Four killed Illinois stabbings
Rockford (Illinois), March 28: Four people were killed and seven hurt in stabbings in northern Illinois on Wednesday, authorities said. A 22-year-old man is in police custody and was being questioned Wednesday afternoon, according to Rockford Police Chief Carla Redd. She said one of the people who was wounded remained in critical condition. “My heart goes out to the families right now that are suffering a loss,” Redd told reporters. (AP)
China lifts heavy tariffs on Australian wine
Beijing, March 28: China on Thursday said it will lift tariffs placed on Australian wine over three years ago, in a sign of improving ties between the two countries. China’s Ministry of Commerce said the decision will take effect Friday. China imposed tariffs on Australian wine in 2020 during a diplomatic feud, sending duties skyrocketing above 200 per cent. The Australian wine market took a heavy hit from the tariffs, as China was Australia’s top wine export destination. (AP)
S Korea to bar intern doctors if they don’t register
Seoul, March 28: Intern doctors in South Korea, who have left their worksites in protest of a plan to hike the number of medical students, will be barred from training in the first half of this year unless they register for jobs by April 2, a senior official said on Thursday. Deputy Health Minister Jun Byung-wang urged intern doctors to “return to the training hospitals within this month.” Unless they do so, Jun said, “Internship training in the first half of this year is impossible”, Yonhap news agency reported. About 12,000 interns and resident doctors have remained off the job since February 20 in protest of the push to hike the number of medical students, forcing surgeries and other public health services to be cancelled or delayed at major hospitals. In support of junior doctors’ labour action, medical professors, who are senior doctors at major university hospitals, have also begun tendering their resignations starting this week. (IANS)