let's get the latest from andrew thomas, who joins us live from sydney. the situation sass drag--has dragged in to the night. it is now 1:00 a.m.. give us a sense of what is happening around the cafe. it seems very quiet. >> it does seem very quiet. not only in the immediate vicinity but the streets as well. the lockdown began at 9:45 in the morning sydney time. there were line of ambulances and police vehicles. they have moved on, but this whole area, the sydney cbd. it's the square that is normally bustling on a monday morning with office workers, there is a television station based than square, and justin days before christmas in the main shopping district as well as the main commercial district, that's where it would have been very busy. this road, macquarie street, it is one of the main thoroug thoroughfares right in the middle of sydney. right now this entire area of syd my cbd is locked down. we look at the events of the day. >> this woman is running from the scene. but others remain trapped inside, and have been all day. officers nearby and a tele

we'll be live in sydney with correspond andrew thomas in a moment. first a look at how the events unfolded. >> reporter: this woman is running from the scope of a hostage taking in sydney. a number of people have escaped from a cafe where they were held near martin place station. others were trapped inside, and have been all day. prime minister tony abbott says the hostage taker is politically motivated. >> this is a disturbing incident. it is profoundly shocking that incident people should be held hostage by an armed person claiming political motivation. >> reporter: here a hostage that escaped is taken away by police. the information the escaped hostages provide may be useful tore security forces, working to get all the people out safely. >> our plan, our only goal tonight, and for as long as this tangs is to get those -- takes is to get those people country caught this those building out of that safely. it started during the monday morning rush hour. >> a woman was summoning police, she had the phone to her ear. three police on motorcycles arrived

andrew thomas, thank you. we want to update everywhere on the breaking news we are following in sydney. an armed man is holding several hostage, it's unclear how many are inside the chocolate cafe. hostages have been seen standing near the window, at least three, with their hands up, and they report seeing a black and white black, a flag are arabic writing on display. we don't know the affiliation of the flag. police confirm the surrounding area has been evacuated and a heavy police provision is under way. we are following the story on al jazeera america. we'll take a break and return after this. >>> welcome back, i'm thomas drayton in new york, we continue to follow breaking news out of sydney. as you can see a major police operation is under way in count sydney, a central business district where several people are held inside a chocolate shop and cafe. we understand the individuals could be seen with hands in the air. hundreds of police sealed off martin place. it's in the sydney central business distribute.

andrew thomas, we know during typhoon haiyan, the government obviously hoping that those mistakes are not repeated this time around. >> they're absolutely determined to do better this time around. 150 volunteers are producing about 10,000 family ration packs every 24 hour period. things like sardines, rice and should be sustaining a family for two days. this should not be the only distribution center. a lot of criticism last time around for typhoon haiyan, was to augment more regional distribution centers. this tops up those sources. so that's one way the philippines government tries odo better this time around. they are hoping that their countrymen are better radar. my report looks at that preparation. >> the typhoon didn't turn away, typhoon hagapit, not as powerful as those of typhoon haiyan which devastated parts of the philippines, typhoon hagapit or ruby as it's known in the philippines is crawling over the country. coastal areas of arisk of the sea, too, flooding and landslides this time around are likely to be the biggest dangers and killers. typhoon tacloban,. >> that's why w

let's talk to andrew thomas, who is on the phone. we're going to stay with these pictures to see if we can see what's going on. it looks like someone else is receiving help there from the paramedics. for emergency services. it's hard to make out what is going on. certainly more people leaving that hostage situation in the cafe. andrew thomas if you're with us. what is your understanding of what's happening. there seems to be a flurry of activity in the last five or ten minutes. >> five minutes, indeed. we've had a number of these bangs, and then rapid bangs, probably explosions from the beginning, and then a round of gunfire. certainly sounded like that. in fact, in two separate rounds, the first one being five minutes ago. two big bangs sounded like a burst. and then two or so minutes later two loud bangs, and then a loud burst of what sounded like gunfire. i'm standing 50 feet from martin place on macquarie street. in just a couple of momen moments two ambulances are stormed down the road away from the scene. obviously something is

andrew thomas, our correspondent, close to that area. there is an area that has been sealed off. i know we can't go into it. we heard from the new south wales police commissioner sa short while ago -- a short while ago. not a great deal of detail coming out, but a few interesting points. >> they are being careful, camy about what they are saying. they have -- cagey, they have more information about what they are sharing. cautious about how many hostages are held, and how many hostage takers there may be. we know of one armed man, we don't know of any more. the siege has been going on for 11 hours. it was the morning rush for coffee at the time this began. 9:45, the local time in sydney. my colleague carol line malone -- caroline mall own talks us through the event. >> reporter: this woman is running from the scope of a hostage taking. a number of people escaped from a cafe where they were held in a cafe at martin place. others have been trapped inside, and have been all day. tony abbott says the hostage taker is politically motivating. >> this is a very disturbing incident. it is

