Briefly

UNITED STATES

Encryption battle reignited over iPhones

Apple and the US government are at loggerheads for the second time in four years over unlocking iPhones connected to a mass shooting, reviving debate over law enforcement access to encrypted devices. US Attorney General Bill Barr claimed on Monday that Apple failed to provide "substantive assistance" in unlocking two iPhones in the investigation into the December shooting deaths of three US sailors at a Florida naval station, which he called an "act of terrorism". Apple disputed Barr's claim, while arguing against the idea of "backdoors" for law enforcement to access its encrypted smartphones. US President Donald Trump lashed out at Apple on Tuesday, castigating the iPhone maker for what he said was its refusal to unlock phones used by criminals while benefiting from government help on trade.

SYRIA

Israel launches raids on air base in Homs

Israel launched airstrikes on the T-4 air base in the province of Homs on Tuesday, but caused no major damages, the Syrian army said in a statement. The Israeli warplanes fired several missiles at the base, most of which were intercepted by the Syrian air defense forces. Four missiles hit the base, the statement said. The attack was carried out from the direction of the al-Tanf area in southeastern Syria, where a US base is located, the statement added. The attack is the latest in a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting military sites in Syria, which Israel usually claims are the positions of Iranian-backed fighters.

AUSTRALIA

Bushfire smoke stokes health fears in cities

Fire alarms have been sounding in high-rise buildings across downtown Sydney and Melbourne as dense smoke from distant wildfires confuse electronic sensors. Modern government office blocks in the Australian capital Canberra have been closed because the air inside is too dangerous for civil servants to breathe. The sun has glowed an eerie red behind a brown-shrouded sky for weeks over Australian metropolitan areas that usually rank high in the world's most livable cities indexes. It's an unprecedented dilemma for Australians accustomed to blue skies and sunny days that has raised fears for the long-term health consequences if prolonged exposure to choking smoke becomes the new summer norm.

JAPAN

Aso apologizes for ignoring minorities

Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso on Tuesday apologized for the remarks he made that have been criticized for ignoring the nation's ethnic minorities including the indigenous Ainu group. Aso, who is also the finance minister and one of most influential lawmakers in Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government, said at an event in his home constituency in Fukuoka a day earlier that Japan is the only country with a single race, language and 2,000-year-old monarchy. The claim sparked criticism that he was ignoring an indigenous ethnic group and Japanese racial diversity. In May last year, Japan implemented a legislation recognizing the Ainu ethnic group in northern Japan as an indigenous people of the nation.

MALAYSIA

Govt handout to boost digital transactions

Malaysia started a program on Wednesday to hand out a total of 450 million ringgit ($110 million) to nearly half of its citizens, the government said, in a drive to increase digital transactions that will be a big boost for e-wallet companies. Every Malaysian aged 18 years and above and earning less than 100,000 ringgit a year will be eligible to receive a one-time shopping handout of 30 ringgit through one of the e-wallets, the finance minister said in a statement.