Australia's multibillion-dollar mining, farming and tourism industries face significant threats as worsening global warming causes more dangerous and extreme weather, the world's leading climate science body will warn.

A final draft of a five-year assessment by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - seen by Fairfax Media - details a litany of global impacts from intensifying climate change including the displacement of hundreds of millions of people, reduced crop yields and the loss of trillions of dollars from the global economy.

The report is the second part of the IPCC's fifth major assessment and focuses on climate change's impacts and how the world might adapt. It will be finalised at a meeting in Japan next weekend before its release on March 31.
The final draft Australasia chapter also outlines significant local threats if human-caused climate change gets worse, in particular high confidence that fire seasons, particularly in southern Australia, will extend in high-risk areas.


There is also significant risk of increased damage and death from heatwaves resulting from more frequent extreme high temperatures. Flood risk too would be worse.
The draft says these new extremes imply Australia's mammoth mining industry is increasingly vulnerable without adaptation measures. The report points to significant loss of coal exports revenue of $5 billion to $9 billion when mines were flooded in 2011.
Tourism also faces some significant threats, the draft says. The Great Barrier Reef is expected to degrade under all climate change scenarios, reducing its attractiveness to visitors.
Australia's $1.8 billion ski industry is identified as most negatively affected, with little option for it to counteract threats.
For Australian farming a 4 per cent reduction in the gross value of beef, sheep and wool is expected with 3 degrees of warming above a 1980-99 baseline.

Dairy output is projected to decline in all regions, except in Tasmania.
Out of the major risks identified for Australia in the draft, the loss of montane ecosystems and changes in coral reefs, appear to be very difficult to avoid. The draft also finds modelling consistently indicated the range of many wildlife species will contract.

And there is high confidence climate change is already affecting Australia's oceans, with climate zones and species shifting hundreds of kilometres southwards.

Professor Jean Palutikof - a review editor of the assessment and director of Australia's National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility - said while adaptation measures were important, there were limits to what the world could do and it was important to cut global emissions to ensure these thresholds are not reached.
''I think it is quite black and white, there is a risk we will go beyond the limits of the natural environment and human society to adapt to the climate'' she said.

A spokesman for Environment Minister Greg Hunt said the government recognised the importance of adapting to the impacts of climate change, pointing to the refunding of the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, which it has asked to ''focus on putting practical adaptation information in the hands of decision-makers so we can build a stronger, more resilient Australia''.

A day after India vs Pakistan ICC World Twenty20 championship match ended, West Indies captain Darren Sammy took umbrage at the fact that a big-talking Suresh Raina, fresh off a smashing innings against arch rival neighbours, dubbed Windies batsmen as "six hitters".

Sammy then threw an open challenge and dared the Indian bowlers to stop them from hitting the maximums when they clash in the ICC World Twenty20 here tomorrow.

"We don't care much about what Suresh Raina thinks. If he thinks we are only six hitters, then stop us from hitting sixes," Sammy replied when asked about his batsmen inability to rotate strike against spinners.
However, the usually affable West Indies skipper went back to his normal good natured mood as he answered questions with a bit of fun and some with a lot of seriousness.
What's there on Chris Gayle's mind, asked a scribe. "I am not Jesus Christ! I don't know what's going on in his mind," he laughed and replied.
Also read: ICC World Twenty20: Virat Kohli helps India maintain World Cup record against Pakistan
Then he got serious. "But I know he (Gayle) is really pumped up to play here. Whenever he is playing for the West Indies, he is very pumped up. And tomorrow's game everyone will be pumped up."

Will India be easy opponents, was what he was asked first up at the media conference.

"You seriously ask that question? No, I don't think any team is an easy opponent. India started off on a winning note and most likely they will have a lot of confidence going into the game. We know what we are capable of doing and we have been playing some good T20 cricket and the guys are confident that we would come good once we play to our full potential."

China has not held back in forcing the pace of the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. It has deployed 21 satellites and a flotilla of naval ships. It has dispatched investigators to Malaysia, run background checks on the Chinese passengers, and scoured radar images of its vast western regions. Every day it has cajoled, chided and criticized Malaysian officials.

And still it has come up empty-handed. Two weeks after the plane vanished on an overnight flight to Beijing, no trace of the Boeing 777 jet or the 239 people on board, two-thirds of whom are Chinese, has been found.

The painful process of working with Malaysia in searching for the airplane and investigating what went wrong in the early hours of March 8 has revealed the limits of China's power, influence and technological and military might in the region, despite its rapid rise as a rival to the United States and American strategic dominance of the Western Pacific.

Within China, anguished relatives and friends of the passengers and their many sympathizers are pressing hard for answers, but the government finds itself helpless as Malaysia takes the lead in the search and investigation efforts, which is consistent with international norms on air disasters.
Malaysia has been keeping other nations, including China, at a distance, to the frustration of officials here, according to political observers. That tension is reflected in the frequent condemnations of Malaysia that have appeared in the Chinese state news media. China is out of its comfort zone, no longer in the position of strength from which it usually deals with smaller Asian nations, including Malaysia.

The two countries have for decades maintained strong economic ties, and Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, promised closer economic and military cooperation on a visit to Malaysia in October. At the same time, China has not been shy about pressing Malaysia on a range of delicate issues - in January, it sent a naval patrol to a reef in the South China Sea that is claimed by Malaysia; in 2012, it welcomed Malaysia's deportation of six ethnic Uighurs who had fled from China.

Now, Chinese officials find themselves desperately prodding Malaysia to share information, to allow China a hand in the investigation and to placate the irate Chinese families who demand answers daily.

"If you don't push them, they won't move," Zhu Zhenming, a scholar of Southeast Asia at the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, said about the Malaysian authorities. "It's mostly to do with their administrative management capabilities, but also their culture."

He added that Malaysia was "too lacking" when it came to "dealing with disaster management" - "not because they don't want to do it, but because they cannot."

