* Iran demands Russian nuclear shipment Iran demanded Sunday that Azerbaijan deliver a Russian shipment of nuclear equipment blocked at its border with Iran for the past three weeks.

* N. Koreans may have died in Israel raid in Syria Japanese public broadcaster quotes South Korean intelligence officials as saying 10 North Koreans helping build nuclear reactor in Syria may have died in airstrike last September.

* Turkish FM: Mediation efforts aimed at direct Syria-Israel talks Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Monday that while much remains to be achieved before any peace agreement between Israel and Syria, Ankara would continue to act as a go-between to encourage the two sides to restart direct negotiations.

* Israel agrees to lift key West Bank roadblock upon request from Blair Israel on Monday agreed to remove a strategic roadblock near the West Bank city of Nablus, after Middle East envoy Tony Blair presented a list of travel and trade restrictions he wants removed to bolster peace talks with the Palestinians.

* Mofaz: All options on table to stop Iran Iran must be prevented from attaining nuclear weapons and all the options are on the table in order to stop this from happening, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz said late Sunday night.

* Top US official to head Blair’s Jerusalem mission In an effort to upgrade US involvement in the work of the Quartet’s Mideast envoy Tony Blair, Washington has sent senior State Department official Robert Danin to work for the former British prime minister in Jerusalem.

* As polls narrow, Irish PM warns of ‘disaster’ if EU treaty defeated Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has issued a stark warning on the consequences of rejecting the EU treaty as the latest poll shows a narrowing gap between the yes and no side.

* UN meeting to address food crisis Key United Nations development agencies are meeting in Switzerland to try to develop solutions to ease the escalating global food crisis.

* Shi’ite vs. Shi’ite in Iraq Hundreds have died in Shi’ite areas since Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki, a Shi’ite, launched a crackdown against Shia militias.

* US ‘very concerned’ about Karzai attack The White House said Monday that it was “very concerned” by a weekend attack which saw Afghan President Hamid Karzai survive a hail of rockets and bullets that killed three people.