INDEPENDENT NEWS

Live updates: Christchurch mosque terror attacks day 6

Published: Wed 20 Mar 2019 10:18 AM
The first burial of a victim of the Christchurch mosque attacks will take place at 11am today at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Linwood, Christchurch City Council confirms.
Bodies have started to be returned to families, with six returned by last night and 12 identified to the satisfaction of the coroner.
However, families have expressed frustration at the delays.
• Scroll down for live updates in the wake of the attack
Meanwhile, Parliament has honoured the victims with a Muslim prayer, and the Prime Minister vowed never to speak the name of the attacker.
The House will open for further tributes and condolences in the wake of the attack today, but will then close for two weeks until Tuesday 2 April, although government parties are working behind closed doors towards unveiling changes to firearms laws "today or tomorrow". The opposition has tacitly stated support for changes to the laws.
However, deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is heading overseas first to Indonesia then to Turkey. He yesterday defended past statements on Muslims and extremism.
It follows heavy criticism of the country's spy agencies over their monitoring - or lack thereof - of white supremacist and radical right groups in New Zealand compared to monitoring of other groups.
Read more:
'They are us': Read about the victims
Victims honoured, questions asked
Opinion: 'I cannot forgive the rhetoric that got us here'
Opinion: Four things we can do after the attacks
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