Mexico drugs minister dies in air crash

The man leading the fight against the Mexican drug trade, Public security Minister Ramon Martin Huerta, has been killed in a helicopter crash.

He was among nine people who died when their aircraft went down in mountains near Mexico city, President Vicente Fox has confirmed.

The head of the federal police, Tomas Valencia, was also among the dead.

Mr Huerta, a close friend of Mr Fox, was on his way to visit a maximum security jail when the crash happened.

The cause is unclear, but the weather in the area was poor.

The BBC's Franc Contreras in Mexico city says the loss of such senior security officials will deliver a serious blow to the government's efforts to stop the drug cartels.

Helicopters ... great for tidying things up ...