11 dead as chairlift cable snaps in Murree

At least 11 people were killed and two others critically wounded when a chairlift cable broke, sending riders plunging into a ravine in a mountain hamlet of the popular hill station of Murree on Thursday noon.
“The residents of Chara Pani village use a locally-made chairlift to cross the river and it broke, coming off the cable, which killed 11 people – nine men, one woman and a child,” a Rescue 1122 official Muhammad Farooq said. “Two others were wounded,” he added.
The deadly crash was reported to rescuers around 12 in the noon. The lift was reportedly carrying 13 people when its cable snapped.
The victims have been identified as Wasif, 18, Arif, 35, Shabeer, 55, Saima Shabir, 45, Ikhlaq, 36, Mujahid, 17, Abdul Hameed, 70, Sohaib, 10, Ahmed, 18, Rohan, 14, and Shazil, 15. The injured have been named as 23-year-old Haseeb and 22-year-old Adnan.
Four of the victims belonged to Malpur village, while the rest were from Chara Pani village. The two injured were driven by Rescue 1122 staff to the Holy Family Hospital.

The improvised chairlift is strung between two mountains in Hazara division of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province which local villagers use to cross the river underneath.
The villagers blamed the operator for overloading the chairlift, which according to them, caused the deadly crash. The operator fled the scene after the accident and the police are looking for him.
In the evening, the villagers placed the coffins of the victims on the old Murree Road, blocking it in protest. They demanded that the authorities take action against the chairlift operator.
Chairlift accidents are common in the mountainous areas of the country, where lifts are often used to cross rivers. Four people drowned when a chairlift broke in Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan last month.
Credit: MUDDASIR RAJA

Arsenal star Welbeck in native Ghana, visits school his mom helped build

Arsenal and England forward, Danny Welbeck is in Ghana on vacation following the end of the football season when his side lifted the English FA Cup despite failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in two decades.
The 26-year-old former Manchester United player visited his family in the town of Nkawie located in the Ashanti region of the country.
A local journalist shared photos of Welbeck who was wearing a black T-shirt over blue jeans with two guys believed to be his relations at the family house.

'Proud of my mother & St Andrew's Church Droylsden, Manchester for donations towards building St Paul's Sunshine Pre-School in Nkawie Ghana.'

The player on his Twitter handle confirmed that his mother with the support of a church in Manchester had helped build a school in the village. He shared a picture of his mom standing behind some school children at the said school.
‘‘Proud of my mother & St Andrew’s Church Droylsden, Manchester for donations towards building St Paul’s Sunshine Pre-School in Nkawie Ghana,’‘ he wrote.
Welbeck was born to Ghanaian parents in 1990 but he opted to play for the English national side and went on to represent the Three Lions at the 2012 European championships and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
He started his club career with Manchester United and only switched to London to join Arsenal in 2014. He is due to join the Arsenal pre-season campaign.

Credit: Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

UNICEF opens Africa’s first humanitarian drone testing corridor in Malawi

The UN children’s agency Unicef has formally opened an air corridor to test the effectiveness of drones in humanitarian emergencies.
The project opened on Thursday in Malawi is the first of its kind in Africa and will assist mostly in humanitarian and development use.
“You can really see what can drones in terms of transport bring medical supplies to health centres, bring educational supplies to school, what can they do in terms of connectivity in areas where we do not have coverage of telecommunications network and it puts Malawi on the map,” said UNICEF country representative, Johannes Wedenig.

The innovation will help us in a number of ways. Apart from delivering, you know, medical samples to testing laboratories, it can also do a lot of mapping, land surveying and several other important activities
The corridor will have a radius of 40 km and is also open to the private sector, universities and could also provide imagery to map out natural environments and other infrastructure.
“The innovation will help us in a number of ways. Apart from delivering, you know, medical samples to testing laboratories, it can also do a lot of mapping, land surveying and several other important activities,” said Malawian minister of transport, Jappie Mhango.
The test corridor is centred at the Kasungu Aerodrome focusing on three tasks: generating aerial images of crisis situations, using drones to extend Wi-Fi or mobile phone signals across difficult terrain in emergencies and delivering low-weight emergency supplies.
The launch of the testing corridor follows a pilot project in Malawi in March 2016 on the feasibility of using drones for the transportation of dried blood samples for early infant diagnosis of HIV.
This study showed that drones are a viable addition to existing transport systems, including those used to help with the diagnosis of HIV.

