(CNN) — Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has described Friday’s mass shootings at two mosques in the city of Christchurch as “one of New Zealand’s darkest days.” Speaking at a press conference in the capital, Wellington, earlier, Ardern said the terrorist attacks had been carried out by suspects with “extremist views” that have no place in New Zealand, or anywhere else in the world. Since her statement, officials have now confirmed that least 49 people were killed and 20 seriously injured in the carefully planned and unprecedented attack that has shocked the nation. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaking to the media during a press conference at Parliament. It is with extreme sadness that I tell you that, as at 7 p.m. tonight, we believe that 40 people have lost their lives in this act of extreme violence. Read the Prime Minister’s full statement below: 10 have died at Linwood Avenue Mosque, 3 of which were outside the mosque itself. A further 30 have been killed at Deans Avenue Mosque. There are also more than 20 seriously injured who are currently in Christchurch A&E. It is clear that this can only be described as a terrorist attack. From what we know, it does appear to have been well planned. Two explosive devices attached to suspects’ vehicles have now been found and they have been disarmed. There are currently four individuals who have been apprehended but three are connected to this attack who are currently in custody, one of which has publicly stated that they were Australian born. These are people who I would describe as having extremist views that have absolutely no place in New Zealand and, in fact, have no place in the world. While we do not have any reason to believe at this stage that there are any other suspects, we are not assuming that, at this stage. The joint intelligence group has been deployed and police are putting all of their resources into this situation. The defense force are currently transporting additional police staff to the region. Our national security threat level has been lifted from low, to high. This, I want to assure people, is to ensure that all our agencies are responding in the most appropriate way. That includes at our borders. Many of you would have seen that Air New Zealand has canceled all turbo prop flights out of Christchurch tonight and will review the situation in the morning. Jet services both domestically and internationally are continuing to operate. I say again, there is heightened security; that is, of course, so we can assure people of their safety, and the police are working hard to ensure that people are able to move around their city safely. I have spoken this evening to the mayor of Christchurch and I intend to speak this evening to the imam, but I also want to send a message to those directly affected. In fact, I am sure right now New Zealand would like me to share a message on their behalf, too. Our thoughts and our prayers are with those who have been impacted today. Christchurch was the home of these victims. For many, this may not have been the place they were born. In fact, for many, New Zealand was their choice. The place they actively came to, and committed themselves to. The place they were raising their families, where they were part of communities who they loved and who loved them. It was a place that many came to for its safety. A place where they were free to practice their culture and their religion. For those of you who are watching at home tonight, and questioning how this could have happened here, we – New Zealand – we were not a target because we are a safe harbor for those who hate. We were not chosen for this act of violence because we condone racism, because we are an enclave for extremism. We were chosen for the very fact that we are none of these things. Because we represent diversity, kindness, compassion, a home for those who share our values, refuge for those who need it. And those values, I can assure you, will not, and cannot, be shaken by this attack. We are a proud nation of more than 200 ethnicities, 160 languages. And amongst that diversity we share common values. And the one that we place the currency on right now – and tonight – is our compassion and support for the community of those directly affected by this tragedy. And secondly, the strongest possible condemnation of the ideology of the people who did this. You may have chosen us – but we utterly reject and condemn you.<doc-sep>New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern scored a powerful victory against terror simply by refusing to say the Christchurch attacker’s name. In a speech before parliament on Tuesday (Mar. 19), she said she would never speak the name of the 28-year-old Australian man charged with opening fire at a two mosques and killing 50 people last week. She asked others to follow her example. “We, in New Zealand, will give him nothing. Not even his name,” Ardern added. When terrorists strike, the immediate damage—deaths, injuries, destruction—isn’t their ultimate goal. Their intent is far more ambitious, though intangible: They seek to cause terror, and for that, they need visibility. Visibility supports the spread of terror. It makes terrorists look more important and powerful than they are, and provides a platform to their messages. It also encourages copycats to to embrace the same murderous ideals and seek similar exposure. Few had heard of Al Qaeda, or Osama Bin Laden, before Sept. 11, 2001. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who with his brother set up the bombs that hit the Boston marathon in 2013, would have hardly had a fan following, let alone a Rolling Stone cover, before his attack. Anders Breivik, the Norwegian terrorist who in 2011 killed nearly 80 people, wouldn’t’ have become an inspiration for a generation of white supremacist terrorists—including the attacker of the Christchurch mosques—without the notoriety his heinous action generated. Ardern’s decision not to name the perpetrator of the attack offers a blueprint on how to deal with terrorists—by deflecting the attention from the perpetrators towards the victims.<doc-sep>An Australian TV host has criticised after he mocked New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern moments after she had given a speech about the Christchurch terror attacks. In a bizarre tweet posted in response to her vow to never say the name of Brenton Tarrant, the man accused of killing 50 people at two mosques on Friday, Sam Newman ridiculed Ms Adern's accent. “Thank heavens NZ prime minister said she will never mention the name of the terrorist,” the 73-year-old wrote. “How grating is her accent?” The former Aussie rules football player's comment was subjected to an almost immediate online backlash. Her dialect, noted one responder, was “significantly better than any of the wind that comes out of your regressive racist sexist neck, Sam". New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Show all 11 1 /11 New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Zakaria Bhuiyan People gather hoping to find out information about Zakaria Bhuiyan who is still missing after the mosques shootings in Christchurch. David Moir/AFP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Mucad Ibrahim Three-year-old Mucad Ibrahim, the youngest known victim of the mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 15 March 2019. Abdi Ibrahim via AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Nadeem Rasheed Nadeem Rasheed, brother of Pakistani Naeem Rashid who died alongside his son Talha Naeem, 21, who were killed in shooting at a Mosque in Christchurch, at their home town in Abbottabad, EPA New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Omar Nabi Omar Nabi speaks to the media about losing his father Haji Daoud Nabi, 71, in the mosque attack REUTERS New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Ash Mohammed Ash Mohammed, right, talks to a police officer about his father and two brothers who are missing near the Masjid Al Noor mosque AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Akhtar Khokhur Akhtar Khokhur, 58, shows a picture of her missing husband Mehaboobbhai Khokhar, 65. AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Wasseim Alsati A note is seen on a window of a door at the family home of Wasseim Alsati in Christchurch on 17 March 2019. AFP/Getty Images New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Haroon Mahmood Relatives offer condolences to nephew (centre) of Haroon Mahmood, a Pakistani citizen who was killed in Christchurch mosque shootings. AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Farid Ahmed Farid Ahmed (pictured) survived the Al Noor mosque shootings but his wife Husne was killed. AFP/Getty Images New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Syed Areeb Ahmed A relative shows a picture of Syed Areeb Ahmed, a Pakistani citizen who was killed the Christchurch mosque shooting. AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Naeem Rashid A relative looks at a picture on a mobile phone of Pakistani nationals Naeem Rashid and his son Talha Naeem (right) who died in the Christchurch shootings. AFP/Getty Images More than 1,800 people had replied by the time of publication with the vast majority criticising Mr Newman, who was an original host on popular sports programme The Footy Show. “She's got more class that you could ever try and buy you pathetic horrible has-been," said one in a post which the man himself might have described as pulling no punches. Others pointed out how Ms Ardern had received almost universal praise for her decisive and empathetic handling of the terror attacks. “She has articulated our grief, our sympathy, our shock, our anger and our determination to change our lax gun laws,” one New Zealander wrote. “She speaks for us, and like us.” Yet, in a second bizarre message, the former Geelong FC player, who was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2002, doubled down on his comments. ✕ Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events “To be clear, this had nothing to do with her sentiments,” he wrote. “It DID have to do with the ghastly accent NZ’s have cultivated. Now, bang on about that being racist. That should occupy your tiny brains.” It is not the first time Mr Newman has caused controversy. Last year he sparked outrage when he said Australia's Muslim community "share no common interest" with the rest of the country.