. >> well, andrew thomas is in sydney for us. drew, a lot of unconfirmed reports around the aftermath, but we are hearing that two people may have actually died. what are you hearing? >> that's right. well, as the media reports come from three of australia's media network. channel 7 right opposite where this cafe siege took place. and another fairfax media, the publisher of the sydney herald, three reliable news organizations saying separately that they have been told by sources within the police that two people have died as a result of the siege. one of those being the hostage taker, the man named as man horan monis. a man, who name when we put it to the police who are saying he was the hostage taker without officially confirming it. the other person leaved to have died is believed to be one of the hostages. channel 7, the organization that has their studio right opposite the cafe, they had one reporter who the police allowed to remain in the building, and watched the scene unfold. a journalist, a respected journalist chris reaso

. >> andrew thomas, as i understand it we still don't know from them how the hostages were killed. >> no, we don't, certainly not officially we don't, no. three people killed as a result of this siege, two hostages, a 34-year-old man, a 38-year-old woman, and the hostage taker, the 50-year-old who went into this cafe in the middle of sydney cbd, not far off 24 hours ago now and took what we now believe to be 19 hostages taken at 9:45 in the morning on monday morning. it's now tuesday morning lights now in sydney and at this press conference just a few minutes ago we heard from the premier of new south wales and the police commissioner about why they went in when they did. because all through monday in a number of updates they gave to the media they said they were determined that this siege would reach a peaceful resolution, and of course it didn't. they stormed in, the police just after 2:00 a.m. local time in sydney. so some four hours ago now. the question at the press conference was why they did that and this is what the police commissioner said. >> they made the call because they

andrew thomas there in sydney. we'll be back as soon as we have anything more to report. for now, thank you very much indeed. >>> monday marks a year since the beginning of south sudan's civil war. at least 10,000 people, we understand, have been killed. millions lost their homes. the conflict is unresolved. katherine sawyer reports from mallet doc. >> mallet kau is coming back to life. one of the centers of the conflict. hundreds died, many displaced. malakal changed hands several times, each after intense battles. the town has been quiet for months. many are still afraid. this woman has family and friend, left their homes earlier in the year. going back is not an option right now. . >> translation: i blame the government and the nuer people. the quarrel started in juba, and now came to us. why? i don't know. >> a few, like this man, came back. he told us he had to leave the it's placement camp and start his life, no matter the risk. hundreds of miles from mere in ethiopia leaders held peace talks. there's not been any political settlement yet. grandstanding between riva

andrew thomas there in sydney. quarter to seven in the evening there. we'll show you one shot outside the lindt cafe. and you can see a member of the security forces crouched behind that, one imagines it's a traffic light post. we've heard from the deputy police commissioner for the state of new south wales saying yes, it is continuing, they are negotiating with a man in there, a person who is armed. she would not say how many people were in there. they would not say what the demand, if any, were, and she would not say whether the five people we have seen running from the lindt cafe had escaped or were released. we'll keep an eye on the picture. we have other cameras at the scene and our corresponds there. we've been listening and monitorimonitor police accounts of what is going on. if you stay with us, we'll bring you the latest news on that. in the meant, we are going to move on a little bit in terms of world news coverage. israel is calling on the united states to veto a proposal that the united nations is calling for an end to the occupation of pale

let's get a preview from andrew thomas. >> it's become the busy hub of the university campus. the boiler house was the heating and learning center for a psychiatric spot in the university. a university opened around it but didn't use it. >> it was a have fairly dead camp. everyone was either in the library or tucked away or at home. >> the building was the starting point but the areas around it were just as importantly. informal places to sit, network helped create a space with character. >> well, the building subsequent did give identity to the space. we worked with the landscape architecture to actually make this the special place it is. the project last turned out to be a success. students and faculty feels the university has a hub and a heart. >> we don't have to be in a confined teaching space. over here you could walk away with a group of students, sit down over here have occasional talk. so this area promotes that sort of teaching. >> reporter: the boiler house has become a showcase project for world class international design and short listed for an international desig

andrew thomas, al jazeera. manila. >>> it will zimbabwe's first lady is the head of the women's league of her political party. her 130i789 was confirmed at the party congress. it is the latest step in a swift rise to power. it began when she and robert mugabe started an affair. many disagreed with that because his wife was terminally ill. she founded an or fannage but zimbabwe criticized her lavish spending even as the economy deteriorated. on her 49th birthday she entered politics and held self recallies. she explains why grace mugabe's appointment is so important. >> grace is head of the women's league. >> that's a very powerful position here in zimbabwe. most are men. the ruling party am, and they ultimately become the policies. her husband has become president and first secretary general. so, it basically means effectively the mugabes are firmly in control. it's a husband and wife team. those who support them are very happy, very he can static. those who don't are worried. they are saying this could be the

