China Food Safety Head is Executed

The former head of China's State Food and Drug Administration has been executed for corruption. He was convicted of taking $850,000 in bribes and of dereliction of duty at a trial in May. The bribes were linked to sub-standard medicines blamed for several deaths. China has been criticized over the number of recent cases involving tainted goods and correspondents say Zheng had become a symbol of the crisis. He had appealed against his sentence, arguing that it was too severe, and saying he had confessed his crimes and cooperated with police. But his appeal, heard in mid-June, was rejected shortly afterwards.