers are welcome. But high-profile attacks in recent years on an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, a synagogue in Pittsburgh and now mosques in New Zealand have made many worshippers and their prayer leaders rethink how protected sanctuaries really are.