Pakistani army says 39 militants killed

PAKISTANI warplanes and ground forces have killed 39 militants as part of an ongoing operation in a volatile tribal region near the Afghan border.

THE airstrikes were carried out Friday evening in the Datta Khel area of the North Waziristan tribal region, an army statement said on Saturday, adding that an underground tunnel system and a large underground cache of weapons and ammunition were also destroyed.

The military claimed several important militant commanders were among the dead, but didn't provide further details on the identities of the slain militants.Also late Friday night, Pakistani troops ambushed a large assembly of militants on the border between the Orakzai and Khyber tribal regions, the statement said.It said an intense battle took place in which 16 militants were killed and another 20 injured. Four army soldiers were also injured in the shootout, the statement said.Journalists are barred from the region and it is impossible to independently verify the information.The army says it has killed over 1,200 militants since the start of a massive offensive launched June 15 against militants in North Waziristan. The military offensive was launched after a terrorist attack on Pakistan's largest airport in Karachi.The North Waziristan tribal region is one of seven tribal regions near the Afghan border where local and foreign militants have found safe haven for years. A parallel government offensive is taking place in the neighbouring Khyber tribal region to pursue militants fleeing the North Waziristan offensive.

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Severe fire warning for parts of WA

Fire crews in Western Australia are on high alert as hot, dry and windy conditions are expected. Source: AAP

FIRE crews are preparing for a high fire danger day in parts of Western Australia.

A SEVERE fire danger rating has been forecast for coastal areas in the shires of Carnarvon and Shark Bay on Sunday.

The warning comes as crews extinguished a blaze south of Perth.The fire at Atwell in the City of Cockburn that started at about 3pm (WST) on Saturday has been put out.

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Boy, 6, missing after Murray River swim

A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy who went swimming in the Murray River is missing after getting caught in a current.

THE boy was swimming with six other children on a campsite on Gunbower Island in Koondrook, Victoria, near the NSW border, on Saturday afternoon when they all started to drift downstream.

Four of the children managed to get themselves out of the water, but the other three began to struggle against the current.Several adults jumped into the water and plucked two of the children out but couldn't find the six-year-old boy.NSW and Victorian police and volunteers have been searching for the boy since about 2.30pm.The search is expected to continue well into the night.

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NSW holiday traffic is still banked up

Motorists across NSW are experiencing significant delays as holidaymakers head out of Sydney. Source: AAP

NSW motorists are being urged to allow up to an extra hour to their travel times with heavy traffic still causing delays on major highways.

THE Traffic Management Centre says cars are banked up for 15 kilometres on the northbound Pacific Highway approach to Sancrox, near Port Macquarie, causing a 60-minute delay.

Northbound traffic on the highway approaching Kundabung, south of Kempsey, and heading the same way towards Macksville is backed up for 10 kilometres, adding an extra 40 minutes to travel times.On the south coast, the Princes Highway has 50-minute delays on the southbound approach to Berry but delays have eased for traffic heading from the north to Milton.Other areas are also facing delays.

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Two dead in Qld head-on smash

TWO people have died in a head-on crash in country Queensland.

TWO vehicles crashed on Adventure Way, near Cunnamulla, in the state's south about 8.30am (AEST) on Saturday.

The 23-year-old male driver of one vehicle and a 78-year-old female passenger of the other were pronounced dead at the scene.The 40-year-old female driver of the second vehicle has been flown to Princess Alexandra hospital with serious internal injuries.It's the first fatal accident on Queensland roads in the Christmas-New Year toll period.

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Pain of Cyclone Tracy remembered

NT's chief minister says people should feel proud of how Darwin bounced back after Cyclone Tracy. Source: AAP

STANDING in the eye of Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Eve 1974, Geoff Carter was overcome by a surreal feeling of tranquillity.

"I stood in the eerie silence, looked up at the sky, and thought, 'how fantastic was that'. We were covered with Christmas tinsel," he said.

