Religious sect eats grass ‘to be close to God’

The consuming of grass is a key part of their religious practice. Source: Splash News Australia

A PREACHER has told his followers to eat grass to cleanse themselves and be "closer to God".

The bizarre practice takes place at Rabboni Centre Ministries in Garankuwa, South Africa.

Pastor Lesego Daniel shares his belief that consuming the Earth will bring followers closer to God and is a sign of religious devotion.

Members of the Rabboni Centre Ministries eat grass as part of their spiritual practice in Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa. Source: Splash News Australia

Some members of the congregation have even claimed it has healed health defects — from a sore throat to a stroke.

Pastor Lesego Daniel preaching during a religious ceremony at Rabboni Centre Ministries in Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa. Source: Splash News Australia

His controversial practices have drawn outrage from many members of the South African community after photographs of people being sick in the aftermath were shared on social networks.

Followers are told eating grass will bring them closer to God. Source: Splash News Australia

Daniel, known as "the miracle man", tells his followers that humans can consume anything to feed their bodies and can survive on anything they eat.

Many swear by the controversial method, instructed by Pastor Lesego Daniel. Source: Splash News Australia

He also makes people sleep on demand and then asks members of the sect to trample on them and slap them.

He claims humans can eat anything to feed their bodies. Source: Splash News Australia

One believer, 21-year-old Rosemary Phetha credits Daniel with healing her after he "turned me into a sheep and instructed me to eat grass". She had a sore throat.

The eating of grass has been attributed to healing by the pastor. Source: Splash News Australia

"We're proud of it because it demonstrates that, with God's power, we can do anything," she told The Times Live.

One woman claimed eating the grass stopped her having a sore throat, while another said it healed her after a stroke. Source: Splash News Australia

Doreen Kgatle, a 27-year-old stroke victim, also credited the pastor with healing her.

"I could not walk but soon after eating the grass, as the pastor had ordered, I started gaining strength and an hour later I could walk again," she said.

Pastor Lesego Daniel preaches to his adoring congregation. Source: Splash News Australia

Earlier in the year, there was outrage on social media over the strange practice. Source: Splash News Australia

But dozens have continued to worship at the ministry in Garankuwa, north of Pretoria. Source: Splash News Australia

"Yes, we eat grass and we're proud of it because it demonstrates that, with God's power, we can do anything," one follower said. Source: Splash News Australia

The "miracles" attract all types of people including teachers, nurses and accountants. Source: Splash News Australia

Facebook photos emerged in January of people getting violently ill. Source: Facebook

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The most horrific punishments in the world

CAUTION: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE- Exclusive vision shows Malaysian prisoners being caned with a Rotan for punishment.

A man has been ordered to have his eyes gouged after attacking a girl with acid. Picture: File photo. Source: Getty Images

AUSTRALIA seems like a walk in the park for criminals when you hear about the bizarre punishments handed out in other countries.

In Iran, a man has been ordered to have his eyes gouged out and his ears and nose chopped off after attacking a girl with acid, an opposition group claimed.

In a literal application of the tradition "an eye for an eye", the man known only as Jamshid, will be punished for leaving a girl blind and disfigured.

The victim, Sharin, lost both eyes and one of her ears in the horrific attack last year.

Iran defends the use of mutilation as a form of punishment under the country's judicial system.

This is not the only bizarre method of punishment still used across the world.

STONING

Countries: Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iran, Yemen, Somalia and some states in Nigeria

Crime: Adultery or homosexual relationships in some countries

Forty eight-year-old Mohamed Abukar Ibrahim is stoned to death in Somalia. A local Islamist court sentenced the victim to death by stoning after he was found guilty of committing adultery. Source: AP

This is a form of execution by torture where the individual who throws the deadly stone cannot be identified.

It is considered a justice system based on hard line and literal interpretation of Sharia law.

Although there is no mention of stoning in the Koran, supporters argue it is legitimised by the acts and sayings of the Prophet Mohamed.

A 19-year-old woman is stoned to death by a crowd in Afghanistan in 2011 for alleged adultery. Picture: BBC Source: Supplied

In Somalia, a 13-year-old girl was buried up to her neck and stoned to death by 50 men in a stadium with 1000 spectators. After her death it was revealed she had been raped by three men and she was arrested after trying to report the rape to militants who control the city.

BURNED ALIVE

Country: Papua New Guinea

Crime: Witchcraft

After a series of brutal public killings, the 1971 Sorcery Act was repealed in PNG last year. Up until this point, the accusation of sorcery as a plausible murder defence was possible.

In February 2013, young mother Kepari Leniata was stripped, tortured and burned alive at a crowded village market on top of car tyres and trash. The 20-year-old victim had been accused of witchcraft by relatives of a boy who died of an illness. They believed Ms Leniata had caused the death by using sorcery.

AMPUTATION

Country: Somalia

Crime: Theft

These four teenagers had an arm and leg amputated for stealing. Source: AP

Four teenagers had a leg and arm amputated after being found guilty by Sharia court of stealing mobile phones and guns.

The rare public amputation occurred in front of a crowd of 300 spectators.

"Their right hands and left legs have been cut off. They are due to be taken away by ambulance now for treatment," resident Mohamed Noh said.

This disturbing event occurred when the organisation known as Al-Shabaab took control of major cities and enforced hard line Islamic law. Since 2013, they have retreated but still impose a strict form of Sharia law on some rural regions.

Last week, a group of Islamic militants reportedly live tweeted an amputation of a man's hand in Syria. They said the man was a thief who had admitted his crimes and wanted to be cleansed of his sins.

In Syria, the amputation of a man's hand was allegedly live tweeted. Source: Supplied

CANING

Country: Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia and some African countries.