. >> i'm andrew thomas at an aid distribution center in manila. will the understood get to where it's needed most? fast? >> in sport, details of a goal-scoring record for cristiano ronaldo, and why it's not just tiger woods golf game breaking down - the world number one in last place at his own event. >>> our top story out of iraq, where there has been more air strikes, suicide attacks and misery. there are signs the war is turning against i.s.i.l. french fighter jets conducted bombings against the i.s.i.l. group held town of barb eka. several strikes killed 50 fighters. kurdish peshawar forces say they are ready to launch a ground offensive. let's go jane araf joining us live from baghdad. what does retaking barb eka many -- mean in the fight against i.s.i.l.? >> it's a step toward the fight the the kurd saying they are ready to start a ground strike, but it's not up to the kurds. it's an arab town. it's the center of the islamic state. i.s.i.l. has it under firm control, and the americans involved in this fight, heavily involved, have been quite

let's hear who is in the running with andrew thomas. >> it has become the busy hub of a university campusfirst built in the 1800s, though, the boiler house was the heating and laundry center for psychiatric hospital in sydney, but when that closed, the area fell into disrepair. a university opened around it but didn't use it. >> it was a very dead place. everyone was in the library or tucked away or at home. >> for the architects brought in to regenerate it, the building was the starting point that the outdoor areas around it were just as important. in places to sit and art work created from machinery salvaged from the building helped create a space with character. >> well, the building subsequently gave identity to the space, we worked with landscape architect to actually make this the special lace that it is. >> the project has been a huge success. students and teachers now feel their university has a hub and a heart. >> it is a wonderful place to take the team and have a team meeti meeting. when you need a break from the work area that you would normally have. >> you don't have to be i

andrew thomas reports. >> reporter: in the philippines east, as rescue teams reach isolated communities typhoon hagupit on saturday and sunday were the number of people confirmed dead is rising. eastern area felt the full force and homes here are not suredlibility. in some areas, age eighth@is a a 80% were destroyed. despite evacuations not everyone got out in time. with roads blocked and slow-moving heavy rain preventing teams getting in by air, officials surveys of the destruction and account of the number of dead are taking time. after it left it did less damage west throw the rain pounded down the winds dropped and lost a lot of their punch by the time the typhoon reached ma nail it was downgrade today a tropical to storm. that did differed from what hae been forecast. having seen the damage caused by typhoon hig haiyan, people peope evacuated. on monday night it was the turn of the capital and the port town. >> translator: i urge everyone to take due diligence and prepare for anything, because if we don't take care of ourselves all of our preparations will be useless. >> reporter:

andrew thomas our correspondent - you have been following this since it started. bring our viewers up to date, please. >> well, let's go back to the beginning. 9:45 sydney time, about eight hours ago, the peak of the morning rush when it comes to martin place, a central square in the heart of sydney's c.b.d. a few hundred meters from the opera house, an iconic square, the headquarters of banks, a big motel and a big newsroom is opposite. you couldn't get a more profile spot in the middle of the city. we know at least one armed man went into the cafe and took a number of hostages and we don't know exactly how much. at one stage there was talk there might be 13. that number seemed to fluctuate over the course of monday. we don't know how many people remain in the cafe. within the last hour and a half five people appear to have got out of the cafe, whether they escaped or were released by the hostage taker. we do not know either. >> andrew, you say he is armed - this is what police say. do we know in what way he is armed, because we have seen no weaponry? >> no. some

andrew thomas, al jazerra. manila. >>> scott heidler joins us live now. what can you tell us about conditions there now that the typhoon has made landfall? >> reporter: yeah, absolutely. there is no question that the typhoon is headed this way. we have been here for about two hours now and these winds have steadily increased in those two hours and that is exactly when it made landfall when this typhoon made landfall. when you look at the projected path it will be coming up this direction, but what's very interesting is that, yes, it made landfall two hours ago, it has five more bodies of land it will make landfall on before it clears the philippines, there are thousands of islands in this country and five more pieces of land will go through what has just happened over the last couple of hours. here in naga city what have we seen since we have been here? people have been boarding up windows of some had already done so before we came in to town. businesses are putting tape on his their windows it. seems as they didn't necessarily think it was head this is w

situation from very early this morning, shortly after it was advised. >> want to get right now to andrew thomas who is in sydney. we understand there's some development right now andrew. >> reporter: just in the last three minutes or so we've heard reports from one of the main brown actors here from one of their reporters who say they have seen three people emerge from the lindt cafe the inin just the last five minutes. apparently unhurt. now i must stress these are unconfirmed reports that i've literally gotten in the last few moments but they do come from a reliable source, one of their reporters who have the sight of the cafe. that is the absolute latest, we don't know how many are inside the cafe still. we know there's at least one armed man inside. maybe more. we just don't know. the police chief said there is at least one armed man inside. he did not say though how many hostages were believed to have been inside. the manager of the chaim o chaif cafes that this is a part of is that there could be 30, 40 people, early speculation was the number of hostages was about 13. just so difficult t

