leland: you're looking right now at sydney, australia. is some video from when the hostage siege ended there. it is 3:54 a.m. in sydney. there was loud bang, followed by gunshots and explosions at that cafe in sydney where a gunman had taken hostages around 2:30 in the morning there. just about an hour 1/2 ago. the report is a gunman, a self-proclaimed sheikh of iranian decent, is dead and report of at least one hostage dead. we heard there were a number of hostages in there. we saw a number of them escape. we saw video of some of them injured there in sydney, australia, where obviously it is daybreak here in just about an hour 1/2 or so. the hostage siege is over. and now the fallout of this as it is happening. alan colmes, host of the alan colmes radio show. tammy bruce, radio show host and fox news contributor here to continue to discuss. brings up so many questions how to prevent lone wolf terror attacks, people are worried about so long. we've seen attacks brought about here in the united states. just recently over the past week we've

, i'm gretchen carlson, here to bring you the real story today you just heard from police in sydney, australiaving some new details about the gunman taking over a busy cafe early monday morning in australia's biggest city and forcing hostages to raise a muslim flag from the windows. two hostages and the gunman killed in that terror attack out of some 17 hostages captive for the duration of the standoff. no explosive devices found at the scene. police say the iriranian-born man was a self-proclaimed sheik on their radar some time and this is an isolated incident,s standoff coming to a spectacular violent end 16 hours after it began.

thanks to drew griffin for that. >>> now the breaking news out of sydney, australia. a possible hos saj situation unfolding in a very busy central business district in sydney at a mall there. called martin place. this is all happening inside the lindt chocolate shop. you obviously have authorities there fully armed outside monitoring this situation. we are being told that at least 13 hostages may be inside. how did this unfold? according to our affiliate, 7 network in sydney, they say around 9:44 a.m. local time, remember, it is a busy monday morning there in sydney, a woman saw a man with a blue sports bag. she thought it might be a gun so she told blispolice. the man entered the lindt chocolate shop and turned into a possible hostage situation. cnn is working our sources to confirm this as well. as a precaution, a few things has happened. "roite e "reuters" is reporting the sydney opera house has been evacuated. the sydney opera house is a four-minute walk from this busy mall. about 1.3 kilometers. nearby. also, the 7 news sydney news network, our affiliate on the g

there's an ongoing situation in sydney, australia. ges are being held now some 14 hours by an unidentified gunman. he entered a lent chocolate cafe in the heart of downtown sydney. police are keeping details under wraps. they do know who he is, they are familiar with who he is as a result of finding out his identity. the question is what's going on there and how can they bring this to an end? let's bring in fbi former lead kidnapping negotiator chris vos and former bush homeland security and counter terrorism advisor. couldn't have two better people to deal with this. chris, how do you handle a guy like this? chris is on the phone now. what do you think they're doing? how is this working now? >> caller: good morning chris. thanks for having me on. if i may, let me take you behind the scenes on this. hostage negotiators set up what they call negotiation operation center or noc. they've got a team listening to everything this guy says and everything they can find out about him. they're trying to do whatever they possibly can to get him o

australia time. in the center of sydney. sydney is the biggest city in australia. the equivalent of new york city for australia. a middle aged man wearing some kind of bandana holding a shot gun and having a backpack on his back walked in and took the people hostage in that cafe. the numbers have been wildly divergent on how many people were there anywhere from 15 to 40. witnesses are saying it is probably closer to the smaller number. over the ensuing hours hostages have been seen at the windows of the cafe some there as long as two hours holding their hands up against it. apparently the hostage taker telling them to do it only using them as a human shield. a banner has been held up by at least one of the hostages a black banner with an islamic slogan on it. the hosz ttage taker is holding pump action shot guns. there have been claims possibly from him he had bombs inside the cafe and outside as well in the downtown area of sidney. tho -- sydney. police have not been confirming that at all. 6 hours into the crisis three people were seen running from the cafe. anot

australia has been grabbling with radicalization for quite a long time there was a lot that year in sydneyanother plot in 2000 linked to an al shabab support group. there's a large lebanese diaspora population in australia and some of the second generation have become radicalized and we've seen people travel across to syria quite easy for these lebanese peek to travel there. about 15 have been killed there. a couple dozen believe to have return from australia. australia is dealing with its problem just like that united states. >> paul, you have your ear to the ground and soshl media on days like this. what are terror groups saying? what is the chatter online right now? is anyone claiming to be connected to this man? the anyone praising the actions that just happened in sydney? >> isis itself have not yet weighed in but there have been responses on social media from jihadis calling this guy, as can be expected, a hero. calling it a lone wolf operation. we'll see much more of a response in the hours ahead. isis is very likely to make propaganda out of this but it does not seem at this hour t

