10/03/09 Zedlines

Reported by Alex and Shannon

Road safety expert Professor Mary Lydon, The director of Adelaide's university centers has urged a loss in citizens freedoms in order to prevent road deaths.

According to the ABC website, Professor Lydon argued that the general public found Australia's road death toll of 1400 acceptable. She said that citizens should accept a loss in personal freedom and agree to devices that limit speed and increase safety in order to bring the road toll down .


The UN human rights chief has called for an investigation into the killing of two Kenyan rights activists.

Oscar Kamau Kingra and his colleague were shot dead in their car while on their way to a human rights meeting.

The Kenyan government has accused Mr Kingra's foundation of raising money for a Kenyan gang.


North Korea is making threats of war and has gone on full military alert.

The action is in response to the US and South Korea beginning their annual joint military exercises in the Korean Peninsula yesterday. North Korea's media has claimed that the US were imperialist warmongers and are using South Korea as a military puppet. Both the US and South Korea will continue the military exercises with over 50,000 troops for the next 12 days, despite North Korea's threats.


The Mexican Government is to allow the planting of Genetically Modified corn after previously banning Genetically Modified varieties.

Environmental groups have opposed the allowance saying it is the first step to pollution of fields and could threaten the crop's genetic diversity.

Mexico is the birthplace of corn with more than 200 varieties of corn grown in the region.


The Australian Greens have received information the the new generation of Sydney's City Rail trains will use considerably more electricity than the trains currently in use.

Greens MP and transport spokesperson Lee Rhiannon says the government may have gone for a cheaper engine option, but have avoided energy efficiency measures.

Ms Rhiannon says the new double-decker trains will serve Sydney for 30 years and are apart of a $9.5 billion public private partnership.


A prominent Australian professor has welcomed President Obama lifting of the ban on stem cell research.

Professor Peter Gunning from the university of New South Wales told radio national that the ban stunted research across the world. Mr Gunning says that this will stimulate research allowing quicker advancements in the field.

George W Bush banned the controversial research in private laboratories in 2001. Mr Obama has directed US National Institutes of Health to create guidelines within 120 days to ensure that no wold experiments can be made.