. >> andrew thomas joins me live from sydney. any update to the situation there, andrew? >> reporter: in the last 45 minutes three people have emerged from the cafe, they've either escaped or released, we're not sure. but the police confirmed that three people have got out of that cafe. but what still is not clear is how many more hostages remain inside the cafe or, indeed, how many hostage takers there might be if there is more than one. we do know there is one armed man inside that cafe. the police would not confirm whether there were any more at all inside. the whole of the area has been locked down. macquarie street, martin place 200 meters to the left up there. this road is normally a busy thoroughfare. but now it's completely closed off by the police. this central sydney square that has the commercial heart of city in it. the banking scene, offices, a big hotel, lots of shops as well. it's about as central as you can get in sydney, and it's where it's all unfolding or not. we don't know what is going on in that cafe. all the area around remains locked down. >> andre

. >> al jazeera's andrew thomas has the latest now from sydney. >> hostages took their moments and ran for their lives. moments later police storm this central sydney cafe. one officer appears to throw a stun grenade, then the flak of explosive. from different areas of the scene the play out. the seize began during monday morning's rush hour. >> the phone to her ear, three police on motorcycles arrived and others on foot very quickly. she was telling them she's gone to go inside the cafe, and the automatic glass sliding doors that normally open to allow you into the cafe had been shut. she thought the cafe was closed and she saw something inside, a pan with a blue bag and what she thought was a shotgun. >> at one point a flag was held up in the cafe window, on it, a creed, there is only one god and model is his messenger. police believe the hostage taker to be this man, man haron monis. , a man known to have written unpleasant letters to families of soldiers serving in iran. facing charges included sexual assault and be accessory to the murder of his ex wife. tony abbott described him

. >> andrew thomas is on the ground for us.hat are you hearing from the aftermath of that hostage taking situation? >> reporter: you're right we're expecting a press conference within the next few minutes. what we hope to hear in that press conference is why police felt the need to storm this siege situation when they did. they had said throughout monday that they wanted to bring this siege to a peaceful resolution. well, obviously that didn't happen. the cafe in the middle of martin place in the sister of sydney was stormed just after 2:00 a.m. sydney time, 2:00 a.m. in the morning on tuesday. what's not clear is why they felt the need to do that. now there are reports swirling around the local media here in australia. that two people have been killed in this siege. one is reported to have been the gunman, the man that you correctly named as man haron monis. the other is believed to be a hostage inside that cafe. channel 7 one of the main commercial networks here in australia, its offices are right opposite this cafe. although

andrew thomas, al jazeera. where a palestinian man has been shot death by soldiers carrying out an arrest. it seems that latin is experiencing a real revival. program ♪ make the best entertainment part of your holidays. catch all the hottest handpicked titles on the winter watchlist, only with xfinity from comcast. the afghan taliban has condemned an attack on the school, which left 132 children dead. the attack which took place is the worst since 2007 hush sha's currency has continued to fall despite it's collapse by raising interest rates. in afternoon trading the ruble crashed to record lows. two hostages were killed along with the gunmen. >> they are taking the bodies to the residents where they are preparing for the burials to recall morning. of course, as you heard, the military finally coming out with a statement so there will be many questions as far as security preparedness is concerned. this is after all a city that has been hit hard, even in the past, the checks that you see behind me has received ma

let's go to andrew thomas in sydney, and who has been following the hostage situation throughout the day. andrew, a dramatic end to a long police operation. >> 16 hours the siege has been under way. it began at 9:45 in the morning as people went in to get their coffees, it went right through monday through in to the night. it's now just gone 3:00 in the morning sydney time. it was just after 2:00 that we heard a series of explosions then what sonned like very rapid gunfire coming from martin place square where that cafe is, 150 meters behind me on the left-hand side. you can see another police vehicle going on right now. a series of ambulances in the last 15, 20 minutes or so. too new south wales police. the local police force here in sydney has said in the last ten minutes officially that the seen is over. we also ask them to confirm that the man that many in the media is saying was the hostage taker, a man haron monis, the police have not confirmed that name but they also said that you're not wrong. he was convicted of sending hateful messages, letters to families of australian sold

andrew thomas, al jazeera, australia. >>> all right.ake you to news out of sweden, politicians there have rejected the minority government's budget proposal, that could lead to the collapse of the ruling coalition. the prime minister would then be forced to call snap elections. the country's far right deciding to support the opposition sweden's split electorate has exposed fears of a failing welfare state. jonah hull in stockholm for us right now. those were the bones of the story, the nuts and bolts, if you would like, but my understanding is this is more about immigration and the government's policy on immigration than it is about the budget. >> reporter: well, immigration, david, certainly has taken front and center stage in this issue. the wider issue of why this political crisis has come about. and that's because the king maker, the balance of power party here in sweden since the election in september, is a far-right anti-immigration party. they want to reduce immigration by 90%. sweden famously takes in more immigrants than any ot

