* Olmert denies cease fire talks with Hamas taking place Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said emphatically after meeting with visiting Czech Prime Minister on Monday Mirek Topolanek that there was no agreement on a cease fire with Hamas.

* Rabbi Shapira: Strong Government to Replace the Hollow One “Instead of the thorn bush, the cypress will come up, and instead of a hollow government, a strong one shall grow,” said Rabbi Yaakov Shapira Sunday, in a paraphrase on a verse from Isaiah 55.

* Israeli minister says sack ElBaradei over Iran An Israeli cabinet minister called on Sunday for the dismissal of the head of the UN nuclear watchdog for not doing enough to curb Iranian atomic projects with bomb-making potential.

* Pakistani Opposition to Form New Gov’t President Pervez Musharraf is not about to quit, a senior ally said Monday, a day after opponents agreed to form a government and restore judges who had questioned the legality of the former army chief continuing in office.

* Serbian government calls for poll The Serbian government has urged President Boris Tadic to dissolve parliament and hold an early election.

* Israel Approves Home Building in West Bank The government of Israel said Sunday that it had approved the construction of hundreds of homes in a West Bank settlement north of Jerusalem, a move that could further complicate a peace effort already hobbled by violence.

* Turkish PM seeks to turn new page in Iraq relations Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday he wants better relations with Iraq, a week after Ankara ended an army offensive against PKK rebels based in the north of the country.

* Opposition protests crackdown in Egypt The opposition Muslim Brotherhood demonstrated in two Egyptian cities Sunday, protesting arrests that have targeted the group’s leaders and potential candidates ahead of upcoming local elections, police and the movement said.

* Iranian group puts price on Barak’s head ‘Islamic Student Justice Seekers’ declare financial prizes to be awarded to those who kill Israeli defense minister, Mossad Director Meir Dagan, and Military Intelligence Chief Amos Yadlin.

* Hamas says its fighters train in Iran Senior Hamas commander admits in interview to Sunday Times some 300 men have already been trained by Revolutionary Guards.