Russian army in Ukraine disturbs Bishop

FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop says she's gravely worried about reports of a Russian military presence in Ukraine.

Her comments came amid reports of masked troops in Crimea, including at its international airport, and after the Australian government increased its travel warning for the strife-torn nation, with tourists urged to exercise extreme caution.

"We are deeply concerned about the instability in Ukraine," Ms Bishop told AAP.

"We are disturbed by reports overnight that there is activity in the Russian military on the borders.

"So we call for calm. We call for a political solution and we hope that any Australians seeking to travel reconsider the necessity of doing so."

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UK science minister tours WA SKA site

UK Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts has had his first taste of the outback touring the site of what will be the world's largest and most powerful radio-telescope.

The beginnings of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) are emerging at the Murchison Radioastronomy Observatory in central Western Australia, with two precursor projects, the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) and the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) already started.

The MWA, led by Curtin University Professor Steven Tingay, began operating last year while the ASKAP is due to kick off in earnest later this year.

The Brits are playing a key role in the multi-billion dollar, ten nation collaboration. It will see millions of antennas installed in South Africa and WA, where the Murchison area offers excellent radio quiet.

The SKA will have image resolution 50 times greater than the Hubble telescope and have a discovery potential 10,000 times greater than the best present-day instruments.

Mind-boggling amounts of data will be processed and questions are expected to be answered, such as, how did the universe begin, what is dark energy, what generates giant magnetic fields in space and what and where are the conditions for life.

"I'm here to see some fantastic science, being delivered with Australian grit in creating these extraordinary facilities here in the outback that is part of this international project," Mr Willetts told reporters.

"This is going to get radio signals from the time when the universe was in its earliest stages, when stars were being created. It's going to get us back to the first light, when the universe was beginning."

Mr Willetts - who saw kangaroos and termite mounds in the wild for the first time on Saturday as he endured searing temperatures and an abundance of pesky flies - said the SKA was not only a boon for astronomers but also for computing.

"There's going to be more data collected from here and South Africa than the current flow of data across the complete world wide web. That's then got to be analysed and that's going to require innovations in computing and software."

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who accompanied Mr Willetts on the tour, emphasised the immense power the SKA will have and the job opportunities it will create.

"This is Australian research and science at its very best," Ms Bishop said.

"It will be a staged process over time and we hope that the Square Kilometre Array can be completed by 2022 and then the excitement really begins, as the telescope will be able to scan the universe in ways never known before.

"All sorts of technological and scientific breakthroughs can result as we continue to work with this incredible project.

"It really is cutting edge."

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Pharrell, U2 rock Oscar rehearsals

HAVING the number one song on the charts does not exempt an artist from Oscar rehearsals.

Pharrell Williams ran through his catchy hit Happy more than half a dozen times on Friday in preparation for the Oscar telecast. He even shared the spotlight with a spate of stars: Jamie Foxx, Brad Pitt and Kate Hudson showed up to rehearse while he was on stage.

"All I care about is the fun," Williams said to Hudson, who boogied in the audience as he practised his dance-heavy number. A choir of high-school students and 20 professional dancers accompany his colourful performance.

Also rehearsing on Friday were Broadway star Idina Menzel, who's set to sing Let It Go from animated film nominee Frozen; U2, which is nominated for its song from the Mandela movie, Ordinary Love; and rocker Karen O, who is nominated for The Moon Song from best picture nominee Her.

Menzel was awed by the technology that allowed the Oscar orchestra, playing off-site at the Capitol Records building, to coordinate with her live at the Dolby Theatre.

"Hi, Bill, can you hear me?" she said into the microphone to conductor William Ross, whom she could see on a monitor from inside the theatre.

"I'm trying to get that telepathic vibe with you because I'm alone up here and this is my first time (on the Oscars).

"You look very handsome," she added.

Karen O, front woman of the rock band Yeah Yeah Yeah's, took notes from director Spike Jonze as she practised her performance.

"Spike just asked me to hold the mic a little bit lower, so I need a little more level," she told a sound engineer. Jonze sat in a front-row seat in the audience.

Accompanied by Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig on acoustic guitar, O sang the song again and again, sitting on a corner of the stage in a long floral dress, leather motorcycle jacket and killer blue boots.

Williams arrived wearing a polka-dot jacket, patterned scarf and his trademark hat.

He ditched the chapeau for rehearsals, emerging onstage in just a T-shirt, jeans and sneakers. He danced through the audience, pausing to shake hands with show producer Craig Zadan, saying, "Thanks for having me."

Foxx arrived in the middle of Williams' rehearsal. He quickly joined the dancers on stage, much to their amusement, pretending to stretch alongside them and offering unneeded dramatic direction.

"Walk, walk, curiosity! And retreat," he said to a chorus of laughter.

U2 also wasn't above rehearsals, running through their nominated song late into the night.

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WA man dies when vehicle rolls off road

A MAN has died after a vehicle drove off a Perth road, entered bushland and rolled over.

