CHRISTCHURCH: The government of New Zealand announced a ban on “military-style” semi-automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines on Thursday, just a week after such weapons were used in attacks on two mosques in the city of Christchurch that killed 50 people.

An immediate sales ban went into effect to prevent stockpiling and new laws would be rushed through parliament that would impose a complete ban on the weapons, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.