The Sri Lankan government has denounced a UN call for an international investigation into human rights abuses in its long civil war as 'unwarranted interference'

The UN believes 40,000 Tamils were killed in the last months of the war before the defeat of the LTTE in May 2009 Photo: Getty
By Dean Nelson, South Asia Editor 3:23PM GMT 25 Feb 2014
More than forty new bodies were found in a mass grave in Sri Lanka's Tamil north, officials said on Tuesday, after the government rejected a UN call for an international inquiry into alleged war crimes.
The discovery of the grave in Mannar, a key battle zone in the last stages of Sri Lanka's long civil war, will increase pressure on the United Nations Human Rights Council to support an independent war crimes investigation when it meets in Geneva next month. Eighty bodies, including those of children, have now been recovered there and another mass grave with 155 bodies was discovered in 2012.
The report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, highlighted these mass graves in her report and said they demonstrated the "magnitude and gravity of the violations alleged to have been committed" by both sides. The thousands of civilians killed in the last months of the war in 2009 and allegations of summary executions of surrendering or arrested Tamil Tiger leaders demanded an independent investigation, the report said.
The UN believes 40,000 Tamils were killed in the last months of the war before the defeat of the LTTE in May 2009. Many of them were killed in Army shelling of civilians in official "no-fire zones".
David Cameron, the prime minister, and other leaders had warned President Mahinda Rajapaksa at last year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo that there would be an international inquiry if Sri Lanka did not launch its own credible and independent inquiry before March 2014.

Ms Pillay effectively called time on its delays when her report calling for an international investigation was released late on Monday evening.
Its failure to launch "independent or credible investigations," reflected a lack of political will, it added.
It cited political interference in the judiciary, continuing disappearances and intimidation of witnesses as further reasons for an international inquiry which would guarantee witness protection.
"The international community has a duty to take further steps, which will advance the right to truth for all in Sri Lanka," the report said.
Its criticisms of Sri Lanka's own reconciliation attempts were rejected by the government which said the report "reflects bias and is tantamount to an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state".
Critics said Sri Lanka is hoping that support from China and Russia might help it defeat the war crimes inquiry proposal at the Human Rights Council meeting next month. But they will not be able to veto the proposal if a simple majority of the 47 council members support it.

Mexico's salamander-like axolotl apparently hasn't disappeared from its only known natural habitat in Mexico City's few remaining lakes.

Researchers say they have sighted, but not caught, two of the slippery little creatures during a second effort to find them.

A weekslong effort last year by researchers in skiffs trying to net axolotls in the shallow, muddy waters of Xochimilco lake found none, raising fears that they might only now survive in captivity.

But biologist Armando Tovar Garza of Mexico's National Autonomous University said Friday that members of the team carrying out the search had seen two axolotls during the first three weeks of a second survey expected to conclude in April.

"We weren't able to capture them ... because the behavior of the axolotl makes them very difficult to capture," Tovar Garza said. "We haven't had any captures, but we have had two sightings. That's important, because it tells us we still have a chance."

The axolotl, admittedly ugly with a slimy tail, plumage-like gills and mouth that curls into an odd smile, is known as the "water monster" and the "Mexican walking fish." It's only natural habitat is the Xochimilco network of lakes and canals — the "floating gardens" of earth piled on reed mats that the Aztecs built to grow crops but are now suffering from pollution, urban sprawl and invasive species.

The creature is import in scientific research because of its ability to regenerate severed limbs.

Some axolotls still survive in aquariums, water tanks and research labs, but experts said those conditions aren't the best, because of interbreeding and other risks. Releasing captive-bred axolotls into the wild could spread a fungus infection that is fatal to them and could reduce their genetic diversity. Tovar Garza said some small mutations, possibly the result of interbreeding, have already been seen.

Alarmed by the creature's falling numbers in recent years, researchers built axolotl "shelters" in Xochimilco to help them breed in the cleanest part of their remaining habitat.