stuart: if you're just joining us, let me tell you this, the siege in sydney, australia is over. unfire and did it. the stock market selloff over 100 points on the dow and the price of oil coming down. oil and sydney are negative for stocks, we've covered that, down for her three as we speak on the dow. charles payne, liz macdonald with me now. my english this, if that can happen in australia with such dire financial consequences, it was a big deal, there's no reason the same thing could not happen here. we are vulnerable and that impart is why the stock market is down. liz: it has been a concern since may 23 world trade center bombing bu that there be an attacker who just we go off on his own. law enforcement is saying this does not appear to be part of a broader plot, he acted alone, but it is part of a broader movement of islamization. stuart: the fact it is a lone wolf guy with no connection to a conspiracy is more worrying. anybody can walk into a shopping mall and disrupt christmas. >> they say we will not see another plot with another lone wolf writes now will attack anothe

courtney in sydney, australia, and jim kavanaugh. >>> much more coverage of the breaking news from sydneyl another great thing about all this walking i've been doing is that it's given me time to reflect on some of life's biggest questions. like, if you could save hundreds on car insurance by making one simple call, why wouldn't you make that call? see, the only thing i can think of is that you can't get any... bars. ah, that's better. it's a beautiful view. i wonder if i can see mt. rushmore from here. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. katy pesoft and fullntrary, how dlike a flower,grow? with new covergirl full lash bloom mascara. finally! volume that's soft - not spiky. new full lash bloom mascara from easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl and i quit smoking with chantix. i had tried to do it in the past. i hadn't been successful. quitting smoking this time was different because i got a prescription for chantix. along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. the fact that it reduced the urge to smoke helped me g

australia. we see the nighttime live shot from sydney at 1:15 a.m. bill: in the meantime we'll go back to australia. the senate working a rare saturday session voting and passing a spending bill. republican senators ted cruz and mike lee surprising many with forcing a vote on the president's executive action on immigration. >> republicans and democrats will have an opportunity to show america whether they stand with the president who is defying if the will of the veerts or the millions of americans who wants a safe and legal immigration system. if you believe the president's amnesty is illegal vote yes. you believe it is consistent with the constitution, vote no. bill: in the end that effort failed. good morning to you. 15-minute you were a partner with senator cruz on this, was it worth it? >> it's always worth it when you stand behind the american people. when we have a president who engages in acts of lawlessless - lawlessness and acts like a government of one. bill: your opposition is based on what? >> it had to do with the fact this was a 1,600-p

us through the last 11 or 12 hours as this coffee shop in one of the main business areas in sydney, australiaontrol of an armed gunman with people now being held hostage. >> reporter: for sure. setting the scene. we are in the heart of the sydney cbd. if you have visited sydney, you have come to martin place. it is a major thoroughfare. a business district and commercial district. a big shopping area. all those shops closed down. all of the buildings vevacuated. the u.s. consulate and the news 7 across the road from the cafe. all of the shops closed down. you talk to the reporters around 9:30 a.m., a local person saw this gunman carry a bag, looked suspicious. alerted authorities. next thing he is walked into the lindt cafe. at 10:00 a.m., that is when he took the cafe and the people inside it hostage. he had them have their hands up against the window. that is when we saw the distressing images of the people. later, they unfurled this black flag that read there is no other god than god. it was an islamic phrase. it is not an isis flag. that is interesting. to hear him now demanding an isis f

this is in the central business district of sydney australia, you are looking at the podium where tony abbott is addressing the media. breaking news is happening downtown in sydney. 13 people are held against their will at at chocolate shop, we don't know by whom the affiliation, how many are involved. hundreds of armed police and federal officials are surrounding the area, trying to get the situation under control. this is in martin police in the central business distribute. as soon as tony abbott speaks, we take you live as we continue to follow the breaking news >>> turning to other news for a moment, an american who crossed into north korea was presented to the media. >> i would like to offer sincere apologies. for not only violating laws and bound rits, but entering as i did in a foolish way. >> 39-year-old arturo of el paso texas entered the country through china to convey information to the north korean government. he went on to criticize the north korean government. his mother said her son tried to enterpreviously but was deported and spent time in a psychiatric hospital. he wa

