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A Russian journalist working for the independent news site The Insider was killed in a shelling incident in Kyiv, the outlet said in a statement on Wednesday.

Oksana Baulina had been filming the shelling destruction in the capital's Podilskyi District by Russian troops when she came under rocket fire.

Another civilian died with her, The Insider's statement said. Two people accompanying her were also wounded and hospitalised.

Baulina went to Ukraine as a correspondent and filed "several reports" from Lviv and Kyiv, The Insider said.

LIVE UPDATES: Russia death toll climbs in Ukraine

"The Insider expresses its deepest condolences to Oksana's family and friends," the outlet said in the statement.

"We will continue to cover the war in Ukraine, including such Russian war crimes as indiscriminate shelling of residential areas where civilians and journalists are killed."

The Insider's statement did not say when Baulina was killed. But soon after it was released, colleagues took to Twitter to mourn her death.

READ MORE: Moderna to produce millions of mRNA vaccines in Australia

Baulina was a "journalist with a phenomenal sense of moral clarity," former colleague Alexey Kovalyov said in a Twitter post.

Prior to joining the outlet, Baulina worked as a producer for the Anti-Corruption Foundation founded by opposition leader Alexei Navalny, according to The Insider, adding that "after the organisation was listed as an extremist organisation, she had to leave Russia in order to continue reporting on Russian government corruption for The Insider".

Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh called Baulina a "courageous and honest, excellent journalist."

"[S]he was our steadfast upstander and would always help," Yarmysh said.

"I don't even know how to speak about her death and can't even imagine all of this."

READ MORE: How Putin could be prosecuted for war crimes

https://twitter.com/Alexey__Kovalev/status/1506705159388385290?s=20&t=ox5i_P7Mlyo9DOidzql-XA

Christo Grozev, an investigative reporter at Bellingcat, called her "an amazingly brave Russian journalist" who was "killed by her own country's army shelling civilian areas in the Podol district in Kyiv".

"She was killed while reporting on the damage caused by the shelling," Grozev added on Twitter.

Baulina is the fifth journalist killed in Ukraine this month, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists and other press freedom activists.

Gulnoza Said, the committee's Europe and Central Asia program coordinator said Baulina's death is "another demonstration of the cruelty of Russia's war on Ukraine".

Multiple news crews have come under fire while covering the war.

Filmmaker Brent Renaud was killed outside Kyiv on March 13.

His colleague Juan Arredondo was seriously injured. Arredondo wrote on Instagram earlier this week that "five surgeries in, I have a long way to recovery."

The next day, two members of a Fox News crew, Oleksandra Kuvshynova and Pierre Zakrzewski, were killed. Correspondent Benjamin Hall was severely injured.

At the beginning of the month, a Ukrainian camera operator, Yevhenii Sakun, was killed when a television tower was shelled in Kyiv, according to CPJ.

"Ukrainian and Russian authorities must do everything in their power to ensure the safety of journalists and all other civilians, and to thoroughly investigate attacks on members of the press," the group said.

Six teenagers, one aged just 13, have been charged with murder over the "profoundly violent" death of a teenager in Melbourne's north.

The death of 16-year-old Reservoir boy Declan Cutler has been described as "one of the most vicious and brutal attacks" police officers have seen.

Early Wednesday morning, Victoria Police announced they had charged a 17-year-old Taylors Hill boy, a 17-year-old Tarneit boy, a 15-year-old Hoppers Crossing boy, a 16-year-old Yarraville, a 14-year-old Meadow Heights boy and a 13-year-old Meadow Heights boy with murder.

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A 17-year-old Clifton Hill girl was released pending further inquiries

Police allege Declan was fatally assaulted and stabbed in Coburg in the early hours of Sunday, March 13.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Bob Hill said many experienced police officers had described the attack "as one of the most vicious and brutal attacks they have ever investigated".

"This was a profoundly violent criminal act," he said.

Mr Hill said he understood Declan's death had shocked and distressed many people in the community.

"The senseless nature of this incident should not be lost on anyone – I know it has impacted our police," he said.

"I know many will be horrified by the young age of those arrested today but let me be very clear: we will be relentless in pursuing anyone responsible for this level of violence regardless of their age."

Following Declan's death 10 days ago, police alleged an "incident" happened at a party in Coburg, which hours later led to the assault and death of the teen.

After the 16-year-old left the party with friends, police said the group were chased by a dark sedan with a number of people inside through Reservoir.