"Then I looked again, and realised it was roofing iron suspended above the city, ready to descend upon us in the even more ferocious second half of Tracy."On the 40th anniversary of the storm, he said his family came through all right, even though they lost everything."We heard of people being stripped naked and left hanging from the rafters of their house," he told AAP."Our vehicle looked like a salt and pepper shaker, filled with holes from the metal and debris being hurled at it. It looked like Al Capone had been at the bloody thing."With the passing of time, survivors were opening up more and sharing their stories for this anniversary, he said.In the Darwin CBD, about 150 people gathered for a dimming of the lights ceremony at the city Christmas tree, dedicated to the memory of the 66 people killed during the storm."Forty years ago tonight, Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin. It swept into the harbour, tossing ships about, and then made its way inland, creating a path of destruction through streets and suburbs, leaving shattered Christmas dreams and worse in its wake," Lord Mayor Katrina Fong Lim said."The casualty list was great. Individuals were hurt and scarred by glass shards and flying metal sheets. They were in fear and traumatised, separated from loved ones, and in shock."But in the aftermath ,the country pulled together in support, Ms Fong Lim said."In the wake of that terrifying storm, the entire nation reached out and helped a community rebuild itself, its homes, its schools, its businesses."She said Darwin had flourished over the past four decades, and although time healed, it couldn't compensate for the profound loss and pain many in the community still felt."I'm sure many people take great comfort from the knowledge that the entire community shares in remembering those who perished, and extend their thoughts and compassion to those who lost loved ones," Ms Fong Lim said.As the lights on the tree were dimmed, 66 community members held candles representing those who died.On Friday a commemorative plaque at Christ Church Cathedral will be unveiled in their memory.

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US shoot black teenager in Missouri

A US police officer has shot dead a black teenager in Missouri after he said the young man pointed a gun at him.

THE St Louis police officer said one of two men he approached at a petrol station drew a gun before he shot the teenager a number of times.

The second man ran off.Police said the officer was doing a routine business check when he approached the men.A group of about 60 people has gathered at the scene.The St Louis suburb of Berkeley where the shooting took place is about 3km from Ferguson, where a police officer fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown in August.

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Severe fire danger in WA on Xmas Day

Parts of WA's Central West and Gascoyne areas are set to face severe fire danger on Christmas Day. Source: AAP

PARTS of West Australia's Central West and Gascoyne areas are set to face severe fire danger on Christmas Day.

THE Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) says conditions will be hot, dry and windy and bushfires can threaten suddenly and without warning.

A severe fire danger advice has been issued for coastal and inland parts of the Central West regional and coastal and inland parts of Gascoyne.The DFES warns residents to stay alert and have their bushfire survival plans ready as any fires will be unpredictable, fast moving and difficult for firefighters to control.

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World to witness Aceh tsunami recovery

THE tsunami alarms will ring out across Banda Aceh on Boxing Day to commemorate the Indian Ocean tsunami a decade ago.

FOREIGN dignitaries are beginning to pour into Aceh, where the alarms will sound at 8.10am local time on Friday as a reminder of the 170,000 lives lost in this corner of Indonesia alone.

Charge d'affaires to Indonesia David Engel will represent Australia, paying his respects to the tsunami victims at the Siron mass grave and visiting a special "Thanks to the World" exhibition.Within days of the 2004 disaster, the Australian government announced a $1 billion assistance package.Around $323 million went towards recovery and rebuilding in Aceh and Nias, about $328 million on road improvements, and $300 million on education.Indonesia's President Joko Widodo will attend the commemorative events, which will include mass prayers and an art exhibition.Organiser Novita told AAP it was expected at least 35 of 53 donor countries would be represented."It's an honour for us that they want to pay their respects to Aceh," she said."Many countries, many international NGOs, they're still looking out for Aceh. We're proud of that."Australian money rebuilt schools, hospitals and town halls in Aceh, and helped improve government services.Dr Engel says Aceh has improved immensely since the disaster wiped out infrastructure and left 500,000 people homeless, but challenges remain."The Australian government will continue to work together with the Acehnese people and the Indonesian government to overcome these challenges," he said.

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IS shoots down warplane over Syria

JORDAN'S military says one of its warplanes that was on a mission over Syria has crashed in the northern province of Raqqa and the pilot has been captured by the Islamic State group.

THE statement carried by state news agency Petra said that IS and "those who support it" will be responsible for the safety of the pilot.

Activists earlier said IS fighters had shot down a Jordanian warplane in Raqqa on Wednesday and captured the pilot.It's the first US-led coalition warplane to be shot down.The US-led coalition has carried out hundreds of airstrikes against IS positions in Syria since September 23.Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have joined in airstrikes against the extremist group, while Qatar is providing logistical support.

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