News in Brief-(2024-02-27)

FE Team | Published: February 26, 2024 21:49:06

S Korea gives protesting doctors
end-Feb deadline to return to work
SEOUL, Feb 26: South Korea's government on Monday told young doctors they had until the end of February to return to work or risk being punished for staging a week-long protest that has disrupted services for patients at several major hospitals. Two-thirds of the nation's residents and intern doctors had walked off the job to protest a government plan to increase the number of students admitted to medical school in a bid to address what authorities say is a shortage of doctors that is set to worsen in one of the world's fastest ageing societies. — Reuters
Wild fires destroy homes in Australia
VICTORIA, Feb 26: Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged on Sunday to provide whatever support was needed to assist Victoria state in a days-long wildfire emergency that has razed homes after authorities warned extreme heat could fan the blazes this week. "We will provide whatever support is requested from Victoria," Albanese told reporters in the city of Frankston, Victoria, according to a transcript. "It's a reminder of the need for us to be vigilant for us to continue to work and act on the threat that is climate change." — Reuters
Algeria inaugurates Africa's largest mosque
ALGIERS, Feb 26: Algeria inaugurated a gigantic mosque on its Mediterranean coastline Sunday after years of political upheaval transformed the project from a symbol of state-sponsored strength and religiosity to one of delays and cost overruns. Built by a Chinese construction firm throughout the 2010s, the Great Mosque of Algiers features the world's tallest minaret, measuring at 869 feet (265 meters). — AP
Indian train travels 70km without driver
NEW DELHI, Feb 26: The Indian Railways has ordered an investigation after a freight train travelled more than 70km (43.4 miles) without drivers. Videos shared on social media showed the train zooming past several stations at high speed. Reports say the train ran without a driver from Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir to Hoshiarpur district in Punjab on Sunday. — BBC