* Mid-East summit begins in Egypt Arab and Israeli leaders have begun a summit in Egypt in a show of support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after the Hamas takeover in Gaza.

* Settler heads slam plans to boost Fatah Yesha heads call on government to reverse decision to arm Fatah gunmen loyal to Abbas after Hamas takeover of Gaza.

* ‘Hamas coup was coordinated with Iran’ The Palestinian Authority intelligence chief on Sunday accused Iran of close involvement in Hamas’ violent takeover of Gaza, saying Teheran funded the group and trained hundreds of their gunmen.

* Lebanon seeks help to stem violence The Lebanese government has called the car bombing of UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon “a challenge to the international community”.

* Al-Zawahri urges Sharia law in Gaza Al-Qaida’s deputy leader called on Muslims around the world to back Hamas with weapons, money and attacks on US and Israeli interests in a Web audiotape Monday, urging the Palestinian militant group to unite with al-Qaida’s “holy warriors” after its takeover of Gaza.

* ‘Chemical Ali’ sentenced to hang A cousin of the late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has been sentenced to death by an Iraqi court for the murder of some 180,000 Kurds in 1988.

* Abbas to demand release of Barghouti Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is expected to demand the release of hundreds of Fatah prisoners from Israeli jails during Monday’s summit in Sharm e-Sheikh, PA officials said.

* Iran: We’ll launch nuclear plant in Oct. Iran’s energy minister said Monday the country would launch its first nuclear power plant in October, state-run television reported.

* EU chiefs ‘satisfied’ with treaty EU leaders have expressed measured approval of a draft treaty to reform EU systems agreed at a summit in Brussels.

* World Leaders Meet to Discuss Darfur “Silence is killing,” stated French President Nicholas Sarkozy at a meeting on the Monday about the humanitarian crisis that is occurring in Darfur.