announcer: this is cnn breaking news. >> our breaking news this morning, hostage standoff in sydney, australia. you can see it there. a gunman holding hostages in sydney's central business district in a chocolate shop. you see it there. moments ago, officials at the news conference did not reveal the number of hostages being held. they did not want to reveal details of what is going on there. the new south wales police commissioner says they are treating it as a terrorist incident. they are not saying how they are communicating. we have seen five people get out. whether they escaped or released, we do not know. five people have managed to get out of the standoff that began 11 hours ago. we did hear from the man who happened to be sitting outside the lindt chocolate shop when the drama began. >> getting a take away coffee and i sat outside the cafe to chat on the phone. in those minutes, the incident unfolded. i don't know if the gunman was in there or after i left. this unfolded at 9:35 or 9:40 this morning. there was no hint. people were chatting about their normal business. >> we have been a

and we'll have an update on the ongoing hostage situation in sydney, australia. stay with us. >> it's a chilling and draconian sentence... it simply cannot stand. >> this trial was a sham... >> they are truth seekers... >> all they really wanna do is find out what's happening, so they can tell people... >> governments around the world all united to condemn this... >> as you can see, it's still a very much volatile situation... >> the government is prepared to carry out mass array... >> if you want free press in the new democracy, let the journalists live. >> welcome back. we want to update you on the breaking news out of sydney australia. there is a hostage situation. a gunman took several hostages inside a lindt chocolate shop. witnesses say a black and white flag with arabic writing is on display in the cafe. buildings have been evacuated as well as the u.s. cons alat. the police commissioner of new south wales gave this update about an hour ago. >> we have an armed defender in premises holding an undisclosed number of hostages in the city in the martin place a

we begin with a gut-wrench drag ma in sydney, australia. police officer say this gunman walked into a cafe and held everyone hostage. he has two demands, a phone call with the prime minister and a flag representing the terror group isis. at 9:30 a.m. a woman reported a man carrying a bag she described as suspicious. minutes later, he entered the cafe taking more than 20 people hostage. some captives escaped. first three men ran to safety, then two women. we've heard from an employee at the cafe who fled in the opening moments. >> at this point i was thinking something is definitely off. a few moments later they hung a closed sign on the door and told us all to leave. just as i was about to leave the lady next to me screamed out "he has a gun." >> let's begin our coverage in sydney with reporter kathy novak. tell us more, kathy. >> we are, we are learning now it's about 2:00 a.m. in sydney. police have identified this hostage taker, he's named man haron moniz, a self-proclaimed sheik haron. in 2007 he was convicted of writing offensive lette

it was a dramatic ended to a hostage situation in sydney, australia. >> australian police confirmed that three are dead and 4 injured after the 16-hour siege in downtown sydney. the victims included 2 hostages, 38-year-old man in a 38-year-old woman. and the gun man, a 50-year-old man. in a news conference that 17 hostages total had been accounted for. we found out that a police officer suffered a non-life-threatening loan to the face -- wounded to the face that we don't have information on his injury at this point. >> how did the situation unfold? >> the crisis came to an end after heavily armed police lint chocolate cafÉ

a hostage standoff that continues in sydney australia, in its 15th hour now, and new details developingut the hostage taker. cnbc's own mandy drury from australia for more of the area at heart of this standoff. plus, the washington editor at large for the atlantic is going to be here with all of the analysis on this day of breaking news on the rundown. [ high-pitched ] nailed it! [ normal voice ] you're right, that was really easy. i know, i told you so. on progressive.com you can compare our progressive direct rates with our competitors' rates, so shopping is easy. you don't sound like flo. [high-pitched] yeah, i do. [ clears throat ] who you talking to? [ normal voice ] what? what's on your hand? noth-- my wedding ring. [chuckles] symbol of our love and understanding. comparing rates for you. now that's progressive. [ high-pitched ] nailed it! ♪ my baby drove up in a brand new cadillac.... ♪ ♪ my baby drove up in a brand new cadillac.... ♪ ♪ look here, daddy, i'm never coming back..... ♪ discover the new spirit of cadillac and the best offers of the season. lease this 2015 standard co