Crime: Range of offences including kidnapping, robbery, drug abuse, vandalism, rioting, sexual abuse, possession of weapons and for foreigners who overstay their visa by more than 90 days.

A man is publicly caned for breaking the Sharia Law in Indonesia, 30 January 2009. Source: AP

Medically-supervised caning is used regularly in Singapore and other countries. The wide cane is soaked in water to prevent it from splitting during use. The offender is ordered to strip naked, examined by a doctor and then whacked on the bare bottom at full force. The amount of strokes is dependant on the crime and the caning officer leaves intervals of 10 to 15 seconds between each.

The pain has been described as "beyond excruciating", with the amount of blood "like a bleeding nose". The wound can take up to a month to heal and sometimes can scar the offender.

US student Michael Fay was sentenced in Singapore to caning for two counts of vandalism. Source: AP

The caning of American student Michael Fay in Singapore in 1994 received worldwide media attention. He had vandalised a number of motor vehicles. He received four strokes of the cane after outrage over his six-stroke sentence.

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Rudd’s Russia trip: Diplomacy or job application?

AUSTRALIAN diplomats fear Kevin Rudd's visit to Moscow and Kiev will harm attempts to isolate the aggressive Russian leadership.

And there is Government speculation the former Prime Minister has expanded his mission to the troubled Ukraine as part of a bid to become ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Australian envoys have been ordered to monitor his movements in case he takes positions which clash with official strategies, a senior source has told news.com.au.

Australia is part of a Western campaign to essentially isolate the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to his military threats against Ukraine, particularly in the strategic Crimean Peninsular.

A grab from Ukrainian TV shows Colonel Yuli Mamchor, commander of the Ukrainian military garrison, talking to his men in front of Russian forces. Source: AFP

But diplomats have been stunned by suggestions Mr Rudd wants to talk to a number of parties involved in the showdown rather than freeze relations with them.

"We just want to make sure we know where he is," said one source.

Mr Rudd planned a visit to Moscow at least three weeks before the Russian-Ukraine stand-off began and before the elections there.

"As everybody knows, Mr Rudd is engaged in a Harvard Kennedy School Project on China's future role in the global order," said a spokesman for Mr Rudd.

"Mr Rudd is meeting with think tanks and other officials in Europe including the UK and Russia on this and broader foreign policy interests."

However, once in Moscow Mr Rudd reportedly has decided to attempt meetings in Kiev and Moscow in relation to the regional tension in what is being seen as an unofficial and independent bid to help produce peace.

But it is now understood he will not make the trip.

There's speculation Kevin Rudd is lobbying for a job with the UN — possibly the top job. Source: Supplied

In Parliament today Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced new visa provisions for Ukraine nationals to stay in Australia "while their nation is under threat".

"Ukrainian nationals who are currently in Australia on a visa due to expire and who may be affected by the unrest in the Ukraine will be able to approach the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to make an application and receive an extension of their visa for a temporary period," Ms Bishop said in a statement.

She made no comment on Kevin Rudd as she outlined events to MPs.

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon began his second five-year term in 2011 and is expected to stand down in the next few years. No secretary-general has served three terms.

Mr Rudd and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark are among possible contenders.

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Evidence Corby’s villa paid by Seven

Schapelle Corby's parole may be revoked after TV network airs documentary about the convicted Australian drug trafficker. Sarah Toms reports.

Reporting day ... Schapelle Corby showing up for parole on Tuesday. Source: Supplied

AS calls grow for Schapelle Corby to be sent back to jail in Bali, the head of the local corrections board says he has information Channel Seven paid for the luxury villa where she spent her first three weeks of freedom.

Sunar Agus said his officers were actively working to find the truth about how much the bill was for the four-bedroom villa in Sentosa and whether Schapelle Corby profited from her stay.

PAROLE OFFICIAL: CORBY TRIED TO TAKE HER LIFE TWICE

"We, with our team, are continuously working. That's what we get as of now. Specific about the villa, we have information that it is paid for by Channel Seven. But from the villa management, they haven't explained how much it cost. We are still trying to find the data," Mr Agus said.

Corby is struggling mentally, is stressed and sometimes locks herself in the toilet for a whole day, according to her brother-in-law.

Wayan Widyartha today pleaded with the media to back off from his family's Kuta compound where Corby is now living, admitting that she had attempted self-harm earlier this week.

Mr Widyartha said Corby was stressed by the media, could not venture out for fear of being followed by cameras and still required medication for her depression.

He was speaking to a group of cameras gathered outside the compound after justice ministry officials revealed that Corby had tried to harm herself with a knife during a visit on Monday night.

The family has denied it was a serious suicide bid. Mr Widyartha, asked if Corby had wanted to hurt herself or kill herself, said only: "Yes, because of stress."

But he did not elaborate.

"This is about her mental condition. Sometime she doesn't want to talk to us. Sometimes she stays in the toilet all day. She still needs medicine for her depression. I hope people understand. Let her get well soon," Mr Widyartha told the media outside his home.

"She is up and down. Many people are following her. That's why we alienate her from television," he said.

"She is stressed now as she can't go out because many journalists are pursuing her. I hope all media can please let us get comfortable … so that the parole can be carried out successfully until 2017. She has been a long time in jail, and it is not easy to go back to the community."

Mr Widyartha said his hope was that Corby could successfully carry out her parole.

The Corby saga dominated morning TV on both major Jakarta networks today.

Metro TV, in its editorial segment, said Indonesia's law had been "harassed" and Corby's parole should be revoked, while Indonesia's TV One morning program, called Apa Kabar Indonsia Pagi, ran a lengthy segment on the entire saga.

The Indonesian press has seized on the drama surrounding the Corby case as the country's Justice Minister faces increasing domestic pressure over his decision to grant parole.

