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Events on Tuesday 16 December 2014 2
2014Sydney Lindt Cafe siegeLone gunman holds hostages in central SydneyA gunman claiming allegiance to Islamic State held hostages inside a Lindt chocolate cafe in Sydney's central business district for over 16 hours. Police stormed the cafe after the gunman began shooting, and two hostages were killed along with the gunman. The siege prompted debate in Australia over counter-terrorism and mental health policy.
2014Peshawar school massacreTaliban gunmen kill over 140 at an army-run schoolPakistani Taliban militants stormed an army-run school in Peshawar, killing 149 people, most of them children. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in Pakistan's history. The massacre prompted Pakistan to end a moratorium on the death penalty and launch a renewed military crackdown on militants.