a suspected terrorist with a gun held more than a dozen hostages inside a cafe in sydney, australia. >> the man's name is man haron monis. he's a 49-year-old born in iran and then moved to australia. he is a self-described sheik. he's a self-proclaimed muslim. >> hostages forced to stand with their hands up against that store window. you have seen these images. the lone gunman claiming to have several bombs in different parts of the city. >> the fact that we are getting, from looking at the video, is that it is over. >> in the middle of the mayhem, several hostages seen with their arms in the air pressed against the glass. two hostages are seen holding a black flag connected with islamic extremism. so is he a lone wolf terrorist and how can we even know? nice to see you. it's hard to tell, at least right now, whether it's just a crazy killer fixated with an idea to use jihad or whether this is a jihad terrorist part of a group. i mean, it seems to me, they are both equally evil but there's a difference to me. >> absolutely. greta, what he had done and tried to do is not unusual. other

sydney under siege, anb unidentified gunman holding at least a dozen hostages inside this cafe in sydney, australia.

australia. daniel, thank you very much. sydneyh is just the latest in a series of take by mentally unstable criminals who claim to be fighting in the cause of islamic extremism. in may four people were killed by a gunman at a jewish museum in brussels. in september in moore, oklahoma, a woman was beheaded by a coworker. october 20th, a canadian soldier was killed in a hit-and-run attack in quebec, and two days later the canadian parliament building was attacked and another soldier died. with some insight into all of this, we're joined now by michael morell who was until last year the number two at the c.i.a. he's now our senior cbs news security consultant. michael, brussels, moore, oklahoma, sydney, australia, all of these individuals acting alone. what's the common denominator? >> scott, i think common denominator is there are a lot of young men and young women who are looking for meaning in their lives. they can be mentalry unstable. they can be mentally stage. and isis is giving them that meaning. through its pervasive social

big problems for seller is one of the stories caught caught. >> these are live images out of sydney, australiapolice are in contact with the armed man holding people inside a sydney cafe. that beginning during the morning rush hour 14 hours ago. five people ever gotten out so far. no one has been injured. welcome to al jazeera america. >> let's get back to andrew thomas right now in sydney. any change on the ground there in the last half hour and any sign of this ending anytime soon? >> no sign at all of it ending anytime soon, to be honest, no real change in the last half hour, either. the street behind me, the blocked off street that leads to martin place is still blocked off. there's been little movement in the last half hour. the police have said in a press conference that they will wait for as long as it takes for this situation to reach a peaceful resolution. they're absolutely determined that that's how this will end. as far as they know, nobody inside the cafe has been hurt yet and they're determined it will remain that way. this is a major area of sydney c.b.d., the heart of this city

that is the end of the hostage taking in sydney australia. it is a little after 6 a.m. in sydney.onathan from the daily telegraph is on the line with us. let's start with the hostages and fatalities among them. we understand three people, including the hostage taker, died. ring us up to speed. >> police are concerned there are three dead. two hostages died. it was a 38-year-old man and 38-year-old woman. they were taken to the hospital and were dead by the time they arrived. there have also been several other injuries, but none of them have been life-threatening. >> his profile is becoming clear. do we know if he acted alone? >> he was alone, we do know that now. there will be questions about whether he had any sort of assistance from outside, any sort of net worth. he was a man with a long history in ninth place. he was a 50-year-old man. he wasn't officially qualified. he was an accessory to murder charges. he was also convicted of really offensive letters to the families involved in australia. there will be questions about why police weren't having close enough surveillance of

australia. more information coming through less from sydney.the latest details after the break. ♪ >> first, bloomberg. >> welcome back to "market makers." i'm stephanie ruhle. sony is still dealing with the fallout of hackers who stole millions of pages of documents, including e-mails from top executives, health records of employees, private information about mega movie stars, and a whole lot more. today, sony movie stars sent an official letter to press outlets, telling us to destroy any documents that we possess. no doubt, brent, you poured over these hundreds of pages of documents. >> they are very salacious. they are very embarrassing for top executives. >> in other words, a dream come true. >> for a journalist, christmas came early. >> is it? say, these areo documents that were obtained illegally. >> i am being a little glib. to be honest, this does raise a lot of troubling ethical issues here. what is newsworthy, what is just gossip, what is intended to embarrass, what is intended to inform? these are the kinds of debates that i think new