That sense of frustration, and perhaps condescension, has come through even in official Chinese remarks that were intended to be diplomatic. On Tuesday, Huang Huikang, the Chinese ambassador to Malaysia, told reporters in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, that "the Malaysian government has insufficient capabilities, technologies and experience in responding to the MH370 incident, but they did their best." 

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who is on the Lok Sabha election campaign, will be holding two election rallies on Saturday.

The Congress's poll campaign chief will be first visiting Mandla district in Madhya Pradesh where he will be interacting with the tribals.

Later in the day, Rahul will head to Pratapgarh district in Uttar Pradesh where he will be addressing a public meeting.

American investigators reviewing a hard drive belonging to the captain of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 have found that there were deletions of information even closer to the final flight than first indicated by Malaysian officials, U.S. law enforcement officials tell CNN.
The forensic search of the computer files by government experts found files were removed even after February 3, the date Malaysian authorities have cited for when some data was cleared from the drive of the captain.
Investigators are examining the contents of drives belonging to both pilots. Copies of the hard drives are at the FBI's forensics lab facilities in Quantico, Virginia, and one is being analyzed with the assistance of consultants the FBI uses to help analyze such electronic data.
It's not clear why Malaysian officials cited the February 3 date and if they knew of the other deletions. The type of software used for flight simulation takes up a lot of room in hard drives and investigators believe that could be one reason for deletion of files.
It's possible too that some damage could have been done during the first examinations done by Malaysian investigators.
Law enforcement officials say that they aren't drawing any conclusions about the subsequent deletions, or the earlier ones, just two days into reviewing the hard drive contents, which officials described as a large volume of data. More couldn't be learned about the nature of the deletions, and who made them.

Some senior U.S. counterterrorism officials say that an accident is the leading operative theory as cause for the disappearance of Flight 370. That's because there is no other information indicating foul play.
"Barring other information to suggest otherwise one has to first think this was a tragic accident," a U.S. law enforcement official said. But investigators have not ruled out terrorism or other theories.
Investigators have focused on the pilots because of the lack of any other information. But there isn't proof that they did anything wrong.
U.S. investigators have compiled profiles of the two pilots, based on interviews with friends, neighbors and family members conducted by Malaysian investigators, and on a search of their online activities, U.S. officials say.
Those interviews haven't turned up anything that could suggest any explanations for the plane's disappearance.

The February 2 polls, called by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in an unsuccessful attempt to ease a months-old political crisis, have not yet been completed because of disruption by demonstrators.

A court spokesman told reporters that the 6:3 ruling was reached on the grounds that voting was not held for the entire country on the same day.

Opposition protesters blocked candidate registrations in 28 constituencies, and also caused the closure of about 10 per cent of polling stations.

The main opposition Democrat Party boycotted the vote, saying it would not end years of political turmoil.

The case was one of a slew of legal hurdles facing Yingluck, who has withstood calls to resign despite months of political street protests.

A spokesman for her Puea Thai Party described the outcome as "regrettable", and said the annulment of the vote would "set a bad precedent".
The petition was filed by a Bangkok law lecturer. A similar bid, submitted by the opposition on the grounds that the failure to hold the entire election on the same day was an attempt to grab power unconstitutionally, was rejected by the constitutional court last month.

Yingluck's government, in a caretaker role following the incomplete election, faces a series of legal challenges that could lead to her removal from office, including negligence charges linked to a rice subsidy scheme.

She has faced more than four months of street demonstrations seeking to force her from office and install an unelected government to oversee reforms and curb the dominance of her billionaire family.

Twenty-three people have been killed in recent weeks in gun and grenade attacks, mostly targeting protesters.

It is the latest chapter in a political crisis stretching back to a military coup in 2006 that ousted Yingluck's brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a divisive tycoon-turned-politician who lives in Dubai to avoid prison for a corruption conviction.

Crimea's Moscow-backed leaders declared a 96% vote in favour of quitting Ukraine and annexation by Russia in a referendum Western powers said was illegal and will bring immediate sanctions.
As state media in Russia carried a startling reminder of its power to turn the United States to "radioactive ash", US President Barack Obama spoke to Vladimir Putin, telling the Russian president that he and his European allies were ready to impose "additional costs" on Moscow for violating Ukraine's territory.
The Kremlin and the White House issued statements saying Obama and Putin saw diplomatic options to resolve what is the gravest crisis in East-West relations since the Cold War.

A pro-Russian protester celebrates in Simferopol's Lenin Square on March 16, 2014 after exit polls showed that about 95% of voters in Ukraine's Crimea region supported union with Russia (AFP photo)

But Obama said Russian forces must first end "incursions" into its ex-Soviet neighbour while Putin renewed his accusation that the new leadership in Kiev, brought to power by an uprising last month against his elected Ukrainian ally, were failing to protect Russian-speakers from violent Ukrainian nationalists.
Moscow defended a military takeover of the majority ethnic Russian Crimea by citing a right to protect "peaceful citizens". Ukraine's interim government has mobilised troops to defend against an invasion of its eastern mainland, where pro-Russian protesters have been involved in deadly clashes in recent days.
With three-quarters of Sunday's votes counted in Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula that is home to 2 million people, 95.7% had supported annexation by Russia, chief electoral official Mikhail Malyshev, was quoted as saying by local media.
Turnout was 83 percent, he added - a high figure given that many who opposed the move had said they would boycott the vote. Russia's lower house of parliament will pass legislation allowing Crimea to join Russia "in the very near future", news agency Interfax cited its deputy speaker as saying on Monday.
"Results of the referendum in Crimea clearly showed that residents of Crimea see their future only as part of Russia," Sergei Neverov was quoted as saying. Japan on Monday echoed Western nations in rejecting the referendum and called on Russia not to annex Crimea. US and European officials say military action is unlikely over Crimea, which Soviet rulers handed to Ukraine 60 years ago.

