Jammu and Kashmir's chief minister dies

SRINAGAR (India) • The chief minister of India's insurgency- plagued Jammu and Kashmir state and an ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi died yesterday, bringing political uncertainty to the disputed region at the heart of tension between India and Pakistan.

Mr Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, 79, died of a respiratory infection in a hospital in New Delhi.

REUTERS

Jakarta to invest in Seoul fighter jet plan

SEOUL • Indonesia signed a deal with South Korea yesterday to jointly develop Seoul's next-generation fighter jets. Under the deal with Korea Aerospace Industries, Indonesia's Defence Ministry will invest about 1.6 trillion won (S$1.9 billion) in the Korean Fighter Experimental programme, which aims to produce home-grown fighter jets to replace the South's aged fleet of F-4 and F-5 fighters from the US.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Push for China to ban trade in manta ray gills

GUANGZHOU • A rapid decline in the world's manta populations means the gills may soon be going off the market, with a campaign nudging China towards a ban on the trade. The campaign has built up grassroots and official backing for ending gill sales with a sobering message: The business is not just endangering a species, it is also harming consumers.

Toxicology tests by WildAid have revealed that many of the gills sold at the Qingping market in Guangzhou contain dangerous levels of heavy metals and carcinogens.

NEW YORK TIMES