we'll take a look at the numbers. >> plus breaking news to sydney, austral australia. an armed man taking hostages. we'll have more after the break. >>> sydney under siege right now. police surrounding a crowded coffee shop where an armed man is still holding several people hostage. >> and we have a lot of rain to get through this morning. the good news is we need the rain. the time cing could not be wors. as we head to tuesday, we keep the rain going. a break on wednesday but by friday the rain returns. >> and we're looking at a backup at the bay bridge toll plaza. a new crash at highway 24. >> it was a terrible week for wall street last week. hopefully things can get a little bit better as we get under way. we have both the nyse there and over on the nasdaq as well, as business gets under way. >> good luck. a lot of changes on the market this morning. >> and a good monday morning to you. thank you for joining us. i'm sam brock. >> and i'm laura garcia-cannon. before you head out the door, we do have a microclimate weather alert to tell you about. another storm hitting

news in sydney, australia. it's almost 11:00am there, in sydney australia. apparently there is a hostage situation going on in a cafe. police confirmed that there is an operation under way. that is all that we know for sure. some of the streets are blocked off. what you are seeing is we are trying to take some of the local news reporting. witnesses say they have seen a black and white flag with arab writing on it. no clarification, no confirmation on who actually is flying that flag. this is a cafe. again, hostages are being held. you can see, according to witnesses, you can see the hostages in the window. the air space over sydney has, indeed been frozen as the hostage situation unfolds. >> on "america tonight": the weekend edition. stunning confessions from the fortress of faith. a blockbuster report backs up about conclusions of an "america tonight" investigation into the flagship university of christian fundamentalism and how it dealt with victims of sexual assault. >> it confirmed my worst nightmare. it was something about me, in my thoughts. >> "americ

i appreciate it. >>> a glimpse of the gunman who has taken hostages in sydney, australia. get a glimpse at who he is and what he wants. we'll talk about that next. [ aniston ] when people ask me what i'm wearing, i tell them aveeno®. [ female announcer ] aveeno® daily moisturizing lotion has active naturals® oat with five vital nutrients. [ aniston ] because beautiful skin goes with everything. aveeno®. naturally beautiful results™. >>> good morning to our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm carol costello. thank you for joining me. in sydney, australia, a gunman seen in this grainy image is demanding a phone call with australia's prime minister and says he will free one hostage in exchange for a flag representing the terror group isis. now this hostage drama began to unfold more than 15 hours ago at 9:30 a.m. local time. a woman reported a man carrying a bag that she described as suspicious. minutes later, that man entered the cafe and took approximately 20 people hostage. fast forward more than six hours and some captives managed to escape. first three

and then answer reporters' questions, responding to what happened in sydney, australia, as well as somef the demonstrations in new york over the past few days. this is a pretty terrifying thought that what happened in sydney potentially -- we all hope it doesn't -- could happen in new york city, right, bob? >> well, wolf, i can speculate on this. i don't know. but this man in sydney was a lunatic and the chances of a lunatic in this country seeing in and mimicking it in some way, i think, are pretty good. i can't tell you for certain because there's no central organization to isis controlling this. i think it's a good chance it's going to happen here. i think this is what the police commissioner of new york is going to be talking about. >> they're now walking in. i want to immediately listen to their opening statement. bill bratton, he's joined by john miller. let's listen in. >> chief of if department jim o'meo o'neil. and chief of manhattan detectives bill aubrey. on saturday, we had a large march here on the city, 25,000 to 30,000 demonstrators. by and large, the events of that day w

>>> breaking news this morning on "early today," a hostage situation is under way in sydney, australia, where a gunman is holding shoppers inside a cafe. >>> one of the most lucrative movie franchises of all time has been compromised as part of a massive hacking of sony pictures. >>> and has the cia been thrown under the bus by the recent torture report? it is monday, december 15th. "early today" starts right now. >>> good morning. i'm milissa rehberger. breaking news, terror in sydney. a gunman is holding hostages inside a cafe in australia, he's reportedly making demands through social media. so far five people have escape. the daring getaway played out earlier on tv. >> we're going to show the pictures, this is what happened roughly ten minutes ago from now. i know we're talking about a situation still unfolding and we hope these people get out safe and well. >> minutes later, two women bolted from the building and ran straight to police. it began around 9:00 a.m. in a busy tourist spot. it is right by the financial and shopping district. inside cat fay is this chilling image, hosta

it's where we begin our coverage with nbc's sarah james in sydney, australia. sarah, good evening. >> reporter: sydney is in shock. no one believed something like this could happen here, brian, with two hostages dead and others injured. i'm standing just a few hundred yards from the cafe where it all began. and that is now a crime scene. many questions remain today. police say this is an active investigation. >> reporter: after more than 16 hours, the siege ended in violence. heavily armed police stormed the cafe, using what appeared to be stun grenades after hearing gunfire inside. as paramedics race to the scene, stretchers ready. >> they made the call because they believed at that time if they didn't enter, there would have been many more lives lost. >> reporter: it all began during morning rush hour. at 9:45 police are called to the lindt chocolate cafe in downtown sydney. the busy heart of the business district in australia's biggest city. 17 hostages inside. they're forced to hold up a flag showing the islamic declaration of faith written in arabic. one af

