The acting chief of the French air force has put himself in the line of fire after reportedly using a fighter jet to fly home to his country house in Provence for weekends. The revelations have presented France’s new defence minister Florence Parly with an immediate scandal she must now try to deal with. Source The Local
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 military standoff between China and India along their border should be resolved by September before the BRICS summit in Xiamen, Chinese experts said, but how the standoff is resolved depends on India. “The ongoing border tension is testing China’s patience, and if the border tension remains until September, it would be very embarrassing for Indian leaders to come to China to attend the BRICS summit. Source Global Times
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