READ MORE: Arrests after Melbourne tobacco shop fires caused $10m damage

Declan is believed to have been separated from his friends when he was attacked at about 2.30am on March 13, police said.

Declan was treated by paramedics and police but died at the scene.

The investigation into the incident remains ongoing and police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident or has other information to come forward.

Two other teens were arrested over unrelated manners. A 19-year-old South Melbourne man was charged with burglary and other offences, while a 15-year-old Werribee boy was released pending further inquiries.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

Up to 100 million doses of mRNA vaccines will be made in Australia each year as the Victorian government, Federal government and vaccine manufacturer Moderna finalises a 10-year deal for a new vaccine hub in Melbourne.

The parties reached an agreement to build a mRNA facility — which can produce vaccines for COVID-19 and other ailments such as the flu — in the Victorian capital.

In doing so, they finalised an in-principle agreement made in December 2021.

READ MORE: Fourth jab to counter rapidly spreading Omicron sub-variant

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to reveal more details about the agreement designed to "pandemic proof" Australia later today.

Construction is expected to begin by the year's end and it's hoped the Australian facility will produce its first vaccines some time in 2024.

Director of science agency CSIRO Dr Robert Grenfell said the announcement is "great news for Australia".

"It's been a program that's been in development for quite a while," he told Today.

"And there are other significant components. So this is the manufacturing part, being able to make mRNA vaccines in Australia is a fantastic step forward in this technology.

"Equally, on the other side of that, is the fostering of the research part that will actually feed in to the next generation vaccines and also the other diseases it may be able to work with."

Moderna says low-dose COVID-19 shots work for kids under six

It comes after Moderna said its low-dose COVID-19 shots work for kids under six.

The spread of the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant across Australia is being fuelled in part by the return of students to schools, and the lifting of restrictions in classrooms.

In Queensland coronavirus cases have surged by as much as 55 per cent in state schools in one week.

And in New South Wales this week a "previously-well" two year died after contracting the virus.

READ MORE: Why iodine tablets are flying off shelves across Europe

However, Moderna's latest development could pave the way for the youngest kids to be vaccinated by winter if regulators agree.

Moderna said that in the coming weeks it would ask regulators in the US and Europe to authorise two small-dose shots for youngsters under six. The company also is seeking to have larger doses cleared for older children and teens in the US.

The announcement is positive news for parents who have anxiously awaited protection for younger tots and been continuously disappointed by setbacks and confusion over which shots might work and when.

In Australia Pfizer remains the only vaccination available for children who are five years old. There are currently no vaccines licensed for children aged 4 years and under.

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Moderna says early study results show tots develop high levels of virus-fighting antibodies from shots containing a quarter of the dose given to adults.

Once Moderna submits its full data, the US Food and Drug Administration will have to determine if that important marker means the youngsters are as protected against severe illness as adults.

"The vaccine provides the same level of protection against COVID in young kids as it does in adults. We think that's good news," Dr Stephen Hoge, Moderna's president, told The Associated Press.

But that key antibody finding isn't the whole story. COVID-19 vaccines aren't as effective against the super-contagious omicron mutant — in people of any age — and Moderna's study found the same trend.

There were no severe illnesses during the trial but the vaccine was only about 44 per cent effective at preventing milder infections in babies up to age two, and nearly 38 per cent effective in the preschoolers.

"Not a home run" but the shots still could be helpful for the youngest children, said Dr Jesse Goodman of Georgetown University, a former FDA vaccine chief.

Dr Goodman said the high antibody levels seen in the study "should translate into higher efficacy against severe infections."

While the study wasn't large enough to detect very rare side effects, Moderna said the small doses were safe and that mild fevers, like those associated with other common pediatric vaccines, were the main reaction.

Competitor Pfizer currently offers kid-size doses for school-age children and full-strength shots for those 12 and older.

And the company is testing even smaller doses for children under five but had to add a third shot to its study when two didn't prove strong enough. Those results are expected by early April.

Boosters have proved crucial for adults to fight omicron and Moderna currently is testing those doses for children as well — either a third shot of the original vaccine or an extra dose that combines protection against the original virus and the omicron variant.

The US Food and Drug Administration hasn't ruled on Moderna's earlier request to expand its shots to 12- to 17-year-olds because of concern about a very rare side effect. Heart inflammation sometimes occurs in teens and young adults, mostly males, after receiving either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Moderna is getting extra scrutiny because its shots are a far higher dose than Pfizer's.