sydney. please do not let very small incidents like this prevent you from coming and enjoying australia. n to sydney three times, i've been to melbourne four times. there is an action. every action has a consequence. we have to look inwardly. we're talking very much about isis here. we're talking about why is it or what is the effect of isis on, you know, making people disenfranchised and turning. we've also got to look at our own foreign policy. australia has been clinical in afghanistan. it withdrew from afghanistan in november after a 12-year campaign. the australian sas have been working hand in glove with the u.s. helicopter crews. australian commandos have been working with u.s. drug enforcement agency and they have smashed heroine factories which is what the taliban uses to brank roll themselves. they've been prolific. if you look at tony abbott and his stance on syria, he authorized 600 troops to the region. he authorized eight super f-18 hornets to conduct air strikes in iraq. iraq only, not syria. the question we need to look at here, one of the questions is, what will tony abbo

. >>> and people in australia are mourning the two victims of the sydney hostage crisis and asking what really happened inside the sieged cafe. >>> gunmen have attacked an army-run school in peshawar, northwestern pakistan. they've killed at least 84 people. pakistani soldiers have cordoned off the site. local reports say several hundred students and teachers were in the school at the time. the school is run by the army. students' ages range from elementary school to university. a pakistani official tells nhk that five or six armed men, wearing pakistani security force uniforms stormed the school. a huge blast occurred just afterward. local officials said the gunmen have killed 84 people, including many students, as well as wounded more than 80. military officials say many students and staff have escaped, but the armed group is still inside. they continue to exchange gunfire with pakistani troops. a spokesperson for the pakistani taliban told nhk they are responsible for the attack. the spokesperson said it is in retaliation for a pakistani army offensive. the army has been carrying out

he has not said anything about what happened in sydney, australia.the meantime, you can watch his remarks streaming live right now on foxnews.com. >>> let's check out what america is clicking on. former president george w. bush quietly visiting the september 11th memorial museum on sunday. his first visit. arriving with a security detail and walking in while it was still open to the public. >>> a fedex truck in a nasty accident in new jersey, spilling packages on the ground. hope wasn't one for you, it's unclear what caused the accident. the driver suffering minor injuries. >>> a marriage proposal ends in disaster. a man in the netherlands renting a crane, planning to use it to suspend in front of his girlfriend's bedroom window and then pop the question. instead the crane toppling over and landing on her neighbors are roof. she said yes anyway. no one was hurt. >> so, are you looking for a job? what about the job hunt for the month of december? well, it turns out that december, a very good month for fining work. who would have thunk that? they're le

we have the latest on the developing story out of sydney australia where a gunman has been holding dozens of people hostage for hours be there was late-breaking developments. we have the latest coming up. >> karen rogers comes back with the full accuweather forecast when we come right back. >> now to breaking news we're live from chopper 6hd over souderton in montgomery county. we've been following the latest developments in a killing spree that has unfolded in the county. at this location two people were found dead. the s.w.a.t team has been on the scene throughout the morning. they believe the gunman in the series of killings may be barricaded inside a home. teams on the scene did hear a loud boom a short time ago. david henry reported there maybe indications an on going standoff may be coming to an end smed this -- this is one of the three locations in the county. in lansdale they found two people dead. in lower salford township, a woman was found dead. two girls were taken from the home, but found safe a short distance away. we're following the killing spree in montgomery county, a nu

an armed man is holding an unknown number of hostages in sydney, australia, in a chocolate store there and at least five hostages have left the cafe. it's unknown if they escaped or if they were released. the gunman, as i said, is talking to police. his motivation remains unknown, but he has displayed a black flag with arabic writing. >>> two years ago sunday 20-year-old adam lanza opened fire at sandy elementary school in newtown, connecticut. 20 students and six adults were killed. today some families are expected to announce their part in a class-action lasuit against the assault rifle maker lanza used. don dahler reports. >> they had 24 months to mourn, 24 months to try to understand why and 24 months to take legal action. that period ended sunday. so sandy hook victims' families have reportedly filing a lawsuit against bushmaster, the company that made the semiautomatic rifle lanza carried. none of the families are commenting but richard blumenthal has. >> two years have passed and congress has been complicit by failing to act and i share the frustration that may in part underlie

australia. much of sydney is still at a stand still at this point where right now nearly 12 hours after a gunman entered a chocolate store in the city's central business district, dozens of people were inside and they were held captive. australian prime minister tony abbott says the gunman is, quote, claiming political motivation. the prime minister has not declared this incident to be an act of terrorism. we know a jihadist flag, black with arabic writing there, see the white writing at the top, was displayed in the window where the hostages with being held. several local media outlets report they have been contacted by the hostages who claim the gunman had two different demands, those demands being an isis flag and a meeting with the prime minister, tony abbott. >> australia is a peaceful, open, and generous society. nothing should ever change that. and that's why i would urge australians today to go about their business as usual. >> so five hostages escaped so far. and you can see different ones running out right here. officials believe fewer than 30 people are still being held captive inside

a security advisor briefed president obama on an apparent hostage situation unfolding in sydney, australia. that from the white house official. the xicommissioner spoke he sai he is doing all they can to reach a peaceful resolution and situation is obtained. let's take a listen. >> look, i am not in a position to confirm any of that. my briefing to you is high level just to ensure they have the understanding of the situation. it would be better belt with by the operational commander. can. >> my advice is we haven't had contactqdrk with the armed as s. >> there goes there is at least one. >> it is heavy. it would be difficult to fully number them because they are involved in everything from securing streets to responding to and checking over this year we have tactical officers neglect kuwait tors. of course lots of general duties traffic please. we were here in big numbers. there were hundreds of officers involved in that very small tight location right now. >> if need be we will take it to many more. >> i missed thev(e[ç first one. >> you night need to go back to the police commissioner. i

local time in sydney, australia.roughly 10:45 eastern a swat team storm aid cafe where 17 hostages were taken. this after a lone gunman was killed and two hostages. one police officer was shot and suffered a non-life threatening injury. the center of sydney's shopping district has been on lock down.

. >>> we are learning more tonight about the man at the center of a deadly hostage crisis in sydney, australiacbs news correspondent craig boswell tells us before it was all over three people were dead including the gunman. >> reporter: a dramatic and deadly ending to a more than 16 hour hostage standoff in sydney, australia. heavily armed teams of police stormed the lindt clock late cafe in downtown sydney where a gunman had been holding 17 hostages. the police action came just moments after a group of hostages began running from the building. >> they made the call because they believed at that time if they didn't enter there would have been many more lives lost. >> reporter: seeks news confirms the suspect is a iranian born man mon this a self described cleric. one of the captives listed the gunman's demands. mon this could be seen in grainy video pacing back and forth. the 50-year-old had a lengthy criminal record and was already known to authorities. he had asked for an isis flag to be delivered to the cafe. >> it is an isolate the incident. do in the let this incident bring about any loss

. >>> we have continuing coverage this morning of a 17 hour hostage stand off in sydney australia that left three people dead including the gunman. the suspect has been identified as sources by self-proclaimed muslim claireic man moe niece. at one point a black flag with arabic writing was displayed. tara moriarty is joining us in the newsroom to explain his ties to the bay area and why his actions could spark copy cat crimes. >> huh succeeded in killing two people. the suspect is a 50-year-old man and his ex-wife had a connection to the east bay. [ inaudible ] >> he didn't look eye to eye with seven people. for instance me. he didn't want to do anything with us. >> reporter: moe niece became an extremist after divorcing his wife. he told people he was egyptian but was iranian. coming up more details about moe niece emerge. >>> more than 700 children attend the school which is ran by pac tan's military. the spokesman for the taliban says six suicide bombers were sent to the school. school compound rather with orders to kill older students. the attack was revenge by a recent operation b

