In Vietnam, two deputy prime ministers have been dismissed from their positions. It comes amid an investigation into a corruption scandal including bribery linked to the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government decided to remove Deputy Prime Ministers Pham Binh Minh and Vu Duc Dam in an extraordinary session of the National Assembly on Thursday.

Minh was in charge of diplomacy while Dam had led the country's healthcare sector during the outbreak.

The government says the reason for the dismissal is "their wishes." But local media report the two were held responsible for their failure to prevent corruption.

The scandal involves government-chartered flights that repatriated more than 200,000 people from dozens of countries.

The probe has led to several other high-profile arrests, including that of a former deputy foreign minister.