The Times reports this morning that an explosion is believed to have damaged Iran’s nuclear facility at Fordow last week. Fordow, which is buried deep in a mountain side, is of particular concern to the international community, which suspects that uranium is being enriched there just below the level useable in a nuclear armament. The report quotes several sources, including an unnamed Israeli official. The Independent and the online editions of the Guardian and Financial Times cover weekend violence in Egypt, which has prompted President Mohammed Morsi to declare a state of emergency in three of the country’s provinces. Protests against his rule erupted over the weekend, coinciding with the second anniversary of the protests which eventually removed Hosni Mubarak from office. This was compounded by serious riots in Port Said over a judicial ruling into deadly violence at a football match in the city last year. The Financial Times includes a special report on Palestinians who have recently fled Syria to neighbouring Lebanon and the uncertain future that they face. Meanwhile, the Guardian focuses on a number of incidents over the past month which has seen several Palestinians killed in the West Bank as a result of the IDF’s use of live fire. The article references a report by the Israeli human rights NGO B’Tselem on IDF crowd control methods which will be published today.

Meanwhile, the Sun and the online editions of the Guardian and Telegraph report that neuroscientists have recently conducted tests on former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, who has been in a coma since 2006. The tests revealed significant brain activity in response to pictures of his family and the voice of his son. The Independent includes a report originating in Haaretz that officials at Israel’s health ministry have ordered an end to the apparent administering of birth control medication to Ethiopian Jewish immigrants often without their knowledge or consent. The Express and Independent i report anger from organisers of yesterday’s Holocaust Memorial Day events over comments made by Liberal Democrat MP David Ward, who used the occasion as an opportunity to accuse “the Jews” of atrocities against the Palestinians.

All dailies in Israel report on concerns expressed by officials that Syria’s chemical stockpiles may be about to fall into the hands of dangerous armed groups, in particular Hezbollah in Lebanon. This is the headline in Yediot Ahronot, Makor Rishon and Israel Hayom. It is widely reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met yesterday with US Ambassador Dan Shapiro to discuss the issue, while Maariv also reports that National Security Advisor Yaakov Amidror has been dispatched to Russia to ask for assistance in preventing Hezbollah from acquiring Syria’s chemical weapons. Haaretz highlights the deployment of the anti-missile Iron Dome battery in the north of the country, although IDF officials insist it is an unrelated development. Meanwhile, as preliminary coalition deliberations continue, Yediot Ahronot reports that Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Jewish Home head Naftali Bennett are set to meet in order to discuss coordinating positions ahead of formal coalition talks. Haaretz reports that ultra-Orthodox party Shas may be forced to compromise its stance on expanding the military draft or face the “political exile” of being excluded from government.