Living the high life ... Schapelle Corby walking around the backyard of her luxury villa at Sentosa Seminyak resort. Picture: Bradley Hunter Source: News Corp Australia

Justice Minister Amir Syamsuddin has already ordered the Bali corrections board and parole authority to report to him on a controversial Sunday Night segment on Channel Seven, which featured an interview with Corby's sister Mercedes.

Mr Syamsuddin has threatened to revoke Corby's parole and send her back to jail.

The minister had banned Corby herself from doing any media interviews but Mercedes had sought and received permission from the parole officers for her own interview.

It comes amid claims that on Monday night a distraught Corby talked about killing herself and grabbed a knife during a visit to her home by Mr Agus and a parole officer.

Family sources have denied there was any suicide bid and said Corby's words, about suicide, were a sign of her increasing frustration at the media intrusion, which they say has made it impossible to move around as cameras have even filmed her in bed at her sister Mercedes and brother-in-law Wayan Widyartha's Kuta home.

This morning Mr Agus said his office would report soon to the minister in Jakarta.

He said they were doing their best to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the Sunday Night program and whether it has caused unease and restlessness in the community.

He said the family had told him there was no payment.

"They said that there is no agreement or payment," Mr Agus said.

Walking free ... Schapelle Corby reporting for parole on Tuesday. Source: DailyTelegraph

He was responding to questions from Hikmahanto Juwono, a professor of law at the University of Indonesia, who appeared on the program and said the payment for the villa was a part of any financial profit the Corby's may have received.

"When I asked Mercedes, why she conducted the (Sunday Night) interview with Channel Seven, she said because there is a film by Channel Nine, that according to Mercedes, harmed her family. That's why she wanted to do interview with Channel Seven," Mr Agus said.

Asked if he believed the program and the interview had caused unease, Mr Agus said: "It is about interpretation. The important thing is now we collect the data, analyse it, and report to the Ministry."

He said he understood, from Mercedes' interview on the program, that there were suggestions that the marijuana in Corby's boogie board bag was planted and could have come from Indonesia.

It is this element which many analysts have seized upon in Indonesia to argue that Corby's claims of innocence in the face of her conviction and suggestions of Indonesian marijuana are causing unrest and debate in the community — two factors which could lead to a revocation of parole.

It is understood that when Mercedes made the comment in the interview she was referring to their belief after the arrest, nine years ago, when the family had no idea where the marijuana came from and wanted it tested — and not their belief now.

Happier frame of mind ... Schapelle Corby goes for her first ocean swim in more than years: Picture: Sunday Night / Channel 7 Source: Supplied

*For help with emotional difficulties, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au
For help with depression, contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 or at www.beyondblue.org.au
The SANE Helpline is 1800 18 SANE (7263) or at www.sane.org

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Why your next smartphone will be huge

Big screens are in. Source: NewsComAu

OVER the last week we saw the who's who of the mobile world including Samsung and Sony show off their latest devices and technology in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress — so what does that mean for your new phone in 2014?

Bigger is better

So the old saying goes. We've only seen two flagship devices announced this year in the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2 but already the trend is clear on not only those devices but new mid-range devices that our phones are only getting bigger. The Xperia Z2's screen has grown to 5.2-inches from its predecessor's screen of 5.0-inches, similarly the Galaxy S5 as grown to 5.1-inches from the Galaxy S4's 5.0-inches. We also saw big phones from other manufacturers including LG with their G Pro 2 and ZTE with the Grand Memo II.

The megapixel war is back

Just when you thought camera makers had stopped fighting over megapixel numbers, smartphone makers reignited the battle when Nokia announced its 41-megapixel Lumia 1020 last year. Sony's latest Z2 features a similar 20.7-megapixel camera to last year's Z1 while the Galaxy S5 upped its camera to a 16-megapixel snapper. HTC's next flagship is expected to continue its Ultrapixel style camera but also with an upped resolution of 8-megapixels while the next iPhone is rumoured to also have a higher megapixel count.

Samsung's new Galaxy S5 has a heart rate sensor under the camera. Source: Supplied

It's sensors galore

Apple introduced their fingerprint scanner and M7 motion processor with last year's iPhone 5s and since then sensors have become the latest greatest feature. HTC included a fingerprint scanner in its huge One Max at the end of last year and Samsung has also added one to the Galaxy S5 as well as a heart rate sensor.

Flat UI is best UI

When once we wanted an operating system with graphics and style, now we're after simple colours and a flat user interface. The Windows Phone has had this style since its inception but Android and iOS have followed suit with their latest versions. This back-to-basics trend looks set to continue this year.

Your phone will last longer

Finally an improvement that will actually matter — battery life.Ever since smartphones have been around their battery life has been terrible, often forcing us to reach for the charger before the end of the day. Thankfully, this year looks like it's going to change all that with a key focus for manufacturers being battery life with both Sony and Samsung upping the size of their batteries and Samsung even launching a new Ultra Power Saving mode that can get you nearly 24-hours of battery life from just 10 per cent of battery.

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The face of Aussie unemployment

Honor Elliot has been looking for work for over one year after giving up her radio career in Melbourne. Source: Supplied

LAST week, news broke that the number of people on benefits reached a 15-year-high with 840,000 people receiving the Newstart or Youth Allowance, up 44,000 from the previous year.

It was swiftly followed by the announcement that Qantas will sack 5000 full-time workers and comes following thousands more job cuts as Ford, Toyota and Holden close their doors in Australia.

But while it's easy to think about facts and figures, the human face of unemployment is often forgotten. Here four Australians share their stories with news.com.au.

MORE: Find out about Generation Success: A new youth employment initiative

Honor Elliot

Honor, 31, had a 10-year radio career in Melbourne before moving to Cairns to be with her partner.

She's been looking for work for more than a year but has been unable to find anything stable. Honor told news.com.au she's refused the dole so far and is now looking outside Cairns meaning she'll have to do long-distance with her fiance.

Honor Elliot says being out of work is taking a toll on her emotionally. Source: Supplied

"The scary thing for me is I am struggling emotionally [not working]... We're just going to have to do long distance, but because I'm now not full-time employed people don't want to know me. It's just amazing how many times you can break down."

She's applied for hundreds of jobs and started online store urbanwolfpack.com in the meantime.

"I'm desperately trying to come up with ways to stand on my own two feet again and feel like a worthwhile person. The constant job knock backs has taken a real toll on my self-belief and I often just want to curl into a ball and stay in bed all day," she said.

Financial stress has also been hard on her relationship. She said she jokes with her partner about money but "if something doesn't change soon, we are going to drown".

"I'm 31 and can't even think about having kids. Which scares me. If we don't turn our financial situation around soon we won't be able to consider having children of our own."

John McCormack

Brisbane tradie John McCormack said his life came "crashing down" last June when he was headhunted from his job with an offer he couldn't refuse.

"I did my homework on the new company and everything checked out perfectly. Six weeks later I was informed that due to lost contracts and a lack of work the company was closing down," he said over the phone from the Northern Territory.

John McCormack and his fiancee Sarah have been living apart while he tries to find work. Source: Supplied

John — whose adorable proposal went viral last year — couldn't return to his old job which had already been filled and has refused to go on benefits. He's been doing odd jobs ever since, from driving forklifts to working in hotels and is currently based in a roadhouse 130km north of Alice Springs.

"I've just been trying to do it all myself. I know [the dole] is there and I've looked into it [but] I know there's that stigma attached. I'm just from that school of you've got to do it yourself. I've found enough work to keep me going until I find what I want to do. It's been a pretty long seven months," he said.

Watch John's video proposal below

John McCormack proposes to his fiance in a very Aussie way with help from his dog Spud. Credit: YouTube/MickDeLux

He's applied for hundreds of jobs and knocked on doors all over the country. John said he took the job in rural Australia to prove he can deal with the FIFO mining culture, where he wants to work.

"For all the ones I've applied for you always get that letter back saying 'thanks but no thanks' I always want to say 'just give me a chance.'"

He said his engagement has been a bright spot in a rough few months and the couple are set to marry in August. Otherwise, it's been a struggle to be optimistic.

"It comes and goes. When one job finishes you're sitting at home. You want to do something to the house but that costs money and you can't afford it but it's good to have the support of someone like Sarah who has been unbelievable. Eventually it will come good. Fingers crossed."

Patty Calvert

Patty Calvert, 48, worked in administration at a company that made parts for Ford, so when the car manufacturer announced they would cease Australian operations, she knew her job would go with it.

Ford Australia CEO Bob Graziano announced in May last year they would close their Geelong factory by 2016. Source: News Limited

She said the next few months were extremely tough as they weren't sure when their jobs would go.

"We were never given real answers as to when it would be shut down, which made it really hard to plan and caused more stress," she said.

The company shrunk from a staff of 700 in its day to just 30 people. Plenty were too young to retire but left wondering if they were too old to find work somewhere else.

"It was really emotional for them watching the place get dismantled piece by piece."

Patty, who lives in Melbourne, has been surviving on a mixture of casual work and Newstart Allowance while waiting for her redundancy package to come through. She's been without a job before but said with three children at nearly 50 she's finding it difficult to cope.

Workers in the car park after Ford announced they would close their Geelong plant. Source: News Limited

"It's amazing how quickly your confidence disappears, as you apply for job after job and get no interviews, not even any responses, you start wondering if being close to 50 is going to see you unemployable yourself. Some days it's hard to get out of bed and to get motivated."

She's now interviewing for work and thinking about studying to increase her prospects.

Simon

Simon, who didn't want to use his last name, was made redundant from a senior project management role at IBM in June last year. His job was outsourced to India as part of a company-wide strategy that will impact 10,000 people — 40 per cent of their workforce — by 2015.

A round of offshoring at IBM made Simon (not pictured) redundant. Source: Supplied

He spent the next eight months on Newstart allowance attending more than 150 job interviews. The 26-year-old described it as a hugely stressful time as he broke up with his girlfriend and was forced to move back in with his parents as a last resort.

"My girlfriend got sick of me not being able to pay the bills and contribute — we couldn't keep the place, she decided on financial grounds to split up," he said.

"It was tough getting it in first place, the lines are massive ... It was a very stressful process. And having to refer to yourself as a pensioners when you go to doctors."

IBM has offshored parts of their business to India. Pictured, the company's trade booth at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Source: AP

He said he tried to be honest about his reasons for finding new work, but eventually felt he was being discriminated against so started lying.

"[Employers] aren't supposed to discriminate about someone being made redundant but they do. I got tired of explaining to employers. I had to lie in the end but you've got to do what you've got to do."

He's now due to start a new job with a salary 20 per cent lower than his original one but still considers himself lucky.

"I'm happy to have a job at this stage, beggars can't be choosers ... It definitely puts it in perspective how fortunate people are to have full time work. I don't think anyone should take a job for granted, it can happen to anyone."

Do you have a job that could help out these Aussies? Leave a comment below, continue the conversation on Twitter or email victoria.craw@news.com.au if you can do something to help. @newscomauHQ | @Victoria — Craw

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What happens next in Ukraine?

Tough guy: Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a surprise intervention in Crimea. Source: News Corp Australia

UKRAINE is "on the brink of disaster", according to the country's newly installed Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

At the weekend Russian soldiers seized Ukraine's southernmost region of Crimea after a dramatic uprising forced Victor Yanukovych to flee the country.

Ousted: Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych. Picture: AFP Source: News Corp Australia

The soldiers arrived without warning and any identification. Until Sunday (Australian time) it was unclear who sent them.

The crisis is fast-moving but one thing hasn't changed. Ukraine is deeply divided into its western and eastern sides.

Pro-European leader Yulia Tymoshenko may run to be the next president of Ukraine. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Protests camps in Ukraine's western capital, Kiev. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Eastern residents prefer closer relations with Russia.

Most of Ukraine's Russian-speaking population live there and at the 2010 presidential election a majority voted for pro-Russian candidate Viktor Yanukovych.

West Ukraine tends to be much more pro-European. A majority voted for pro-European leader Yulia Tymoshenko in 2010 and most residents speak Ukrainian.

Russian navy vessels moored off the coast of the town of Limassol, in the Meditteranean island of Cyprus on February 27, 2014. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Crimea is a particularly pro-Russian area. Almost 60 per cent of the population is ethnic Russian and the region is the home of the Russian navy's Black Sea Fleet.

That has led some international relations experts to wonder whether other pro-Russian towns will be invaded next.

Here are four popular predictions about what may happen next:

Human shield: A Ukrainian Orthodox Archbishop guards the gateto a Ukrainian military base in the village of Perevalne, outside of Simferopol, Ukraine. Picture: AP Source: AP

1. THE RUSSIANS INVADE FURTHER

And it could get bloody, the BBC's Bridget Kendall says :

The conflict is on a knife edge. The deployment of Russian troops in Crimea has not yet led to bloodshed.

But if that widens into a Russian military intervention into other parts of Ukraine, it is hard to see how violent clashes could be avoided.

In other southern and eastern towns pro-Russian protesters have already called for Russian intervention, writes Alexander Motyl from ForeignPolicy.com :

Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that pro-Russian forces have seized administrative buildings and called for Russian assistance in a variety of Ukraine's southern and eastern provinces: Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk..

Both Moscow and Kiev know that Russia's military is superior to Ukraine's. Russian armed forces number about 750,000 troops; Ukraine's about 150,000. Russia has been aggressively spending on its military in the last decade, while Ukraine has actually been cutting back. In any armed conflict, Russia would win.

Is Putin willing to start a war over all or most of Ukraine, or will he confine himself to annexing Crimea or, say, a few south-eastern provinces?

2. THE INVASION STOPS IN CRIMEA

Ukrainian soldiers guard a gate to their military base in the village of Perevalne, outside of Simferopol. Picture: AP Source: AP

Russia could keep hold of Crimea and not invade the rest of Ukraine. Something similar has happened before.

In 2008, Russian forces invaded two provinces in the former USSR republic of Georgia.

The country's military forces seized the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia but the rest of Georgia remained independent, The Atlantic explains:

Many others are comparing the current situation to Russia's intervention in Georgia in 2008 over Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which also have small ethnic Russian populations.

Russia sent peacekeepers to the territories, and dispatched its military to ostensibly protect those troops when Georgia tried to reclaim South Ossetia by force in the summer.

That war lasted five days and left Russia in control of the provinces, both of which are now home to Russian military bases.

3. UKRAINE FIGHTS BACK:

Ukraine could instantly plunge Crimea into a black out, Slate writes:

The Crimea's dependence on Ukraine for nearly all of it electricity makes it equally vulnerable to nonviolent retaliation.

One suggestion making the rounds of the Ukrainian internet is that the mainland, with warning, shut off the power for 15 minutes. It may not normalise the situation, but it could give Moscow pause.

But that might not stop the Russians.

Of course, Russia could retaliate by cutting off Ukrainian gas supplies, but that would mean cutting off much of Europe as well.

And in terms of sheer military force, the Russians have many more soldiers than the Ukrainians:

4. A NEW COLD WAR

Not the best of friends: US President Obama and Russian President Putin. Picture: AP Source: News Corp Australia

It is considered unlikely that the US will intervene in the conflict.

At the weekend President Obama said: "There will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine" but there has been no suggestion the superpower's considerable military might.

In a TV interview US Secretary of State John Kerry virtually ruled out military action.

"This is a time for diplomacy," he said. "And we will engage diplomatically as much as we can in order to steer this away from an increase in the tension in the level of the crisis."

But if the crisis ballooned into a regional war, Ukraine's neighbouring countries would call on America for help, Politico writes :

Any invasion — which is what it would be — of a vast country of 46 million in the heart of Europe, sharing borders with NATO allies Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania, would pose a major security challenge for the United States and other key European powers.

Even without further Russian action, allies such as the Baltic countries will be seeking US reassurance ...

These countries likely will also ask for hard reassurances — such as deployments of US and other allied troops and equipment on their territory

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Cate is Oscar’s golden girl again

Cate Blanchett wins Best Actress and tells the Oscars audience Julia hashtag suck it.

Oscars host Ellen bags Jennifer Lawrence in opening of Academy Awards: Courtesy Nine Network.

News.com.au's entertainment team pick their 2014 Academy Award heroes and zeroes in the lead up to Hollywood's night of nights.

The atmosphere is building on the red carpet for the 86th Academy Awards. Source: Getty Images

GOLDEN girl Cate Blanchett has won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Blue Jasmine at the 86th annual Academy Awards.

Blanchett urged producers to make more films with women as the lead during her heartfelt acceptance speech, also thanking director Woody Allen "for casting me".

Other big winners on the night were Matthew McConaughey for his role in Dallas Buyer's Club while the Brad Pitt-produced film 12 Years A Slave won the Oscar for Best Picture.

Host Ellen DeGeneres dished out the jokes, transforming the night into one of the most enjoyable awards ceremonies in recent memory.