The company said Wednesday that, armed with additional evidence, it is updating its FDA application for teen shots and requesting a green light for 6- to 11-year-olds, too. Hoge said he's optimistic the company will be able to offer its vaccine "across all age groups in the United States by the summer."

Moderna says its original adult dose — two 100-microgram shots — is safe and effective in 12- to 17-year-olds. For elementary school-age kids, it's using half the adult dose.

About 1.5 million adolescents have used the Moderna vaccine in other countries, "and so far we've seen very reassuring safety from that experience," Hoge said.

The heart risk also seems linked to puberty, and regulators in Canada, Europe and elsewhere recently expanded Moderna vaccinations to kids as young as 6.

"That concern has not been seen in the younger children," said Northwestern's Muller.

– Reported with AP

There is a loud and growing chorus of calls for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to pursue Russian President Vladimir Putin for his unprovoked attack on Ukraine.

The US government has formally declared that members of the Russian armed forces have committed war crimes.

The top war crimes prosecutor for the ICC has travelled to Ukraine to investigate.

READ MORE: NATO reveals staggering new estimate of Russian war deaths

The US Embassy in Kyiv argued earlier in the war that specific Russian attacks constituted war crimes.

"It is a war crime to attack a nuclear power plant," the embassy said on its official Twitter feed.

"Putin's shelling of Europe's largest nuclear plant takes his reign of terror one step further."

READ MORE: Thousands of children 'kidnapped' by Russian forces, Ukraine claims

https://twitter.com/USEmbassyKyiv/status/1499708231903547394?s=20&t=7ItoWjQCYz5XeY9UYWZhTQ

Russia's bombing of hospitals and a theatre where children were seeking refuge along with its suspected use of cluster bombs and so-called vacuum bombs in dense areas with many civilians have also been described as war crimes.

"The law is clear on this, it is a crime to intentionally target civilians, it is a crime to intentionally target civilian objects," Karim Khan, the ICC's chief prosecutor, told CNN's Anderson Cooper.

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But Mr Khan added there is a burden of proof and a process that must play out.

Here's a very broad look at war crimes and the international justice movement.

Some of what's below comes from CNN's research library, which compiled information about the International Criminal Court.

READ MORE: Putin spokesman refuses to rule out use of nuclear weapons

What is a war crime?

The International Criminal Court has specific definitions for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. Read about them in this guide published by the ICC.

Specifically, targeting civilian populations, violating the Geneva Conventions, targeting specific groups of people and more could be potential Russian war crimes.

READ MORE: Why Putin may use 'vacuum bomb' in Ukraine

Mr Khan said there can be justified attacks in civilian areas if they are being used to launch attacks. But even then, he said, attacks in civilian areas cannot be disproportionate.

There is a method of gathering evidence from testimony, satellite images and elsewhere to meet a burden of proof.

What is the International Criminal Court?

Located in The Hague, Netherlands, and created by a treaty called the Rome Statute first brought before the United Nations, the International Criminal Court operates independently.

Most countries on Earth — 123 of them — are parties to the treaty, but there are very large and notable exceptions, including Russia and the US. And, for that matter, Ukraine.

Who can be tried by the court?

Anyone accused of a crime in the jurisdiction of the court, which includes countries that are members of the ICC, can be tried.

The court tries people, not countries, and focuses on those who hold the most responsibility: leaders and officials. While Ukraine is not a member of the court, it has previously accepted its jurisdiction.

Mr Putin could, therefore, theoretically be indicted by the court for previously ordering war crimes in Crimea.

However, the ICC does not conduct trials in absentia, so he would either have to be handed over by Russia or arrested outside of Russia. That seems unlikely.

What crimes does the court handle?

The ICC is meant to be a court of "last resort" and is not meant to replace a country's justice system.

The court, which has 18 judges serving nine-year terms, tries four types of crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression and war crimes.

How does the ICC bring proceedings?

Court proceedings can be brought in one of two ways: Either a national government or the UN Security Council can refer cases for investigation.

Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has veto power over council actions.

It was requests by 39 national governments, most of them European, that sparked this current investigation.

Mr Khan previously told CNN, "I want to emphasise that I'm willing to speak to all sides, and not just the Ukrainian side, but also the Russian Federation, state parties and non-state parties alike.

