Paris Train Crash: Six Killed In 'Catastrophe'

At least six people are dead and dozens more are injured after a packed train carrying hundreds of passengers derailed and crashed into a station outside Paris.

The seven-carriage service was about 20 minutes into a three-hour journey to Limoges when it crashed 12 miles south of the capital about 5:15pm (local time).

Part of the metal roof over the platform was crushed as carriages slid towards Bretigny-sur-Orge station in France's deadliest rail crash for years.

An investigation into the cause is under way after the train, with 385 passengers on board, derailed.

The French interior minister has called it a 'catastrophe'

But the head of the SNCF rail authority, Guillaume Pepy, said the third and fourth carriages initially came off the track, then knocked the others off.

He called it a "catastophe", adding: "Some cars simply derailed, others are leaning, others fell over."

The crash happened as France prepared to celebrate its most important national holiday, Bastille Day, on Sunday.

Seven carriages piled up

Many people have been heading out of Paris and other big cities to see family or go on holiday.

Footage from the scene showed crushed metal on the platform and debris from the crash clogging up the stairs.

Interior minister Manuel Valls said at least six people have been killed. He added that nine people are gravely injured and has also warned the number of dead could rise.

Rescuers pull survivors from the wreckage. Pic: @aishakurdish

Briton Graham Hope, a passenger in the third carriage, told Sky News: "The carriage I was in was bouncing for several seconds before we came to a halt.

"Everyone was very calm. A couple of people were quite concerned, but we worked together to get out of the carriage.

"When I got out we could see the rest of the train was further up the line ... I would be very surprised if people got out of the front carriage unscathed."

The train derailed at Bretigny-sur-Orge

A witness in a nearby train, 19-year-old Bazgua El Mehdi told Le Parisien newspaper: "I heard a loud noise. A cloud of sand covered everything. Then the dust dissipated.

"I thought it was a freight train, but then we saw the first casualties ... Many passengers on the (train) were crying."

A police source said: "The train arrived at the station at high speed. It split in two for an unknown reason. Part of the train continued to roll while the other was left on its side on the platform."

But a passenger speaking on France's BFM television said the train was going at a normal speed and was not meant to stop at Bretigny-sur-Orge.

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Egypt: US Calls For Release Of Detained Morsi

The US has called for the release of Mohamed Morsi as tens of thousands of supporters of the ousted Egyptian president staged protests across the country.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US agrees with the German Foreign Ministry, which had called for an "end to all restrictive measures considering Morsi".

Mr Morsi, an Islamist who became the country's first freely elected leader, was ousted on July 3 by the military.

His removal followed a wave of protests calling on him to step down.

He has been kept at an undisclosed Defence Ministry facility since then, but no formal charges have been filed.

Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the Army in what many called a coup

Supporters vowed to continue their campaign of street rallies as long as necessary to force Mr Morsi's reinstitution.

At the main Islamist rally in Cairo, the crowd poured into a large boulevard in front of a main mosque where his supporters have been camped out for two weeks.

Some held up photos of Mr Morsi, others carried posters depicting army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sissi with blood coming out of his mouth and emblazoned with the word "traitor".

"We are ready to stay for a month, two months, a year or even two years," an ultraconservative Salafi cleric, Safwat Hegazi, told protesters.

Friday prayers on the third day of Ramadan

The day of protests marked the first Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset, which usually cuts down on activity during the day - particularly outdoors in warm summer temperatures.

During the daytime fast, some at the rally rested in their tents, reading the Quran or sleeping.

Similar rallies were held across the Nile River in Cairo's sister city Giza, in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria and several other cities.

Clashes have broken out between Mr Morsi's supporters and his critics

A week of violence in a bitterly divided nation has left dozens of Mr Morsi's Islamist supporters dead.

The new military-backed administration has intensified its crackdown on the leadership of Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, issuing several arrest warrants.

The administration is pushing ahead quickly with its transition plans, which the military said would include new elections.

However, the new prime minister Hazem el Beblawi said members of the Muslim Brotherhood would be offered cabinet posts.

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Ireland Abortion: New Legislation Is Passed

The Irish Government has passed legislation for the first time allowing for abortion in limited circumstances.