See the full list of winners and a rundown of all the action as it happened below.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS:

Best Picture — 12 Years A Slave

Best Actor — Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyer's Club

Best Actress — Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Best Director — Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity

Best Original Screenplay — Spike Jonze, Her

Best Adapted Screenplay — John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave

Best Original Song — Let It Go, Frozen

Best Original Score — Steven Price, Gravity

Best Production Design — The Great Gatsby

Best Film Editing — Gravity

Best Cinematography — Gravity

Best Supporting Actress — Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)

Best Sound Editing — Gravity

Best Sound Mixing — Gravity

Best Foreign Language Film — The Great Beauty

Best Documentary: 20 Feet From Stardom

Best Short Documentary: The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life

Best Live Action Short Film: Helium

Best Visual effects — Gravity

Best Animated Feature Film — Frozen

Best Animated Short Film — Mr. Hublot

Best Makeup and Hairstyling — Dallas Buyer's Club

Best Costume Design — Catherine Martin for The Great Gatsby

Best Supporting Actor — Jared Leto for Dallas Buyer's Club

AS IT HAPPENED:

• Brad Pitt and Steve McQueen, along with the cast of 12 Years A Slave accept the award for Best Picture.

12 Years a Slave producer Brad Pitt accepts the Best Picture award. Source: NewsComAu

• Cate Blanchett accepts her Best Actress award and jokingly says: "To Julia, hashtag suck it!" At least Julia Roberts seemed to know what she was talking about.

Golden girl Cate Blanchett gave a shout-out to the Sydney Theatre Company in her speech. Source: AP

• Matthew McConaughey's emotional acceptance speech included a shout-out to his deceased father, saying: "To my father, who I know is up there right now ... to you, Dad, you taught me what it means to be a man."

Matthew McConaughy wins Best Actor for his role in Dallas Buyer's Club. Source: Supplied

• John Travolta introduced Frozen star Idina Menzel but totally mispronounced her name. So awkward.

• Bette Midler took everyone on a trip down memory lane, singing Wind Beneath My Wings. It was the 68-year-old's first Oscars performance ever and she received a standing ovation.

Still got it! Bette Midler looked fantastic on stage at the Oscars. Source: AP

• Pink delivered a flawless tribute to Judy Garland, performing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Wow.

• Ellen gets the laughs when she appears on stage dressed as Glinda the Good Witch of the North from The Wizard of Oz.

Ellen the Good Witch of the North. Source: AP

• Ellen assembled a crew of A-listers for possibly the best selfie of all time. She then broke Twitter after the epic photo hit social media.

Ellen's incredible Oscars selfie. Who can you spot? Source: NewsComAu

Kevin Spacey, Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence, Ellen DeGeneres and Jared Leto gather for an Oscars selfie. Source: AP

• Ellen ordered pizza and started dishing it out to the crowd. Brad Pitt assists by handing out paper plates

Ellen ordered pizza for all, and then hit up the front row to pay for them. Source: AP

Brad Pitt shares pizza with Meryl Streep in the audience. Source: AP

• Lupita Nyong'o's heartfelt acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress brought a tear to everyone's eye

Jennifer Lawrence and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o embrace at the Oscars. Source: Getty Images

• Pharrell Williams performed his hit single, Happy, wearing his signature hat

• Jared Leto's Best Supporting Actor speech was a winner: "You have an opportunity standing on the stage. You can make it about yourself or you can hold up a mirror and shine a light."

• Ellen couldn't resist taking a stab at clumsy Jennifer Lawrence, who stacked it on the red carpet

• Veteran actor Kim Novak shocked with her incredibly 'youthful' appearance

• Aussie costume designer and wife of Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin pulled her acceptance speech out of her bra, saying "it's a very Australian thing to do."

The woman responsible for the dazzling designs in The Great Gatsby. — Catherine Martin. Source: NewsComAu

• Rock band U2 performed Ordinary Love from the film Mandella: Long Walk To Freedom

• Aussie actor Margot Robbie debuted a darker, sultry look on the ruby rug

Margot Robbie stuns on the red carpet with a fierce new look. Source: AFP

• Rebel Wilson was a no-show, opting to stay at home and watch the awards in her trackies

READ MORE:

OSCARS 2014: Red carpet highlights

PICTURES: Best and worst Oscars frocks

Ellen's best hosting moments

J-Law stacks it on Oscars red carpet

Kate Hudson and Jason Sudeikis present an award onstage during the Oscars. Source: Getty Images

Jared Leto accepts the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Dallas Buyer's Club. Source: Supplied

Singer Pharrell Williams performs onstage during the Oscars. Source: Getty Images

Ellen DeGeneres opens the 86th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Source: AP

Actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emma Watson on stage during the Oscars. Source: AP

Three days of heavy downpour have soaked parts of the red carpet along Hollywood boulevard. Source: Getty Images

Who will take home the gold statues? We're dying to find out. Source: Getty Images

Emma Watson looking glam at the 2014 Oscars. Source: Getty Images

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie shine on the Oscars red carpet. Source: Getty Images

Kristen Bell arrives at the Oscars in Los Angeles. Source: AP

Portia de Rossi arrives on the red carpet for the 86th Academy Awards. Source: AFP

Naomi Watts arrives at the Oscars. Source: AP

Amy Adams hits the Oscars red carpet. Source: AP

Photographers are in place as they wait for the big stars to arrive. Source: Getty Images

FULL LIST OF OSCAR 2014 NOMINEES:

BEST PICTURE:

12 Years a Slave

Captain Phillips

Gravity

Philomena

The Wolf of Wall Street

Nebraska

American Hustle

Dallas Buyers Club

Her

BEST DIRECTOR:

David O Russell — American Hustle

Alfonso Cuaron — Gravity

Alexander Payne — Nebraska

Steve McQueen — 12 Years a Slave

Martin Scorsese — The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:

