Accused gunman appears in Christchurch courts as hearses remove bodies from the scene.
United State President Donald Trump offered New Zealand support this morning in a phone conversation he had with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
He very much wished for his condolences to be passed on to New Zealand, she said at a press briefing.
She said he had also asked what offerof support the United States could provide.
"My message was: sympathy and love for all Muslim communities."
Asked what Trump's response had been she said: "He acknowledged that and agreed." "He asked what he could do and I simply conveyed I think the sentiment that exists here in New Zealand.
My warmest sympathy and best wishes goes out to the people of New Zealand after the horrible massacre in the Mosques. 49 innocent people have so senselessly died, with so many more seriously injured. The U.S. stands by New Zealand for anything we can do. God bless all!
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is receiving messages to New Zealand from around the world.
Ardern said she had received some from other leaders she personally knew.
They included Australian Labor leader Bill Shorten, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and British Prime Minister Theresa May, European Union High Representative Fredrica Mogherini and European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermann.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted his sympathy last night and in another tweet laid the blame at the post 9-11 environment in which "Islam and 1.3 billion Muslims have collectively been blamed for any act of terror by a Muslim."
I blame these increasing terror attacks on the current Islamophobia post-9/11 where Islam & 1.3 bn Muslims have collectively been blamed for any act of terror by a Muslim. This has been done deliberately to also demonize legitimate Muslim political struggles. https://t.co/5bBREoayLz