"This institution is not political. We're not part of the geostrategic or geopolitical divisions that we witness around the world."

What will the ICC investigate in relation to Ukraine?

In its new investigation into Russia's possible war crimes, the ICC has said it will look at all actions in Ukraine from 2013 to the present.

Russia first entered Crimea, which has been part of Ukraine, in 2014.

The ICC was already investigating crackdowns on protesters by a previous Ukrainian government that was pro-Russian.

This new referral seems to put all potential war crimes together.

How long do these investigations take?

If justice in general moves slowly, international justice barely moves at all. Investigations at the ICC take many years. Only a handful of convictions have ever been won.

A preliminary investigation into the hostilities in eastern Ukraine lasted more than six years — from April 2014 until December 2020. At the time, the prosecutor said there was evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Next steps were slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of resources at the court, which is conducting multiple investigations.

That perception of slow and ineffective justice will test the system of international law, Mr Khan told Cooper.

"This is a test for the court. It's a test for me, it's a test for the office," he said.

What are cluster bombs and vacuum bombs?

In addition to attacks on hospitals and civilian apartment buildings, the feared use of banned weapons meant to kill without discrimination is another very specific war crime.

With a cluster bomb, a missile is fired and explodes thousands of feet in the air, releasing smaller bombs that each detonate when they fall to the ground.

See an illustration from The Washington Post. Amnesty International said a Russian cluster bomb fell on a Ukrainian preschool.

"Vacuum bombs," or thermobaric weapons, suck in the oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a powerful explosion and a large pressure wave that can have enormous destructive effects.

Russia previously used them in Chechnya.

Why would a Ukraine prosecution be different?

The international outcry against Russia is unique, and that could give the court the ability to operate differently, according to Ryan Goodman, a law professor at New York University and co-editor-in-chief of Just Security, an online forum.

"It's hard to judge the ICC's investigation based on past practice," Mr Goodman said in an email after the court initially launched its investigation.

"In the Ukraine situation, the prosecutor is buttressed by an extraordinary outpouring of support from dozens of countries, which I expect will be followed by an infusion of resources."

How would an ICC case affect the conflict?

"For better or for worse, the ICC investigation may affect the diplomatic space for negotiations," said Mr Goodman, arguing Putin and other Russians might not want to risk arrest if they travel outside the country.

The investigation could also, he argued, weaken Mr Putin at home.

"Russians may come to realise this is another reason Putin can no longer serve their country," Mr Goodman said.

READ MORE: Biden seeks new sanctions, help for Ukrainians in Europe

What happened before the ICC?

Previous trials for war crimes were brought by special UN tribunals, such as those empanelled for the former Yugoslavia, focusing on the Serbian autocrat Slobodan Milosevic, and for the Rwandan genocide.

All of this stems from the precedent of the Nuremberg trials to bring Nazis to justice after World War II and held by the Allies, including the US, the Soviet Union, France and Germany.

So it is interesting that neither the US nor Russia are members of the ICC.

Why aren't the US and Russia ICC members?

Both the US and Russia are signatories to the treaty that created the court — meaning their leaders signed it — but neither is a member of the court.

Russia pulled out of the court in 2016 days after an ICC report published what CNN called a "damning verdict" on Russia's occupation of Crimea in 2014. The court also launched a probe in 2016 into Russia's 2008 efforts to support breakaway regions in Georgia.

At the time, France had also accused Russia of committing war crimes in Syria.

As for the US, while President Bill Clinton signed the treaty creating the court in 2000, he never recommended the Senate ratify it.

The George W Bush administration, to a fair amount of criticism, pulled the US from being a party to the treaty in 2002. The Pentagon and many US policymakers have long opposed joining such an international court system since it could open US servicemembers to allegations of war crimes.

"The president (George W Bush) thinks the ICC is fundamentally flawed because it puts American servicemen and women at fundamental risk of being tried by an entity that is beyond America's reach, beyond America's laws and can subject American civilians and military to arbitrary standards of justice," then-White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said at the time.

How has the US supported the court?

Opposing America joining the court did not mean the Bush administration opposed the court itself. It supported ICC efforts to seek justice for genocide in Sudan.

There has always been an awkwardness to how American presidents deal with the court, noted CNN's Tim Lister in 2011.

He wrote about Barack Obama applauding ICC efforts to bring justice to people like former Serb Gen. Ratko Mladic and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, while not endorsing the court for oversight of the US.

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A tornado tore through parts of New Orleans and its suburbs on Tuesday night, ripping down power lines and scattering debris in a part of the city that had been heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina 17 years ago.

St Bernard Parish Sheriff Jimmy Pohlmann said during a news conference that one person was confirmed dead and multiple others were injured in the suburb.

Other tornadoes spawned by the same storm system hit parts of Texas and Oklahoma, killing one person and causing multiple injuries and widespread damage.

READ MORE: Cutting fuel excise 'not the solution to high petrol prices'

A video taken by a local television station showed a large black funnel visible in the darkened sky looming among the buildings in the eastern part of New Orleans.

The tornado appeared to start in a New Orleans suburb and then moved east across the Mississippi River into the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans and parts of St Bernard Parish — both of which were badly damaged by Katrina — before moving northeast.

Reggie Ford was nearby when the tornado struck. He drove from the area, only to return once it passed to offer help to anyone who needed it. So far, he says, the streets are eerily quiet, only filled with fresh devastation from the twister.

“I see downed power lines. A church is completely destroyed. Three businesses are completely destroyed. There are eight blocks of houses missing their roofs,” the New Orleans resident said.

A video he posted on Instagram shows debris cluttered streets and shredded buildings. A battered car lies on its roof.

Debris was spread across an area covering multiple blocks east of New Orleans.

In the New Orleans suburb of Arabi, there was a strong smell of natural gas in the air as residents and rescue personnel stood in the street and surveyed the damage.

Some houses were destroyed while pieces of debris hung from electrical wires and trees. An aluminium fishing boat in front of one house was bent into the shape of a 'C' with the motor across the street.

Power poles were down and leaning over, forcing emergency workers to walk slowly through darkened neighbourhoods checking for damage.

Michelle Malasovich lives in Arabi. Initially, she had been worried about family that live in areas north of Louisiana that were also getting hit by bad weather.

She was texting with her family there when, she said, “All of a sudden the lights started flickering".

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She didn’t hear the distinctive freight train sound that many people say comes with a tornado but it was extremely windy, and her husband yelled at her to get out of the bedroom. He was out on the porch and saw the tornado coming.

“It just kept getting louder and louder,” Ms Malasovich said.

After it passed they came out to survey the damage.

“Our neighbour’s house is in the middle of the street right now.”

Ms Malasovich’s house fared relatively well, she said. Some columns were blown off the porch and the windows of her Jeep were blown out.

Down the street, a house was severely damaged and parked vehicles had been moved around by the winds: “This is serious for down here.”

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell tweeted late on Tuesday that there were no reports of casualties or significant damage to Orleans Parish and that partners Entergy NOLA were working to restore power to the 8000 customers impacted.

About 13,000 homes and businesses were reportedly without power in the three parishes around New Orleans after the storm.

Guy McGinnis, president of St Bernard Parish, told WWL-TV that the parish had “widespread damage” in parts of the parish that borders New Orleans to the east.

Search and rescue teams were going through homes looking for people and responding to at least two calls from people who said they were trapped in their homes in their bathrooms.

“As of right now no major injuries are reported,” Mr McGinnis said.

“It’s going to be a long night.”

It wasn’t immediately known whether anyone was injured. While the metropolitan region is often struck by severe weather and heavy rains, it’s rare that a tornado moves through the city.

High winds uprooted trees in Ridgeland, Mississippi, as a possible tornado passed the Jackson-area city on Tuesday afternoon, but there were no immediate reports of any injuries or serious damage to buildings.

Campus police at Mississippi State University, in Starkville, shared a photo of a large hardwood tree lying across a street.

Many schools were closing early or cancelling after-school activities on Tuesday in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi to allow students to get home before the weather deteriorated.

Shelters opened for residents who needed a place to stay while the storms travelled through.

High water posed a threat to motorists early on Tuesday in Louisiana on several roads, including a stretch of Interstate 20 and several state highways after rains overnight, authorities said.

Deputies in Caddo Parish, which includes Shreveport, rescued three drivers from high waters during the night, the sheriff’s office tweeted before dawn.

The storms were expected to intensify throughout the day as temperatures rise, increasing the threat of tornadoes, hail and strong winds.

READ MORE: Thousands of children 'kidnapped' by Russian forces

Forecasters predicted intense tornadoes and damaging winds, some hurricane-force with speeds of 120kph or greater, in much of Mississippi, southern and eastern Louisiana, and western Alabama. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Jackson, Mississippi, were among the cities at risk for bad weather.

