Zedlines Friday 9th January.

Posted by Natasha Tonks.
Reported by Nick, Chris, Natasha and Sam.

A number of Nothern Queensland towns remain cut off due to poor road conditions from the recent flooding.

12 districts of the state have been declared disaster zones, including Mount Isa and Burktown.

The damage total from the flooding currently stands at 21.5 million dollars.

Greens senator Bob Brown has questioned the relationship between police and timber company Gunns after the personal details of activists were given to the company.

The names and addresses of 13 activists including some who were not arrested were given to Gunns by Tasmanian Police.

Senator Bob Brown says Police had no legal requirement to provide the details and that doing so was a serious infringement of the right to privacy of citizens.

Biosecurity experts in New York say Northern Queensland is an infection 'hotspot.'

The say Australia resides close to countries where disease rates are expected to increase in the near future.

Doctor Stephen Prowse from the Australian Biosecurity Co-operative Research Centre says emerging diseases from neighbouring countries could spread to Australia and it is important to be aware of potential threat.

The UN Security Council has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which has already claimed the lives of 760 people.

The Security Council vote was 14-0, although American abstained from voting.

US secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, says they would like to see the outcomes of the Egyptian mediation.