TRANSCRIPT
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praises the strength of Cyclone Tracy survivors
- Police conduct a search for 15-year-old male missing off the Central Coast
- World Number One Aryna Sabalenka lands in Australia ahead of upcoming tennis season
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has praised the resilience of the survivors of Cyclone Tracy in Darwin.
It has been 50 years since the city was torn apart by the cyclone that left 66 people dead in its wake, injuring countless others.
It is regarded as one of the most significant natural disasters in Australia's history as it formed a blueprint for disaster preparedness and recovery.
During a memorial service for the victims, Mr Albanese has said the people who were left behind have shown tremendous strength in their efforts to restore the city.
"To the survivors, to your families, to those who we remember today, this is about you. It's about honouring you today for what you went through 50 years ago, but what you have continued to contribute to rebuild this extraordinary city of Darwin into the modern, multicultural, dynamic city that it is today."
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New South Wales police are searching for a 15-year-old male who went missing off the Central Coast.
The teenager was reportedly playing with two of his friends at Avoca beach when they were carried away by the strong waves.
Police were able to recover two of the males, but not the third, who has been identified as Luca Bennett.
Search efforts continued until late last night and have resumed today, with authorities monitoring through sea and sky in their attempts to locate the boy.
District Inspector Benjamin Campbell has expressed his thoughts for the family of the teenager.
"It's a very tragic incident and I feel for the family, in this time of (the) year. It's just a timely reminder about how dangerous the rocks can be around the ocean and how everyone has to be really careful about what's going around there."
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Thousands of American Airlines passengers saw their flights disrupted on Christmas Eve due to a technical glitch.
The technology issue forced the carrier to ground all its flights for over an hour, causing delays during one of the most traffic-heavy periods of the entire year.
The delays caused frustration for many passengers who feared they would miss their flights and be forced to cancel their holiday plans at the last minute.
48-year-old Jenise Hampton, who was travelling with her family from LaGuardia Airport in New York to Birmingham, Alabama, says the news was a source of anxiety.
"Oh, I was very anxious when we woke up this morning, and we heard it on the news, we were afraid that we wouldn't be able to get home for Christmas. But we were able to. We got here and our flight is on time. So we are relieved and ready to get going back to Alabama."
The airline has apologised for the inconvenience and says it is working to get all of its passengers where they need to go in a timely manner.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has shared a Christmas message during his daily war update, stressing that this is the third Christmas since the start of the Russian invasion.
Mr Zelenskyy has called on his people to come together during these difficult times and support one another as they fight back against their oppressors.
"All we need is to live peacefully on our own land, to see the sun, our sky, and in it – a Christmas star, not Iranian Shaheds and Russian missiles. But for some, life feels (switches to Russian directly quoting Vladimir Putin) "boring and lacking excitement." These words are proof of how far they are from God, from Christianity, and from true faith."
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In tennis,
World Number One Aryna Sabalenka has touched down in Queensland ahead of the new season.
The 26-year-old will start her season with the Brisbane International, as she gears up to defend her singles title at the Australian Open.
The Belarusian has won the singles tournament in Melbourne for two years straight and will be aiming to extend her run for a third year.