. >>> tragedy in sydney, australia. a hostage crisis a popular cafi ends with three people killed including the gunman. >> police storm the cafi in sydney, australia were gunman had held hostages at the lindt chocolate store for more than 16 hours. rescuers carried out hostage is intended to the injured. earlier to groups of captives were able to escape, but an unknown number remain locked inside. australian media received a video in which a captive delivered the gunman's demand. cbs news reports the hostage taker is an iranian refugee and self-styled cleric. police tried negotiating with the suspect. but said his motive wasn't clear. >> at this stage were not in the business of speculating, or the business of investigating. >>> early in the sea just writing tv show and is bench of hostages holding up an islamiflagged and send the governor was asking for isis flag to be delivered. while police continued their negotiations, political leaders urged sydney residents to stay calm and stick to their routine. >> ultimately we

this day it was sydney, australia. a 16-hour hostage siege, a lone gunman holding 17 people inside a chocolate shop. the tenls stand-off. they stormed in, killing the gunman and ended the siege but not before two of the hostages were killed. the chocolate shop is located in the krermt of the financial district stems from parliament and the american consulate. many people were there for their morning coffee, shoppers and pedestrians were there at the height of the shopping season. the australian prime minister spoke to his stunned countrymen. >> there is nothing more australian than dropping in at the local cafe for a morning coffee and it is tragic beyond words that people going about their everyday business should have been caught up in such a horrific incident. >> throughout the day and night, hostages could be seen with their hands pressed to the shop window. some did he is came. others used cell phones to make calls and post social media. developing late tonight, new york city is now on a higher state of alert. the

hostages running for their lives and tactical teams storming a calf day in sydney -- cafe in sydney, australia. what we're learning about the 16-hour hostage sphwhition and another round of rain in the bay area. rosemary orozco will be here to tell you how long it will last. >>> good afternoon. i'm tori campbell. it's a tense situation in oakland right now with protesters facing off with police officers. protesters chained themselves together in front of police headquarters and have stood their ground for the past few hours. brian flores has been monitoring the scene and joins us live. >> reporter: good afternoon to you. we've been here since the demonstrations began shortly after 7:00 this morning and they continue going onto the afternoon. we're between 6th street and 7th street on broadway, right in front of oakland police headquarters. as you can see, a long line of police, also a long line of dreauchters remain. ass we take -- as we take a look at, some blocked a busy intersection at oakland here. >> hands up, don't shoot! >> hands up, don't shoot! >> reporter: it's been a message that's

australia time. in the center of sydney. sydney is the biggest city in australia.he equivalent of new york city for australia. a middle aged man wearing some

such a bizarre day for sydney, australia.'s cross over to andrew stevens who joins us from sydney with the latest. andrew, it is so strange for something like this to happen in sydney but also for an individual like this who's had a number of dustups with the law to still have the freedom to do what he did. but just give us the latest information. what new information are we learning either about the man behind it all or some of the victims or some of those who are fortunate enough to escape? >> reporter: well, we've been learning little bits about the hostage-taker and also the two who tragically died, errol. where we're standing it moment, 150 meters down the road on the corner is the lindt cafe. that's been taken away and the body of the hostage-taker has been in the cafe while forensic team has been in there for most of the day. that's the case we understand. but details coming up. there hasn't been a lot of information yet from the hostages themselves. now, what i can tell you is that katrina lawson was a mother of three

first, to sydney, australia, where the hostage situation is still underway.uthorities say they are negotiating with the gunman who has been holding people in the cafÉ in sydney for over 12 hours now. police were quick to seal off and evacuate the area. five hostages ran out of the building earlier today, but it is still unclear how many are inside. there have been a series of

>>reporter: a dramatic and deadly ending to a more than 16 hour hostage standoff in sydney australia. heavily armed teams of tactical police stormed the lindt chocolate cafe' in downtown sidney where a gunman had been holding 17 hostages. the police action came moments after a group of hostages began running from the building. >> they made the call because they believed at that time if they didn't enter there would have been many more lives lost. >>reporter: cbs news confirms the suspect is iranian born self-described cleric. australian media received a video with one of the captives listing the gunman's demands. he could be seen in grainy video during the standoff pacing back and forth. the 50-year-old had a lengthy criminal record and was already known to authorities. he had asked for an isis flag to be delivered to the cafe'. >> as the siege unfolded yesterday, he sought to cloak his actions with the symbolism of the isis death consult. >>reporter: a handful of hostages escaped the cave a earlier in the standoff. others were carried out on stretchers two died along with the gunman.

it's almost 11:00am there, in sydney australia.pparently there is a hostage situation going on in a cafe. police confirmed that there is an operation under way. that is all that we know for sure. some of the streets are blocked off. what you are seeing is we are trying to take some of the local news reporting. witnesses say they have seen a black and white flag with arab writing on it. no clarification, no confirmation on who actually is flying that flag. this is a cafe. again, hostages are being held. you can see, according to witnesses, you can see the hostages in the window. the air space over sydney has, indeed been frozen as the hostage situation unfolds.