But the risk of a wider Russian incursion, as Putin probes Western weakness and tries to restore Moscow's influence over its old Soviet empire, leaves NATO calculating how to help Kiev without triggering what some Ukrainians call "World War Three".
"We hope all parties can calmly maintain restraint to prevent the situation from further escalating and worsening.
Political resolution and dialogue is the only way out," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong told reporters on Monday, ahead of a visit to Europe by President Xi Jinping later this month. China avoided making a comment on the Crimea referendum and has said it does not back sanctions on Moscow - a close diplomatic ally and key economic partner.

Highlighting the stakes, journalist Dmitry Kiselyov, who is close to the Kremlin, stood before an image of a mushroom cloud on his weekly TV show to issue a stark warning. He said: "Russia is the only country in the world that is realistically capable of turning the United States into radioactive ash."
On Lenin Square in the centre of the Crimean capital Simferopol, a band struck up even before polls closed as the crowd waved Russian flags. Regional premier Sergei Aksyonov, a businessman nicknamed "Goblin" who took power when Russian forces moved in two weeks ago, thanked Moscow for its support.
The regional assembly is expected to rubber-stamp a plan to transfer allegiance to Russia on Monday before Aksyonov travels to Moscow, although the timing of any final annexation is in doubt. Putin may choose to hold off a formal move as diplomatic bargaining continues over economic and diplomatic sanctions that many EU states fear could hurt them as much as they do Russia.

Following Lady Gaga's interesting, and debatably disturbing, SXSW performance, Demi Lovato took to Twitter to criticize the bit involving performance artist Millie Brown.

Lovato's struggles with eating disorders and addiction are well-known, and so she was quick to point out that Brown forcing herself to vomit all over Gaga was unacceptable. She stated that Gaga was glamorizing eating disorders and that the performance wasn't "cool" in any way whatsoever.
"Putting the word ART in it isn't a free card to do whatever you want without consequences," she tweeted.

Despite some passioned reactions from upset Gaga fans, Lovato continued to warn of the negative ways pop culture can impact others, especially someone with as much clout as Gaga.

However, in the end, Lovato reminded everyone that was still a Little Monster at heart. Read her tweets below.

On Saturday, the social media reacted strongly to reports of Veena's alleged anti-India tweet. After the news went viral, we received a mixed reaction from some members of the Pakistani entertainment industry.

Farhan Saeed, former member of the Pakistani band Jal, told us, "It's really sad if she did so, but then what else do we expect from Veena Malik? Anything that keeps her in the news. I think we artistes should be a bridge between the two countries, especially the ones who work on both sides of the border. But coming from Veena, it is surely a publicity stunt."
Sunny Ghanshyam, lead guitarist of Raeth, remarked, "What is she all about? No one knew who Veena Malik was before she came to India. It's only after she got a chance in Bollywood that she got her recognition here in India. She should be grateful and should owe her success to India. I'm sure she got this rishta out of what she is today or else it would have been really difficult for her to travel to the US. Sad how people change over times they need to respect the people and the place."

Adds Hadiqa Kiani, pop singer and renowned makeup artist, "It's not about India or Pakistan . Human beings are the same everywhere. We must think beyond racism."SOURCE

Two unidentified men threw acid at an aide of one of the witnesses in the rape case against self-styled godman Asaram Bapu in Surat on Sunday.

"The victim has been identified as Dinesh Bhavchandani (39) who has given a statement against Asaram in the case," said the officer.

"The incident took place when Bhavchandani was riding to his house near Vesu Royal Residency. Two men on a bike overtook him and threw acid," she said.

He was taken to a private hospital.

Earlier, two witnesses in cases of rape against Asaram and his son Narayan Sai have been attacked.

Asked about police protection for the witnesses, the DCP said, "Most witnesses are given police protection, but these three victims had refused it."

A Surat-based woman has accused Asaram of repeated rapes and illegal confinement between 1997 and 2006 when she was living at his ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. Her younger sister has lodged a similar complaint against Narayan Sai.

Asaram (72) is currently in a Jodhpur jail after being arrested in September 2013 for sexually assaulting a minor girl at his ashram there.

Entered the Egyptian dancer Sama, which knew her marriage to former Attorney Salafi Anwar Albulkima, the world of politics and joined the opposition a lyrical dancer paragraph attacking President Mohamed Morsy and mockery of the Renaissance project, which was promised in his election campaign.

Contained this dance on the sharp criticism of the president's policy Mursi, arguing that the Renaissance project "pollen Venkoh", meaning that the project and the placebo, and that Mercy did not achieve anything except in "manga", in reference to the president's statement to the famous Egyptian in the first 100 days of his reign on the decline price mango, a statement that was met with ridicule from some activists and Egyptian revolutionary coalitions and a number of media.

As used in the song accompanying the dance political words related persons of the Muslim Brotherhood, such as the word "hell" that became famous by guiding the former Mahdi Akef in a dialogues when he was quoted as saying: "hell in Egypt", which raised a storm of attack angry against him, and used some Implications verbal referring to others like Dr. Essam el-Erian.
Dance and song to قيتا strong echo on social networking sites between critic strongly welcome the
way that you used in attacking the president Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood, and sarcastic comments someone say: "the opposition and many faces."
Confirmed Sama Egyptian at the beginning of her speech she did not know anything about politics, not far nor near, defender video that does not carry any words offensive to any particular person, and citing that artists do not insult anyone by contrast members of some Islamic groups who Lisbon actors and actresses verbally inappropriate.

It indicated before the video display consulted a lawyer presented the possibility that this work to any legal liability, he stressed that the work does not insult any particular person.
She explained Sama Egyptian that the lyrics are words circulating in the Egyptian street has photographed in her home during her spare time without the benefit of team work, explaining it during their presence in demonstrations Friday "Egypt not manor" and found a group of young people chanting slogans that she said in the clip on some melodies arose her performance songs on the way "satirical comedy."
Sama said the Egyptian It's not worried about this video because it does not carry any abuse to Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, pointing out that Dr. Morsi must respect for his position as Egypt.
At the end of her speech Sama said that if she happened to her any harm in the coming days will be by Islamic groups.

And jumped name Sama Egyptian into the spotlight following the publication of the newspaper "The Republic", the semi-official, news in March / March last as married deputy of Parliament for the Nour Party Salafi (formerly) Anwar Albulkima, known then as Vice cosmetic or vice nose; due conducting surgery and his claim that he was subjected to the assault incident resulted in serious injuries and steal 100 thousand pounds, then returned and admitted that it was not real and that he was under the influence of the anesthetic.
The newspaper published a statement accounted for Sama Egyptian Albulkima threatens to kill and maim her face with water fire after attempts to uncover their secret marriage.

Conjoined twins were born at a hospital in northern India on Wednesday morning.

"Yes this report is perfectly true that we have delivered a female baby having two heads,” Dr. Ashish Sehgal, the CEO of Cygnus JK Hindu Hospital, told ABCNews.com in an email. “She is presently alive and healthy.”

The New York Daily News reports that the babies' mom, Urmila Sharma, couldn't afford an ultrasound and didn't know she was delivering conjoined twins.

"We only came to know she was carrying conjoined twins after an ultrasound two weeks ago but it was too late to do anything by then," Dr Shikha Malik, who delivered the baby, said.

According to the Daily Mail, the twins have "two heads, two necks and two spines," but just one body and their chances for survival are slim.

Sehgal told the Daily News that a “meticulous and challenging” surgery could be the key to saving the twins' life, but the procedure can't take place until they are in stable condition.

Indian woman gave birth in the 28-year-old girl with two heads and Rqptin and one body, in a hospital in northern India, has been to prevent the extreme poverty of the parent to remedy such a situation or treatment during pregnancy.

 The subject of the girl child, which was born after a caesarean section, to monitor the health and medical minutes in the intensive care unit because of the condition. The doctor overseeing the birth, the owner of an old man, according to a newspaper the "Daily Mail" the British, that the parents are going through difficult circumstances, with the medical staff trying their support as much as possible.

 The surprised couple, who have another child, the status of the newborn, or more precisely conjoined or Siamese twins, having prevented their condition of poverty and social hardship of an image ultrasound Ultrasound, which reveal the state of the early embryo.

Public officials and engineers have long warned about the dangers posed by the outdated, moldering pipelines that snake beneath the streets of major cities like New York, feeding gas into the furnaces of millions of homes.

For nearly two decades, federal authorities have directed pipeline operators to replace these leak-prone, cast-iron lines with pipes made of plastic and other modern materials. And many states, including New York, have embarked on programs to do just that.

But these efforts could take decades to complete, and in the meantime, weakened pipes could spring deadly leaks.

This possibility and the need for repairs have come into sharp focus in the aftermath of an explosion that tore apart two buildings in Manhattan on Wednesday morning, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens more.

"The human cost of inaction is clear," said Ydanis Rodriguez, a New York City councilman, in a statement to reporters. "If the necessary funding for these repairs and improvements is not granted by the federal and state governments, tragic occurrences such as today's may become more common in our city."

It's not yet clear what caused the leak that led to the explosion. Records show that the city approved a permit to replace 120 feet of gas piping last summer for a heating system at one of the collapsed buildings. The company that did the work, New York Heating Corp., did not return calls seeking comment.

But a Consolidated Edison spokeswoman, D. Joy Faber, confirmed to HuffPost that the main pipe that funneled gas into the heating systems of the now-obliterated East Harlem buildings was partly made of cast iron and dated back to 1887. And as several engineers and officials noted, that can be a problem.

Compared with a more pliable material like plastic, cast iron becomes brittle over time. A heavy blow can crack the pipes, and so can ground movements caused by alternating spells of warmth and cold.

Federal data on the integrity of gas mains show that serious leaks causing death, injury or major property damage stem from cast iron pipes four times more often than those made from other materials.

In January 2011, a leak in a cast-iron gas pipeline in Philadelphia led to a blast that killed a utility worker and injured five others. Fuel from another leaky cast iron gas main caused a major explosion in Allentown, Pa., a month later, killing five people, including a 16-year-old girl and a 4-month-old boy.

Your wedding ceremony is the very heart of your wedding. It’s full of some of the most meaningful moments -- walking down the aisle to your beloved and seeing his or her reaction for the first time, reciting your vows, and (finally) being pronounced newlyweds -- and there is no greater source of inspiration than a real wedding. We adore each and every one of the real wedding ceremonies featured on Lover.ly, but we’ve managed to choose a few awe-inspiring favorites. Take a peek!

Anyone who has watched even a few minutes of porn may end up with some very particular ideas about what real-world sex entails.

Porn -- at least, the kind where super-toned, tanned, hairless women are penetrated in a variety of acrobatic positions by equally toned, tanned men -- is full of myths about sex. Redditor black_brotha decided to ask women on the site what they "learned" from porn that turned out to be completely untrue in the real world.

Here are 11 of the most worrying un-truths women said porn taught them:

1. That their bodies were abnormal: "I was 100% convinced that I needed labiaplasty and was really ashamed to be naked in front of [a] guy because I thought he would think I was a freak."

2. That all sex focuses on the guy's pleasure: "I thought having sex with a man meant having to pretend I enjoyed it even if I wasn't, that it didn't matter if I had an orgasm, and that it was normal for a guy not to give a shit about my pleasure."

3. That "sexy" is purely physical, and incredibly specific:

I felt like I had to fit into a box I could never fit in. It made me feel dysphoric about not just my body, but who I was. I'm a clumsy, boyish, awkward female, that couldn't do an attractive striptease to save their life AKA the antithesis of your typical "sexy female"... There is more than just one kind of sexy and its all subjective. I've realized that Im sexy in my own way and I'm much happier now.
4. That men don't like women with hair "down there": "I thought men would expect completely hairless women and they would be repulsed by me."

5. That orgasms are almost effortless: "I thought orgasms were much easier to achieve than they actually are. As a result I thought something was wrong with me for a long time. I just assumed that PIV=almost instant orgasm. I was so disappointed to find that wasn't the case."