Christian Bale — American Hustle

Bruce Dern — Nebraska

Leonardo DiCaprio — The Wolf of Wall Street

Chiwetel Ejiofor — 12 Years a Slave

Matthew McConaughey — Dallas Buyers Club

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:

Cate Blanchett — Blue Jasmine

Amy Adams — American Hustle

Sandra Bullock — Gravity

Judi Dench — Philomena

Meryl Streep — August Osage County

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Bradley Cooper — American Hustle

Barkhad Abdi — Captain Phillips

Michael Fassbender — 12 Years a Slave

Jonah Hill — The Wolf of Wall Street

Jared Leto — Dallas Buyers Club

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Jennifer Lawrence — American Hustle

Lupita Nyong'o — 12 Years a Slave

Sally Hawkins — Blue Jasmine

Julia Roberts — August Osage County

June Squibb — Nebraska

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:

Despicable Me 2

Frozen

The Croods

Ernest & Celestine

The Wind Rises

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke — Before Midnight

Billy Ray — Captain Phillips

Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope — Philomena

John Ridley — 12 Years a Slave

Terence Winter — The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

Eric Warren Singer and David O Russell — American Hustle

Woody Allen — Blue Jasmine

Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack — Dallas Buyers Club

Spike Jonze — Her

Bob Nelson — Nebraska

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

The Great Beauty (Italy)

The Hunt (Denmark)

The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium)

The Missing Picture (Cambodia)

Omar (Palestine)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:

Let It Go — Frozen

Ordinary Love — Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Alone Yet Not Alone — Alone Yet Not Alone

Happy — Despicable Me 2

The Moon Song — Her

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:

The Book Thief

Gravity

Her

Philomena

Saving Mr Banks

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:

The Act of Killing

Cutie and the Boxer

Dirty Wars

The Square

20 Feet from Stardom

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT:

SaveDigger

Facing Fear

Karama Has No Walls

The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life

Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall

BEST FILM EDITING:

American Hustle

Captain Phillips

Dallas Buyers Club

Gravity

12 Years a Slave

BEST MAKE-UP & HAIRSTYLING:

Dallas Buyers Club

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa

The Lone Ranger

BEST SHORT FILM (ANIMATED):

Feral

Get a Horse!

Mr Hublot

Possessions

Room on the Broom

BEST SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION):

Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me)

Avant Que De Tour Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)

Helium

Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)

The Voorman Problem

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

American Hustle

Gravity

The Great Gatsby

Her

12 Years a Slave

BEST SOUND EDITING:

All Is Lost

Captain Phillips

Gravity

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Lone Survivor

BEST SOUND MIXING:

Captain Phillips

Gravity

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Inside Llewyn Davis

Lone Survivor

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:

Gravity

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Iron Man 3

The Lone Ranger

Star Trek Into Darkness

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:

American Hustle

The Grandmaster

The Great Gatsby

The Invisible Woman

12 Years a Slave

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

The Grandmaster

Gravity

Inside Llewyn Davis

Nebraska

Prisoners

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Start-up wants to make celebs into salami

James Franco: Good enough to eat? Source: Getty Images

ARE some celebrities really good enough to eat?

Start-up Bite Labs certainly thinks so and has launched a company to make salami from your favourite Hollywood stars.

Its plan is to produce artisan salami from meat grown in labs using celebrity tissue samples.

If that sounds gross, don't worry. It will be infused with herbs and spices to make a "luxury protein."

"We start with top-quality ingredients, and time-honoured recipes for the creation of fine cured meats. We mix celebrity and animal meats, grown in house through a proprietary culturing process, into curated salami blends," their website states.

Gorgeous, but is she delicious? Jennifer Lawrence at the Golden Globes 2014. Source: Supplied

The company claims the final product is a high-quality food that will have 30 per cent celebrity meat and 40 per cent lab-grown meat produced in a sustainable way.

"Celebrity meat production requires less than 1 per cent of the amount of land needed for traditional farming. Currently, 70 per cent of the world's farmland (almost 30 per cent of the entire earth's surface) is used for raising animals," the company claims.

Check out their creative process documented on their Tumblr.

News.com.au were sceptical about the idea, but Bite Labs CEO, known only as Martin, assured us the company were 100 per cent serious about the human salami.

"We want to make celebrity meat!" he said via email.

"Our first step is to gauge market interest — we need to connect with our user-base and find celebrities interested in participating. Making celebrity meat a reality will all depend on our ability to generate public enthusiasm."

Martin said the company want to start a debate about bioethics, lab-grown meats, and celebrity culture and so far the response has been phenomenal.

Kanye does have an eye for the unusual, but will he donate his DNA for dinner? Source: AP

"We estimate there have been over 15,000 tweets about us since we started campaigning three days ago. As far as we can tell, Kanye West and James Franco seem to be edging past the previous leader Jennifer Lawrence in the public twitter poll."

Bite Labs said most of their team have opted to remain anonymous because of the controversial nature of the product.

They also rejected any suggestion of cannibalism, telling Wired the lab-grown meat would never have been part of a human being.

"We do acknowledge that it sits in somewhat of a grey area. However, we're glad to see that people are bringing this up; its all part of this bioethics discussion that we're interested in starting," the Wired interview states.

Proposed flavours include the Ellen DeGeneres which has black pepper and garlic with a "playful kick" and well-rounded flavour.

There's also the Kanye West, "heavy and boldly flavoured" which mixes paprika and Worcestershire sauce to give a smoky flavour, best paired with bourbon.

James Franco and Jennifer Lawrence are also on offer, with JLaw's salami claiming to have a "charming and confident flavour profile" with honey, orange and ginger.

The Bite Labs website has celebrity flavour profiles. Source: Supplied

Kanye, is that you? Source: ThinkStock

Online reaction has been mixed, with plenty of people nervous about the idea.

