'King Cobra' (Zambia's President) Sata, dies in London

Zambian President Michael Sata, an abrasive figure nicknamed 'King Cobra' because of his venomous tongue, has died in London where he had been receiving medical treatment, the government in Africa's second-largest copper producer said on Wednesday.

Sata, whose attacks on foreign mining companies have sometimes rattled investors, died on Tuesday evening at London's King Edward VII hospital, the Zambia Reports and Zambian Watchdog websites reported. He was 77.

The cause of death was not immediately disclosed but Sata, who became president of the landlocked southern African nation in 2011, had been ill for some time. - Reuters