- Reuters
Australian state-owned submarine builder hit by strikes at future AUKUS shipyard
Workers at Australian state-owned submarine builder ASC Ltd began on Monday a campaign of strikes for higher wages that could disrupt maintenance for Australia's submarines even as it prepares to build the nuclear-powered AUKUS fleet. Roughly 300 workers at ASC's Osborne shipyard in South Australia walked off the job for an hour on Monday, and a separate meeting of union members voted to continue some form of strikes indefinitely, a union official told Reuters. Osborne is where ASC and British firm BAE Systems will jointly build Australia's fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, the core component of the 2021 AUKUS pact between Britain, the U.S. and Australia.
- Reuters
Taiwan must invest in building its own 'strengths', vice president-elect says
Taiwan is grateful for continued U.S. security assistance but must invest in building its own "strengths" first and show the world its support for the island is worth it, Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim said on Monday. Hsiao, who takes office with President-elect Lai Ching-te on May 20, is Taiwan's former de facto ambassador to Washington, and is expected to play a key role in further strengthening ties with the United States given her fluent English and deep ties in the U.S. capital. The United States is Chinese-claimed Taiwan's most important supporter and arms supplier, despite the lack of diplomatic ties.
- RFI
Chad votes in first Sahel presidential poll since wave of coups
Chadians go to the polls on Monday three years after their military leader seized power, in the first presidential election in Africa's Sahel region since a wave of coups. Analysts say Mahamat Idriss Deby, who seized power the day rebels killed his long-ruling father Idriss Deby in April 2021, is most likely to win, although his chief opponent has been drawing larger-than-expected crowds on the campaign trail.Deby has promised to bolster security, strengthen the rule of law and increase electric
