Ingrid Betancourt rescued from FARC

[Mark]

The Colombian authorities say they have rescued Ingrid Betancourt and three Americans held by rebels in Colombia. Ms Betancourt, a French-Colombian politician, has been held for more than six years by the rebel FARC group and is said to be in very poor health. She is the group's highest-profile hostage and the French government has made securing her release a priority.

The FARC group has been fighting to overthrow the Colombian government for more than 40 years. The Colombian military said some 15 hostages had been rescued in total on Wednesday, among them 11 Colombian soldiers.

Ms Betancourt was kidnapped by rebels from the FARC - the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - in 2002. She is believed to suffer from serious liver problems and was pictured looking frail in a recent video.