* Syria: Accept Arab initiative or we’ll resort to violence Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal threatened on Monday evening to return the Golan Heights to Syrian hands “by way of resistance If Israel [rejected] the Arab peace initiative.”

* Sadr ministers quit Iraqi cabinet The head of Moqtada Sadr’s Iraqi parliament bloc says the radical cleric has ordered his ministers to withdraw from the cabinet.

* Muslim Anti-Jewish Crusade Also Pursues Christians Muslim fundamentalists, aligned with Al Qaeda, bombed a Christian bookstore and two Internet cafes in Gaza on Saturday.

* ‘China will deal with PA unity gov’t’ China and Switzerland have informed Palestinian officials they will deal with the new Palestinian Authority unity government, the Palestinian information minister said Monday.

* Olmert Backs Arms for PA Hamas-Fatah Militia Merger Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s agreement on Sunday to an American plan to provide weapons and training to expanded numbers of Fatah militia members in the Palestinian Authority (PA) comes at the same time the PA is uniting Hamas and Fatah militia forces.

* Israel marks Holocaust Memorial Day A two-minute siren brought life to a standstill in Israel on Monday at 10 am as Israelis observed an annual moment of silence in honor of the victims of the Nazis and their collaborators.

* Turkish PM silent as presidential race kicks off Turkey’s presidential race formally kicked off Monday, but Islamist-rooted Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan remained tight-lipped on his intentions amid protests by secular forces.

* EU to quiz Russia foreign minister on violence The European Commission plans to quiz Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on why police beat up peaceful protesters in Moscow and St Petersburg over the weekend.

* Iran: UN action will spur nuke progress Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday said additional UN sanctions would cause Iran to step up its nuclear development even further.

* Deadly shooting at US university At least 31 people have been killed and 10 injured after a gunman went on the rampage at the campus of Virginia Tech university in Virginia, US.