The system dumped heavy rain, downed trees and prompted multiple tornado warnings as it moved into Alabama on Tuesday evening.

The roofs of several homes were damaged in Toxey, Alabama, after a storm preceded by tornado warnings passed through the area, the National Weather Service tweeted.

Louisiana’s federal and state authorities reminded thousands of hurricane survivors living in government-provided mobile homes and recreational vehicle trailers to have an evacuation plan because the structures might not withstand the expected weather.

More than 8000 households live in such temporary quarters, officials said.

In Texas, several tornadoes were reported on Monday along the Interstate 35 corridor, particularly in the Austin suburbs of Round Rock and Elgin, as well as in northern and eastern Texas and southern Oklahoma.

In Elgin, broken trees lined the rural roads and pieces of metal — uprooted by strong winds hung from the branches.

Residents stepped carefully to avoid downed power lines as they worked to clean the remnants of broken ceilings, torn down walls and damaged cars.

JD Harkins, 59, said he saw two tornadoes pass by his Elgin home.

“There used to be a barn there,” Mr Harkins said, pointing to an empty plot on his uncle’s property covered with scattered debris.

He said the building was empty when the first tornado hit on Monday, and that his family is thankful nobody was hurt.

“It was crystal clear, well defined,” Mr Harkins said.

“And then one went up and another one came down.”

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The tornadoes came on a wild weather day in Texas — wildfires burned in the west and a blizzard warning was issued for the Texas Panhandle, where up to 23 cm of snow fell.

“There’s absolutely nothing out of the ordinary in terms of what we saw yesterday and we see today,” said Victor Gensini, a meteorology professor at Northern Illinois University, who studies severe storms.

It’s the time of year when tornadoes and storms are to be expected and there are usually more during years with a La Nina, a natural cooling of parts of the Pacific that alters weather across the globe, he said.

The biggest concern remains tornadoes that strike at night, Mr Gensini said.

At news conferences in Jacksboro and Crockett, two communities severely damaged by tornadoes, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a disaster declaration for 16 hard-hit counties.

Mr Abbott said 10 people were injured by storms in the Crockett area, while more than a dozen were reportedly hurt elsewhere.

The Grayson County Emergency Management Office said a 73-year-old woman was killed in the community of Sherwood Shores, about 95km north of Dallas, but provided no details.

Homes and businesses in at least a dozen Texas counties were damaged, according to Storm Prediction Centre reports.

Officials reported damage throughout Jacksboro, about 100km northwest of Fort Worth. Photographs posted on social media showed a storm ripped the wall and roof from parts of Jacksboro High School, including its gym.

“It brought tears to my eyes,” school principal Starla Sanders told WFAA-TV in Dallas.

Swerving at the last minute when you nearly miss the off-ramp.

Braking suddenly as traffic backs up in a tunnel and negotiating roundabouts.

These are some of the driver behaviours that will be mimicked on a race track to help predict accident hotspots and improve road safety.

READ MORE: Putin ally could soon join Ukraine war, US fears

9News was given a front seat ride at Sydney Motor Sport Park where Sydney start-up, Compass IoT, is using connected vehicle data to track driver behaviour on the city's roads.

"This data allows us to be proactive in the way we approach safety, where as previously it's all reactive," Compass IoT founder Emily Bobis said.

The track has been set up to mimic real-life roads from navigating sharp turns, roundabouts and sudden hazards.

The technology inside newer cars, like SIM cards or GPS, can record how the car is being driven and data like car speed, late swerving and heavy or ABS braking can be collected in real-time.

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Transurban receives this deidentified information from car manufacturers via Compass IoT, which is then used to identify real-time and potential near misses and crash hotspots on Sydney roads.

"This is real-time, we're able to pick that information up, look at what's happening on our network, compare it with other data we have and then think, 'what's going on here' and 'what can we do to address it' before that crash happens," Liz Waller, head of road safety at Transurban, said.

READ MORE: Top doctors to meet as COVID-19 cases surge across country

The data will be analysed to improve new and existing roads and hopefully, save lives.

"Connected data is going to be one of the biggest improvements and jumps forward since the introduction of seatbelts," Ms Bobis said.

The toll road operator is continuing to work with the NSW Government on road safety initiatives that address issues such as rear-end crashes and hotspots.