Activist freed, researcher still in custody

An AIDS activist missing for weeks has been freed by Chinese police, but a New York Times researcher is still in detention, Reuters reported. AIDS campaigner Hu Jia has returned to his home in Beijing after spending six weeks in custody, during which time the authorities refused to confirm or deny whether he was being held or not. Hu was detained before this year's session of the National People's Congress after criticizing the government's AIDS policy. Separately, a charge against researcher Zhao Yan of leaking state secrets was dropped more than a week ago, but he is yet to be freed.