Police say a 16-hour hostage situation in Sydney is over after police storm a downtown cafe where a gunman had been holding an unknown number of people. The U.S. risks alienating European and Arab allies if it vetoes an upcoming U.N. resolution that would set a two-year timetable for achieving peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Republicans will feel new pressures to show they can deliver, and President Obama's incentives to veto legislation will add uncertainty to the mix. Civil rights groups in the U.S.