Burials begin for mosque shooting victims

Mourners on Wednesday buried the first two of 50 worshippers who died last week in mass shootings at two mosques in New Zealand. The two, Khalid Mustafa, 44, and his son, Hamza Mustafa, 15, moved to the country last year with their family after spending six years as Syrian refugees in Jordan. Authorities have charged a 28-year-old Australian, Brenton Harrison Tarrant, with murder for the attacks in the city of Christchurch. His next hearing is scheduled for April 5. Police have formally identified and released the remains of 21 of the victims, Police Commissioner Mike Bush said. Four other funerals occurred on Wednesday evening.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan drew international criticism after he played excerpts from a video of the attack during his campaign rallies. Erdogan said citizens of Australia and New Zealand who travel to Turkey with anti-Muslim sentiments will return home in coffins “like their grandfathers” in the World War I Gallipoli campaign, which was motivated by opposition to Islam. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison condemned the comments and said “all options are on the table” if Erdogan does not withdraw them.