Credit: Reuters

Picture: Ronaldo confirms he is father of twins

Hours after he captained Portugal to semi-final defeat in the Confederations Cup in Russia, Cristiano Ronaldo has announced the birth of twins.

For days Portuguese media have reported that the footballer's twins had been born to a surrogate mother in the US.
But it was only after the national team were knocked out on penalties by Chile that he confirmed the birth.
Ronaldo went on Facebook to say: "I'm very happy, finally, to be with my children for the first time."
He already has a son, Cristiano Ronaldo junior, who was born in June 2010.
The Real Madrid forward began his message declaring that he been at the service of the national team "body and soul" despite the birth of the twins, adding: "Unfortunately we couldn't achieve our main sporting aim."
The semi-final in Kazan ended in a 0-0 draw and Chile went through as Ronaldo's teammates missed three penalties.
Little is known about the twins, although unconfirmed reports in Portugal said they were born on 8 June, well before the start of the Confederations Cup. The SIC TV channel said the boy and girl had been named Eva and Mateo.
Further reports said the Fifa footballer of the year's mother, Dolores Aveiro, travelled to the US soon after they were born.
In a statement, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) said it had been informed by Ronaldo before the Confederations Cup that he had become a father again, and yet had decided to travel to Russia with the team. The FPF described his decision as a "gesture that we must highlight and praise".
Instead of staying with the team for the third-place play-off on Sunday, Ronaldo was now going to leave the camp, it added. "We must release the athlete so he can finally get to know his children."
Ronaldo, who has a long-term girlfriend, model Georgina Rodríguez, left the team in Kazan on Thursday morning. There has been speculation in Portuguese media that she too is expecting a baby, after the footballer posted a picture on social media showing the couple sitting down with their hands on her stomach.
At the time the model appeared to reject the rumours, posting gym photos that suggested she was not pregnant, although it was unclear when the pictures were taken.
Credit: BBC 

US woman, Monalisa shots boyfriend in YouTube stunt

A Minnesota woman has been charged over the fatal shooting of her boyfriend, in what authorities say was a social media stunt gone wrong.

Monalisa Perez, 19, was booked into county jail after shooting at Pedro Ruiz as he held a book to his chest, believing it would stop the bullet.
The couple's three-year-old child and nearly 30 onlookers watched as she fired the fatal bullet into his chest.
Ruiz's aunt said they did it to increase their social media following.
Claudia Ruiz told WDAY-TV that her nephew had told her he wanted to do the stunt "because we want more viewers, we want to get famous".
"He had told me about that idea and I said, 'Don't do it. Don't do it. Why are you going to use a gun? Why?'" Claudia Ruiz told the news channel.
"They were in love, they loved each other," she said. "It was just a prank gone wrong."
Ms Perez, who is pregnant, is facing charges of second degree manslaughter. She faces her first court appearance on Wednesday.
County Attorney James Brue described the book as a hardcover encyclopaedia, and said the weapon used was a .50-calibre Desert Eagle handgun.
Police have seized two cameras, which are said to have recorded Monday's incident.
The single gunshot was fired from about one foot (30cm) away as neighbours gathered to watch outside their Minnesota home.
She told deputies that the stunt had been Ruiz's idea, and that he had to convince her to do it.
Earlier that day she tweeted about her reservations.

"Everyone was crying. I was standing behind that tree over there. And that was it. I just couldn't take it anymore so I had to go back home," neighbour Wayne Cameron told WDAY-TV.
The couple had started a YouTube channel in March, aiming to show the "the real life of a young couple who happen to be teen parents".
Their most recently uploaded video, on the day that Ruiz died, was titled: "Doing scary stunts at the fair".
Last week Ms Perez told her viewers that it was a "blessing" to have her husband home for the forthcoming birth of their son, who is due in September.

Claudio Bravo sends Chile to Confederations Cup final

Manchester City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was the hero as Chile reached the Confederations Cup final by beating Portugal on penalties.

