News for Tuesday

25 Feb 2014

Conservationists call for a full report into the conflict of interest case surrounding the Great Barrier Reef. In entertainment news, comedian Billy Connolly credits an Australian fan for his early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.

Call for Park Authority to release full report

Conservationists have called on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to release a full report as a result of board members being cleared of a conflict of interest. A federal inquiry was ordered after claims two board members held interests in companies that could possibly benefit from the expansion of coal and gas production near the reef. Read more.

Plan to slash US army

Plans to meet spending caps have been announced by the Pentagon, including shrinking the US army to pre-World War II levels. The Pentagon has also announced plans to eliminate the A-10 aircraft and reduce military benefits. US defence secretary Chuck Hagel says the US no longer needs a land Army of the current size as the US winds down in Afghanistan. ABC News has the full story.

Ghostbusters star dies aged 69

Harold Ramis, most famous for starring in films Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day has died aged 69. Ramis died from a rare vascular disease. He passed away surrounded by family members at his home in Chicago. Read more.

Connolly credits Aussie fan with Parkinson’s diagnosis

Billy Connolly has credited an Australian fan for his early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Connolly said he was in a bar in the US when he was approached by an Australian doctor who alerted him to his symptoms. Read more on News.com.au

Indian man claims to be world’s oldest

An Indian man has claimed he is the world’s oldest, stating his age as 118 years old. Premsal Patel credits eating fresh vegetables as the reason behind his lengthy life. He lives in a rural Indian village in the Korba district of central Chhattisgarh. Read more.

Airport worker kindly responds to dad’s note

An airport worker has replied to a heartfelt article written by a father about his experiences while dealing with a flight delay. Josh Misner and his two children missed their connecting flight due to snow delays. After taking out his frustrations on the nearest Delta worker, he took his son to the counter to apologise, trying to set a positive example for the young six-year-old. Read the original article and the Delta ticket agent’s reply.