. >> i'm andrew thomas in sydney, one of 12 projects short listed for an international pride of architecture. but what turns good buildings into what is being recognized as a world-class design? >> the food is running out for syria's refugees. the world food program said that it cannot forward to feed the 1.7 million of them any more. they need $64 million to help those who have fled syria and those who are camped in neighboring countries. >> reporter: this muddy field is home to more than a thousand people. they've escaped war and left everything behind. but the fight for survival isn't over. >> oh, god, we're freezing to death. i don't have any blankets. a neighbor gave me a piece of foam for my baby to sleep on, and another one on which three children sleep. >> near the syrian border there is no running water, electricity or sewage. meals are provided once a day but that could end soonen soon, too, with the u.n. announcing it could no longer afford to feet the u.n. refugees. they've been providing food to refugees in lebanon, iraq, jordan, and turkey. they say the money has run out, and t

andrew thomas has more. >> reporter: for 16 hours, it had been the scene of a siege.tuesday morning, it became the backdrop to an impromptu memorial to the two hostages who died. this was the manager of the coffee shop targeted. the other victim was bah rees ta and mother of three. >> it is a very sad day for sydney. i'm the same age as she was. i have one child. i just found that very difficult. >> reporter: people started to lay flowers early on tuesday morning and kept coming all day. demand was so high flower shops began to run out. could this brazen siege have been prevented. the hostage taker killed when police moved in was well-known to authorities. he had been convicted of sending hate mail to the familiar list of soldiers killed in afghanistan, his final appeal against that verdict failed last friday. [ technical difficulties ] >> there is a real sense among people here that sydney changed over the course of this siege, that the city's innocents was lost. >>> spanish and moroccan police say they have arrested some suspected members of a terrorist group. our c

andrew thomas, al jazeera, manila. >> michael: zimbabwe's ruling party keeps robert mugabe as leader and puts his wife grace on path to succeed him. and an island nation is running dry. >> a dirty deal. struck at the heart of government. >> egypt mismanaged its gas industry. >> taking the country to the brink of economic ruin. >> it's obvious that egypt was being ripped off. it's basically saying to the israelis, "look if you want to screw us, here's a tool you can use to screw us". >> al jazeera exposes those who made a fortune betraying an entire nation. >> you don't feel that you owe an explanation to the egyptian people? >> no... no... >> al jazeera investigates. egypt's lost power. december 17th. 10:00 eastern. on aljazeera america. >> we'll remind you of the top stories here on al jazeera. two hostages were killed in a failed rescue attempt. they were killed by fighters. >>> protests in lebanon after an al-qaeda-linked syrian group says it killed a lebanese policeman it held captive. and more than a million and a half people find shelter as a typhoon merchandise towards the isl

andrew thomas has more. >> reporter: in afghanistan, he ran a human rights organization.for the american government. when his brothers were killed and he was shot in the leg, he fled to indonesia i can't and thrown a rickety boat to australia. that was in april 2013. he was initially held in a detention certainty before being released on what australia's government called a bridging visa. his life since has been in bill limbo. not allowed to work living on a subsistence government income. it has, he says, broken him. he has felt subhuman. he and 30,000 like him who came by boat will now be put on what's called temporary protection vehicles as. they will be allowed to work but the dry criteria by which their refugees claims are assessed will be stricter with few rights of a people most are likely to be sent back from the countries from which they fled. a australian's government is unapologetic. >> not only the government is sending a strong message to the people smugglers about our resolve to end their business forever, but it has sent a strong message of resolve from the

hit the coast of the country a few hours agoing knocking outpour and toppling trees, let's go to andrew thomasns us from an aid distribution center in the capital manila. now, andrew, we know that last year there were problems trying to get aid to those afternooned by typhoon haiyan. is the government more prepared this time around? >> reporter: they are absolutely determined that the world understands, that, yes, they are. this is a distribution center just neck to the airport in manila. about 150 volunteers producing food packs, with sardines, corned bead and rice, the idea this family can sustain a family for two days, but the organizers here are keen to point out that is this is the central hub for distribution it's not the only hug as was the problem with typhoon haiyan over a year ago. lots of regional distributions, saying this is just meant to top those up if they start running short of surprise. so the aid here is going out to the various ports around the island i am on now. some is staying here so it can be flown out if necessary, this is just a top off. they are hoping a swift respo

from the devastating storm hyan which had 10,000 people dead or missing last year and al jazeera andrew thomasn update from the food distribution center in manila. >> reporter: 10,000 packages of food aid and it will be distributed through the country and we have people helping to organize the effort and a lot of criticism of the typhoon hyan typhoon from last year, are you improving the system this time around? >> wrel, we have already improved our position with goods and our field offices all over the philippines are provided sufficient funds for them to have family food and preparation in the different towns, provinces so we are capable to provide food to the possible victims of the typhoon. >> reporter: we are right here by manila's airport and this is one of many this time around and it's not centralized here, is it. >> we have two production hubs and one is national operation center which is this center and we also have a major production center who is responding to the needs of the nearby regions, regions five, six, seven and eight. and aside from that the nearby regions which will not

