Horrifying pictures have emerged showing the Taliban gun squad who slaughtered 132 innocent children - as a new threat to kill schoolkids was revealed.

As Australia reels from the Sydney siege and its unhappy end, many will be wondering what can be done for the hostages stuck for hours with the gunman in the Lindt cafe.

The first lesson of the day for 10-year-old Irfan Shah at Peshawar's Army Public School was social studies.

A Taliban attack on a school in Pakistan that killed 132 children has been widely condemned as un-Muslim, abhorrent, inhumane and disgusting.

Amid the sea of flowers and mourners at Sydney's Martin Place, siege survivor Harriette Denny set up her own tribute for her slain boss, Tori Johnson.

The frontier city of Peshawar was once known as "the city of flowers".

The "fake sheik" behind the deadly Sydney cafe siege railed against Australian "terrorism" on his website a day before he took 17 people hostage.

There was Bali, but it was Westerners - not Australians, specifically - who were targeted.

The killing of hostages in Sydney has not deterred New Zealanders from flying to Australia.

Government MP Mark Mitchell argues that the Sydney hostage drama is 100 per cent justification for the anti-terrorist legislation he helped bulldoze through Parliament last week.

Monis' former partner Noleen Hayson Pal, 30, was stabbed 18 times and set alight outside her Werrington unit in April 2013.

Against a backdrop of fear and uncertainty following the hostage taking in Sydney, thousands of ordinary Australians turned to social media to spread a message of unprecedented tolerance and solidarity.

These are the six words that say it all. "I'll be back at work tomorrow."

Whenever there is a dramatic event, social media instantly comes alive with comment and conjecture as facts vie for attention with fiction.

Hostages caught in Sydney's siege have revealed how some of them managed to escape when the gunman's back was turned.

Some hostages held in the Sydney cafe may have had thoughts of attacking the hostage takers as survival instincts "come to the fore", a psychologist says.

Father-of-four Craig Stoker had just bought a coffee at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Sydney's Martin Place when he walked out and bumped into a "crazy-eyed" man.

A New Zealander who saw the Sydney siege unfold has described seeing people cowering on their knees only moments after a gunman took them hostage.

The country’s highest Islamic office holder has condemned the actions of a gunman responsible for a hostage situation in Sydney’s CBD.

Could it happen here? That is a question to haunt this country whatever the outcome of the hostage crisis in Sydney.

A flurry of loud bangs erupted just after 4am NZ time as a swarm of heavily armed police stormed a downtown Sydney cafe where a gunman had taken hostages.

As the Sydney siege threatens to open up old prejudices, hashtag #illridewithyou has led a call for unity.

Here's what we know now about the situation in Sydney where a gunman has seized hostages.

Read how the Sydney siege unfolded during the day.

New Zealanders caught up in the area where a hostage drama is unfolding in central Sydney - some who are still in lock down - have spoken about their experiences.

The cafe siege in Sydney was only to be expected after Islamic State urged followers to launch such “lone wolf” attacks, specifically mentioning Australia, terror experts say.