Today’s defence related news includes images of a five-year-old Syrian boy who was rescued from the rubble following an air strike in Aleppo.
Syria
Front pages of The Times and The Guardian carry images of Syrian boy Omran Daqneesh saying he has become a symbol of Assad's war. The papers reference that the youngster is a survivor of a suspected Russian airstrike on the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo and, after the images have been seen around the world, they provide a new, iconic face of a largely unseen tragedy.
Ministry of Defence Police
The Times reports that ministers are considering removing a specialist unit of armed police that guards the MOD’s headquarters to save money. Our position is below.
The safety and security at all of our sites is paramount. We are reviewing the way we provide policing and guarding at the Ministry of Defence main building but no final decisions have been made.
Royal Marines
The Daily Mail reports that female service personnel could share rooms with male Royal Marines under plans put forward by the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Philip Jones, which he said would boost team cohesion and equality.
A Royal Navy spokesperson said:
We continue to consider the policy to determine whether women could be accommodated in the same rooms as men, which includes ways of segregating areas to maintain privacy. No decision has yet been made.
Calais
The Daily Express reports calls from British lorry drivers for military protection after a series of attacks by migrants in Calais, with concerns voiced that a trucker or tourist could be killed unless the Army is brought in to restore order.
Image of the day
Follow us on Twitter and don’t forget to sign up for email alerts.