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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Latest News Headlines

NSW Premier backs childcare centres' right to exclude unvaccinated children

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell gives in-principle support to an Opposition plan to allow childcare centres to ban unvaccinated children.

The change is being proposed to encourage parents to vaccinate their children and prevent the spread of preventable diseases.

Mr O'Farrell says Cabinet agrees childcare operators should have the right to refuse entry to children who have not received their jabs.



Treasury Secretary denies department gave in to political interference

The head of the federal Treasury Martin Parkinson says his department is not swayed by its political masters.



Boy injured in carnival accident off ventilator

The family of a young boy who was thrown from a carnival ride in south-east Queensland say he is breathing by himself after being taken off a ventilator.



Eruption of Alaska volcano Mount Pavlof disrupts flights

One of Alaska's most active volcanoes has forced regional flight cancellations and dusted some nearby communities with ash.



Abbott denounces Government's Brisbane rail funding pledge

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has dismissed the Federal Government's budget pledge for Brisbane's Cross River Rail plan.

Meanwhile Griffith MP Kevin Rudd says the State Government has been caught out playing politics with the federal funding offer.



Quarter of Australian children aged 8-12 are underage Facebook users

A survey has found a quarter of Australian children aged between eight and 12 use Facebook, despite the fact that the minimum age for a user is 13.



Prague to set aside special train carriages for single people looking for love

Transport officials in the Czech capital, Prague, say they plan to help the city's lonely hearts by introducing train carriages reserved for singles.



Oklahoma tornado: frantic search for survivors after Moore destroyed

At least 91 people are dead after a powerful 3km-wide tornado tore through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, destroying entire blocks of homes and trapping two dozen school children beneath rubble.

"It just looked like a big meat grinder, blender, just the... just the way the movies make it look. Absolute carnage. A sky full of things that needed to be on the ground. It was insane," one witness said.



Oklahoma City tornado videos

Watch key videos of the huge tornado that hit Oklahoma City, destroying hundreds of homes.



Map: Oklahoma tornado's path

See the path of the huge tornado that has killed scores of people and destroyed hundreds of homes in Oklahoma City.