Bravo denied efforts from Ricardo Quaresma, Joao Moutinho and Nani as Chile converted all their spot-kicks.
It was perhaps justice for Chile, who had a strong claim for a penalty denied deep in extra time and also hit the post twice in quick succession.
They will play either Germany or Mexico in Sunday's final in St Petersburg.
Arturo Vidal, whose shot hit the post in closing stages of extra-time before Martin Rodriguez's follow up also hit the woodwork, was successful from the spot for Chile along with Charles Aranguiz and Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez.
The dramatic finale lit up an otherwise dull encounter, with both sides looking tired after playing their fourth game in just 10 days at the tournament in Russia.
Bravo's performance will have come as welcome relief for the goalkeeper at the end of a difficult season domestically.
The 34-year-old was signed by Pep Guardiola from Barcelona last summer to replace England international Joe Hart, but faced criticism for his shot-stopping skills since arriving in a £15.4m deal.
Bravo will have to fight to remain City's first-choice keeper after Guardiola signed Ederson Moraes for £35m from Benfica earlier this month but his focus for now is on leading Chile to the Confederations Cup title.
"We are satisfied with the result and how we played, but we have still not won anything," he said.

DR Congo league club sanctioned, relegated for fan violence

Democratic Republic of Congo premier league club FC Renaissance has been relegated to the second division as part of sanctions after violence by its supporters.

The decision was taken by the Congolese Football League (Linafoot) after it met on Monday following the violence on Saturday, AFP reports.
FC Renaissance was found guilty of the Saturday incident during a championship match between the team and Vita Club at the Martyrs stadium in Kinshasa.
FC Renaissance lost to Vita Club, sparking an attack by their supporters who “threw projectiles while their management invaded the pitch.”
They were also fined $20,000 and tasked to pay for all damages at the stadium.
Prior to the sanction, FC Renaissance – which has a history of fan violence – placed fourth in the top 8 of the final leg of the championship.

Credit: Ismail Akwei

South African court rules against religious bias in state schools

A South African court on Wednesday ruled that public education institutions cannot promote any one religion to the exclusion of others, saying to do so was a violation of the Schools Act, local media reported.
The Organisation for Religious Education and Democracy (OGOD) had argued that it was in the interest of South Africa’s democracy that public schools not be allowed to favour a specific religion.
OGOD asked the court to declare unconstitutional the religion policy of six public schools, accusing them of favouring Christianity over other religions.
The six schools, the ministers of basic education and justice, and the National Society for School Governing Bodies were respondents, local media reported.
Judge Willem van der Linde said in his ruling that religious observances may be conducted at state or state-aided institutions, as long as they are held on an equitable basis and attendance was voluntary.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga had supported the application, saying schools were not permitted to focus on just one religion.
Reuters

Pregnant Serena Williams poses naked on the cover of Vanity Fair

Pregnant Serena Williams has posed naked on the cover of August's Vanity Fair magazine.
The tennis star found out she was expecting her first child with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian just before the Australian Open in January.
She told the magazine that she hadn't suspected anything until she was sick at the side of the court while practising.
But her friend suspected she might be pregnant and suggested taking a test.

Image caption The August edition of Vanity Fair, featuring Serena Williams, is on sale from 7 July

Serena ended up taking a test while doing a photo shoot for a lingerie company at an Australian hotel and said her "heart literally dropped" when she saw the result.
"Oh my God, this can't be - I've got to play a tournament," she said. "How am I going to play the Australian Open? I had planned on winning Wimbledon this year."
Her friend Jessica was then sent back to the hotel chemist to buy five more test kits to convince Serena that she was pregnant. All of them were positive.
The article also reveals how Alexis and Serena started dating in 2015.
He proposed last December at the same table at the Cavalieri Hotel in Italy where they'd first talked to each other.

“Zambia will work closely with you” – Lungu to Akufo-Addo

The President of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, has reiterated his and the commitment of the Zambian people to developing strong bilateral ties and exploring areas of co-operation with Ghana, under the leadership of its President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to the mutual benefit of the two countries.
According to President Lungu, the margin of victory chalked by President Akufo-Addo in the 2016 election “was a true reflection of the confidence the people of Ghana have in your vision, and for that reason, we look forward to working closely with you during your tenure of office.”
The Zambian President noted further that “there are a lot of things you (Ghana) are doing in mining, agriculture, infrastructure development, amongst others, which can benefit Zambia, by being emulated. It is about common, good practices, Mr. President, and what you do better, we should not hesitate to emulate.”

President Edgar Lungu made this known on Tuesday, July 27, 2017, when he held bilateral talks with the Ghanaian President and his delegation, at the commencement of the 3-day official State Visit by President Akufo-Addo to Zambia.