However others took up the cause, tweeting celebrities direct to see if they would participate.

We're not sure about you, but we've just lost our appetite.

Would you eat meat grown from a celebrity? Continue the conversation on Twitter @NewscomauHQ

###

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11 experiences set to disappear

Seeing tigers in the wild will be much more difficult in future. The tiger above is pictured at a zoo in Germany. Source: Supplied

EARTH is in the grip of the "sixth great extinction crisis," say some scientists, with up to 2,000 species dying out each year.

These 11 great wildlife experiences could disappear within your lifetime.

1. Witnessing a great animal migration

Caribou bull pictured during the annual migration in Alaska. Source: News Limited

Ancient rock art images of animals moving across the African savanna indicate that humans have been marvelling at animal migrations for more than 20,000 years.

But poaching, agriculture, war and deforestation are encroaching on wildlife corridors around the world, placing these animal movements — from Africa's wildebeest migration to the annual pilgrimage of North American bison — under threat.

2. Coming eye-to-eye with a polar bear

Climate change is posing a huge threat to polar bears. Pictured, polar bear Henry at Sea World. Source: News Corp Australia

While hunting is still allowed by some Arctic-dwelling native communities, it's climate change that poses the largest threat to polar bears.

Latest data from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) shows that eight of the 19 sub-populations of polar bear that roam the Arctic are in decline.

Scientists project that two-thirds of all polar bears could disappear by 2050.

Due to its southern exposure, Canada's Hudson Bay is one of the bear habitats most threatened by climate change — increasing temperatures are forcing bears off the ice earlier each year.

3. Counting the stripes on a tiger

Tigers today have disappeared from 90 per cent of their natural habitats. Source: Supplied

Tigers once roamed freely across Asia.

Today the world's most endangered big cats have disappeared from 90 per cent of their historic range.

Just six of nine known tiger species are thought to remain, with an estimated 3,200 animals left in the wild.

While it's extremely rare to spot the elusive beasts in their natural habitat (the South China tiger, for example, hasn't been seen since the early 1970s), protected reserves in India and Nepal provide the best opportunities.

4. Swimming amid live coral on Australia's Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is at risk of rising sea temperatures. Source: News Corp Australia

The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest reef system, is in peril.

Temperature fluctuations are primarily to blame for the disappearance of half its coral since 1985 and the Australian Institute of Marine Science predicts that less than a quarter could be left within a decade.

Following plans by the Australian government to industrialise parts of the reef, the World Heritage Committee passed a recommendation to consider listing the UNESCO site as "in danger" at a meeting in June 2014.

5. Tracking gorillas in the mist

Gorillas could disappear from their natural habitats within 10 years. Pictured, baby Yengo in a German zoo. Source: AFP

Endemic to the forests of central Africa, both species of the world's largest primate have been decreasing in numbers for decades largely due to poaching and disease.

Worryingly, a 2010 United Nations report suggested that these gentle giants of the forest might disappear from large parts of the Congo Basin, one of their primary habitats, by the mid-2020s.

6. Seeing the creatures of Galápagos as Darwin saw them

Sea lions resting on Santa Fe Island in the Galápagos Islands. Pic: Angela Saurine Source: News Limited

Remaining virtually undiscovered for centuries did much to preserve the living showcase of evolution described by Charles Darwin in "The Origin of Species."

But Ecuador's best known ecosystem remains fragile.

The last remaining Pinta Island tortoise, fondly known as Lonesome George, died in 2012, adding to the list of several other species that have died out since Darwin's 1835 visit.

7. Hanging around with orang-utans

This ten-day-old male baby orang-utan Dana shares 98 per cent of his DNA with a human baby, but the species could be extinct within 10 years. Source: AFP

Sharing 98 per cent of our DNA, orang-utans are one of the closest relatives to man, though if predictions are accurate, Asia's only two great ape species could be extinct in the wild within the next decade.

Conservation groups such as Borneo Orangutan Survival have bolstered numbers through rehabilitation and release programs, but the illegal pet trade, trafficking and habitat destruction still present the greatest threats to the survival of orang-utans on the only two islands they inhabit: Borneo and Sumatra.

8. Watching sea turtles nest

Green turtles like these pictured in the Galapagos return to the exact beach they hatched at to lay their eggs. Source: Supplied

Scientists have been debating for decades why — not to mention how — sea turtles return to the same beach every year to lay their eggs.

But the phenomenon may soon be a thing of legend thanks to the ravages of intense egg collection, fisheries bycatch and light pollution, which have forced species such as the leatherback, hawksbill and green turtles onto endangered lists.

9. Spotting Africa's Big Five

Leopard populations are stable for now, although rhinos are in danger of extinction. Source: AFP

European game hunters and the illegal wildlife trade may soon reduce Africa's most prestigious group of game animals from the legendary Big Five to four.

While lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo and leopard populations are relatively stable, rhinos are in serious trouble.

Poaching has increased dramatically during the past few years, with 800 rhinos killed illegally in South Africa in 2013 alone.

Last year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared the western black rhino officially extinct.

10. Swimming alongside whale sharks

Whale sharks are hunted for their meat and fins meaning they are endangered in the wild. Source: Supplied

Nicknamed "dominoes" for their distinctive markings, the world's largest fish are among the most placid of the shark species.

Unfortunately, demand for whale shark meat, fins and oil, on top of unregulated tourism, remains an enormous threat to this vulnerable species.

11. Be awed by a giant panda in the wild

There are just 1600 giant pandas left in the wild, making them the world's most endangered animals. Source: AFP

They're China's natural treasure, but threats from humans have left just 1,600 giant pandas in the wild.

High in the mountains of western China, the rarest member of the bear family plays a critical role in facilitating the growth and vegetation of the bamboo forests these placid beasts inhabit.

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