Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways said on Tuesday it was helping Australian Federal Police with an investigation that police began into an "Islamic-inspired" plot to bring down a plane and resulted in stricter security screening at Australian airports.  Four men were arrested in raids in several suburbs in Sydney, Australia's largest city, at the weekend and are being held without charge under special terror-related powers. 

U.S. officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said a foreign intelligence service had intercepted communications between the plotters in Sydney and members of the Islamic State militant group in Syria.  The officials declined to identify the foreign intelligence service.
 
Another two U.S. officials familiar with the Australian arrests said a developing plot had been detected. One of them, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the alleged plot was "fairly well along" when it was disrupted by Australian authorities.  The other official said the target appeared to have been a commercial flight from Sydney to the Gulf. 

Read more: Reuters