The Times this morning reports that Foreign Secretary William Hague is set to urge his European counterparts at an EU (European Union) Foreign Affairs Council meeting later this week, to ease a Syrian arms embargo which would pave the way for providing Syrian opposition forces with non-lethal military equipment. Hague is reportedly seeking changes to the current arms ban before it is renewed on 1 March. Meanwhile, the Telegraph covers Hague’s comments yesterday in Washington, where he said that there was a need for “fresh momentum” from the United States to prevent the prospect of a two-state solution from “slipping away.”

The Financial Times analyses last week’s Israeli elections and suggests that the electoral success of Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party signals an Israeli shift towards the centre in Israel, in part due to concern over the country’s diplomatic position. Meanwhile, the Financial Times also reports that clashes are continuing in Egypt between security forces and demonstrators protesting against the rule of President Morsi, despite the state of emergency declared in three Egyptian cities. The online edition of the Guardian focuses on the outright rejection by opposition leaders of Morsi’s invitation for a national dialogue.

The Financial Times, Independent i and the online editions of the Times, Guardian, Telegraph and Independent all report on Iran’s claim to have successfully launched a capsule into space containing a live monkey. Most reports note international concerns that Iran’s space programme is in fact being used to develop long-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The Financial Times also reports that thirteen journalists have been detained in Iran on suspicion of passing information to foreign news outlets. The article suggests that the arrests are a clear warning to reformist politicians ahead of the country’s presidential elections in June.

Former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and former Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble author an op-ed in this morning’s Times urging the EU to add Hezbollah to its list of terrorist organisations.

The Guardian, Telegraph and Independent i cover a public apology issued by Rupert Murdoch for what he described as a “grotesque” cartoon published in the Sunday Times which appeared to depict Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu building a wall using the blood of Palestinians as cement. The Times reports that the editor of its Sunday edition also apologised. Meanwhile in the Telegraph online, Matt Hill sharply criticises recent comments made by MP David Ward who accused “the Jews” of atrocities against the Palestinians.

In the Israeli media this morning, a report by Eli Bardenstein in Maariv suggests that Prime Minister Netanyahu is scaremongering by unnecessarily highlighting concerns that Syrian chemical weapons could fall into terrorist hands, in order to help him to form the broad coalition which he desires. However, Israel Hayom prominently reports Netanyahu’s comments yesterday to a US Congressional delegation in which he said that there are no good outcomes to the conflict in Syria. Meanwhile, Yediot Ahronot and Haaretz highlight allegations that Netanyahu’s former bureau chief Natan Eshel lied about his intended involvement in coalition talks on behalf of Likud-Beitenu. Eshel was forced from his job and barred from the civil service after pleading guilty to invading the privacy of a female worker in the Prime Minister’s Office. Having denied that he would take part in coalition talks, it was revealed yesterday by Labour Party leader Shelly Yachimovich that she had been mistakenly copied in to an e-mail from Eshel in which he claimed to have been asked by Netanyahu and Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Lieberman to act as their representative in coalition talks.