Man charged with terrorism after alleged stabbing in Sydney

Sydney: A 22-year-old man was charged with committing a terrorist act and attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a man in Sydney, police said today.

A 59-year-old man was stabbed several times while walking through a park in suburban Minto in southwest Sydney yesterday, a police statement said.

The alleged victim was taken to hospital in a critical condition, the statement said.

The suspect attempted to stab a police officer before he was arrested.

A Joint Counter Terrorism Team, comprising the New South Wales state and Australian Federal Police, charged the man today. He faces a potential life prison sentence if convicted.

The alleged attacker and his victim did not know each other.

An 18-year-old man was arrested on Thursday outside the Sydney Opera House after allegedly telling security guards he was under instructions to carry out an attack by the Islamic State group.

Counterterrorism investigators charged the teen with threatening to destroy property after police said the teen was stopped by guards outside the Opera House.

Police say the teen was carrying two canisters of automotive fluid.

His arrest came days after the Islamic State movement urged followers to stab, shoot, poison and run over Australians at iconic locations including the Opera House.

The teen appeared in a Sydney court on Friday, where the judge ordered him to undergo a psychiatric assessment.