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.

See the Guardian for full report.

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.

The Prime Minister responded:

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 Kurdish politician, Husamettin Zemberlioglu confirmed that that the freed hostages had been received safely. Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister, Besir Atalay, welcomes their release as "a gesture of goodwill."

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 referendum has been dismissed by Argentina as a meaningless publicity stunt.

Roger Edwards, one of the Falklands' assembly's eight elected members, said:

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.

Spokesperson for the State Department, Victoria Nuland said:

An inquiry panel headed by Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has sparked anger after failing to punish police for injuring protesters and suggesting that a controversial copper mine be kept open.

Thein Than Oo of the Upper Burma Lawyers Network said:

“This commission result is not enough and we can’t rely on them,”

Seven hostages taken by Nigerian militants are thought to be dead.

The group Ansaru claimed responsibility for the killings as a response to reports of British warplanes in the area. The seven included one Briton, a Greek, an Italian and four Lebanese hostages.

The UK's Foreign Secretary William Hague condemned the 'cold-blooded' murders saying: