Sri Lanka 'killed tens of thousands of its civilians'

The UN has said widespread shelling by the Sri Lankan government killed most of the tens of thousands of civilians who died in the final months of the 25-year-long war in 2009.

The report also accuses Tamil Tiger separatists of using civilians as human shields.

The UN is calling for an independent investigation into what it says could constitute war crimes.

The government has consistently denied claims it targeted civilians.

Sri Lanka had asked the UN not to publish the report, saying it could damage reconciliation efforts. It has rejected the findings as biased and fraudulent.

The report paints a brutal image of the final offensive on the Tamil enclave in northern Sri Lanka between January and May 2009. It said that hospitals, UN centres and ships belonging to aid group the Red Cross were deliberately shelled by government forces.

Human Rights Watch disputes Ban Ki-moon's assessment that he lacks authority to order an international probe into possible war crimes in Sri Lanka, as recommended by the panel he appointed to advise him on ways of responding to reported atrocities.

Carter to meet N Korean leader

Former US president Jimmy Carter and other past world leaders were hoping to meet with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il as they began a three-day mission today to discuss dangerous food shortages and stalled nuclear disarmament talks.

Files 'reveal al-Qaida plots'

Classified military files obtained by the WikiLeaks website reveal a range of potential al-Qaida plots against the United States, including post-9/11 aircraft attacks on the west coast.

The schemes - none of which were executed - are described in US military assessments of terrorism suspects being held at the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Those detainees include Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.

Dingoes maul girl, 3, on beach

Two dingoes that mauled a three-year-old girl on an Australian beach have been caught and will be destroyed, authorities said today.

The girl was bitten on the legs when the native wild dogs attacked her after she wandered into sand dunes on Fraser Island in north-eastern Queensland state.

Farmers in nuclear demo

More than 200 farmers affected by radiation spewing from Japan's crippled nuclear power plant have today launched a protest in front of the operator's headquarters.

The farmers brought two cows with them to their protest in Tokyo, where they chanted and punched the air with their fists.

Blasts leave four dead in Pakistan city

Pakistan: Bombs planted by the roadside tore through two Pakistani navy buses taking employees to work today, killing four and wounding more than 50.

The blasts took place 15 minutes apart in different areas of Karachi.

China: The government is asking the public to help come up with a name and logo for its future space station.

The appeal issued today is a sign of growing confidence in its space programme.