With the two countries having signed an agreement for the establishment of a Permanent Joint Commission on Co-operation (PJCC) to serve as the legal framework to address their trade and investment concerns, President Lungu bemoaned the non-implementation of this commission.

He, however, indicated that the PJCC will be given a new lease of life under his and the tenure of office of President Akufo-Addo, so as to ensure that “our Ministers will begin co-operating, and, henceforth, make the PJCC a living document.”
On the Ezulwini consensus, a position on international relations and reform of the United Nations agreed by the African Union in 2005, President Lungu was confident that the pioneering role played by President Akufo-Addo, then Foreign Minister of Ghana, in the fashioning of the document will be of invaluable to the cause of the AU.
“You were a pioneer, you were there. So as we go to the UN General Assembly in September, I am sure that Africa can count on you as an anchor,” he added.
President Lungu stressed that, “We want a prosperous Africa, which is integrated, united, peaceful and secured, and influential, not only in Africa but in the UN family.
“Regional integration is one aspect which will lead us to the Africa we want. Zambia is proud to be a member of SADC, and we are equally proud of the role that you (President Akufo-Addo) are playing in ECOWAS, in terms of peace keeping in the region, and trying to find common ground in improving co-operation and development of the African people we are privileged to look after.”

Credit:  Ghraphic online
 

Rihanna tweets world leaders and Justin Trudeau is the latest to respond

She's a global pop icon, they are G20 leaders. So what happened when Rihanna tweeted some of the world's most powerful men to talk about their commitment to education in the developing world?

Well, some of them responded and their exchanges are there for us all to see on social media.
It started earlier this week when the singer and fashion icon, who has 74 million followers on Twitter, publicly messaged the leaders of France, Argentina and Canada, plus the spokesperson for Germany's Angela Merkel.

In January, Rihanna travelled to Malawi meeting children at under resourced schools in an initiative with Global Citizen and the Global Partnership for Education, for whom she is an ambassador. The two organisations aim to help fund the teaching of millions of children and young people in developing countries.
Given her superstar status and her previous work with her own charity, the Clara Lionel Foundation, Rihanna urged G20 leaders to discuss the subject when they meet in Hamburg in July.
Credit: BBC

The Queen gets a £82.2 million pay rise

The Queen is to receive an 8% increase in income from public funds, after the Crown Estate's profits rose by £24m.

The Sovereign Grant, which pays for the salaries of her household, official travel and upkeep of palaces, is to increase by more than £6m in 2018/19.
It comes as accounts revealed the Queen's official net expenditure last year increased by £2m, to almost £42m.
Sir Alan Reid, Keeper of the Privy Purse, said the Queen represented "excellent value for money".

• 2015 - How rich is the Queen?

He said: "When you look at these accounts, the bottom line is the Sovereign Grant last year equated to 65p per person, per annum, in the United Kingdom.
"That's the price of a first class stamp.
"Consider that against what the Queen does and represents for this country, I believe it represents excellent value for money."

The Queen and the Royal Family's official travel cost the taxpayer £4.5m during 2016/17, up £500,000.
Clarence House has also released its annual accounts, which showed the Prince of Wales' annual income from his hereditary estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, increased by 1.2% - to £20.7m.

Royal accounts - some key figures

• £82.2m - Amount the Queen is expected to get from the Sovereign Grant in 2018/19
• £4.5m - Cost of the Queen and the Royal Family's official travel in 2016/17
• £288,697 - Amount spent on the Royal Train travel for 14 trips
• £1.2m - Cost of replacing doors on the orangery at Windsor Castle
• £154,000 - Estimated cost of Prince Charles and Camilla using "Cam Force One" - the official government plane - to visit Italy, Romania and Austria earlier this year

The Sovereign Grant, which is paid two years in arrears, is money given to the Queen by the Treasury.
It is based on the profits of the Crown Estate portfolio, which includes much of London's West End.
The Crown Estate posted a £24.7m rise in profits, to £328.8m, in 2016/17.

Credit:  BBC

WWE Raw: Lesnar is set to make a rare Raw appearance for June 26

Monday's WWE Raw will have no shortage of rage as the red brand looks to hype Great Balls of Fire.

An incensed Brock Lesnar will charge into Los Angeles with visions of grinding Samoa Joe between his teeth. Joe choked out Lesnar's manager, Paul Heyman, making their July 9 match about far more than the Universal Championship in The Beast Incarnate's possession.

