China cracks down on illegal vaccine sales

SHANGHAI • A widening scandal over illegal vaccine sales in China has sparked anger and drawn criticism from the government over glaring loopholes in the regulation of the world's second-largest medicine market.

Police detained 37 people in Shandong province, official news agency Xinhua said yesterday,after a nearly US$90 million (S$123 million) black-market vaccine ring was exposed over the last week. The vaccines, including ones against meningitis, rabies and other illnesses, are suspected of being sold in dozens of provinces around China since 2011.

REUTERS

Vietnamese political blogger jailed

HANOI • Vietnam jailed a political blogger and his assistant yesterday for abusing democratic freedom, their lawyer said, in a verdict that stirred public interest and concern from rights groups. Blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh and assistant Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy were imprisoned for five and three years, respectively, for posts that a court said were abuses of their freedom and infringed on state interests. Both had denied connection with the blogs.

REUTERS