"House of Cards" fans who didn't get to see enough of Rachel Posner during the show's second season would be wise to watch Ari Aster's newest short film. Called "Basically," the mini-feature is the first of a 12-part, short-film series by Aster, which the director describes as "an idiosyncratic collection of monologue-driven character profiles" of Los Angeles residents. Different actors will appear in each film, but the first stars Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Posner on "House of Cards," as an actress dealing with an array of personal issues, including her domineering mother and the fate of an ex-boyfriend.

Aster, who previously directed the 30-minute short "The Stranger Thing About The Johnsons," is set to start work on his feature film debut later this year. "Basically," which premiered at the New York Film Festival last fall, can be seen in full below. (Warning: Strong language.)

While sitting around lamenting our millennial lives, a friend of mine shared this morsel of wisdom she'd gotten from an older acquaintance. It was something like, when you're young you have time and energy, but no money. When you're middle-aged, you have energy and money, but no time. And when you're old, you have time and money, but no energy.

Such is the quagmire of youth. While we're getting bombarded with messages telling us to YOLO, to "dance like nobody's watching," and love like we've never been hurt before -- we're busy dealing with unemployment, wondering how to pay for our weddings, and how to lower our astronomical student loan payments.

And the thing about having more energy -- well, I can't vouch for that. Consensus among my 20-something friends is we're tired. All.the.time. We're juggling young, new relationships, 60-hour workweeks in many cases, and the pressure to maintain the illusion of having "a life."

Truth be told, many of us are looking forward to aging, and getting to a point where we've passed most of life's major hurdles -- not spending our entire paychecks on the newest anti-aging serum to help us cling to our exponentially fading youth. Here's what we're looking forward to in older age:

1. Two words. Senior discounts. Because there's no I-still-live-with-my-parents discount or student-loan-repayment- discount.

2. Not worrying as much about things will "turn out." After 50 or so, I'm guessing most major questions of life have been answered. Will I find the right life partner? Will I have kids? Will everything be okay?

My 65-plus father once told me that when he looks at young folks he feels sheer pity. Not what I was expecting to hear. But they're fit, healthy, and able-bodied I said confusedly. True, he agreed. But they just have so many hurdles ahead of them that they can't even imagine. There are so many uphill battles they have yet to face. I'm confident I've already faced the worst of my problems, he said. Let's hope he's right.

3. More mature relationships (hopefully). As a young dater or novice boyfriend/girlfriend, everything is so much more fragile and every fight leaves you wondering if you're headed for a breakup that will cause the devastation of a nuclear bomb in your heart.

I can't wait to celebrate my 30th or 40th wedding anniversary with someone I've been through thick and thin with. Someone who has essentially watched me grow up. That's the sort of intimacy that easily trumps the passion and fireworks of a budding love.

At middle age, we all face the fact that our place in the world is evolving as we get older and our bodies and faces change. Narcissists are confronted with the decline of their sense of importance in the world and the fading of their good looks in a way that can be particularly devastating to them. There may be a frantic grasp at staying young by narcissists who have lived their lives trading on their physical appearance to be relevant and noticed. It happens on blogs and in the media as (more often than not) women try to keep the attention they've always craved through plastic surgery, overt sexuality, provocative words and images and more. In some cases, it's not sexy at all - it's sad and desperate.

According to the Mayo Clinic, narcissism is:

...characterized by dramatic, emotional behavior, which is in the same category as antisocial and borderline personality disorders.
Some of the symptoms of narcissism include:

Believing that you're better than others
Fantasizing about power, success and attractiveness
Exaggerating your achievements or talents
Expecting constant praise and admiration
Believing that you're special and acting accordingly
As you can see, narcissists live in a fantasyland of their own sense of exaggerated self-importance. When the world acknowledges them as young beauties, they are given the kind of attention the believe they deserve without having to do much to attract it to them. As they grow older, the loss of attention can wreak havoc. Because they hold a mirror up to the world to see who they are, this lack of attention can very well obliterate their self-worth.