The landmark laws enshrine a woman's right to a termination if her life is at risk, including from suicide.

Despite fears some backbenchers would revolt, a junior minister was the most high-profile of a small number to break ranks and vote against the divisive legislation.

Minister for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton was one of only five to break Government ranks and is set to be exiled by her Fine Gael party as the vote passed with a comfortable majority, with 127 voting in favour and 31 against.

Savita Halappanavar died of septicaemia

Protests by pro-life groups, hate mail, death threats and intimidation to politicians and campaigners worsened already bitter disputes over the reforms in the predominantly Catholic country.

The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013 was drawn up following the death of Savita Halappanavar, an Indian dentist who died in an Irish hospital in October last year after being denied an abortion as she miscarried 17 weeks into her pregnancy.

Her widower Praveen claimed the couple had been told a termination was not allowed because "Ireland is a Catholic country".

As new figures on Thursday revealed 11 women travelled from Ireland to Britain every day for an abortion last year, Prime Minister Enda Kenny said it was time the women of Ireland have the rights they deserve enshrined in law.

"We had 21 years of inaction, 21 years of inaction," Mr Kenny said.

"What's going on here is medical clarity and legal certainty for the women of our country who have had a constitutional right conferred upon them."

Lucinda Creighton broke government ranks for voting against the legislation

The two-day debate wrapped up with the final vote shortly before 12.30am. It was clear the suicide clause remained the most divisive aspect of the legislation throughout.

Ms Creighton, the exiled junior minister, refused to support the rule which allows an expectant mother to seek an abortion on the grounds that she is prepared to take her own life and called for alternative therapies to be offered instead. Her demands were ignored.

She automatically lost the party whip after voting against the Government in support of an amendment proposed by fellow Fine Gael rebel Billy Timmins to remove the suicide clause from the legislation.

"I'm very sad," Ms Creighton said, after casting the vote that sealed her self-imposed exile.

"But at the same time I feel a bit relieved because this is obviously something that's been weighing on everybody's minds for months and months.

"It's no exaggeration to say, I think, an awful lot of people have really struggled to make a decision on how they would vote in this legislation."

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Malala Takes Education Battle To The UN

By Tom Parmenter, in New York

The Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot in the head by the Taliban will mark her 16th birthday by addressing the United Nations in New York.

Malala Yousafzai will urge the world to give every child an education.

Her remarkable recovery has seen her become a high profile campaigner with her face being recognised all over the world.

Three million people have already signed a petition which Malala will present to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

Ahead of her first major public speech the teenager said: "This is an opportunity for every young person on the planet to get together and tell the world: 'we will get our education, be it at home, in school or any place'."

The schoolgirl was shot by the Taliban in 2012 while on her way to school in Swat Valley.

She was transferred to Birmingham in the UK and underwent extensive surgery to rebuild her skull at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Young people from 80 different countries have arrived in New York to hear Malala's speech and to support her cause.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said: "In far too many places, students like Malala and their teachers are threatened, assaulted, even killed.

"Through hate-filled actions, extremists have shown what frightens them the most: a girl with a book."

The event marks Malala Day and has been organised by former prime minister Gordon Brown, now the UN Special Envoy for Global Education.

The Malala Day petition can be found here.

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Egypt Orders Brotherhood Arrests Over Clashes

Egypt's public prosecutor has ordered the arrest of Muslim Brotherhood supreme guide Mohammed Badie and other top leaders of the movement for inciting violence that left dozens dead outside the headquarters of an elite army unit.

At least 51 people were killed in Monday's clashes outside the Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo where supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi were calling for him to be reinstated.

Other senior Brotherhood officials were also ordered to be held over the violence, including Mr Badie's deputy Mahmoud Ezzat and party leaders Essam El-Erian and Mohamed El-Beltagi, according to judicial sources.

Prosecutors said that 200 people had been charged altogether over their involvement in the deadly clashes. Mostly Morsi supporters, they will be held for 15 days pending investigation into accusations of murder, incitement to violence, carrying unlicensed weapons and disrupting public order and security.

Thousands of followers of the Brotherhood have been maintaining a vigil near a mosque in northeast Cairo demanding the reinstatement of Mr Morsi, toppled as president by the army last week.

His ousting, after mass protests calling for his resignation, has prompted widespread violence in the divided country. Monday was the deadliest day so far.

Interim PM Hazem el Beblawi is trying to put together a cabinet

A spokesman for the Brotherhood movement said the charges were an attempt to break-up their protests and that the leaders had not been detained.

Mr Morsi himself is said to be in a "safe place" and has not had any charges levelled against him.

"Morsi is in a safe place, for his safety and he is being treated with dignity," a foreign ministry spokesman said.

It came as the ousted president's Islamist group said it would reject any offers to join a new interim government.

Amid reports that the Muslim Brotherhood is to be offered positions in the transitional cabinet, a spokesman for the movement said: "We do not deal with putschists. We reject all that comes from this coup."

Egypt's new interim prime minister Hazem el Beblawi said he would start work on forming his new cabinet on Wednesday, first meeting liberal leaders Mohamed ElBaradei and Ziad Bahaa-Eldin.

The new leader said he accepted that it would be difficult to win the unanimous support of Egyptians for his new government.

Violent clashes have erupted between Morsi supporters and opponents

Mr Beblawi, a liberal economist and former finance minister, was appointed prime minister by interim president Adly Mansour on Tuesday. He also made Nobel peace laureate Mr ElBaradei interim vice president responsible for foreign affairs.

Mr Mansour has set a timetable to hold elections early next year as part of a new charter to try to halt the unrest.

However, the plan has since been shunned by the Muslim Brotherhood, while the National Salvation Front, the main liberal coalition that called for Mr Morsi's overthrow, has demanded amendments - stopping short of rejecting the decree outright. 

Tamarod, the movement that spearheaded the grassroots campaign against the former president, complained that it had not been consulted on the transition plan announced by Mr Mansour and would also make proposals for changes to the blueprint.

The decree, outlining the interim president's new powers, gives the country five months to amend the Islamist-drafted constitution suspended on Mr Morsi's ouster and ratify it in a referendum.

Parliamentary elections will then be held by early 2014 and Mr Mansour will announce a date for a presidential election once the new parliament has convened.

The continued standoff with Mr Morsi's loyalists, who demand the reinstatement of Egypt's first democratically elected leader, has exacerbated fears of further bloodshed after his overthrow.

In the worst incident on July 3, at least 51 people, most of them supporters of the ousted Islamist, died in clashes outside a military barracks in Cairo.

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Canada Train Blast: All Missing Believed Dead

Fifty people have now been confirmed dead or are presumed dead after a runaway freight train derailed and exploded in Canada.

Twenty bodies have already been found and officials are telling the families of 30 other people missing that all are believed to have been killed.

A railway boss has blamed an employee for failing to set the brakes properly.

Edward Burkhardt, chief executive of Rail World, made his comments during his first visit to the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic.

Mr Burkhardt, who arrived with a police escort and was heckled by angry residents, said a train engineer had been suspended without pay.

The boss said: "I think he did something wrong. It's hard to explain why someone didn't do something.

"We think he applied some hand brakes but the question is did he apply enough of them.

"He said he applied 11 hand brakes, we think that's not true. Initially we believed him but now we don't."

Edward Burkhardt, chief executive of Rail World visited Lac-Megantic

Mr Burkhardt does not suspect sabotage was involved.

An area of Lac-Megantic was flattened in the inferno caused by the crash, as a wall of fire tore through homes and businesses.

Some parts of the devastated scene have been too hot and dangerous to enter and find bodies even days after the disaster.

The blaze forced about 2,000 residents to flee their homes in the town, which has a population of 6,000. Most residents started returning on Tuesday.

The train, operated by Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway and carrying crude oil, had been stopped for a crew change in the nearby town of Nantes when it broke loose and hurtled downhill without a conductor towards Lac-Megantic.

It travelled for nearly seven miles before derailing at a curve in the tracks at 63mph and several wagons exploded.

Investigators are looking closely at a fire that happened on the train less than an hour before it became loose while stationery in Nantes.

The train's engine was shut down - standard operating procedure but one that might have disabled the brakes.

Police said a range of possibilities remain under investigation, including criminal negligence.

Some officials have raised the possibility the train was tampered with before the crash.

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Egypt: Cabinet Jobs For Muslim Brotherhood

Egypt's new prime minister Hazem el Beblawi says members of the ousted Muslim Brotherhood will be offered cabinet posts.

The former finance minister was given the post in a transitional government by acting head of state Adli Mansour.

He is to offer posts in the new government to the Freedom and Justice Party - the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm - and to the hardline Islamist Nour Party.

Soldiers in gas masks on patrol in the Cairo suburb of Nasr City

"There is no objection at all to including members of those two parties in the government," the state news agency quoted a presidential spokesman as saying.

Mr Mansour has also made former UN nuclear agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei the deputy to the president, responsible for foreign affairs.

The Nour Party has said it does not object to 76-year-old Mr el Beblawi's nomination, but it was studying the likely appointment of Mr ElBaradei, the party's leader said in a statement.

The news comes as Egypt is set to hold parliamentary elections by early 2014 as part of a swift timetable for social change, a move welcomed by the US.

Adli Mansour's decree comes after clashes between protesters and the army

According to an earlier decree issued by Mr Mansour, Egyptians will have five months to amend the constitution - suspended after Mohamed Morsi was removed from power in a military coup - before heading to the polls three months later.

Mr Mansour, a top judge who was picked by the military to steer the country through another period of transition, has promised a quick return to civilian rule.

However, Zaid al Ali, a constitutional lawyer, said the 33-article decree was "vague" enough to allow Mr Mansour to draw out the parliamentary vote.

Brotherhood leader Asem Abdel Maged delivers a speech to supporters

"The way it was worded suggests they plan to have the entire election within that timeframe," he said, but warned the interim president may only require candidates to start registering within the schedule set.

The decree was issued after 51 people were killed close to the gates of the Republican Guard officers' club in Cairo.

Many of those who died were supporters of Mr Morsi, who they believe is being held inside the building. Authorities have so far arrested 650 mostly pro-Morsi protesters after the killings.

A man holds a bloodstained shirt following earlier clashes with the army

Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, which has led demonstrations against last week's military overthrow of the Islamist leader, have called for an "uprising" in response to the "massacre".

"Each province is organising funerals and rallies, and each province will have a central sit-in," Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad said.

Video footage obtained by Sky News showed soldiers firing tear gas and volleys of automatic rifle fire during an apparent pre-planned operation to clear the streets of protesters.

Supporters of Mohamed Morsi say their supporters were 'massacred'

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon has condemned the latest wave of bloodshed and called for an independent inquiry.

He urged Egyptians "to be mindful of the precarious path the country is now on and to do everything possible to avoid further escalation", his spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

Meanwhile, Middle East envoy Tony Blair has told Sky News there are "no easy solutions" to the crisis. Speaking to Sky's Dermot Murgnahan, Britain's former Prime Minister said Egypt needed to change its way of thinking for democracy to work.

"This wasn't a situation of people electing a Muslim Brotherhood government and then immediately the army stepping in," he said. "The army and people gave the government a chance to work but it lost support as was literally not governing.

"One the one hand you want to condemn the intervention of the military, on the other hand you think 'what else realistically could happen?' and how do we get the country back to stability?

"There is a big argument going on right across the Middle East right now of 'what is the proper place of religion in politics?' and how do you create a genuine democracy in these countries because democracy is not just a way of voting, it's a way of thinking."

Egypt's rich neighbours have pledged almost $8bn in aid since Mr Morsi was ousted.

Saudi Arabia said it would give $5bn in grants and loans, after the United Arab Emirates announced $3bn in aid.

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Canada Train Explosion: Criminal Probe Starts

A criminal investigation has been launched after a train carrying crude oil came off the rails and exploded, killing 15 people.

The mangled remains of the train after the explosion in Lac-Megantic

The death toll rose as police gained access to the centre of crash site in Lac-Megantic, near Quebec in Canada, for the first time.

Many of the dozens of people still missing are feared buried in the blackened remains of buildings destroyed by the blast.

The blast destroyed around 30 buildings in the small Canadian town

Inspector Michel Forget, of Quebec Provincial Police, said investigators had discovered "elements" that may point to criminal involvement.

They are examining whether a fire on the train a few hours before the disaster set off the deadly chain of events.

