- Thousands of people in New Zealand attended a memorial in honor of Anzac Day on Thursday, but the focus was on the 50 people killed during the March 15 mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch.
- Anzac Day honors soldiers who served in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac). The date specifically commemorates when the troops landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey on April 25, 1915, during World War 1. Thousands were killed in the battle.
- British royals were among those who attended the Anzac Day ceremony in Auckland, New Zealand. Prince William stood with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the Auckland War Memorial. He was expected to commemorate the victims of Christchurch afterward.
- Heightened security measures were in place ahead of the Anzac Day events, less than a week after bombs ripped through churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing more than 250 people.
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Large crowds were seen at memorial ceremonies in New Zealand on Thursday, where a memorial was held in observance of Anzac Day.
Anzac Day honors soldiers who served in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac). The date specifically commemorates when the troops landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey on April 25, 1915, during World War 1. Thousands were killed in the battle.
But the focus this year was on the 50 people killed during the March 15 mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch and the bombings that ripped through churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing more than 250 people.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the Easter bombings, but Sri Lankan government officials have pointed to other Islamic extremists they say they believe carried out the bombings in retaliation for the Christchurch shootings.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Tuesday the investigation is in its early stages and the country "has not yet seen any intelligence upon which such an assessment might be based."
Heightened security measures were in place during the Anzac Day ceremonies, including 1,000 police officials stationed at sites across New Zealand, Reuters reported.
British royals were among those who attended the events in Auckland. Prince William stood with Ardern at the Auckland War Memorial. He was later expected to travel to Christchurch to commemorate the shooting victims.
"Let us recommit to always remembering our shared humanity that there is more that unites us than divides us," Ardern said.
"Our sense of independence is as strong as our sense of responsibility to each other and not just as nation states, but as human beings."
