The Guardian, Evening Standard and i cover the announcement of nominees for this year’s Man Booker International Prize, which include two Israeli authors – David Grossman and Amos Oz for their respective books, A Horse Walks Into a Bar and Judas. The winner of the prestigious award will be announced on 4 June at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

The Evening Standard includes a review of eight recommended upcoming television series from across the world. They include an Israeli series “The Spy,” which is based on the true story of Eli Cohen, an Israeli spy who infiltrated the very highest echelons of Syria’s leadership in the early 1960s. Although Cohen’s identity was eventually uncovered, which led to his death, the information he divulged proved important in the build-up to the 1967 Six-Day War.

The Times, Daily Mail and Evening Standard report that Israeli billionaire Teddy Sagi is set to receive £113m after agreeing to sell some of his  21.6 per cent stake in the online casino software giant Playtech.

The Independent includes an article on the new ‘protest’ hotel opened by street artist Banksy in Bethlehem. The Walled Off Hotel overlooks Israel’s security barrier and opens to the public on 20 March. The article notes that the hotel has divided opinions among Palestinians, with some believing it trivialises the conflict.

The Independent and the online editions of the Guardian and Financial Times cover two suicide bombings in Syria’s capital Damascus, which killed at least 31 people. The explosions occurred at the city’s main courthouse and at a restaurant. The Independent also reports that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, has described the Syrian conflict as the “worst man-made disaster the world has seen since World War Two”.

In the Israeli media, the top story in Yediot Ahronot and Haaretz is coalition tensions between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon over the establishment of a new public broadcasting authority. Netanyahu has publicly opposed it in recent months and, at a coalition team-building event yesterday, branded the new authority’s workers as “leftists”. He called for Kahlon to postpone its launch for six months. However, according to Maariv, Kahlon has vowed not to delay the launch “by even a single minute” with an aide suggesting that the rift could lead to elections.

Another tension within the coalition is reported in Haaretz. Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman called for the resignation of Rabbi Yigal Levenstein, head of a pre-army preparatory programme, who recently publicly disparaged female service in the IDF. In response to Lieberman’s request, Education Minister and Jewish Home head Naftali Bennett accused Lieberman of playing politics. The top story in Israel Hayom also centres on the dispute, saying that moderate rabbis object to co-ed battalions in the army.

Israel Radio news says Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked has recommended that President Reuven Rivlin takes into account former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s contribution to security and Israel when considering his pardon plea. Olmert is currently serving a 27-month prison term for bribery and obstruction of justice. The report also says that the professional echelon of the Justice Ministry opposes such a pardon for Olmert.

Israel Hayom reports that 13 employees, including executives, at Israel Aircraft Industries have been arrested on suspicion of corruption.