A former military ruler of Argentina has received a third life sentence for crimes against humanity  involving detainees held the Campo de Mayo military base.

Li Keqiang has been named China's new premier by the country's leaders on Friday, whilst xi Jinping was announced as president. Li received 2940 of 3000 votes, and Jinping received 2950 out of 3000.

The US president Barack Obama called both to express his congratulations. In a statement the US White House said:

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel announced Friday that the they will be bolstering its missile defences in response to "a series of irresponsible and reckless provocations" from North Korea.

Hagel also said that the additional defences would mean that the US "will be able to add protection against missiles from Iran sooner, while also providing additional protection against the North Korean threat."

The US State Department has suggested that it may support Britain and France providing arms to the Syrian Opposition.

In response to questions about Britain wanting to lift the EU arms embargo to Syria, spokesperson Victoria Nuland said:

A co-ordinated attack launched by bombers in central Baghdad has left at least 22 people killed.

The attack comes just days before the tenth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq led by the USA.

In recent weeks analysts have warned that al Qaeda may be regaining strength in Iraq.

The Foreign Minister of Botswana apologised on Wednesday for stating that the new Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta would not be allowed to "set foot" in the country if he refused to cooperate with the ICC.

The Kenyan government had accused the minister, Phandu Skelemani of being "contemptuous" towards Kenyatta.

In a statement, Skelemani said:

David Cameron has indicated that the UK may be prepared to bypass the EU arms embargo to Syria if the measure is not lifted in May.

After approving the provision of armoured vehicles and body armour for Syrian opposition leaders last week, Cameron was asked by the chair of the commons foreign affairs select committee whether he was prepared to veto the EU arms embargo when it is reviewed in May.

Burma's icon of democracy, Aung Sun Suu Kyi has been criticised by former colleagues, including freed deputy 83-year-old Win Tin, for being too compromising with the Burmese military government.

See here for Washington Post's feature.

Extracts reproduced below:

“Some of us would like to push the military into the Bay of Bengal,” [Win Tin] said with a smile. “[Suu Kyi] only wants to push them into Kandawgyi Lake,”

“Although I am a free man, I feel my whole country is still in jail,” he said. “There are no great prison walls, but we are still in chains.”

The PKK released eight Turkish soldiers on Wednesday who had been held hostage in Northern Iraq for two years.

The release comes after the jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan called for prisoners to be released on both sides. 

A member of the European Union's delegation to Syia has been killed in Darayya, South-West of Damascus on Wednesday. Ahmad Shihadeh, an EU policy officer was killed in a rocket attack.

The EU withdrew international staff in December last year, closing its Damascus office. However, local Syrian staff remained.

In a statement, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said:

"I have learned today with great sadness of the tragic death on 12 March of Ahmad Shihadeh, a policy officer at the EU Delegation in Syria. He was killed during a rocket attack on the Damascus suburb of Deraya, where he lived.

Falklanders voted unanimously to stay under British rule in an referendum, with the official count on Monday revealing 99.8% voting in favour of remaining a British Overseas Territory.

The poll which took place over two days and included 1694 Falklands born and long-term residents had a 92% turnout rate.

The United States condemned use of phosporus as a crowd control measure after a Burmese report found the toxic agent had been used to disperse a rally at a copper mine in November.

The parliamentary report led by opposition leader Suu Kyi claimed that dozens of people were injured in the clampdown and many suffered burns from the white phosphorus.