6. That men only find certain bodies (white, toned and smooth-skinned) attractive: "It did make me think that only women with perfect bodies ever had sex."
7. That all penises are circumcised and eight inches long: "I didn't know uncircumcised penises existed, because all the porn I'd seen prior had circumcised male performers."

8. That insanely complex sexual positions feel good for everyone:

Those positions? Yeah, most of them don't feel good.I know everyone's different, but it is VERY DIFFICULT, bordering on impossible to have an orgasm with that much distance between the partners! Besides, one of the best things about sex is the closeness of skin-to-skin contact.
9. That you had to do everything women in porn videos did in order for your partner to enjoy themself: "It didn't occur to me until like age 27 that I didn't have to let a guy come on my face if I didn't want to. Or I didn't have to swallow. Or that it was okay to not moan if I didn't feel like moaning."

10. That men are always ready and willing: "I thought that all men liked being aggressive and dominant, like in porn, and that if they were under 50, they were always going to be able to get hard and orgasm."

Nicki Minaj is having a blast in Cabo, boating on the beautiful blue waters, drinking with friends, and taking plenty of photos of herself in bikinis. Ever since the 31-year-old arrived in Mexico on March 8, she's been sharing pictures of her trip with her fans on Instagram, and on Tuesday she decided it was time to get into a bikini and soak up the sun.

Miley Cyrus is pushing the envelope again, but this time, it wasn't exactly intentional.

The star took the stage during her March 9 Bangerz Tour performance in Milwaukee, Wis. wearing a particularly revealing outfit that appeared to just be a bra and panties ... because apparently, it was just her bra and panties.

No, that's not a new costume; that's the absence of a costume. After the performance, Cyrus took to Twitter to tell her fans what happened. She admitted that for the first time, she couldn't complete her costume change quickly enough and had to run out onstage in her undies when her next song began to play.

Time and again, I come across articles offering bra tips. And time and again, I find myself saying, "Well, those rules only apply to ladies with at least a C cup. What about those who are a bit more ... petite?"

So, I decided to find out for myself. For the first time in my life, I got a bra fitting -- I know it seems like it should be a teenage rite of passage, but I honestly never thought I needed one as an A or B cup. During a recent trip to Manhattan's Intimacy, the lovely Dee Binyard, one of the store's bra fit stylists, selected a slew of bras that made me realize just how important fit really is, even for small-chested women.

Thanks to Dee -- and nearly 25 years of being a woman (for roughly 10 of which I actually needed a bra) -- I've gleaned six bra-shopping commandments for petite ladies.*

1. Yes, you do need support. 
Contrary to my former belief, A and B cups need to be supported. Small chests rarely lead to the kind of back pain that keeps chiropractors in business; but without proper support, you can accelerate sagging. As Dr. Cynthia S. Vaughn, a spokesperson for the American Chiropractic Association, once told me, wearing a bra as a small-chested woman is "not so much for current times, but for later in life." That said, if you prefer to go braless, more power to you.

2. The fit of the band is crucial. 
During my fitting with Dee, she emphasized that the firmness of the band (not the straps) is of utmost importance. As a general rule, she says the firmness should be on the loosest hook of your band so that the band sits level on your back. From there, you adjust to the tighter hooks as the band stretches out. "I know we all want comfort," she told me. "But comfort doesn't necessarily mean that the band is going to give you that looseness. You want to be able to lift your arms without your breasts coming out the bottom of the bra." Amen, sister.

3. Don't get comfortable in your cup size, because things change. 
With all of the size discrepancies between brands, and our bodies constantly changing, it's not a good idea to assume that once you're a 34A, you'll always be a 34A. Never buy a bra without trying it on, and try to get fitted every year or so.

4. There's no reason to wear padding ... unless you want to.
I'm not going to lie: My 15-year-old self definitely tried on padded bras. These days, I'm comfortable with my size, so I personally don't feel the need for padding and would probably feel uncomfortable if I did wear it. But if you feel great about yourself with a little extra something, by all means, pad away!

5. You need more than one or two bras. 
If you're like me, you find a couple of bras that work and wear them to death. Judging by Dee's reaction to this statement, this is very bad. "I would say you need a good seven to 10 bras so you'd be able to alternate every day," she told me. "This way, your bra and the elasticity on the band gets that rest that it needs so that it's fresh for the next wear." She also recommends wearing your bras two or three times before you wash them to extend their lives.

6. Most importantly, wear what you feel great in. 
I can't stress this enough. Lingerie should be fun, not just functional. It should also be comfortable, because no one wants to be awkwardly adjusting underwire all day.


*In no way am I asserting that all women, whatever their size, must wear bras. These tips are for the ladies who want to wear bras. Please completely disregard if you'd rather go braless (and just know: I envy you).

Photoshop fails have become more common than ever, with various retailers chopping off limbs and backsides. So it's really no surprise that Target is the most recent culprit to distort a model.

In a major fail noticed first by Jezebel, the store's website features a photo of a teen model wearing a junior's swimsuit. In what appears to be an attempt to make her legs look longer/bottom half look smaller, the model is missing a piece of her vagina. OUCH.

The photo has since been removed from the website, but not before Jezebel had the chance to post the photo, which clearly shows there has been a square cut out of the bottom of the swimsuit. The only thing worse than photoshopping adult models is photoshopping junior models, who market to young girls. Perhaps Target should take a page out of Aerie's book.

Aaron Carter seems to be having a bit of a meltdown on Twitter. The musician has been very open with his followers about his heartbreak and regret after losing the love of his life ... about 10 years ago.

This "love" he is referring to is Hilary Duff. The two dated when they were 13 years old and the relationship was particularly meaningful to Carter. So much so, in fact, that he hasn't managed to move on from his teen dream girl. The only problem is that Duff wasn't his teen dream girl back in the day. Their year–and–a–half long relationship came to an end when Carter chose Lindsay Lohan over the "Lizzie McGuire" star.