andrew thomas reports from sydney. >> reporter: in afghanistan this man ran a human rights organizationd work for the american government. when his brothers were killed, and he was shot in the leg, he fled to indonesia and then on a rickiet boat to australia. that was in april 2013. he was held in a detention center before being released on a bridging visa. his life since has been in limbo. not allowed to work,lying on a subsistence income. he and 30,000 like him will now be put on what is called temporary protection visas. they will be allowed to work, but the criteria by which the claims are assessed will be stricter, with few rights of appeal. most are likely to be sent back to the countries from which they fled. stral -- australia's government is unapologetic. >> not only the government has send a message to the smug ellers to end their business forever, but it has sent a strong message from parliament. and that is something that will further strengthen our country's borders. >> reporter: the government made concessions all children currently held in detention sen tlers be released,

andrew thomas is in batangas port. >> reporter: this line of backed up trucks stretches for 3km from the entrance to the port of batt anni anninga, because the port, the main hub, it's been shut for four days in anticipation of the storm. it will not re-open until the storm clears the area. each of the trucks has a driver. i met elmar a little earlier. you are sleeping in the truck, you've been here for four days. what has it been like? >> it's boring. it's frustrating. >> reporter: i can imagine. good luck when the main storm passes over later on monday. thank you, elmar. anticipating the storm is what the authorities say has saved lives so far, and they want that to continue as it comes further west and it hits batangas to the south of manila and the capital. public offices is schools have been told not to open if opening causes danger to their employees at all >>> there has been protests in california and philadelphia against police killings of unarmed black men. these are pictures out of oakland california, just over the water from san francisco, a short while ago. there have bee

andrew thomas reports from a port. >> reporter: this line of backed up trucks stretches for about three kilometres from the entrance to the port. the port, which is the main hub from manila's islands to the outlying filipino islands has been shut in anticipation of this storm, and will not reopen until the storm clears this area. each of these trucks has a driver inside. i met this man earlier. you are sleeping in the truck, you've been here for four days. what has it been like? >> it's boring and frustrating. >> reporter: i can imagine. good luck when the main storm passes over later on monday. thank you elmar. anticipating the storm is what the authorities say saved lives so far, and they want it to continue as to comes further west to batt anninga and the capital. schools are shut. private businesses have been told not to open, if opening causes danger to employees at all >>> there has been protests in california, philadelphia against police killings of unarmed black me. this was the scene in oakland california a short while ago over the bridge in san francisco. there has been report

. >> andrew thomas, thank you for that update. we have more news on our website at www.aljazeera.com. feeling down because they say no matter how much they hustle, they can't get ahead. paycheck to paycheck, it's inside story. ♪ hello, i am ray swarez. to understand the way americans look at wealth and poverty, you have to keep a very important split in mind. many of us would tell a pollster that individuals have big forces working on them. in a way that shapes what they earn, where they live, what they buy. but untold millions might tell that same pollster, that if you are poor, it also reflects character defects. poor life choices unwilling to work hard enough americans believes that, when the financial lives of millions of families collapsed even as they worked harder than ever to keep their heads above water this time the americans convinced that it's become too far to get ahead. ella barns williams, who has worked in a restaurant, is one life, one story, but hers is a refrain echoed by the millions of people across america, s

andrew thomas is live for us in sydney he. you have been reporting on this hostage crisis since it started. what's the latest at this late hour in sydney, australia? >> well, it was almost 14 hours ago now that this siege situation began in martin place approximate, a central city square 150 meters from where i'm stood just down that road on the left-hand side by those traffic lights. this cafe is in that square. it's a major threw fair in the middle of sydney. it's got a number of shops and office blocks. it couldn't be a more how profile place. let me run you through the facts we do know, because they are few and far between. there is at least one armed men in that cafe holding a number of hostages. police in various press conferences over the course of monday have not revealed exactly how many hostages are head, although we believe the number is lower than 30 and potentially more than five or six, so somewhere in that kind of range. we also know that the hostage taker has tried -- is in negotiations with a police negotiator

. >> andrew thomas has more from sydney where mourners have gather today pay their respect. >> reporter start today lay flowers here in martin place first thing on tuesday more than australia time. you can see how it's become a real carpet in the middle of martin place the cafe where this hand just a few meters further up the square. a big crowd. lots of media here, but lots and lots of sydney siders here desperately upset by what unfolded a day that many feel that sydney lost its innocence. i have just met emma holmes you felt a need to come down here and see the flowers and sign the book. >> it's just necessary to meet. i am the same age as katrina dawson, i have one child. i just -- [ inaudible ] and i think it's the saddest thing about all of this is the beautiful muslim community and how that is going to effect them. it's a very sad day. >> reporter: that's something that i have heard a lot here that people are concerned about backlash and determined that won't happen. do you have confidence in your fellow australians that that won't happen? >> i really do. but i just think this wo

