Lima  - Chinese leader Hu Jintao met with former Taiwanese vice president Lien Chan Friday in Lima, in a historic meeting that was the first high-level encounter between both parties outside China or Taiwan.

The two men met at the Los Delfines Hotel in the Peruvian capital ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' meeting, to which member economy Taiwan has for the first time been able to send a high-level representative.

London, Nov. 21 : It is interesting to note how countries across the world have been performing in this temporary phase of global slowdown. Asia, which has comparatively been a little less ''harmed'' than the Western world, has had its share of impact and is still trying to cope with it.

The two giant economies of the Asia -- India and China -- have been distinctly impacted by the slowdown.

Chicago, Nov 21 : The

Jakarta - Indonesian authorities have arrested two Chinese nationals and five locals for their involvement in producing crystal methamphetamine in the country, national police chief said Friday.

General Bambang Bendarso Danuri said the seven were arrested by the city police in a raid against a crystal methamphetamine factory at a rented house in western Jakarta suburb of Kebon Jeruk.

Danuri was quoted as saying by the state-run Antara news agency that officers seized 10 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, locally called "shabu-shabu," as well as confiscated a number of chemicals that were used to produce the banned pills.

Beijing - Authorities in Beijing on Friday razed the home of a rights activist who has spent seven months in police custody since she was accused of injuring a worker in a dispute over plans to demolish the property.

The home of Ni Yulan and her family was demolished on Friday morning as part of a local government redevelopment plan in Beijing's Xicheng district, supporters including Ni's husband, Dong Jiqin, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Ni, 48, was arrested on April 15 when she tried to stop some two dozen people from knocking down a wall enclosing part of the yard outside their home, which they refuse to vacate for developers despite years of pressure and threats.

Hong Kong - A Hong Kong student taken away by police after unfurling a Tibetan flag during the Olympic torch relay through the city in May launched a legal challenge against her detention on Friday.

Christina Chan, 21, was bundled into a police van and detained for several hours after wrapping her body in the Tibet flag as the Olympic torch was paraded through Hong Kong in May.

She complained bitterly that she had been unfairly detained while police said at the time that they acted to protect her from angry pro-China crowds gathered along the route of the torch.