Free Republic

Two American hikers who were detained in Iran have been sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of "illegal entry" and "espionage," the state TV website says.

In the race to find the next billion-dollar drug, some of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies are starting in China. For the past three years industry giants such as Pfizer and Merck have quietly dished out early-stage research projects to scientists working in the whitewashed buildings of WuXi PharmaTech, China's largest drug R&D company. "We have a cost advantage and access to other resources, such as research animals, and a very good infrastructure. All of these things make us competitive," says Hai Mi, head of WuXi's investor relations.