* Israel remembers its fallen fighters A minute-long siren sounded across the nation at 8 p.m. Sunday, marking the beginning of Israel’s 59th Remembrance Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism.

* France opts for left-right battle Centre-right candidate Nicolas Sarkozy will face Socialist Segolene Royal in the run-off of France’s presidential election on 6 May.

* Hamas calls for new attacks on Israel Hamas on Sunday called for new attacks on Israel after nine Palestinians were killed in a surge of fighting over the weekend.

* 59 years, 7,150,000 residents in Israel As Israel’s 59th Independence Day approaches, the country’s population stands at 7,150,000 residents, almost nine times its population of 806,000 at the time of the state’s creation in 1948.

* Iraqi PM criticises Baghdad wall Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has asked for construction to end on a concrete wall around a Sunni enclave in the capital, Baghdad.

* No IDF monument in West Bank After her son, St.-Sgt. Uri Biton, 21, was killed in Lebanon in 1997, his mother found a worn, folded-up note in his wallet with a scribbled motto which read: “Give your utmost for the nation.”

* EU agrees Iran nuclear sanctions EU foreign ministers have agreed to implement sanctions against Iran after its refusal to halt uranium enrichment.

* US urges Iran to join Iraq talks Condoleezza Rice is urging Iran to join her at a high-level conference on the future of Iraq next week.

* Fresh Somali clashes ‘kill many’ At least 47 people have been killed in Mogadishu in fresh fighting between Ethiopian-backed Somali forces and Islamists, a human rights group says.

* IDF bans settlers’ march to Homesh The IDF officially announced on Sunday that authorization for a march to the evacuated settlement of Homesh this Independence Day would not be granted.