This Week in Explainers: Are we nearing the end of Apple’s smartphone dominance?

The festival of colours is almost here. Before we completely embrace the Holi spirit, there were a lot of key developments that unfolded across the world this week that you might want to track.

Apple’s troubles have grown after the United States’ Department of Justice (DOJ) sued the tech giant alleging an illegal monopoly for its iPhone that stamps out competition and keeps prices artificially high.

In a surprise move, Leo Varadkar declared he would step down as Ireland's prime minister citing "personal and political" reasons.

Hong Kong passed a new national security law that would give the government sweeping powers to curb dissent. The draconian legislation came into effect on Saturday (23 March).

Here’s all this and more in our weekly roundup of Explainers from around the world.

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1. The lawsuit against Apple in the US alleges that the tech giant has a monopoly in the smartphone market and uses its power to “engage in a broad, sustained, and illegal course of conduct.” The DOJ has claimed that the company made hundreds of billions of dollars by allegedly keeping consumers from switching to cheaper smartphones and devices.

However, this is not the only trouble the Tim Cook-led company has to deal with. iPhone sales have dipped in China amid increased competition from local brands like Huawei and Vivo. Apple has been slapped with a fine of €1.84 billion (Rs 16,595 crore) by European regulators over its App Store rules. The US company is also facing penalties in the Netherlands and South Korea. Read our story to learn about Apple’s myriad woes.

2. Irish PM Leo Varadkar announced his resignation, just 10 weeks before Ireland goes to polling for the European Parliament and local election. The surprise move has been termed a "political earthquake" by pundits.

"After seven years in office, I don’t feel I’m the best person for the job anymore,” the 45-year-old said. Varadkar was Ireland’s first openly gay PM, the youngest ever to hold the top office and the first from an ethnic minority background.

Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar announced his resignation this week. AP File Photo

While he did not elaborate on the reasons that compelled him to step down, political pundits offered some insights. Here’s our report on why Varadkar quit as Ireland’s leader.

3. Hong Kong lawmakers unanimously passed the Safeguarding National Security Bill, locally known as Article 23, which empowers the government to prosecute citizens for “colluding with external forces” to commit illegal acts. The dissenters can be charged with treason, insurrection, espionage, and revealing state secrets, among others.

The law has raised concerns in various quarters, including businesses and media. Businesspeople and journalists fear the stringent legislation could affect their daily work. Read about Hong Kong’s draconian security law here.

4. Gambia’s Parliament discussed overturning a historic ban on female genital cutting. The practice was banned in the small West African nation in 2015 but now it could be decriminalised with the backing of religious conservatives. The bill proposing the repeal says it “seeks to uphold religious purity and safeguard cultural norms and values”.

Gambians protest against a bill aimed at decriminalising female genital mutilation as parliament debates the bill in Banjul, Gambia, 18 March 2024. Reuters File Photo

Gambian activists fear a roll back of the ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) would undo years of efforts to better protect girls and women. What is FGM and which countries still have the practice? Here’s our report on the topic.

5. All is not well with Generation Z in the US and Europe. This year’s World Happiness Report showed a decline in happiness for Americans under 30 years old, especially in the 15-24 age group making them the unhappiest. Moreover, the US has dropped out of the top 20 of the world’s happiest countries for the first time since the annual report was launched in 2012.

Finland continues to be the happiest nation for the seventh straight year. Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Israel are also in the top five. What is India’s position in the happiness index? What is making the youngsters in the West unhappy? Read our story to find out.

6. The British royals were under intense scrutiny by not just the media but also the Internet. People wondered about the whereabouts of the Princess of Wales, Kate, who they claimed had been “missing” for months. A badly Photoshopped picture of Kate and her children has only made matters worse.

The Internet believes Britain's Kate, Princess of Wales, is 'missing'. AP File Photo

However, this is not the first time the British royal family landed in a soup. From affairs to scandals, they have seen it all over the years. Before Kategate, there was Megxit. Princess Diana’s famous line – “there were three of us in this marriage” – referring to the affair of her husband Prince Charles (now King) with Camilla is imprinted on people’s minds. Here’s our story on the many controversies involving British royal bahus.

7. Tesla’s safety came into question after details about the tragic death of Angela Chao, CEO of US shipping company Foremost Group, emerged. The billionaire died last month after her electric vehicle fell into a pond on a Texas ranch as she accidentally put the car in reverse instead of in drive.

As per reports, this was not the first time that Chao mistakenly put her Tesla in reverse. She had told her friends she had mixed up “drive” and “reverse” many times earlier. In fact, several other Tesla users have previously reported problems with the electric car’s gearshift. Read our report on how Chao died and why her death has raised safety concerns about Tesla’s cars.

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