IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Europe

New alliance backs multilateralism

France and Germany announced the launch on Tuesday of an Alliance for Multilateralism to promote global cooperation at a time of rising nationalism in Europe, the United States and elsewhere. France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told a joint news conference with Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas that their first objective is to show that states that "support multilateralism and support the United Nations remain the majority in the world". The second objective, he said, is to create a network of countries ready to support multilateralism and cooperate including to fight inequality, tackle climate change and address the consequences of new technologies.

United States

Trump steps back from border threat

US President Donald Trump took a step back on Tuesday from his threat to close the US southern border to fight illegal immigration, as pressure mounted from companies worried that a shutdown would cause chaos to supply chains. Trump threatened on Friday to close the border this week unless Mexico acted. He repeated that threat on Tuesday but said he had not made a decision yet: "We're going to see what happens over the next few days." Closing the border could disrupt millions of legal crossings and billions of dollars in trade. Auto companies have been warning the White House privately that it would lead to the idling of US plants within days because they rely on prompt deliveries of components made in Mexico.

Algeria

Bouteflika ends rule after mass protests

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 82, announced his resignation on Tuesday, weeks before his presidential term expires on April 28, official APS news agency reported. The Constitutional Council, however, is due to hold an urgent meeting to validate Bouteflika's resignation before making it official, APS said. First elected to the presidency in 1999, Bouteflika was re-elected in 2014 for a fourth five-year term. When Bouteflika announced his decision to seek a fifth term in February, mass protests erupted across Algeria demanding his withdrawal of this decision.

South Korea

Launch of world's first 5G networks

South Korea launches the world's first fully-fledged 5G mobile networks on Friday, a transformational leap that already has superpowers sparring for control of an innovation that could potentially change the day-to-day lives of billions of people. The superfast communications heralded by fifth-generation wireless technology will ultimately underpin everything from toasters to telephones, and from electric cars to power grids. Hyper-wired South Korea has long had a reputation for technical prowess, and Seoul has made the 5G rollout a priority as it seeks to stimulate economic growth.

Ap - Xinhua - Afp

(China Daily 04/04/2019 page11)