Police were notified of the single vehicle rollover off the Great Northern Highway about 30-kilometres south of Wyndham at 10.30am (WST) on Saturday.

It appears the vehicle left the road at or near a bend, entered bushland and rolled over.

A deceased male was located by police at the scene.

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Sink hole swallows soldier's grave in UK

WORK is to begin next week on filling a sink hole that has appeared in a British military cemetery, swallowing the grave of a soldier called Private Ryan.

The grave in the Pembroke Dock war cemetery, Wales' only military graveyard, collapsed into a six metre-hole after a prolonged spell of heavy rain caused the limestone layer beneath Pte Ryan's coffin to shift.

Military chiefs are now working to prevent the headstone collapsing into the pit. Five other graves are also thought to be at risk of falling into the cavern.

The soldier, Private Francis Ryan, of the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment), was born in Longford in Ireland in 1875 and died in 1915, aged 40.

The Ministry of Defence has been unable to trace any living relatives of the deceased serviceman, whose name echoes the title of Tom Hanks' Second World War film.

The MoD says it has no plans to exhume the grave but instead intends to fill the hole to prevent it growing.

"Work to fill the sink hole will begin next week and will be completed by the end of March. The chosen option does not involve exhumation," a spokesman said.

Currently the hole is covered with just a protective metal grille to deter tomb raiders.

The west Wales graveyard will host events to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War in August.

The cemetery is the final resting place for 23 Commonwealth servicemen killed during the First World War and 51 who died during the Second World War.

The affected section has been cordoned off to the public while work to make the graves safe continues.

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$2.5m of cannabis found in northern NSW

Police have seized more than 1200 cannabis plants, worth about $2.5 million, during raids in NSW. Source: AAP

MORE than 1200 cannabis plants valued about $2.5 million have been seized by police during raids in northern NSW.

The plants were found in bushland around Lillian Rock, Barkers Vale, Rappville and Woodburn during the latest round of the cannabis eradication program (CEP), which ran from Monday to Wednesday, police said.

More than $4 million of cannabis was found and destroyed after similar searches in the first week of February.

"The CEP has been running since the mid-1980s and, to date, has prevented cannabis with an estimated potential street value of more than $250 million reaching NSW streets," police said in a statement.

"The CEP is generally operational during cannabis-growing season, which stretches from the late spring through summer and into early autumn."

The drug squad, dog unit, aviation support branch and local police were involved in the raids.

More busts will take place in the coming months.

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Welsh brewer creates lamb-flavoured beer

A WELSH brewer has created a new beer with lamb flavour to mark St David's Day, the national day of Wales.

Conwy Brewery said its Sunday Toast has infused lamb in the brewing process, combining the aromas of a Sunday roast with a dark ale.

The North Wales brewery slow-roasted Welsh lamb before adding the dissolved meat juices and sugar and keeping the brew warm for a week.

"Seasonal beers are a speciality of ours, but we wanted to do something really different to celebrate our country's national day," spokesman Gwynne Thomas said.

Saint David's Day is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on March 1 each year.

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Motorists suffer 'accident anxiety'

MOST motorists are suffering from "accident anxiety", and drivers aged 35-44 are the most worried, according to a survey.

As many as 79 per cent of those taking to the road are anxious about driving, the poll by Allianz Insurance found.

This concern is so great that 17 per cent of drivers have decided not to make a particular journey due to their worries.

Based on responses from 1000 people who drive regularly, the survey showed 83 per cent of drivers aged 35-44 get anxious on the road.

Overall, the biggest worry to drivers is tailgating, followed by road rage and uninsured drivers.

Of those who have accidents, 81 per cent said it was not their fault with 22 per cent saying they felt more worried, more stressed and less confident after a collision, with women being notably more worried than men after a crash.

Yet just seven per cent reckoned more driver training would be the answer.

Allianz Insurance chief executive Jon Dye said: "It's worrying to see that so many motorists feel they will have an accident, and yet so few feel more driver training would help. Drivers can only drive at their best if they feel calm and alert and not unduly worried about what other motorists are getting up to.

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Qantas planes clip wings in LA

Two Qantas planes have clipped wings at LA airport, forcing the cancellation of two flights. Source: AAP

TWO Qantas planes have clipped wings while being towed out of a hangar in Los Angeles, causing the cancellation of two flights back to Australia.

No passengers were on board when the wing tips of an A380 and B747 came into contact at about 9pm LA time, Qantas said on Friday.

The damage was substantial enough to force the cancellation of flight QF94 to Melbourne and QF16 to Brisbane.

Customers have been put up in hotels and will be placed on the next available flights.

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Refugee activists march in Sydney

Refugee activists have clashed with police in a peak-hour march through inner Sydney. Source: AAP

REFUGEE activists have clashed with police in a peak-hour march through inner Sydney.

Riot police were called in as hundreds rallied along George Street on Friday evening chanting "Free, free the refugees".