<doc-sep>Welcome, everyone. On 15 March, the nation witnessed a terrorist attack that demonstrated the weakness of New Zealand’s gun laws. New Zealand’s regulation of arms primarily dates back to 1983. Sadly, since that time, the most substantive changes to our laws came following the Aramoana shootings. Those changes, however, did not go far enough. Successive attempts have been made, and failed, to change our laws since then. Those attempts were in 1999, 2005, 2012, and more recently though a select committee inquiry in early 2017. And still, none of the changes that have been made in the past dealt with one of the most glaring issues we have that sets New Zealand apart from many other nations: the availability of military-style semi-automatic weapons. The attacker on 15 March took a significant number of lives using primarily two guns. They were assault rifles, and they were purchased legally on an A category gun license, the standard license held by gun owners in New Zealand. The capacity of these assault rifles was then enhanced using 30+ round magazines, essentially turning them into military-style semi-automatic weapons. While the modification of these guns was illegal, it was done easily, through a simple online purchase. The guns in this terrorist attack had important distinguishing features. First, the capacity, and also, the delivery. They had the power to shoot continuously, but they also had large-capacity magazines. I absolutely believe there will be a common view amongst New Zealanders, those who use guns for legitimate purposes, and those who have never touched one, that the time for the mass and easy availability of these weapons must end. And today, they will. Today I am announcing that New Zealand will ban all military-style semi-automatic weapons. We will also ban all assault rifles. We will ban all high-capacity magazines. We will ban all parts with the ability to convert semi-automatic or any other type of firearm into a military-style semi-automatic weapon. We will ban parts that cause a firearm to generate semi-automatic, automatic, or close-to-automatic gunfire. In short, every semi-automatic weapon used in the terrorist attack on Friday will be banned in this country. These changes will require legislation. That legislation is now being drafted and will be introduced under urgency. A short and select committee process will apply, so I encourage all those who wish to submit to start now. My expectation is that the law will be in place by the end of the next two-week sitting session, which is by the 11th of April. As a government, however, we did not wish to allow a situation where irresponsible dealers continue to sell weapons that will be banned within a few weeks. That is why we have taken an interim measure. As at 3 p.m. today, an order-in-council took effect. These changes to our regulations will ensure virtually all of the weapons I have announced as being banned will be categorized as weapons that require an E-Class endorsement. The effect of this will mean that no one will be able to buy these weapons without a permit to procure from the police. I can assure people that there is no point in applying for such a permit. This is an interim measure to ensure the trade of these weapons ceases from 3 p.m. today. As a government, we acknowledge that there will be gun owners who have legitimately purchased weapons we have now moved to ban. Some, for instance, will use them for large scale culling, such as dog. We will as a cabinet work through legalized exemptions for these purposes, but they will be tightly-regulated. For others, these guns will now come out of circulation. I acknowledge and thank those retailers who have voluntarily ceased to sell military-style semi-automatic and assault rifles. You have seen the collective issues we face as a country and I thank you for that. For other dealers, sales should essentially now cease. My expectation is that these weapons will be returned to their suppliers, and never enter into the New Zealand market again. For current owners of the weapons we have moved to ban, I acknowledge that many of you will have acted within the law. In recognition of that, and to incentivize their return, we will be establishing a buy-back scheme. The details of the scheme are being developed in parallel to the drafting of the legislation to enforce the ban. In the meantime, we are asking all current holders of military-style semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles to visit www.police.govt.nz. There they will find details of the weapons included in this ban. In the next 48 hours, a form will be available on this site that we are asking these gun owners to complete, identifying what banned guns they hold. The police will then arrange for these weapons to be handed over, and eventually destroyed. Details of the weapons handed back by owners that are covered by the ban will also be taken to ensure that fair and reasonable compensation is paid once the buyback is in place. If owners are unable to complete the online form, they are able to contact the police on the phone to arrange the handover of these now-banned guns. I do want to emphasize, to manage the flow of information to the police, online is the best way to arrange the return of your weapons. Do not arrive at the police station unannounced with these weapons in your possession. As the legislation is developed, we will determine the time available for the return of military-style semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles, and the duration of the buyback scheme. I can assure people that there will be time for the returns to be made, and that they will not be criminalized overnight. After a reasonable period for returns, those who continue to possess these guns will be in contravention of the law. Currently, the penalties for this range from fines of up to $4,000 and or three years in prison. The draft legislation will look to increase these penalties.<doc-sep>