Narcissists are among the most difficult people with whom to have a relationship, be it personal or professional, because no matter what you do or say it isn't enough to feed their never-ending desire for admiration and applause. They expect to be praised simply for showing up, and watch out if you don't respond the way they think you should to their slightest effort. Narcissists are exhausting, and beware the narcissist whose anger is focused your way:

The anger of narcissists...can be more demeaning. Their criticism evolves from their conviction that others don't meet their lofty standards-or worse, aren't letting them get their own way. "Narcissistic injuries," or wounds to the ego, often pave the way for narcissistic rages, which can be passive-aggressive or planned out, as well as sudden. They are above you and you have displeased them and probably deserve punishment they will dole out. - Psychology Today

Justin Bieber recruited rapper Blake Kelly for his new song "Broken" which made its debut this weekend. The first track the young Biebs has released since his recent arrest, "Broken" has the 19-year-old singer addressing the drama, singing, "I guess they want a reaction / I ain't gonna give it to 'em." Bieber then sticks it to his haters, crooning, "I cannot be broken / like I know you were hoping."

In I Don’t Even Understand How In The Hell This Could Ever Happen news, The Ghana News Agency is reporting that a man and a woman renting out a “guest house” (which I guess is probably the equivalent of a cheap motel) near a public market in Sunyani, Ghana became, uh, stuck, when the man could not remove his penis from the woman’s vagina following intercourse. Hooooo boy. From Graphic Online:

An attendant at the guest house told the GNA on condition of anonymity that the two booked the room for 30 minutes but when the time elapsed they failed to come out. He said he knocked at the door but heard some unusual sound from the room and informed some traders in the market.

“When we forced the door open we saw the unexpected as the two lovers were lying on the floor in torment,” the attendant said. Some of the market women said the woman was a trader from Berekum who sells soap every market day.

Some of them attributed the cause of the incident to a curse placed either on the man or the woman and added that rituals had to be performed before they could be separated.

So that sounds like a sexy, fun time. I mean, obviously any news outlet reporting that rituals needed to be performed to remove a curse that super glues your genitals together needs to be taken with a grain of salt — but we also know there are legitimate medical oddities out there, such as the man with 132 pound nutsack, Sex Sent Me To The ER, and you do not even want to know what kind of freaky sh*t they have at Philadelphia’s Mutter Museum. So, suspending all disbelief, what do you guys think? Did she have some kind of super-suctioney vagina like a finger trap or did he have a penis shaped like an umbrella? These are VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS we need to be asking. Got theories? Leave ‘em in the comments, because I for one would love to hear them.

A 15-year-old Pennsylvania girl was charged Thursday as an adult in the death of a 14-year-old boy.

Amber Hellesten faces charges of murder, aggravated assault and simple assault for the stabbing of Azim Chaplin, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.

The charges stem from a Feb. 11 incident in Point Breeze. Police say Hellesten, who reportedly lived down the street from Chaplin, stabbed him once in the chest at about 8 p.m. that night. The blade from the knife pierced the boy's heart and he was transported to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where he was admitted in critical condition.

Witnesses at the scene allegedly identified Hellesten to police as the individual who stabbed Chaplin.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing unnamed police sources, reported Chaplin was stabbed during an argument with Hellesten and other kids. Tasha Jamerson, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, would not confirm that report. She told The Huffington Post the cause of the stabbing is "still under investigation."

Authorities took Hellesten into custody the night of the stabbing and charged her with attempted murder.

"When she was charged with attempted murder, directly after the stabbing, we charged her as an adult because of her actions and because she was 15," said Jamerson.

Pennsylvania law prohibits charging anyone under the age of 15 as an adult in an attempted murder case. At 15, Hellesten met the standard.

With the death toll already at 50 and rising in two days of violence, clashes in Kiev, Ukraine, show no signs of slowing down, despite President Viktor Yanukovych's announcement of a truce on Wednesday evening. Though the protests have persisted for nearly three months, the bloodiest days of unrest have come this week after both Russia and the European Union maneuvered to further influence the former Soviet state.

A multitude of videos circulating the Internet show the outrageous levels of violence in the Ukrainian capital. In one video from Radio Svoboda, Radio Free Europe's Russian service, a riot policeman with an unmistakable AK-47 assault rifle fires off the screen.

The video then cuts to footage of a sniper in the prone position, flanked by other police. Eventually, they all scamper out of frame.

In a Sky News video, another riot police officer fires his AK-47 as he retreats down a street.

It's unclear what he's firing at, though the news anchor suggests some sort of "firework" went off above the police.