Sydney Hostage Crisis

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.

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.

Tough new security laws and the bail system failed to prevent a deadly hostage crisis in the heart of Sydney, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Wednesday, as the country debated if and how similar attacks could be stopped in future.

The hostages in Sydney pleaded for help - for those among them who were pregnant, sick and elderly and for those who were young and deserved a shot at a decent life.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said India was quite "well-prepared" to handle a Sydney hostage crisis like situation.

There was not one but two Infosys employees inside Lindt cafe in Sydney when an armed man laid siege to it, holding 17 people hostage.

Two hostages and an extremist Iranian-born gunman were killed today in a 16-hour siege that ended when police stormed a cafe in central Sydney.

The Sydney siege was over in the early hours of Tuesday - with Australian police storming the downtown cafe where a gunman had been holding nearly 30 people hostage for 16 hours. The gunman, Man Haron Monis, died. Two hostages were also killed. Two Indians, who were among the hostages, are safe.

The gunman and two hostages were killed and four other people wounded in the Sydney cafe siege early Tuesday, police said.

A swarm of heavily armed police stormed a cafe in the heart of downtown Sydney early Tuesday, ending a siege where a gunman had been holding an unknown number of people hostage for more than 16 hours.

The Sydney siege was over late on Monday night - with Australian police storming the downtown cafe where a gunman had been holding an unknown number of people hostage for over 17 hours. Moments before the police stormed the cafe, at least 12 suspected hostages were seen running out. Among them were two Indians, including Infosys employee Viswakanth...

An Iranian refugee charged with sexual assault and known for sending hate letters to the families of Australian soldiers killed overseas is the armed man holding an unknown number of hostages in a Sydney cafe, a police source said on Tuesday.

Australians came out Monday in solidarity with the Muslim community following a siege at a Sydney cafe, as tens of thousands tweeted the hashtag #illridewithyou

Australia's dramatic siege in which a gunman displayed an Islamic flag follows months of warnings about "lone wolf" attacks, and experts said authorities must think harder about how to tackle the problem.

The centre of Australia's biggest city, Sydney, was locked down on Monday after an armed man held around 30 people hostage inside a downtown cafe and forced them to display an Islamic flag, igniting fears of a jihad attack. The gunman, who reportedly demanded to speak to Prime Minister Tony Abbott and an Islamic State flag, has also allegedly warne...

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.

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.

Tough new security laws and the bail system failed to prevent a deadly hostage crisis in the heart of Sydney, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Wednesday, as the country debated if and how similar attacks could be stopped in future.

The hostages in Sydney pleaded for help - for those among them who were pregnant, sick and elderly and for those who were young and deserved a shot at a decent life.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said India was quite "well-prepared" to handle a Sydney hostage crisis like situation.

There was not one but two Infosys employees inside Lindt cafe in Sydney when an armed man laid siege to it, holding 17 people hostage.

Two hostages and an extremist Iranian-born gunman were killed today in a 16-hour siege that ended when police stormed a cafe in central Sydney.

The Sydney siege was over in the early hours of Tuesday - with Australian police storming the downtown cafe where a gunman had been holding nearly 30 people hostage for 16 hours. The gunman, Man Haron Monis, died. Two hostages were also killed. Two Indians, who were among the hostages, are safe.

The gunman and two hostages were killed and four other people wounded in the Sydney cafe siege early Tuesday, police said.

A swarm of heavily armed police stormed a cafe in the heart of downtown Sydney early Tuesday, ending a siege where a gunman had been holding an unknown number of people hostage for more than 16 hours.

The Sydney siege was over late on Monday night - with Australian police storming the downtown cafe where a gunman had been holding an unknown number of people hostage for over 17 hours. Moments before the police stormed the cafe, at least 12 suspected hostages were seen running out. Among them were two Indians, including Infosys employee Viswakanth...

An Iranian refugee charged with sexual assault and known for sending hate letters to the families of Australian soldiers killed overseas is the armed man holding an unknown number of hostages in a Sydney cafe, a police source said on Tuesday.

Australians came out Monday in solidarity with the Muslim community following a siege at a Sydney cafe, as tens of thousands tweeted the hashtag #illridewithyou

Australia's dramatic siege in which a gunman displayed an Islamic flag follows months of warnings about "lone wolf" attacks, and experts said authorities must think harder about how to tackle the problem.

The centre of Australia's biggest city, Sydney, was locked down on Monday after an armed man held around 30 people hostage inside a downtown cafe and forced them to display an Islamic flag, igniting fears of a jihad attack. The gunman, who reportedly demanded to speak to Prime Minister Tony Abbott and an Islamic State flag, has also allegedly warne...