Now Carter and Duff are both 26 years old and Duff is newly–separated. For Carter, this seems to be the perfect time to profess his love … on social media … very uncomfortably.

Carter's recent rant began on Tuesday, March 4, when he retweeted a photo of his ex.
Since then, the self–proclaimed hopeless romantic has frequently referred to his long lost love. Carter clearly blames himself for the decay of his relationship with Duff, referring to himself as a "stupid douche."

We're guessing the throwback Thursday remark is a nod to his history with Duff. But, will she actually be his #tbt?

Hilary Duff has not publicly responded to any of Carter's pleas for attention (on Twitter or otherwise), so Carter shouldn't keep his hopes up too high.

Carter declared bankruptcy in late 2013, but he's still making music. Let's not lose hope yet, Aaron! At least we still have that "Aaron Carter's Coming To Town" episode of "Lizzie McGuire"…

Hollywood could use a new Angelina Jolie — or rather, they could use the old Angelina Jolie, the rebellious, sex-mad Angelina we had before she reinvented herself as a beatifically smiling humanitarian goddess. Where are the avid actresses who can stride on-screen and conquer with a flick of their finger, who can use their carnal craziness to enliven the most unimaginative of B-movies, who can size up their male leads with an "I will fuck you and eat you, and not necessarily in that order" stare? Unto this breach comes this weekend's 300: Rise of an Empire, and while the sorta-sequel might at first seem more than sorta superfluous, by the time its female lead Eva Green is engaging in the movie's centerpiece sex scene, you'll know its purpose: The wild-eyed Green is serving us vintage Jolie on a platter, and the film (and Hollywood) is all the better for it.

In Rise of an Empire, Green plays Artemisia, a Persian commander leading the charge against Greek general Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton). Though Greek herself, Artemisia has long vowed revenge against her own people: As a child, her village was burned to the ground, her mother was raped in front of her, and then young Artemisia was sold into slavery. Rescued by the king of Persia, she soon becomes a fearsome warrior, and Green gives her all to the eye-popping part, purring entreaties, shouting orders, and kissing severed heads in short order. Artemisia is ostensibly the film's villain, but her motives are so understandable and Green's charisma is so all-consuming that when one battle sequence concludes with Artemisia seemingly slaughtering all of our heroes a third of the way through the movie, you kind of have to hand it to her. She deserved that win!
But of course, Themistocles and his army can't be that quickly dispatched, and as the movie nears its halfway point, it is decided: He and Artemisia will negotiate a sitdown in the middle of the sea to determine whether war can be averted, or at least altered. The two of them meet face to face deep below deck in Artemisia's quarters — a detente rather like the Pacino/De Niro sitdown in Heat — and attempt to talk it out. When that fails to move the needle much, Themistocles and Artemisia instead do what more protagonists and antagonists ought to do in movies like this: They have wild, knock-down, shake-the-rafters sex.

There's punching. There's hair-pulling. There's even mild choking! The subtext of their battle sequences, the fight to come out on top, is literally wrought in this assignation as both Themistocles and Artemisia toss each other around and jostle for dominance. The film would like us to believe that it's a draw between them, but this is no contest: The wildly charismatic Green, who proved her sexual bona fides in The Dreamers and Casino Royale, positively dwarfs the mild Stapleton. By the time she's topless and swinging a sword — the sort of provocative pose that Greeks might sculpt into stone were Artemisia not busy trying to kill them all — Green has given us a sex scene for the ages, the sort of buzzed-about encounter usually reserved for premium cable instead of the multiplex.

Returned to his curious men afterwards, Themistocles is quizzed about the encounter, and he's utterly speechless, earning one of this very serious movie's few big laughs. But from then on, Green's crazy sexual verve powers each showdown, and when Themistocles and Artemisia lock eyes in the final battle — across a sea of warships, mind you — it's as romantic as it is dangerous. Once they eventually cross that sea and begins to cross their blades, she leans in, smiles, and says, "You fight much harder than you fuck." That, people, is how you say "I love you" in ancient Greece.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney accused President Barack Obama Sunday of appeasing Russian President Vladimir Putin and said there’s “no question” that Putin “believes he is weak.”

Cheney said in an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation that Obama and his advisers “have created an image around the world, not just to the Russians, of weakness… the Syrian situation is a classic. We got all ready to do something -- a lot of the allies signed on -- and at the last minute, Obama backed off.”

Cheney said that in responding to Russia’s seizure of Crimea, “there are military options that don’t involve putting troops on the ground in Crimea. We could go back and reinstate the ballistic-missile defense program that was taken out, that was originally going to go in Poland (and) the Czech Republic and Obama took it out to appease Putin.”

He also suggested that Obama offer military equipment and training to the Ukrainians and do joint training exercises in Poland.
Cheney did admit that Bush administration’s responses to the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia “were not effective in terms of driving Putin out.” Some observers see Putin’s successful invasion of Georgia as the template for Russian actions in Crimea.

Cheney’s comments came as Robert Gates, who served as defense secretary under both President George W. Bush and under Obama, said on Fox News Sunday that Putin’s seizure of Crime appeared to be irreversible. “I do not believe that Crimea will slip out of Russia's hand," he said.

More Republican criticism of Obama’s handling of the Ukraine crisis came from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a potential Republican presidential contender. In an interview on ABC’s This Week, Cruz said Obama’s foreign policy was “to alienate and abandon our friends and to coddle and appease our enemies. You better believe that Putin sees in Benghazi four Americans are murdered and noting happens, there’s no retribution. You better believe that Putin sees in Syria (that) Obama draws a red line and ignores a red line.”

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday slammed BJP for hobnobbing with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in Maharashtra saying the people of Bihar will reject the party's collusive politics of communalism and regional chauvinism.

Virat Kohli has reclaimed the No.1 position in the latest ICC rankings for One-Day International (ODI) batsmen released Sunday at the conclusion of the Asia Cup which was won by Sri Lanka.

