Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 0600 GMT, April 19

A Taliban shadow governor was killed together with six other militants after Afghan air force struck a militant hideout in the northern province of Baghlan overnight, provincial governor said Wednesday.

"Based on a tip-off, the army's warplanes carried a series of raids in Dand-e-Ghuri District late Tuesday night. As a result, Maulawi Helel, Taliban shadow governor for Baghlan, was killed along with six of his comrades," Governor Abdul Hai Nahimi told Xinhua. (Afghanistan-Taliban-Governor)

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CANBERRA -- No Australian soldiers were hurt when Islamic State (IS) forces used mustard gas to carry out a "rudimentary" and "low grade" chemical weapons attack against Iraqi forces in Mosul, Australia's prime minister said on Wednesday.

It has been reported that up to 25 Iraqi soldiers required treatment as a result of the attacks, but no Australian troops - who were assisting the Iraqis at the time of the attack - were injured. (Australia-IS-Gas Attack)

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CANBERRA -- The Australian government has not ruled out a shark cull in response to another surfer death off the coast of Western Australia, the nation's environment minister said on Wednesday.

Laeticia Brouwer, 17, died on Monday when a great white shark mauled her near the small city of Esperance. She is Western Australia's 15th victim of a great white shark attack in the last 20 years. (Australia-Shark Cull)

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JAKARTA -- Millions of residents in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta went to the polls on Wednesday to pick up a governor in a second round of election.

Two gubernatorial candidates - incumbent Basuki Tjahaja Purnama and former education minister Anies Baswedan - are competing in the runoff. (Indonesia-Governor-Election) Endit