The train travelled downhill for nearly seven miles before derailing

The engine was shut down after the blaze - a standard procedure but one that might have disabled the brakes.

The train broke loose and hurtled down a hill for nearly seven miles before jumping the tracks at 63mph, causing at least five of the 73 cars to explode.

Axle gear was strewn across the town of Lac-Megantic

The blast destroyed around 30 buildings, including a popular nightspot that was packed with people.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper likened the scene to a "war zone" and said the country had witnessed an "unbelievable disaster".

At least five of the freight train's 73 wagons exploded

Local resident Gilles Fluet, who saw the train just before it derailed, said: "It was moving at a hellish speed.

"(There were) no lights, no signals, nothing at all. There was no warning. It was a black blob that came out of nowhere."

Barriers have been placed on rivers to contain the oil spill

Meanwhile, authorities battled to stop waves of crude oil from the disaster reaching the St Lawrence River, an important supply of water for the region.

Yves-Francois Blanchet, the environment and wildlife minister, said the chances of containing the spill were "very slim".

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Egypt: Conflicting Versions Of Army Killings

Egypt: Timeline Of Morsi's Reign

Updated: 8:21am UK, Monday 08 July 2013

Key developments over the year since Mohamed Morsi became Egypt's first democratically elected president.

:: 2012

June 30: Mr Morsi, elected with 51.7% of the vote, is sworn and becomes Egypt's first civilian and Islamist president.

August 12: The new president scraps a constitutional document that gave sweeping powers to the military and sacks Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi who ruled after Hosni Mubarak's ousting in February, 2011.

November 22: Mr Morsi decrees sweeping new powers for himself.

November 30: Islamist-dominated constituent assembly adopts a draft constitution despite boycott by liberals, Christians.

December 8: The president annuls the decree giving himself increased powers.

December 15 and 22: 64% of voters in a two-round referendum back the new constitution. Egypt plunges into political crisis, with demonstrations by Morsi supporters and opponents sometimes turning deadly.

:: 2013

January 24: There is violence between demonstrators and police on the eve of the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Mubarak. Nearly 60 people die in a week.

April 5: Four Christians and a Muslims are killed in sectarian violence.

May 7: President Morsi's cabinet reshuffle falls short of opposition demands.

May 16: Gunmen kidnap three policemen and four soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula. They are freed on May 22.

June 2: Egypt's highest court invalidates the Islamist-dominated Senate, which assumed a legislative role when parliament was dissolved, and a panel that drafted the constitution.

June 15: Morsi announces "definitive" severing of ties with Syria.

June 21: Tens of thousands of Islamists gather ahead of planned opposition protests.

June 23: Defence Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warns the army will intervene if violence erupts.

June 28: The US says non-essential embassy staff can leave after an American is killed during protests.

June 29: The Tamarod ('rebellion') campaign which called rallies for June 30 says more than 22 million have signed a petition demanding Mr Morsi's resignation and a snap election.

June 30: Tens of thousands of Egyptians take to the streets nationwide determined to oust the president on the anniversary of his turbulent first year in power. At least 16 people die in protests across the country.

July 1: The opposition gives President Morsi a day to quit or face civil disobedience. The Tamarod calls on "the army, the police and the judiciary to clearly side with the popular will as represented by the crowds".

Egypt's armed forces warn that it will intervene if the people's demands are not met within 48 hours.

July 2: The presidency rejects the army's ultimatum, saying it will pursue his own plans for national reconciliation.

Foreign minister Kamel Amr becomes the sixth member of Mr Morsi's cabinet to resign.

US President Barack Obama calls on Mr Morsi to respond to the protests and resolve the crisis through "political process".

July 3: A day of drama as tanks and troops deploy near the presidential palace, with a military deadline for Mr Morsi to yield power passing.

He is overthrown late in the day as the country's most senior army official announces the suspension of the Islamist-tinged constitution and a "road map" for a return to democratic rule to stop "bloodshed".

July 4: As Mr Morsi is held by the army, the head of the constitutional court is sworn in as the interim president.

July 6: Fierce street battles between supporters of Morsi and their opponents leave at least 36 people dead.

July 8: Some 35 people are shot dead in clashes between Morsi supporters and the Egyptian army, outside the Republican Guard headquarters.

