Five people have now fled a Sydney café where an armed man is holding up to 30 people hostage.
The gunman has been holed-up in the Lindt café for over 8 hours now – and is surrounded by hundreds of armed police.
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Contact has been made with the hostage-taker – who has flown a black flag with an Islamist slogan in the window.
Sydney Opera House, Martin Place and a number of public buildings have been evacuated.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says it's "profoundly shocking" that people be held hostage by a man "claiming political motivation".
The siege continues.
