An update from the CNN newsdesk in London on the stories we're following on Monday:

Abbas in France: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meets French President Nicholas Sarkozy in Paris. The visit comes as construction at settlement sites in the West Bank begins, hours after the expiration of a 10-month Israeli government moratorium on building.

Merkel speaks to CNN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel sits down with CNN’s Becky Anderson to talk about the economy, Roma immigration, and German reunification.

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