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to Parliament on March 19, 2019 in Wellington, New Zealand. Photo : Getty Images New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, gave a powerful speech in that country’s parliament today expressing solidarity with the victims of Friday’s terrorist attack that left 50 dead and dozens injured. Ardern also had strong words for the social media companies that enabled the shooter to broadcast his massacre around the world. “We will look at the role that social media played and what steps we can take, including on the international stage and in unison with our partners,” Ardern said. The prime minister acknowledged that social media alone wasn’t responsible for the shooting, but argued that it did play a role. “There is no question that ideas and language of division and hate have existed for decades. But the form of distribution, the tools of organization, they are new.” Ardern promised a thorough investigation to ensure that a massacre like the one in Christchurch never happens again and said that there will be a “frank examination” of New Zealand’s gun laws. The prime minister promised she will never utter the shooter’s name in order to deprive him of the notoriety he so desperately wanted. “We cannot simply sit back and accept that these platforms just exist and that what is said on them is not the responsibility of the place where they are published,” Ardern said. “They are the publisher, not just the postman. It cannot be a case of all profit, no responsibility.” That reference to the ‘publisher versus the postman’ refers to the American view on social media, which is largely shaped by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, originally passed in 1996. Section 230 designates internet forums as carriers like a telephone company or postal worker rather than a publisher and means that companies like Facebook and Twitter aren’t held responsible for the speech that occurs on their platforms. Prime Minister Ardern is now challenging that idea. People around the world are taking a hard look at the role that social media plays in our lives as white supremacist fascism spreads. A 28-year-old man from Australia used semi-automatic weapons to kill 50 people in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, slaughtering men, women, and children as young as 3 years old. The white supremacist gunman was able to broadcast 17 minutes of his brutal rampage on Facebook and social media companies were slow to remove the video as it was re-uploaded to services like YouTube and Twitter that day. Facebook insists that fewer than 200 people saw the original livestream of the murders and that none of those people reported the video. But that contradicts an account from a journalist who covers extremism, Jared Holt, who says that he reported the video as it was happening. “I was sent a link to the 8chan post by someone who was scared shortly after it was posted. I followed the Facebook link shared in the post. It was mid-attack and it was horrifying. I reported it. Either Facebook is lying or their system wasn’t functioning properly,” Holt reported on Twitter overnight. Protesters hold placards as they march during the Stand Against Racism and Islamophobia: Fraser Anning Resign! rally on March 19, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo : Getty Images Internet service providers (ISPs) in New Zealand are now blocking some websites that fail to remove the terrorist video from Christchurch. But it’s not clear what specific steps the government might take to restrict social media in the future. New Zealand’s Sky News pulled the Australian affiliate of Sky News from the air in New Zealand after the Australian broadcaster played clips from the shooter’s livestream. Ardern’s address to parliament was posted to YouTube by her party, the Labour Party of New Zealand, and she stressed that social media wasn’t the only culprit. “This, of course, doesn’t take away the responsibility we too must show to confront racism, violence, and extremism,” Ardern said. “I don’t have all of the answers now, but we must collectively find them and we must act.” Settler nations like New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the United States all have a history of white supremacist actions that have been fully sanctioned by the government. Some politicians in those countries, like Senator Fraser Anning of Australia, are still openly white supremacists.