Lesnar is set to make a rare Raw appearance. And Joe knows full well what kind of rampage he's capable of.

The Staples Center will also welcome two former members of The Golden Truth who are now out to hurt each other, the aftermath of The Realest Guys in the Room's implosion and the latest chapter in the Roman Reigns-Braun Strowman vicious saga. What else is on the docket? Will a special guest from the NBA world show up?

Backstage news and the Raw preview on WWE.com help provide the answers as we preview Monday's Raw before it airs at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network

Cameroon's Marc-Vivien Foe: A friend of football who died playing

Marc-Vivien Foe, was a Cameroonian international and professional footballer who gained global fame following his death during an international competitive fixture in the FIFA Confederations Cup years ago.
He died on 26 June 2003, when the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon took on Columbia in the semi-final clash of the competition. He had played in victories against Brazil and Turkey but was rested for the game against the United States ahead of the Colombia fixture.
We present you some key facts about Marc-Vivien Foé – undoubtedly a friend of the game and one who the game remembers long after his passing.

Marc-Vivien Foé – A Friend of the Game

1. Marc-Vivien Foé (1 May 1975 – 26 June 2003) was a born in Yaounde
2. He played as a midfielder for the Indomitable Lions and also at club level
3. He started out with capital based side, Canon Yaounde, he won the Cameroon Cup in 1993.
4. He played for Lens between 1994 – 1999 making 85 appearances and scoring 11 times, at Lens he won the 1998 French league title.
5. He spent a season at West Ham United £4.2 million in January 1999 (1999-2000) with one goal from 48 appearances
6. He returned to France to join Lyon on £6 million transfer between 2000-2003, 43 appearances and three goals.
7. In 2001 he won the Coupe de la Ligue in 2001, and the league title with Lyon.
8. His international debut was against Mexico in September 1993.
9. He was part of the Cameroon squad for the 1994 World Cup, starting all three of their matches.
10. Due to a broken leg at Cameroon’s pre-World Cup training camp, he missed the 1998 World Cup.
11. He made squad for Cameroon in the 2002 World Cup. As in 1994, he played in all of Cameroon’s matches.
12. In the 72nd minute of the match against Colombia, Foé collapsed in the centre circle. After failed on-field resuscitation, he was stretchered off the field, where he received mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and oxygen. Medics spent 45 minutes attempting to restart his heart, and although he was still alive upon arrival at the stadium’s medical centre he died shortly afterwards.
An autopsy concluded that Foé‘s death was heart-related as it discovered evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition known to increase the risk of sudden death during physical exercise.
On the occasion of his fourteenth year after death, a series of tweets from the football fraternity has been celebrating the memory of the Cameroonian number 17 man at the time slumped and died at the State de Gerland in Lyon, France.

Credit: Africa News

Over 200 migrants rescued by Spain

More than 200 migrants were rescued by the Spanish coastguards on Saturday. They attempted crossing the Mediteranean from north Africa to Spain.
Most of them from sub Saharan Africa and the Maghreb, were rescued from from five vessels in the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea, which separate Spain from Morocco.
The spokesman said, dozens were rescued in south of Gibraltar from three boats. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 3,314 people reached Spain by sea between 1 January and 30 April .
On Thursday more than 400 migrants were reported rescued by the Spanish sea rescue service.
At least 2,018 people have died or disappeared in the Mediterranean since the beginning of the year, according to IOM’s latest report .
Credit: Africa News