andrew thomas has more for us now from sydney. >> reporter: police have said that seven of the eightn killed in this horrific attack were all siblings, all members of the same family and that the 34-year-old woman found at the scene with stab wound was their mother. she's now in hospital in a stable condition. police say she's helping them with their inning dwyer is but haven't said she's a suspect nor that anybody else is for that matter. but they have said they regard this as a horrific, but an isolated incident. they are not concerned that this could be the first of a number of attacks. australia's prime minister tony abbott said the news is heartbreaking and all parents would feel a gut wrenching sadness at what has happened and calls it an unspeakable crime and these are trying days for australia. totally unrelated but the siege in sydney earlier this week has already left a profound sad someones australia. that, of course, resulted in the death of two hostages. and has really shaken australians to their core. this latest tragedy coming on top of that all in all means a very bad

. >> my colleague andrew thomas in sydney... ..lindt chocolate shop and cafe, we don't know who is behindostage situation. right now, nearby buildings have been evacuated, including the u.s. consulate. i'm thomas drayton in new york. you employment now some facing an extra challenge. tough legal documents that include so-called no-compete clauses that keep them from moving on to other jobs. some workers there are fighting back. in an "america tonight" exclusive, correspondent christof putzel talk to two workers in their first ever interview about what keeps them on the sandwich line. >> this is the jimmy john's blt, there is nothing anyone that would consider a mystery unless you are jimmy john's. to them this simple sandwich is a trade secret to be protected at all cost. for kaitlin and emily, that mindset has placed a virtual job lock on their job prospects. emily is an significant manager at a store near chicago. her hourly pay amounts to less than minimum wage. until recently, kaitlin also worked at a local jimmy john's. we met them at a nearby restaurant. >> we wouldn't be able to wo

andrew thomas, al jazeera, sidney. >> in yemen, medical sources say four people have been killed including two children, and dozens more wounded. after two car bomb blasts. but sources say the death toll is much higher with 30 people dead including went primary school children that comes after a disruptive session in the parliament, the speaker called off a confident vote. there is a majority in parliament, and frequently at arms with the current president. they accused him of backing sanctions against ally rebel leaders. spanish police have arrested seven suspected members of a network, which they say was to recruit women for the islamic state. four women, including one miner, were arrested. and another arrest was made in the mainland city of barcelona. this report. >> in total seven people were detained both here and across the border in spain. now, according to a statement issues by the ministry of interior, the two leaders were arrested in the town, and more people were arrested and then in barcelona. most of the people detained were females and apparently according to the statement, t

andrew thomas, sydney. >> those are all our sports on our website www.aljazeera.co www.aljazeera.com/sport. also how you can get in touch with our team using twitter. >> thanks very much. do stay with us here at al jazeera. we have another full bulletin of news for you right at the top of the hour. now we go to the website for the latest details. >> intensifying violence in afghanistan where 60 people killed in three taliban attacks. hello there, i'm julie mcdonald, this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up. an iraqi exclusive where special forces as they target isil fighters gaining ground in the province. mobilizing the anger of the nation for change. thousands march in washington, d.c. against alleged police brutality. and doing all they can to avoid

andrew thomas with more. >> the 16 hours it has been a scene of a siege.n tuesday morning, it became the back drop to an impromptu memorial to the two hostage whose died. tori johnson was the manager of the coffee shop targeted, his picture here was possessioned on the shop's facebook page. the other victim was katrina dawson, a barester and mother of three. this picture was published by the daily mail. >> i think it is a sad day for sidney. i am the same age at katrina, i have one child, i just -- i find this very difficult. >> people started to lay flowers early tuesday, and kept coming all day. demand was so high, flower shops began to run out. as the floral tributes increased though, so did the questions. could this brazen siege that ended in such a dramatic and fatal way have been prevented? the hostage taker killed when police moved in was well known to authorities. he had been convicted of sending hate mail to the families of soldiers killed in afghanistan. australia's prime minister described him as disstoursed and although he said the attack was p

andrew thomas, al jazeera. >> stay with us on the news hour. we have this coming up. the sunny playstation almost grown up. 20 years old, and it still has a firm grip on millions of video gamers. >>> now we have to go to the african cup of nations. stay with us. >> we are talking the world's best selling gaming console right now. sony's birthday has a birthday. the first one launched in japan in 1994. other models followed, and since they've sold 400 million you wanyouunits worldwide. it has developed new types of controllers and dvds to the market. it's 3d graphics including a number of iconic games has boosted its popularity even further. in recent years the use of internet for central gaming introduced home entertainment. let's say 20 years ago we would not have been able to do this interview via skype because it was not around then. but then along game a great advance in technology. playstation, and you didn't even like it, did you? >> no, that's true. thanks for having me. when i first got it, i got it for christmas. i was used to old school 2 d, two dimensional

andrew thomas has more. >> reporter: this week's siege has been a huge shock, but some sort of attackt entirely unsuspected. the government raised theater richl alert level to high. two weeks later they launched what they called the largest counter terrorism operation in history. 800 police were involved in raids. but despite the scale of those raids, only one person arrested remains in custody as a result. the man was initially charged in connection with a plot to carry out a terrorist act, and financing terrorism. on monday he appeared in a sydney court on further charges of financing terrorism. police say they think he organized money for australians who traveled to fight with isil. but there appear to be no connections between he and the man who attacked a cafe earlier this week. he had been charged with sexual assault, he had taken to social media to express his support for the so-called islamic state. and yet he was out on bail and somehow able to get ahold of a shotgun. the carpet of flowers where the siege took place is still growing. >>> a candle lit vigil has been held in me

