The proposed changes include provisions that would extend the presidential term from five to seven years, empower the president to appoint a temporary successor, and give the president power to dismiss parliament. The measures would aid Aliyev to tighten the grip his family currently holds on power. Source: RFERL
China would considering sending troops into the disputed border region between Djibouti and Eritrea, the Chinese envoy to the African Union said, as tension between the two East African countries mounts. Beijing would consider intervening if border tensions between the two countries exploded, Kuang Weilin told the Associated Press on Friday, adding that he hoped the dispute would be “solved amicably.” Source RT
The ‘Joint Sea 2017’ drills of the Russian and Chinese naval forces have begun the first stage of major exercises, marking the first time they have taken place in Europe. Source RT
Taiwan’s air force scrambled fighter jets on Thursday as military planes from China’s mainland passed through its air defence identification zone (ADIZ) over the East China Sea, the island’s military said on Friday. Source: South China Morning Post
