Geneva  - More Colombian civilians continue to flee the armed conflict in their country, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Wednesday, pointing to the emergence of new armed groups.

It is estimated that between 2.8 to 4 million people have been displaced during the decades-long conflict between government forces and armed groups.

The ICRC alone gave food and other aid to 73,000 displaced people in 2008, an increase of 10 per cent over the previous year. About 50 per cent of the people receiving ICRC aid are children.

Bogota - Clara Rojas, a former hostage held by leftist Colombian rebels, said the family of high profile hostage Ingrid Betancourt hid for two months evidence that Betancourt was alive.

In an interview published by the Colombian daily El Tiempo on Monday, Rojas - who was Betancourt's vice presidential candidate when the two were kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in February 2002 - said Betancourt's family hid the evidence to keep her in the media spotlight.

Bogota  - Wide areas of the Colombian capital Bogota were in chaos Thursday after several hours of rain caused flooding and blocked key avenues, prompting Mayor Samuel Moreno to declare a state of emergency.

The damage, particularly in the western districts of Fontibon, Kennedy and Tunjuelito, became clear Thursday morning after rains had fallen since Wednesday.

Officials at the Colombian Hydrology and Meteorology Institute said the amount of water that fell overnight in 12 hours was equivalent to the average for the city in a whole month.

Sydney, Mar 29 : After Austria and Italy, another man has been arrested for allegedly fathering eight children with his daughter.

Arcedio Alvarez, a Colombian man, is said to have abused his daughter, now in her thirties, since she was less than 10 years old.

The man was arrested on Friday in the town of Mariquita, after a complaint was filed by his daughter.

Her first pregnancy happened when she was only nine years old.

The woman had a total of 14 pregnancies from the relationship, although six ended in miscarriages. The offspring are now aged age one to 19.