Morning Digest: Hostage taking in Sydney cafe sparks fears of Islamist-linked attack

	Click to View in Browser 12/15/2014 Hostage taking in Sydney cafe sparks fears of Islamist-linked attack SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian police locked down the center of the country's biggest city on Monday after an armed man walked into a busy downtown Sydney cafe, took hostages and forced them to display an Islamic flag, igniting fears of a jihadist attack.. Abe coalition secures big Japan election win with record low turnout TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, brushing aside suggestions that a low turnout tarnished his coalition's election win, vowed on Monday to stick to his reflationary economic policies, tackle painful structural reforms and pursue his muscular security stance.. Oil price slide roils emerging markets, yen rises LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices touched fresh 5-1/2-year lows on Monday, spurring an emerging market selloff as demand for the safe-haven yen picked up while European stocks stabilised after their worst week since 2011.. South African woman wins Miss World beauty pageant in London LONDON (Reuters) - A 22-year-old South African woman, Rolene Strauss, won the Miss World 2014 beauty pageant in London on Sunday, the organizers said in a statement.. Bryant passes Jordan for third in all-time scoring (Reuters) - - Kobe Bryant eclipsed Michael Jordan on the National Basketball Association's all-time scoring list on Sunday, surpassing the legendary scorer during the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers' game at the Minnesota Timberwolves.. Volvo to launch online car sales in marketing shift PARIS (Reuters) - Volvo Car Corp said it will start selling vehicles online as it rolls out new models to compete with German luxury rivals such as BMW .. Feathered friends: researchers unveil bird 'family tree' WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists have unveiled the most comprehensive bird 'family tree' ever devised, using genetic data from 48 species to trace how modern bird lineages arose and flourished after the mass extinction that killed off the dinosaurs.. SantaCon merrymakers hit midtown Manhattan for annual pub crawl NEW YORK (Reuters) - Waves of revelers dressed in Santa Claus outfits invaded Midtown Manhattan on Saturday as part of New York's version of SantaCon, a massive pub crawl that organizers scaled back this year in part to prevent conflicts with a nearby protest march.. Related Video Hostages held in Sydney cafe, Islamic flag seen in window - local TV Upsurge in Afghanistan violence prompts security shake-up Great Debate Feds can help reform police, but watch out for unintended consequences Saudi Arabia is playing chicken with its oil A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend