Today's defence-related news includes stories on Syria, Walking With the Wounded and Prince Harry, and Bahrain.
Syria
BBC online is among several outlets to report that ISIL fighters have reportedly captured the Syrian town of Maheen, in central Homs Province, from government forces. The article says they launched the offensive with two suicide car blasts late on Saturday, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Separately author James Crawford, speaking on BBC R4 Today, discussed efforts to protect the historic site of Palmyra.
Prince Harry
There is widespread coverage in the Daily Telegraph, Daily Star, Times, Sun, Mirror, Daily Mail and Daily Express of Prince Harry’s meeting with veterans from the charity Walking With The Wounded as they completed a trek across Britain.
Mobile charges
The Sun reports a Freedom of Information Act response that shows a £40,000 phone bill for data and calls is attributable to one MOD number. The MOD's position is carried in the article and is copied below:
We are determined to provide the best value for money to the tax payer on everything we do. We have secured two recent price reductions in our mobile phone contracts which has resulted in a general downward trend in costs of mobile phone communications.
Bahrain
The Independent carries an article saying that human rights campaigners have criticised the UK’s relationship with Bahrain, after the Foreign Secretary visited Manama for the beginning of construction of the new facility for the Royal Navy. The piece says that the infrastructure project is the UK’s first ‘East of Suez’ expansion since the 1970s. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's statement is carried, saying the Government does not shy away from challenging Bahrain on human rights issues.
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