New Zealand Parliament votes to ban semi-automatic weapons

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- New Zealand's Parliament has passed sweeping gun laws that outlaw military-style weapons, less than a month after mass shootings at two mosques in the city of Christchurch left 50 people dead and dozens wounded.

A bill outlawing most automatic and semi-automatic weapons and banning components that modify existing weapons was passed by a vote of 119 to 1 in the House of Representatives on Wednesday after an accelerated process of debate and public submission.

The bill needs only the approval of New Zealand's governor general, a formality, before becoming law on Friday.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke emotionally during the bill's final reading of the traumatic injuries suffered by victims of the March 15 shootings, whom she visited in Christchurch Hospital after the attacks.