The crisis in Syria continues to dominate Middle East related coverage in the UK media today. The Daily Telegraph notes that Syrian opposition leaders are calling for demonstrations in Arab capitals against the Assad regime, and also reports the sacking of the Syrian regime’s international spokeswoman after comments she made were widely ridiculed. The Daily Telegraph, the Scotsman and the Financial Times note that the crisis in Syria has soured Turkish-Syrian relations. The Independent and Sky News Online have reports from journalists who entered northern Syria via smugglers’ routes across the Turkish-Syrian border. Reuters, the Times, Metro London, the Daily Star and BBC Online also have reports on events in Syria. In other items, the Guardian runs a piece on high levels of unemployment in the West Bank and Gaza. BBC Online runs an article on a racing car designed by students in Gaza. Sky News Online looks into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence that the Palestinian leadership recognises Israel as a Jewish state. The Scotsman also notes the launching by Iran of its second satellite.

In the Israeli media, Haaretz and Ynetnews note problems facing the organisers of the flotilla, who plan to sail to Gaza next week. The Jerusalem Post notes Netanyahu’s meeting with senior US officials David Hale and Dennis Ross yesterday. Haaretz has a piece on how the crisis in Turkish-Syrian relations is overshadowing the flotilla issue for Turkey. The paper also runs a piece on an exchange in the Knesset yesterday on the Palestinian issue between Netanyahu and opposition leader Tzipi Livni. The Jerusalem Post notes that Israel marked record defence exports in 2010. The paper also notes Iran’s successful launching of a satellite into orbit. Ynetnews quotes an unnamed Israeli official on Netanyahu’s fears of a ‘3^rd intifada,’ and has an additional piece on the promotion of a Muslim Israeli to the rank of general in the police force.