Page 92 - Sidney News Today

Halfway across the world in the middle of sidney, financial district, a lone wolf has gone into a chocolate shop during christmas holidays and has shut that city downforcing the evacuation of everything in that main area and halfway back across the world im reminded of what happened in oklahoma city about a month ago where a recent convert to islam cut the head off of a co-worker. we were talking off air, miky, about things like this happening in britain and across the world. this is as youve sa...

Come to a peaceful end, a positive outcome. >> earlier, shortly after this happened, we did hear from the prime minister. we heard from him once. >> before the five hostages managed to get out. >> tony abbott did come out and make a statement. we want to play that for you now. here it is. >> just want to make a short statement on the hostage incident in martin place in sydney. new south wales police are responding. they are being supported by commonwealth agencies. we dont yet know the motivatio...

Choose. a chocolate cafe in the city. but when you really think about it in context and what we know now its not that random. its right in the heart of sidneys central business district. its surrounded by federal buildings, law offices and as weve now said directly across the road from our television studios which had a very clear view through the windows straight into that cafe. now in the beginning we saw those horrific heartwrenching images of the hostages with hands against the windows and h...

Security organizations of the utmost professionalism that are ready and able to respond to a whole range of situations and contingencies, including the situation that we are now seeing in sydney. the whole point of politically motivated violence is to scare people out of being themselves. australia is a peaceful, open and generous society. nothing should ever change that. and thats why i would urge all australians, today, to go about their business as usual. of course, if anyone does have any su...

Studios are directly across the pedestrian walkway from the lindt cafe. were less than 30 meters away. our glass looks straight into their glass and we could see what was unfolding. the police evacuated us at 10:00 this morning and in the last couple hours they let ourselves and a cameraman come back in and were now marching down into the cafe. its been fascinating as it has been confronting. we have counted 15 hostages. five managed to escape a few hours ago. ten still inside huddled at one end...

Do they get medical treatment? talk to the police? how will the situation work? >> reporter: yeah, clearly the negotiations are working. this is something that they are doing in conjunction with the gunman and that hes allowing these people now to leave the building. but certainly, from what we know, the police now have these hostages. theyre looking after them. they would be providing them with counseling, with any, you know, medical assistance required. obviously, these people have been throug...

Been so much publicity linking the government inside. weve black flag with the islamic phrase on it. that there will be some kind of blow back from the islamic community there in sydney and maybe across australia. are you concerned about, essentially, how the islamic community will be affected by all of this. will there be blow back? will there be increase in discrimination against muslims in australia? >> caller: since the government started to act against extremists, right away, on this matter...

Bombs in the store and two in the banking district according to local media reports. thats coming from international business times. the hostage taker referring to himself as "the brother." mika, its fascinating. obviously things work differently in australia than they do in the united states where they have the identity of the gunman and have information. chris reason reporting. doing remarkable work for channel 7 there in sidney. saying that when we find out details about the hostage taker, it...

The fight against isis and helped in that. again, well be right back with more breaking news out of sidney. looking for one of these?

Were seeing with five hostages being released. >> now theyve headed out to an area where there are a large number of lebanese immigrants. it has one of the largest mosques in australia. it is the largest mosque in sydney. it initially reported that police raided the area. but it turns out that the police had just gone out there to meet with islamic leaders. so clear theres a cooperation, some type of working going on between the authorities and the islamic leaders in sydney there to try to work ...