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Egypt: Timetable For Elections Set By Mansour

Egypt: Timeline Of Morsi's Reign

Updated: 8:21am UK, Monday 08 July 2013

Key developments over the year since Mohamed Morsi became Egypt's first democratically elected president.

:: 2012

June 30: Mr Morsi, elected with 51.7% of the vote, is sworn and becomes Egypt's first civilian and Islamist president.

August 12: The new president scraps a constitutional document that gave sweeping powers to the military and sacks Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi who ruled after Hosni Mubarak's ousting in February, 2011.

November 22: Mr Morsi decrees sweeping new powers for himself.

November 30: Islamist-dominated constituent assembly adopts a draft constitution despite boycott by liberals, Christians.

December 8: The president annuls the decree giving himself increased powers.

December 15 and 22: 64% of voters in a two-round referendum back the new constitution. Egypt plunges into political crisis, with demonstrations by Morsi supporters and opponents sometimes turning deadly.

:: 2013

January 24: There is violence between demonstrators and police on the eve of the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled Mubarak. Nearly 60 people die in a week.

April 5: Four Christians and a Muslims are killed in sectarian violence.

May 7: President Morsi's cabinet reshuffle falls short of opposition demands.

May 16: Gunmen kidnap three policemen and four soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula. They are freed on May 22.

June 2: Egypt's highest court invalidates the Islamist-dominated Senate, which assumed a legislative role when parliament was dissolved, and a panel that drafted the constitution.

June 15: Morsi announces "definitive" severing of ties with Syria.

June 21: Tens of thousands of Islamists gather ahead of planned opposition protests.

June 23: Defence Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warns the army will intervene if violence erupts.

June 28: The US says non-essential embassy staff can leave after an American is killed during protests.

June 29: The Tamarod ('rebellion') campaign which called rallies for June 30 says more than 22 million have signed a petition demanding Mr Morsi's resignation and a snap election.

June 30: Tens of thousands of Egyptians take to the streets nationwide determined to oust the president on the anniversary of his turbulent first year in power. At least 16 people die in protests across the country.

July 1: The opposition gives President Morsi a day to quit or face civil disobedience. The Tamarod calls on "the army, the police and the judiciary to clearly side with the popular will as represented by the crowds".

Egypt's armed forces warn that it will intervene if the people's demands are not met within 48 hours.

July 2: The presidency rejects the army's ultimatum, saying it will pursue his own plans for national reconciliation.

Foreign minister Kamel Amr becomes the sixth member of Mr Morsi's cabinet to resign.

US President Barack Obama calls on Mr Morsi to respond to the protests and resolve the crisis through "political process".

July 3: A day of drama as tanks and troops deploy near the presidential palace, with a military deadline for Mr Morsi to yield power passing.

He is overthrown late in the day as the country's most senior army official announces the suspension of the Islamist-tinged constitution and a "road map" for a return to democratic rule to stop "bloodshed".

July 4: As Mr Morsi is held by the army, the head of the constitutional court is sworn in as the interim president.

July 6: Fierce street battles between supporters of Morsi and their opponents leave at least 36 people dead.

July 8: Some 35 people are shot dead in clashes between Morsi supporters and the Egyptian army, outside the Republican Guard headquarters.

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Canada Train Explosions: Five People Killed

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

Five people have died and at least 40 are missing after a train carrying crude oil came off the rails in Canada, sparking a number of explosions.

The crash happened as the unmanned 73-car freight train travelled through Lac-Megantic in Quebec on Saturday morning.

Fires were finally extinguished more than 24 hours after the accident, which forced up to 2,000 people were forced to leave their homes.

A rail operator confirmed the train had been parked out of town but said it was unclear how it "got released".

Massive flames and thick smoke could be seen following the derailment, which caused several cars to explode.

More than 1,000 residents were told to leave the area (Pic: Quebec police)

Lieutenant Guy Lapointe, a spokesman for Quebec provincial police, said: "I don't want to get into numbers, what I will say is we do expect we'll have other people who will be found deceased unfortunately.

"We also expect that down the line the number of people who are reported missing with regards to people who have actually lost their lives will be much higher."

No one was on board the train when it rolled into the town, according to the operator the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway (MMAR) company.