. >>> andrew thomas sent us this report from a food distribution center in manila. >> they make 10,000 packages of food eighth here every year. you're helping to organize this efforts, there is a lot of system after typhoon haiyan, yolanda, last year. are you improving the system this time around? >> we have already improved our system, especially in the depositing of food aid. sufficient family food box and position it in the different towns, provinces so that there will they will be readily able and capable to provide relief assistance to the possible victims of the typhoon. >> so we're right here by manila's airport but this is only one of many centers this time around. it's not decentralized here sit? >> we have two major production hubs, one is this center and we also have a major production center in sebu who is responding to the needs of the nearby regions, regions 5, 6, 7 and 8, and aside from that the nearby regions which will not be affected by typhoon are also prepared to augment, just in case this region that will be affected by typhoon would need augmentation, with describ

andrew thomas has more. >> reporter: for 16 hours, it has been the scene of a siege.tuesday morning, it became the backdrop to an in prompt tu memorial. torie johnson was the manager of the shop targeted. the other victim was katrina dawson, a barista and mother of three. >> i think it's just a very sad day for sydney. certainly, i'm the same age as katrina. i have got one child, i just -- find it very difficult. >> reporter: people started to lay flowers early on tuesday morning, and kept coming all day. as the floral tributes increased, though, so did the questions. could this brazen siege that ended in such a dramatic and fatal way been prevented. the hostage taker killed when police moved in, was well-known to authorities. he had been convicted of sending hate mail to the families of soldiers who died in afghanistan. there were serious outstanding charges against him too. he was out on bail over allegations he had been an accessory over his ex-wife's murder, and separately over sexual assault. the police described him as disturbed, and while he said the attack was

andrew thomas, al jazeera, sydney. >> the police found the body of shooting suspect bradley william stone. authorities say he appears to have died of self-inflicted knife wounds. he's suspected of shooting seven members of his family, killing six, including his ex-wife, who was involved in a custody battle with stone. >>> jeb bush is officially exploring a bid. how that decision may put the squeeze on gop hopefuls. that's next. and a yearlong investigation into the post recession economy with the gap between the american dream and reality is larger than ever before. >> taking the country to the brink of economic ruin. >> this is because of a corrupt deal. >> two dodgy business minute and an israeli one and egyptian one. >> al jazeera exposes those who made an forture betraying an entire nation. >> you don't feel you owe an explanation to the egyptian nation? >> no, no. >> tomorrow on al jazeera america. >> a younger brother of george w bush. he is a favorite of the republican establishment, but he'll have many challenges. even though we'll be able to raise more money than anybody else in

andrew thomas reports. >> reporter: hostages pick their moments and run for their lives. moments later police storm the cafe. one officer appeared to throw a stun grenade, and then the crack of what was likely gun fire or a flash of explosion. from different sides of the building, the scope plays out. paramedics were there waiting, and quickly ran towards the building. one woman could be seen carried out, her foot injured. the siege began during monday morning's rush hour. >> the woman summoned police, she had the phone to her ear. three motorcycle police arrived and others on foot. she said she went to go in the cafe, and the glass sliding doors that normally open therein disabled and shut. she thought it was closed, then realised something was going on inside. she told police she saw a nan with a blue back and what she -- saw a man with a blue bag and what she thought was a shotgun. >> reporter: a flag was shape at the window, on it there was only one god, mohammed is his messenger. police believe the man to be this man, man haron monis, he was known to authorityies, wr

al jazeera's andrew thomas climbed aboard and sent us this report. >> reporter: sailing races take place out of sight, far from sure, beyond the horizon. not this, extreme sailing is known as stadium sailing. high performance boats on an exceptionally tight course, and rite nest to shore. quick, short, sharp races to keep it exciting for the public and keep the sailors - they have to be honed in on skills and decision making and rehabilitations. >> this is to sailing what 20 twenty20 is to cricket - an intense concentrated burst of the sport. races can be won in as little as 15 minutes. dramas and capsizes are common. it's different to regattas, that is the point. it's sailing as a spectator point, where big names adding their credibility to the event. >> it's not the cleanest racing that you will do. i wouldn't want to do this racing for an olympic gold medal or an america's cup. it worked for this series and people enjoyed it. >> it's high performance sailing stripped bare. there are no hand caps, first across the line wins. each has a 5-person crew and carries a passenger. >> we have