National & International news updates on Dec 15

Bengaluru, Dec 15: Two of the hostages who managed to escaped from the clutches of the lone armed gunman have been identified as a lawyer and a woman cafe employee. They have been identified as Stefan Balafoutis who is a lawyer and Elly Chen, an employee of Lindt Chocolate Cafe.

Get all the latest national and international updates- be it politics, crime, sports or human welfare here:

11.10 pm: Sydney cafe siege ends after over 15 hours, reports claim gunman shot dead.

10.35 pm: 'Three surrender' in Belgium armed siege

9.45 pm: Sydney siege ends after 14-hours. 2 dead, 3 injured (Sydney siege ends)

9.00 am: Rapid exchange of gunfire at Sydney cafe, paramedics move inside cafe

8.55 pm: Heavily armed police storm Sydney cafe where gunman has been holding hostages.

8.40 pm: 6 more hostages escape Sydney Cafe, as per reports

8.35 pm: Sydney Siege: Hostages reveal gunman has planted four bombs

7.55 pm: Hostage-taker a radical Muslim cleric Man Haron Monis . He fled from Iran to Aus in 1996 & was charged with sexual assault

7.35 pm: Petrol, diesel price cut by Rs 2 per litre each

7.32 pm: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar flags off first made-in-India nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant from Vizag for sea trials

7.15 pm: J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah appeals people to "exhibit wisdom" and support the "local party" for development.

7.00 pm: "No force on this earth can separate Mumbai from Maharashtra," says Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.

6.45 pm: Indian Cricketer Irfan Pathan participates in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Vadodara: Indian Cricketer Irfan Pathan participates in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan #MyCleanIndia pic.twitter.com/UQayGu1B0n

— ANI (@ANI_news) December 15, 2014

6.30 pm: Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on the issue of conversions says, "People convert themselves out of faith, but here you are inducing people by concessions, this is wrong."

6.25 pm: SpiceJet Officials meet DGCA and Aviation Minister to seek relief for financial woes.

6.20 pm: Enforcement Directorate attaches YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy's properties worth over Rs 47 crore in money laundering case.

6.15 pm: "2 years have passed, we still haven't got justice, many promises were made, but situation is still the same", says Nirbhaya's mother.

6.10 pm: Delhi: Candle light vigil by NSUI ahead of 2nd anniversary of 2012 Delhi gang rape case.

6.05 pm: Five-time chess world champion Viswanathan Anand wins his maiden London Classic title after defeating British Grandmaster Michael Adams.

Delhi: Candle light vigil by NSUI ahead of 2nd anniversary of 2012 Delhi gang rape case pic.twitter.com/xbTxq3Iz19

— ANI (@ANI_news) December 15, 2014

6.00 pm: Government tables bill amending Motor Vehicles Act in Lok Sabha to facilitate plying of e-rickshaws.

5:40 pm: Opp didn't allow the House to function,Govt is ready to discuss all issues,don't know what they want: Venkaiah Naidu

5:35 pm: Conversion should be done based upon ideology & shouldn't be made pol issue,for ex, BR Ambedkar converted to Buddhism:Ram Naik,UP Governor

5:20 pm: Congress protest against West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata

4:40 pm: No clarity if the four armed gunmen took hostages after entering the apartment

4:05 pm: Four armed men barges into Belgium apartment

3: 15 pm: We are also in the process of confirming the whereabouts of all our other employees in the city: Infosys statement

3:10 pm: We can confirm that one Infosys employee is among the hostages at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney: Infosys statement

2:40 pm: Bengaluru Police Commissioner clarifies after a news channel quoted ISIS parody account, says media should stop spreading panic

2:15 pm: HRD Minister Smriti Irani trashes report of schools remaining open on Christmas

1.30 pm: 11,000 volt wire falls on bus in Jaunpur, UP; 10 feared dead.

1:27 pm: Indian techie among Sydney cafe hostages, confirms Venkaiah Naidu

12:45 pm: Hostage takers claim two bombs inside the cafe

12:23 pm: Negotiators in touch with Sydney cafe gunmen

11:55 am: Sydney Siege: customers and staff held hostage in cafe

11:35 pm: 5 hostages escape Sydney cafe during standoff

10:38 pm: Three hostages seen running out of the Sydney cafe

10:27 am: "Ghar waapsi" programs should continue: Yogi Adityanath

10:03 am: 40 staff members from Indian Consulate evacuated

9:40 am: Unidentified number of hostages in Lindt Cafe; no connection established with them though armed police outside the cafe

9:29 am: We will oppose this, they are trying to make every major day of importance about themselves: Ali Anwar on Good Governance Day

Gas tanker explodes near #Jaipur; 10 burnt alive http://t.co/DWw0LCEPIn pic.twitter.com/kTnhz4MENL

— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) December 15, 2014

9:24 am: Gas tanker explodes near Jaipur; 10 burnt alive

8:50 am: The incident in Sydney is disturbing. Such acts are inhuman & deeply unfortunate. I pray for everyone's safety.: PM Modi

8:30 am: Congratulations Shinzō Abe on your victory in elections. Japan will scale newer heights of progress under your able leadership. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Shinzō Abe to strengthen the relations between India & Japan: PM's tweet

8:15 am: On his Punya Tithi I pay my respects to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: PM's tweet

Heavy snowfall in Kullu (Himachal Pradesh) pic.twitter.com/5w58IywhEv

— ANI (@ANI_news) December 14, 2014

8:10 am: Heavy snow in Kullu

Arvind Kejriwal addressed a public meeting in Sadar Bazaar (Delhi) pic.twitter.com/brYVY3p4w1

— ANI (@ANI_news) December 14, 2014

8:00 am: Arvind Kejriwal addressed a public meeting in Sadar Bazaar (Delhi). The present Govt is taking U-turn on many issues, some people have even starting calling them U-turn Govt.

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