The funeral of Israel’s former-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, which took place yesterday is covered widely this morning. The Times, Independent i, Sun, Daily Mail, Financial Times, Metro, Evening Standard, Daily Star, Daily Express and Daily Mirror highlight that former-Prime Minister Tony Blair was among the global dignitaries who spoke paying tribute to Sharon at a state ceremony at the Knesset in Jerusalem before Sharon’s coffin was transported to the family ranch in southern Israel for burial. The Telegraph, Guardian and Independent also report Sharon’s funeral and note that the ceremony was followed shortly after by rocket fire from the Gaza Strip with two rockets landing just several miles from Sharon’s grave.

The Evening Standard and City AM both cover the news from earlier this week that Iran and the P5+1 forum (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) have agreed that they will begin next week implementing the interim nuclear deal agreed in Geneva in November for the coming six months.

The Independent and the online editions of the Guardian and Financial Times report that US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met yesterday to lay the groundwork for Syria peace talks at the Geneva II summit next week. They highlighted the need for safe passage for humanitarian aid in Syria and floated the idea of brokering a localised ceasefire. Meanwhile, the online editions of the Guardian and Independent say that the UK and US have threatened to withdraw support for the mainstream Syrian Opposition Coalition should it fail to attend next week’s talks.

The Guardian online says two men from Birmingham were arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of involvement in Syrian linked terror offences. An editorial in the Guardian calls for the UK to accept larger numbers of Syrian refugees into the country and says too little is being done to help relieve the huge refugee crisis. The Times includes a report on increasing radicalisation among Lebanese Sunnis, a trend being imported from the conflict in Syria. In Syria itself, the Telegraph online says the al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq in Syria (ISIS) group executed up to 100 Islamist rivals near the town of Raqqa, which has been the scene of recent fierce fighting between Islamist groups.

In the Israeli media, the main item is the funeral yesterday of Ariel Sharon, with most dailies devoting several pages of coverage to both yesterday’s events and Sharon’s life. Yediot Ahronot reflects the affection many feel for Sharon with the headline, “Parting from grandfather Sharon” while also highlighting the touching eulogy of his son Gilad. Maariv touches on the controversies surrounding Sharon, with a headline of “Differences, but profound love.” Meanwhile, Israel Hayom   highlights the firing of two rockets from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip shortly after the conclusion of Sharon’s funeral, landing just several miles from his grave. Their headline says “Two farewell salvos: Paratroopers give 21-gun salute; Hamas gives two rockets.”

In other news, Yediot Ahronot reports in depth comments attributed to Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon, who apparently made dismissive comments of US Secretary of State John Kerry and his diplomatic efforts. Although the comments were made in a closed forum, Yediot Ahronot quotes them widely. Ya’alon apparently accused Kerry of a “sense of messianism” and is reported to have dismissed Kerry’s security plan as “not worth the paper it was written on” as “it provides neither peace nor security.”

Meanwhile, Maariv reports that Israeli ambassadors to European countries have warned Israel’s Foreign Ministry that European Union policy opposing West Bank settlements could quickly snowball into boycotts not only of West Bank goods but Israel in general. Some ambassadors reportedly warned that without a sea change in Israeli policy towards settlements, very real damage could be done to Israel’s international standing.