Kohli had entered the Asia Cup, trailing No.1 ranked AB de Villiers by two points. Kohli's tournament aggregate of 189 runs in three innings, with 136 against Bangladesh as his series best, earned him 12 points which has put him ahead of South Africa ODI captain by nine points.

Following his knock of 136, Kohli had achieved his career high rating of 886 but finished with 881 points after scores of 48 (against Sri Lanka) and 5 (against Pakistan). Kohli didn't bat against Afghanistan.
Kohli was last ranked No.1 just before the ODI series against New Zealand in January 2014.

Other Indian batsmen to head in the right direction include Shikhar Dhawan in eighth (up by three places), Rohit Sharma in 22nd (up by one place) and Ravindra Jadeja in 50th (up by 12 places).
Jadeja and Ravichandaran Ashwin are the biggest gainers in the top 20 of the bowlers rankings.

Jadeja earned four places and is now in fifth position after claiming seven wickets in four matches while Ashwin's nine wickets in the series has given him a lift of seven places that has put him in 14th.
Other big movers include Amit Mishra in 36th (up by five places).

India have been guaranteed to retain their No.2 position in the team rankings at the April 1 cut-off date.
India finished with 113 points, just one ahead of third-ranked Sri Lanka, to walk away with a prize of $75,000. There was no other change in the table with all sides retaining their positions.

Australia were assured of the No.1 ranking in January after India lost their ODI series against New Zealand 0-4. They will receive the ODI shield as well as a cheque of  $175,000.

Superstar Salman Khan has hinted at a possibility of getting hitched by the end of this year as he is tired of being single for a long time.

The 48-year-old Jai Ho star, who was at his funniest best at last evening's India Today Conclave 2014, did not rule out the chances of marrying Romanian beauty Iulia Vantur, whom he is allegedly dating for quite some time.

"Now I'm in transit period and I like it. From the age of 15, I did not get a transit period. For the first time, I have such a chance to sigh. I am sighing more since it has been two-and-a-half years. It's time to stop sighing because something soon will happen in my life. I follow humanity. I follow Islam, Christianity, and follow right thing as much I can. I have been kind of blessed. Father is Pathan, mother is Hindu, second mother is catholic, and brother-in-law is Punjabi. Wife, I am thinking to bring from outside," Salman said.

Salman has often been linked with his co-stars and also being termed as a 'possessive' boyfriend. He admitted that he was a miserable lover but a great friend.
"When you are in a relationship you try everything to see that she doesn't leave you. You try to be good. You give her a silent treatment. You yell, cry and when nothing works you say go. I thought they were the most correct people for me. Great girls bad boyfriend. I have not been like the most incredible boyfriend. I could be the friend and I have heard this from the ex-girlfriends also that (he is) a great friend but miserable boyfriend," Salman said.

The actor also thanked his parents - father Salim Khan and mothers Sushila Charak Khan and Helen - for being with him at his worst times.

"No child would have given them as may problems. I was a naughty kid. They had to hear slanderous things about their son from others - the jail episodes, the cases that have come. If these things would not have come, my father and mother would have looked as young as I look now," he said

Co-writing songs and performing them night after night apparently doesn't guarantee you'll have the lyrics committed to memory -- not if your name is Miley Cyrus.

The 21-year-old singer is facing criticism after fans spotted her glancing at lyrics on a teleprompter positioned at the edge of the stage. Photos captured at a recent Las Vegas concert show a karaoke-style display on the screen.
Of course, artists forgetting their lyrics onstage is not uncommon, and the spontaneity of those moments can sometimes be a concert's most charming event. But during a tour that's generated one controversial move after the next -- from make-out sessions with Katy Perry to an oral-sex simulation with a Bill Clinton impersonator -- it seems some find this a step too far in terms of Cyrus tour behavior.

"I was at Miley's Vegas concert and took these pictures because I couldn't believe she needed a teleprompter with lyrics to all of her songs throughout the entire concert," an eyewitness told RadarOnline. "And it's not like they were just there for nothing -- I caught her looking at them more than a few times!"

This Royal Danish Air Force pilot has elevated the art of the selfie. Literally.

Cruising high above the North Sea, the pilot, identified as Thomas Kristensen by ABC News, captured a selfie immediately after launching an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile. The shot also includes the complete wingspan of the F-16, an endless stretch of clouds and the blue sky.
We aren't entirely certain how the pilot managed to capture this unique shot, but there seems to be a GoPro reflected in his helmet visor, which would help explain Kristensen's seemingly impeccable timing. (The selfie is probably a capture from a video of the event.)

Though the selfie was originally posted to Facebook in October 2012, ABC speculates it has gained viral boost on account of Ellen DeGeneres' star-studded "Oscar selfie," which has prompted renewed interest in particularly epic self-portraits.

The Duke University student who has the campus -- and the Internet -- in an uproar over her after-school job doing pornography has revealed her identity. Her porn star identity, at least.

Publicly known under the monicker Lauren until now, Belle Knox came forward in xoJane and Playboy SFW pieces Tuesday as the so-called Duke porn star. She won't reveal her birth name, explaining that is what she reserves for her personal life, but did decide to show her face and disclose the name her fans are most familiar with:

My birth name is one name. IT IS MINE. It is the name I am enrolled in at Duke. It is what my family and friends call me. My porn name is another name. It is the name I use when I perform. These are two different worlds in which I inhabit. I can't stop you from calling me any name you want to -- including "slut," "whore" or "bitch" -- but I can decide what name I use.
Today, I'm going to officially reveal what my porn name is -- outside of the dregs of the Internet trying to bully me into using my birth name for porn, on message boards where comments like "Her nose is bigger than her tits" or "She deserves to be raped" are the common parlance -- and that is my choice to make.

The Internet does not dictate my life. My sexuality is not some sort of blackmail to be used against me, granting you ownership over my life or my story. It is my life. It is my story.

So I'm refusing to let the bullies win. Instead, in revealing my performer name, I'm also going to let you know exactly the level of hate that exists in America regarding women who refuse to be quiet about their sexuality.

