Australia Hostage

An Australian man who kidnapped and raped a British backpacker during a harrowing road trip hostage ordeal was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison, Australia's national broadcaster said.

Australian police on Monday shot dead a gunman in the city of Melbourne who had been holding a woman hostage, police said, a confrontation for which the terror group ISIS claimed responsibility.

Police are dealing with a hostage situation in Australia's Melbourne city after an explosion today, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. A major police operation is underway at a Bay Street apartment, following reports of the explosion at 4 pm local time, it said.

A backpacker was repeatedly raped, beaten and choked during a two-month hostage ordeal in Australia, police alleged Tuesday after she was rescued during a random traffic stop.

A man reportedly carrying explosives has taken at least one person hostage in Bunbury, Australia, the police said.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott foreshadowed tighter immigration controls today when he released the first report into a siege last December in Sydney's Lindt cafe, in which two hostages and the gunman were killed.

Australian counter-terrorism police said today they had thwarted an imminent attack linked to the Islamic State militant group after arresting two men in Sydney a day earlier.

Australia will built a permanent memorial to remember the victims of the Sydney cafe siege, officials said Sunday as they vowed never to forget the two hostages who died in the stand-off.

The United States has issued a global travel warning after recent terror attacks in France, Australia and Canada.

The partner of Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis had her bail revoked today after Australian authorities requested a review amid public anger that the pair were on the streets.

The United States issued a worldwide travel alert Friday, warning Americans to be vigilant during the holiday period, especially in the wake of a deadly siege in Australia.

Lawyers who defended the Sydney siege gunman on a string of charges and the magistrate who bailed him have received deaths threats, officials said today, amid growing anger that he was on the streets.

One hostage the Sydney siege gunman failed to take this week was social media.

The siege at the Sydney cafe had been going on for more than five hours and 82-year-old John O'Brien had become convinced the gunman was insane and they would likely all end up dead.

The commissioner of police in Australia's New South Wales state, Andrew Scipione, said today he was concerned that the man who took hostages in a Sydney cafe siege had been granted bail on earlier charges, leaving him free in the community.

An Australian man who kidnapped and raped a British backpacker during a harrowing road trip hostage ordeal was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison, Australia's national broadcaster said.

Australian police on Monday shot dead a gunman in the city of Melbourne who had been holding a woman hostage, police said, a confrontation for which the terror group ISIS claimed responsibility.

Police are dealing with a hostage situation in Australia's Melbourne city after an explosion today, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. A major police operation is underway at a Bay Street apartment, following reports of the explosion at 4 pm local time, it said.

A backpacker was repeatedly raped, beaten and choked during a two-month hostage ordeal in Australia, police alleged Tuesday after she was rescued during a random traffic stop.

A man reportedly carrying explosives has taken at least one person hostage in Bunbury, Australia, the police said.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott foreshadowed tighter immigration controls today when he released the first report into a siege last December in Sydney's Lindt cafe, in which two hostages and the gunman were killed.

Australian counter-terrorism police said today they had thwarted an imminent attack linked to the Islamic State militant group after arresting two men in Sydney a day earlier.

Australia will built a permanent memorial to remember the victims of the Sydney cafe siege, officials said Sunday as they vowed never to forget the two hostages who died in the stand-off.

The United States has issued a global travel warning after recent terror attacks in France, Australia and Canada.

The partner of Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis had her bail revoked today after Australian authorities requested a review amid public anger that the pair were on the streets.

The United States issued a worldwide travel alert Friday, warning Americans to be vigilant during the holiday period, especially in the wake of a deadly siege in Australia.

Lawyers who defended the Sydney siege gunman on a string of charges and the magistrate who bailed him have received deaths threats, officials said today, amid growing anger that he was on the streets.

One hostage the Sydney siege gunman failed to take this week was social media.

The siege at the Sydney cafe had been going on for more than five hours and 82-year-old John O'Brien had become convinced the gunman was insane and they would likely all end up dead.

The commissioner of police in Australia's New South Wales state, Andrew Scipione, said today he was concerned that the man who took hostages in a Sydney cafe siege had been granted bail on earlier charges, leaving him free in the community.