Burn victims overwhelm Pakistani hospitals after tanker fire kills 146

Pakistani hospitals on Monday struggled to treat scores of severely burned victims of a fuel tanker explosion that killed at least 146 people, as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif flew back from an overseas trip to visit the injured.
More than 118 people were injured in the explosion in the eastern province of Punjab, which came as people gathered to collect leaking fuel after the tanker overturned on Sunday, government officials and rescue workers said.
The disaster was one of several deadly events to mar the run-up to Monday's Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. At least 65 people were killed in bombings in two cities on Friday claimed by Islamist militants including the Pakistani Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.
A burst tyre apparently caused the speeding fuel tanker to overturn on a sharp bend on a highway on the outskirts of the city of Bahawalpur, provincial spokesman Malik Muhammed Ahmed Khan said.
It was not clear what triggered the fireball but on Sunday, a spokesman for rescue services said someone was believed to have lit a cigarette.
"Rehabilitation and treatment of the victims is our top priority," Khan said.
Hospitals are also arranging DNA testing to identify the many bodies that were charred beyond recognition. At least 20 children are among the dead.
Many of the burn victims have been moved the larger cities of Karachi and Lahore. Governments hospital are often-underequipped and the ones in Bahawalpur and nearby Multan were set up only to handle small numbers, Khan said.
The oil tanker driver, who survived, has been detained to assist in an investigation, but early reports do not indicate human error, Khan said.
He said a separate investigation was underway to see why police did not disperse the crowds of people who gathered to collect fuel.
"Police did try but we are looking into what went wrong," he said.
Prime Minister Sharif visited the injured in Bahawalpur's Victoria Hospital on Sunday after flying home from a trip to London, his office said.
Television footage showed the prime minister standing by the bedsides of victims.
Sharif had been in London to attend his grandson's graduation ceremony, his daughter Maryam said in a tweet.
(Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Trump accuses Obama of inaction over Russia meddling claim

President Donald Trump has accused his predecessor Barack Obama of inaction over alleged Russian interference in the US election in 2016.

Mr Trump said Mr Obama had learned well before the 8 November poll about the accusations and "did nothing".
His comments followed an article in the Washington Post which said that Mr Obama learned last August of President Vladimir Putin's "direct involvement".
The alleged meddling is the subject of high-level investigations in the US.
President Putin has repeatedly denied any Russian interference into the presidential election.
The Washington Post article says Mr Obama was told early last August by sources deep within the Russian government that Mr Putin was directly involved in a cyber campaign to disrupt the election, injure Hillary Clinton and aid a Trump victory.
The Post said Mr Obama secretly debated dozens of options to punish Russia but in the end settled on what it called symbolic measures - the expulsion of 35 diplomats and closure of two Russian compounds. They came in late December, well after the election.

The Post reported that Mr Obama was concerned he might himself be seen as trying to manipulate the election.
The paper quoted a former administration official as saying: "From national security people there was a sense of immediate introspection, of, 'Wow, did we mishandle this'."
Measures Mr Obama had considered but which were not put into action included planting cyber weapons in the Russian infrastructure and releasing information personally damaging to Mr Putin.

Mr Trump tweeted on Friday: "The Obama Administration knew far in advance of November 8th about election meddling by Russia. Did nothing about it. WHY?"
He followed that up with two more tweets on Saturday, the second saying: "Obama Administration official said they "choked" when it came to acting on Russian meddling of election. They didn't want to hurt Hillary?"
He repeats the argument in an interview with Fox News, which will air on Sunday.
Credit: BBC

Botswana's former President Ketumile Masire dies aged 91

 

Botswana has declared three days of national mourning after the death of former President Sir Ketumile Masire, aged 91.

Sir Ketumile, who led the country from 1980 to 1998, is credited with being the architect of the country's famed stability, reports the AFP news agency.
He was also involved in peace initiatives across Africa, including ending Mozambique's long civil war.
Botswana is one of Africa's richest and most stable countries.

Colombia boat sinking: Six killed and 16 missing

At least six people died when a passenger boat sank on a reservoir in north-western Colombia, officials say.

They say that 133 people were rescued, but 16 are still missing after the four-deck Almirante went down near the popular resort town of Guatapé.
There were about 170 people on board. Witness Juan Quiroz told the BBC the boat sank in less than five minutes.
Leisure boats quickly came to the rescue, hauling victims from the water and the top deck of the vessel.
Some survivors complained that they had not been given life jackets.
Army helicopters and divers later joined the search-and-rescue operation.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who travelled to the scene on Sunday evening, said six people had been killed, revising down an initial death toll of nine given by officials.
More than 20 people have been taken to a hospital in Guatapé.

Eyewitness Louisa Murphy told the BBC: "We saw things flying off the side of the boat. And within, I think, probably about 20 second the boat had sort of sunk with just the top deck visible."
Luis Bernardo Morales, a fire service captain involved in the rescue, said the boat was very close to the port when it sank.
"We do not know whether it was a mechanical failure, an overloading or something to do with the currents that caused it to sink," AFP news agency quoted him as saying.
Local residents said that the vessel had sunk twice before but had then been repaired before being used again.
Guatapé is a popular Andean resort town, known for its water sports and recreational activities.

Credit: BBC