Knox has given a limited number of interviews so far, each casting her identity and face under an anonymous disguise. One positive thing, as Uproxx noted, is that most of the major media coverage up to this point has refrained from outing either the real name or porn alter-ego.

Just when you thought Beyonce couldn't possibly get any more sizzling, she goes and raises the temperature again.

Beyonce debuted an array of new tour costumes -- including a skintight bodysuit and glittering leotards -- while performing in Europe. The superstar singer posted photos of the looks to her Tumblr page this week and, of course, blew it out of the water again.
Queen Bey has been changing up her attire while traveling around the globe on her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. Last month, while in Glasgow, she wowed in a sparkling bodice for her Crazy Horse-inspired performance of "Partition," E! News noted, and then switched it up in a flannel top and a pair of $4,000 Chanel booties.

The superstar is currently in London. She will end her tour this month in Portugal.

Exciting research suggests that a shot every one to three months may someday give an alternative to the daily pills that some people take now to cut their risk of getting HIV.

The experimental drug has only been tested for prevention in monkeys, but it completely protected them from infection in two studies reported at an AIDS conference on Tuesday.

"This is the most exciting innovation in the field of HIV prevention that I've heard recently," said Dr. Robert Grant, an AIDS expert at the Gladstone Institutes, a foundation affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco.

"Both groups are showing 100 percent protection" with the drug, Grant said of the two groups of researchers. "If it works and proves to be safe, it would allow for HIV to be prevented with periodic injections, perhaps every three months."

Until a vaccine is developed, condoms are the best way to prevent infection with the AIDS virus and many other sexually spread diseases. But not everyone uses them, or does so all the time, so public health officials have pursued other prevention options.

A drug used to treat people with HIV — Gilead Science's Truvada — also is used to help prevent infection in people who don't have the virus. A big study in gay men a few years ago found it could cut this risk by up to 90 percent, depending on how faithfully people take the daily pills.

The new research tested something that could make this type of prevention much more practical — a long-acting experimental drug made by GlaxoSmithKline PLC. The studies tested it in macaques exposed to a human-monkey version of HIV.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave six monkeys shots of the drug every four weeks; six others got dummy shots. All were exposed to the virus twice a week for 11 weeks.

The monkeys who got the fake treatment were readily infected "but the animals that received the long-acting drug remained protected," said study leader Gerardo Garcia-Lerma of the CDC.

The results mirror what was seen in the CDC's early research in monkeys on Truvada, the pill that's available for HIV prevention now.

In the second study, Chasity Andrews and others at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Rockefeller University in New York gave eight monkeys two shots of the drug, four weeks apart, and dummy shots to eight others. The animals were exposed to the virus weekly for eight weeks. Again, all animals given the fake treatment were quickly infected and those on the drug were all protected.

To see how long a single shot would last, they did a second study. The single shot protected 12 monkeys for about 10 weeks on average.

Narendra Modi may contest the Lok Sabha elections from Gujarat as well as Uttar Pradesh.

This follows a fresh assessment by BJP strategists who feel that that their prime ministerial nominee's candidature from two states may boost local cadre, improve prospects of other candidates and help the BJP in its quest for 272-plus seats in the Lok Sabha.

The assessment comes as Modi completed the first phase of his election campaign in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar with rallies in Lucknow on Sunday and Muzzafarpur on Monday. Both states account for 120 of the 543 seats in the LS and are crucial for any party wishing to rule at the Centre.
A decision on Modi's candidature could be taken when the BJP's election committee meets on March 8, when the first list of candidates for UP is expected to be announced.

BJP strategists are keen that Modi contests from Varanasi — the nerve centre of eastern UP that is close to Bihar — as they feel it could electrify the mood in neighbouring Poorvanchal and parts of Bihar that together account for over 50 seats.

Key Modi aide Amit Shah, who is in-charge of UP, believes that Modi should accede to the demand of BJP workers to contest from Varanasi.

Party leaders said Modi might eventually exercise the option of contesting from both UP and Gujarat as he would not like to disappoint supporters in his home state who are "clamouring" for him to contest from there.

So far, sitting MP from Varanasi and senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi has been reluctant to give up his seat. But party insiders said fresh efforts were on to persuade him to shift to another constituency, like Kanpur.

Party sources said that Joshi apparently had no reservations about giving up Varanasi if veterans like LK Advani also gave up their old seats. Advani has already announced that he intends to contest from Gandhinagar, a seat he has been associated with for several years.

Modi's managers say he can contest from any seat in Gujarat, ideally Gandhinagar. But Modi is not keen on displacing Advani and may prefer Ahmedabad or any other constituency, any of which should be a cakewalk for him.

The embattled new government of Ukraine accused Russian forces of a major escalation in military pressure over control of the Crimean Peninsula on Monday, saying Russia had deployed 16,000 troops in the region over the last week and had demanded that Ukrainian forces there surrender within hours or face armed assault.

Russia denied it had issued any ultimatum but was clearly moving to strengthen its grip on Crimea, brushing aside new admonitions from President Obama and European leaders of economic punishment and isolation.

At the United Nations, where the Security Council met for the third time in an emergency session since Friday, the Ukrainian ambassador, Yuriy Sergeyev, distributed a three-page letter asserting that the Russians had sent 16,000 troops into the Crimean Peninsula since Feb. 24.
The troops, Mr. Sergeyev wrote, had moved to “seize, block and control crucial governmental and military objects of Ukraine in Crimea.”

If these warnings are just noise, then it would be better if they were not made; it just hurts the credibility of the U.S. and West. More red lines are not what is needed.
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Russia has denied Western accusations that it flouted international law in asserting military control in Crimea, a historically Russian region that is home to its Black Sea naval base. The Russians have asserted that they moved to protect their legitimate interests there after President Viktor F. Yanukovych fled more than a week ago after protests in Kiev that reflected opposition to his shift toward closer relations with Russia.