World News: Planes fly in food as flood waters drain towards coast

Military planes were flying food and other supplies toward a major city being slowly swamped in Australia's flood emergency today, and police were increasing patrols in evacuated regions amid reports of looting.

Flood waters that cover an area the size of France and Germany combined are draining slowly toward Australia's north-eastern coast, filling rivers to overflowing and inundating at least 22 towns and cities in the cattle and fruit and vegetable farming region.

A 41-year-old woman was swept to her death in front of her family Saturday in Burketown, in hardest-hit Queensland state.

She was the only confirmed victim so far of the flood crisis, which began building shortly before Christmas after days of tropical rain.

Searches were under way for two other people, men in separate locations in Queensland, who were missing after being last seen in the flood waters.

In the coastal city of Rockhampton, inhabited by 75,000 people, waters from the still-swelling Fitzroy River cut the main road leading to the state capital of Brisbane. Scores of families abandoned their homes for relief centres set up on high ground.

Gabor in hospital for leg op

Actress and socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor is back in a Los Angeles hospital to have part of her leg amputated.

Publicist John Blanchette said doctors examined a growing lesion on 93-year-old Gabor's leg and decided she needed surgery.

Quake terror for Chileans

A magnitude-7.1 earthquake shook southern Chile, prompting tens of thousands to flee the coast for higher ground amid fears it could generate a tsunami like the one that ravaged the area last year.

There were no reports of deaths or damage, and Vicente Nunez, head of the National Emergency Office, said that no tsunami alert was issued.

"There has been no harm to people, no harm to property," Mr Nunez said. "We will continue monitoring."

Attack 'was our September 11'

South Korea's president compared a deadly North Korean artillery barrage to the September 11 terrorist attacks, saying today the South cannot let the North "covet even an inch of our territory".Lee Myung-bak said the November 23 shelling of Yeonpyeong Island was a transformational event for South Korea.

Iranian leader sacks advisers

An Iranian pro-government website said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has fired 14 advisers as part of an ongoing shake-up of his administration.

The report said Mr Ahmadinejad sacked the advisers a day earlier in an effort to help reduce the size of the government.

Drug cartel calls truce for one month

Mexico: A letter purportedly signed by La Familia drug cartel announcing a one-month truce has circulated in the state of Michoacan.

In the message the gang claims it will halt all crime activity during January to show that the cartel "is not responsible for the criminal acts federal authorities are reporting to the media".

Vietnam: A new international airport designed to receive up to five million passengers a year has opened in Can Tho.