Japan's COVID-19 vaccine chief, Taro Kono, on Tuesday faced a backlash on Twitter for blocking scores of users who criticized him, a move the contender for next prime minister defended as protecting himself from online abuse.A hashtag meaning "I've been blocked by Mr. Kono" in Japanese was trending with more than 33,000 tweets, with some users expressing frustration that someone in his position as a Cabinet minister is unwilling to engage in dialogue.Kono is expected to run in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's leadership race on Sept. 29 after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he will …READ FULL ARTICLE
