Why thousands of junior doctors in South Korea are striking, and what it means for patients

Why thousands of junior doctors in South Korea are striking, and what it means for patients

SEOUL, South Korea — Thousands of junior doctors in South Korea have been refusing to see patients and attend surgeries since they walked off the job Feb. 20 in response to the government’s push to recruit more medical students. As of Tuesday, about 8,940 medical interns and residents have left their worksites in protest, disrupting … Read more

Seoul gives young doctors 4 days to end walkouts, threatening prosecutions or suspended licenses

Seoul gives young doctors 4 days to end walkouts, threatening prosecutions or suspended licenses

SEOUL, South Korea — Junior doctors in South Korea have four days to end their walkouts, the government said Monday, or they could face prosecution or have their medical licenses suspended. About 9,000 medical interns and residents have stayed off the job since early last week to protest a government plan to increase medical school … Read more

South Korea orders striking doctors to return to work as their walkouts burden hospital operations

South Korea orders striking doctors to return to work as their walkouts burden hospital operations

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea on Wednesday officially ordered thousands of striking doctors to return to work immediately, a step that could lead to legal punishments if the doctors don’t end their walkouts, which have caused numerous cancellations of surgeries and other treatments at hospitals. About 7,800 medical interns and residents in South Korea … Read more

South Korean doctors walk out to protest government policy, causing many surgery cancellations

South Korean doctors walk out to protest government policy, causing many surgery cancellations

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean trainee doctors collectively walked off their jobs Tuesday to escalate their protest of a government medical policy, triggering cancellations of surgeries and other medical treatments at hospitals. The Health Ministry urged them to return to work immediately, saying they must not endanger the lives of patients to fight the … Read more

South Korea doctors offer to resign amid spat with government, raising worries about medical service

South Korea doctors offer to resign amid spat with government, raising worries about medical service

SEOUL, South Korea — Trainee doctors in South Korea began resigning en masse Monday in protest of a government medical policy, causing reported delays in surgeries and other treatments at hospitals, though no major disruption in the country’s medical service has yet occurred. Doctors’ groups and the government have been squabbling over a government plan … Read more

South Korean doctors rally against government plans to increase the number of medical students

South Korean doctors rally against government plans to increase the number of medical students

SEOUL, South Korea — Hundreds of South Korean doctors rallied in the capital, Seoul, and other cities on Thursday against a government plan to boost the number of medical students. Doctors’ groups say increasing the number of medical students by 2,000 starting in 2025 is too steep. They want officials to instead use available resources … Read more

More than 100 people protest over ‘unsustainable’ 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina

More than 100 people protest over ‘unsustainable’ 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina

MILAN — More than 100 people turned up to protest over the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, despite the inclement weather. Around 150 people gathered in the pouring rain on Saturday outside the construction site for the Olympic Village in Milan. Many held banners and placards against what organizers of the protest called “the most unsustainable Games … Read more

AP PHOTOS: A decade ago, the Sochi Olympics saw Russia’s soft power collide with hard realities

AP PHOTOS: A decade ago, the Sochi Olympics saw Russia’s soft power collide with hard realities

The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics were President Vladimir Putin’s pet project as he sought to expand Russia’s global clout, boost its prestige and impress the world. But the Kremlin’s attempt at soft power soon collided with hard realities. It became the most expensive Olympics ever — summer or winter — with costs that ballooned to … Read more

US porn actor who advocates for Palestinians visits Iran on trip unacknowledged by Tehran

US porn actor who advocates for Palestinians visits Iran on trip unacknowledged by Tehran

JERUSALEM — An American porn actor who has advocated for Palestinians online during Israel’s war on Hamas traveled to Iran and visited the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran, which was abandoned after the 1979 hostage crisis. The visit by Whitney Wright as Iran imprisons Nobel Peace Prize laureate and women’s rights activist Narges Mohammadi sparked … Read more

Peru gives in to protesters in Machu Picchu and rescinds ticket sales contract with private firm

Peru gives in to protesters in Machu Picchu and rescinds ticket sales contract with private firm

LIMA, Peru — Peru’s government on Wednesday backtracked on plans to outsource the sale of entry tickets to Machu Picchu to a private company, a week after protesters blocked access to the country’s most famous tourist attraction and rail service to the area was suspended. Despite the resolution, the streets, hotels and restaurants around the … Read more