Beijing

Hepatitis B vaccine banned

Chinese authorities on Friday issued a circular to ban the use of the recombinant hepatitis B vaccine produced by the Shenzhen-based BioKangtai company. The circular, jointly issued by the China Food and Drug Administration and the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said four infant deaths were reported in Hunan, Guangdong and Sichuan provinces after inoculations using the vaccine. The CFDA and the NHFPC will carry out further investigations into the cases and an inspection of the company, the circular said.

Bird flu precautions tightened

China's top health authority on Friday told health departments at all levels to tighten supervision of new pneumonia and flu cases. According to the National Health and Family Planning Commission, on Wednesday, Jiangxi province confirmed a human case of H10N8, a new strain of bird flu. The commission also said Guangdong province has reported six cases of H7N9 bird flu since October, and Zhejiang province reported five in the second half of the year. The commission urged local health authorities to make H7N9 prevention and control a priority, strengthen monitoring and step up medical treatments.

Regional haze to last

Heavy haze will continue to shroud some cities in Central and East China since no cold front is in sight to disperse it, the national observatory forecast on Saturday. The southern parts of North China, some regions along the Yellow and Huai rivers, and areas south of the Yangtze River will likely experience haze - with visibility at less than 1,000 meters - until Dec 25, the National Meteorological Center said.

Taiwan

Toxic semiconductor plant closed

Taiwan's Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc was ordered on Friday to shut down a plant in Kaohsiung for discharging toxic waste into a river, city authorities have said. The K7 plant ordered to close mostly manufactures flip chips and wafer bumping. It was found illegally discharging wastewater containing nickel and other toxic substances into the Houjin River. The K7 plant accounts for almost 10 percent of the ASE Group's revenue.

Kidnapped Chinese released

A Taiwan woman who was kidnapped in Malaysia last month was freed in the southern Philippines' Sulu province on Friday afternoon, the local military said on Saturday. The victim, identified as Evelyn Chang, was rescued by joint military and police units in Liban village in Talipao town, said Captain Ryan Lacuesta, civil military operations officer of the 2nd Marine Brigade. Chang was seized on Nov 15 at Pulao in Pulong-Pulong of Sabah's Sampurna in Malaysia and was brought to the municipality of Indanan, Sulu, in the Philippines.

Hunan

Woman poisons 19 children

Nineteen primary school students in Hunan province were hospitalized after drinking yoghurt allegedly poisoned by a woman who delivered the snack on Wednesday, local authorities said on Friday. Police in Loudi city have detained the 34-year-old woman and suspect that she has a mental disorder. Police said the woman had confessed to having injected rat poison and herbicide into the yoghurt and then delivered the drinks outside a local primary school to students on their way home. Three of the 19 stricken students are in a serious condition, but doctors said their lives are not in danger. Further investigation is ongoing, police said.

China Daily

(China Daily 12/22/2013 page2)