More world news in brief.
Baghdad's Green Zone bombarded
BAGHDAD - Militants bombarded Baghdad's Green Zone with rockets yesterday, taking advantage of the cover of a blinding dust storm to launch one of the heaviest strikes in weeks on the fortified compound.
The strikes appeared to defy a renewed call for a ceasefire issued on Friday by Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. - (Reuters)
LA fire prompts 400 evacuations
LOS ANGELES - A 350- acre wildfire amid blazing hot temperatures forced the evacuation of about 400 homes in the hills northeast of Los Angeles yesterday, officials said. The cause of the fire was still under investigation. - (Reuters)
Armenia 'ready' for Turkey talks
YEREVAN - Armenia is ready to start dialogue with Turkey on improving relations if Ankara does not set preconditions to talks, Armenia's new prime minister said yesterday.
The neighbours have no diplomatic links. - (Reuters)
EU compromise on Serbia offered
BRUSSELS - The Netherlands and Belgium have made a compromise proposal to EU partners under which the bloc could sign a long-delayed association pact with Serbia in June, the Belgian foreign ministry has said. EU foreign ministers are due to discuss Serbia tomorrow. - (Reuters)
New Haitian PM named
PORT-AU-PRINCE - Haitian president René Préval named a new prime minister yesterday after lawmakers fired his predecessor to quell violent protests over rising food prices. Ericq Pierre, a senior adviser with the Inter-American Development Bank, is to replace Jacques- Édouard Alexis. - (Reuters)
Forest fires rage on Canary Island
LA GOMERA - Spain's interior ministry has said forest fires are raging on the Canary Island of La Gomera, destroying homes and forcing the evacuation of 500 people. - (AP)