Edward Burkhardt, president and CEO of Rail World Inc, the parent company of MMAR, said: "If brakes aren't properly applied on a train, it's going to run away.

"But we think the brakes were properly applied on this train.

"We've had a very good safety record for these 10 years. Well, I think we've blown it here."

A train wagon burning after the explosion

Mayor Colette Roy-LaRoche was nearly in tears as she addressed the media, according to the Montreal Gazette.

"When you see the downtown of your city almost destroyed you think, how are we going to get through this? But I can assure everyone here that all the authorities and ministries have been very supportive," she said.

"We've deployed all the resources possible."

Four tanker cars blew up after the train, which had 73 cars in all, came off the rails shortly after 1am local time.

Environmental experts have also arrived in the town to assess how much oil may have spilled into the Chaudiere River.

Environment Quebec spokesman Christian Blanchette said: "Right now, there is big smoke in the air, so we have a mobile laboratory here to monitor the quality of the air.

"We also have a spill on the lake and the river that is concerning us.

"We have advised the local municipalities downstream to be careful if they take their water from the Chaudiere River."

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San Francisco Plane Crash: First Clues Found

The first picture taken inside a passenger plane which crashed in San Francisco has emerged, as investigators say pilots tried to abort the landing less than two seconds before impact.

Officials are also looking at whether one of the two teenagers killed in the crash was run over by a rescue vehicle.

It is not clear whether she died when Asiana Airlines flight 214 slammed into the runway, or whether she was knocked down as emergency crews rushed to the scene.

The mangled interior of the Boeing 777. Pic: NTSB/Twitter

Air crash investigators published a series of pictures from the crash site, including one taken inside the wreckage of the plane, showing oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling of the cabin and seats bent at various angles.

They have recovered both black boxes from the Boeing 777, which should reveal exactly why the aircraft came down, injuring 180 people, 49 of them seriously.

Deborah Hersman, head of the National Transportation Safety Board, said the plane was travelling well below its target speed of 157mph.

The plane's landing gear was separated from the fuselage. Pic: NTSB/Twitter

She said a piece of safety equipment that warns pilots of an impending stall went off moments before the crash.

Cockpit voice recordings revealed the crew's desperate attempts to climb back into the sky but did not suggest any mechanical problems.

No warnings were issued to air traffic controllers until seven seconds before impact.

Investigators study the aircraft's tail fin. Pic: NTSB/Twitter

Although the cause of the crash is yet to be confirmed, one theory is that the plane clipped a sea wall at the end of the runway as it came into land.

Meanwhile, further tales from those on the flight from Shanghai, which travelled to San Francisco via a stop-off in Seoul, have emerged.

Fei Xiong, who was taking her eight-year-old son on a trip to Disneyland, said: "My son told me, 'The plane will fall down, it's too close to the sea.' I told him, 'Baby, it's OK, we'll be fine.'"

Teenagers Wang Linjia and Ye Mengyuan died in the crash

Xu Da, who was sitting near the back of the plane with his wife and teenage son, described seeing sparks - possibly from exposed electrical wires - and a gaping hole through which he could see the runway.

Wen Zhang climbed from the wreckage with her four-year-old son, who hit the seat in front of him and broke his leg in the crash.

"I had no time to be scared," she said.

The two pilots - part of a crew of 16 - had more than 10,000 flying hours between them.

There were 291 passengers on board, the majority of whom (141) were Chinese.

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Islamic Militants Kill 30 In Nigeria School Attack

Armed Islamic militants have killed 29 students and an English teacher in an attack on a boarding school in northeastern Nigeria.

Survivors being treated for burns and gunshot wounds said some students were burned alive in the attack on Saturday which has been blamed on a radical terror group.

Gunmen, believed to be from Islamist sect Boko Haram, stormed the premises of Government Secondary School in the town of Mamudo in Yobe state at around 3am, setting fire to parts of the complex.

Dozens of children from the 1,200-student school escaped into the bush and have not been seen since.

Parents rushed to the school and screamed in anguish as they tried to identify the charred and dead bodies of the victims.

Mohammed Musa, who taught English at the school, died after he was shot in the chest.

One 15-year-old, who survived the attack, told of how he awoke to find one of the attackers pointing a gun at him.

Speaking at Potsikum General Hospital, Musa Hassan said: "We were sleeping when we heard gunshots. When I woke up, someone was pointing a gun at me."

Nigerian soldiers on patrol in a village

He put up his hands in defence and was shot in his right hand, the one he uses to write with, and lost four fingers.

The child said the gunmen came armed with jerry cans of fuel that they used to torch the school's administrative block and one of the hostels.

"They burned the children alive," he added.

Farmer Malam Abdullahi found the bodies of two of his sons, a 10-year-old shot in the back as he apparently tried to run away, and a 12-year-old shot in the chest.

He said he planned to withdraw his three remaining sons from another school nearby.

"That's it, I'm taking my other boys out of school," he said.

He complained there was no protection for students despite the deployment of thousands of troops since the government declared a state of emergency mid-May in three northeastern states.

"It's not safe," he said. "The gunmen are attacking schools and there is no protection for students despite all the soldiers," he added.

A poster offers a reward for the capture of Boko Haram head Abubakar Shekau

It is the deadliest of three attacks on schools since the military launched its offensive to try to crush Boko Haram. The group's nickname translates as "Western education is sinful" in the northern Hausa language.

Suspected Islamist militants opened fire on a school in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri last month, killing nine students, and a similar attack on a school in the city of Damaturu killed seven just days earlier.

Dozens of schools have been torched and unknown scores of students killed among more than 1,600 victims slain by extremists since 2010.

Militants have increasingly targeted civilians, including health workers on vaccination campaigns, teachers and government workers, while farmers have been driven from their land.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency on May 14, and deployed thousands of troops to halt the insurgency, acknowledging that militants had taken control of some towns and villages.

Nigerian forces say they have wrest back control of the remote northeast from Boko Haram, destroying key bases and arresting scores of suspects.

However, the military crackdown has pushed many militants into hiding.

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Boeing Plane Crash Lands In San Francisco

Two people have been killed and more than 150 others injured when a plane crash landed at San Francisco International Airport, according to the city fire department.

The Asiana Airlines flight, coming from Seoul, South Korea, was believed to be carrying 291 passengers and 16 crew members.

The San Francisco Fire Department, said 181 people have been taken to various hospitals - 49 of whom are in a serious condition.

Terrorism had been ruled out as a cause of the accident, the FBI confirmed.

The debris of the aircraft's tail is seen on the runway after the crash

Eyewitnesses reported seeing the plane's tail section break off during the crash. South Korea's transportation ministry said the tail of the plane hit the runway before it crashed.

A fire started when the plane landed and passengers were forced to use emergency inflatable slides to escape the aircraft, witnesses added.

Parts of the plane's tail and the landing gear were strewn across the runway. TV footage showed the top of the fuselage had been burned away and one engine appeared to have broken off.

A plume of smoke rose from the plane after the crash landing

David Eun, believed to be a passenger on the aircraft, posted on Twitter: "I just crash landed at SFO. Tail ripped off. Most everyone seems fine. I'm ok. Surreal."

He added: "Fire and rescue people all over the place. They're evacuating the injured."

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown said the Boeing 777 was supposed to land on runway 28 left at San Francisco International Airport.

She said the sequence of events was still unclear, but it appeared the plane landed and then crashed.

The wreckage is visible next to one of the runways at the airport

Sky News Correspondent Tom Parmenter said: "There were large plumes of smoke coming from this plane.

"The tail seems to be the initial problem on landing, and then the fire seems to have started once the plane was on the runway.

"People have been pictured walking away from the wreckage."

Flights have been diverted to other airports, including Los Angeles.

Debbie Hersman, chairman of the Transport Safety Board, said: "Teams are going to be focused on operations, human performance, survival factors, the airport, airport operations and they are going to be focussing on the aircraft - the systems, the structures and the power plants.

"It's still too early for us to tell (what happened).

A statement from San Francisco General Hospital said 10 patients from the crash - eight adults and two children - were in a critical condition.

Asiana is a South Korean airline, second in size to the national carrier Korean Air. 

It has recently tried to expand its presence in the United States, and joined the oneWorld alliance, anchored by American Airlines and British Airways.

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