At times the throngs spilled onto city roads, disrupting traffic and prompting physical confrontations with police.

The demonstration comes after the death of 23-year-old Reza Berati during violent clashes at Australia's Manus Island immigration detention centre.

Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul told the rally the Iranian's death would not be forgotten.

"They want to push it aside," he said. "They want it to be covered up in the lies and the cover-ups which are now under way on Manus Island.

"We are not going to allow that to happen."

The protesters have called for the Papua New Guinea facility to be shut down and Immigration Minister Scott Morrison to step down.

"Scott Morrison, blood on your hands," they cried as the march approached the Immigration Department's Sydney headquarters.

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Bishop spiked rhino program, hearing told

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has spiked plans to help save the Sumatran rhinoceros. Source: AAP

FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop has spiked plans by the former Labor government to help save the Sumatran rhinoceros.

In June 2013, then foreign minister Bob Carr said Australia would provide $3 million over three years to help Indonesian authorities protect the species, of which there are estimated to be fewer than 200 remaining.

But the program did not and would not begin, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman Rod Brazier told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday.

"The current foreign minister has decided not to proceed with the program," he said.

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Signed Mein Kampf copes to be auctioned

TWO rare early editions of Mein Kampf, signed by Adolf Hitler could sell for more than $US20,000 ($A22,373) at an online auction, officials say.

Nate Sanders, owner of Nate D Sanders Auctions in Los Angeles, says he knows he'll catch a lot of flack for putting rare 1925 and 1926 editions of the racist screed up for bid.

"But it is a piece of history. It is a very rare item," he explained.

Hitler was arrested and jailed for the attempt to seize power. He dictated Mein Kampf, two volumes of autobiography and anti-Semitic manifesto, to Rudolf Hess while behind bars to raise money for his criminal defence.

Both volumes' fly-leaves feature Hitler's signature.

Sanders said volumes of Mein Kampf from the 1930s are common, but a copy signed by the author is rare.

Sanders is also auctioning off a leather trench coat he said was worn by Albert Speer, a Nazi government minister who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the Nazi regime.

Selling Nazi memorabilia is prohibited in many European countries that saw the horrors of World War II.

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Pet parrot helps Indian cops crack murder

A PET parrot has helped police nab its owner's killer in the northern Indian city of Agra.

Police were struggling to solve the murder mystery until a key clue was provided by the dead woman's pet parrot, Hercule, The Times of India reported on Thursday.

Neelam Sharma, 45, was found murdered in her home on February 20. Her husband Vijay, editor of a Hindi daily, noticed the parrot screeching every time his nephew Ashutosh visited their house after the murder.

"During discussions too, whenever Ashutosh's name was mentioned the parrot would start screeching. This raised my suspicion and I informed police," Sharma told the newspaper.

Agra police official Shalabh Mathur told the Times that Ashutosh confessed to the crime on interrogation.

He said he had entered the house with an accomplice to steal cash and valuables.

But afraid that his aunt might recognise him, he stabbed her and a pet dog when it started barking.

The Times of India report said the bird, a namesake of Hercule Poirot, the detective in Agatha Christie's novels, had lived up to its name.

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900 turtles found dead on Indian coast

MORE than 900 sea turtles have been found dead along the coast in southern India, conservationists say, blaming illegal fishing near their sanctuaries.

Supraja Dharini of the Tree Foundation, a marine conservation group, said trawlers fishing illegally along the coast of Andhra Pradesh state were not taking measures to stop turtles from getting entangled in the nets.

She said more than 800 dead Olive Ridley turtles were washed ashore on Saturday, and 100 more were found on Sunday.

"Such a huge loss of the species in one night is more than three times the total number recorded in the past six years in the region," she said, adding: "To say it is a tragedy would be a gross understatement."

Dharini said more than 45 trawlers were fishing about four kilometres from the shore days before the turtle deaths, whereas fishing regulations make it mandatory for trawlers to operate at least eight kilometres from the shore.

Olive Ridleys are one of the five species of sea turtle found in Indian waters.

The turtles are classified as "vulnerable," by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and nest on Indian shores between January and April.

The World Wide Fund for Nature estimates that there are 800,000 female Olive Ridleys worldwide.

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Costa Concordia captain returns to ship

THE former captain of a luxury cruise liner that capsized off an Italian island has gone back aboard for the first time since the 2012 shipwreck that killed 32 people.

Francesco Schettino, who is on trial accused of manslaughter and abandoning ship, was allowed to board the Costa Concordia Thursday to help court-appointed experts inspect generators.

Schettino donned a life vest before taking a boat to the wreck, which was set upright in a complex engineering feat last year. Schettino, the sole defendant, claims that faulty generators and a poorly trained crew contributed to tragedy. The inspection was requested by defense and lawyers for consumer groups, which contend that Costa Crociere Spa, the cruise company, shares some blame.

Prosecutors contend Schettino deserves all the blame.

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