Edward Snowden Wants Asylum In Russia

Intelligence services whistleblower Edward Snowden plans to request asylum in Russia, accusing the US of trying to block him from travelling to other countries.

US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on Friday but appeared to make no headway on Washington's demand that Moscow send Snowden back to the US to face espionage charges.

Snowden's asylum remarks came in a statement after closed-door talks with human rights groups and lawyers at the Moscow airport where he has been holed up for weeks.

In a statement released after the 45-minute meeting, Snowden said: "That moral decision to tell the public about spying that affects all of us has been costly, but it was the right thing to do and I have no regrets."

He said he had given up his family and a "home in paradise" to put an end to what he said was a "serious violation of the law".

Pic: Courtesy of Tatyana Lokshina/Human Rights Watch

"I did not seek to enrich myself. I did not seek to sell US secrets. I did not partner with any foreign government to guarantee my safety," he said in the statement.

"Instead, I took what I knew to the public, so what affects all of us can be discussed by all of us in the light of day, and I asked the world for justice."

Snowden is wanted by the US over a series of leaks about spying programmes, with his most recent claims involving collaboration between Microsoft and American intelligence services.

Washington had previously criticised Moscow for giving Snowden a "propaganda platform", saying it was "disappointed" that Russia had allowed him to hold the meeting at Moscow airport.

The talks drew politicians, lawyers and activists including representatives of Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

A picture of Snowden at the meeting, taken by Human Rights Watch representative Tanya Lokshina, shows him with WikiLeaks representative Sarah Harrison on his right. 

Politician Vyacheslav Nikonov took part in the meeting

It was the first time that he had been seen since the scandal broke last month.

He seemed nervous, but in apparently good health, according to one of the participant, Duma member Vyacheslav Nikonov.

The former NSA contractor, 30, accuses Washington of waging a campaign to stop him from leaving Russia and getting asylum.

"The government and intelligence services of the United States of America have attempted to make an example of me, a warning to all others who might speak out as I have."

"I have been made stateless and hounded for my act of political expression," the statement said.

Protesters have shown their support for Snowden

Snowden said he was grateful for those countries, including Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua, which offered support and asylum, saying he accepted all offers that had been extended and any future one.

But, he said, given the "unlawful threat" posed by the US and his inability to reach those countries, he planned to formally request asylum in Russia until he can legally travel to Latin America.

Austrian authorities last week searched the Bolivian president's plane when it was diverted to Vienna because the US suspected Snowden was on board.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Mr Putin said Snowden might be allowed to stay in Russia if he stops releasing leaks that would damage the US or Russia-US relations, repeating conditions the Kremlin had set out earlier.

Both Mr Nikonov and Genri Reznik, a lawyer who participated in the meeting, said Snowden was willing to stop leaks.

"He said he was informed of this condition and that he can easily accept it. He does not intend to damage US interests given that he is a patriot of his country," Mr Nikonov said.

Snowden fled to Moscow from Hong Kong on June 23 and has been in limbo in Sheremetyevo airport's transit area despite the offers for asylum.

The US has revoked his passport, and doubts have also been raised about whether Snowden could fly from Moscow to any of those countries without passing through the airspace of the US or its allies.

The UN human rights chief has weighed in for the first time, giving guarded support for the fugitive ex-contractor.

Entrances were guarded during the meeting at the airport

"Snowden's case has shown the need to protect persons disclosing information on matters that have implications for human rights, as well as the importance of ensuring respect for the right to privacy," Navi Pillay said in a statement.

Snowden is seeking to avoid extradition after divulging embarrassing evidence about the activities of US spies, as well as the British eavesdropping agency GCHQ, to newspapers including The Guardian.

The latest files said Microsoft helped America's National Security Agency (NSA) to circumvent encryption so it could view web chats on the Outlook.com portal, which is replacing Hotmail.

Evidence seen by the paper said Microsoft also worked to give the NSA easier access to its cloud storage service SkyDrive, which has more than 250 million users. And by July 2012, nine months after Microsoft bought Skype, the Prism intelligence programme was collecting triple the amount of Skype video calls.

Microsoft told the paper it only provides information about users when demanded to do so by the government.

Snowden's files have also revealed the NSA claimed to have access to the servers of web firms including Apple, Google, Facebook and Yahoo, while GCHQ scans vast amounts of internet traffic through a system of fibre-optic cables.

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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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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 at about 5.15pm local time on Friday.

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

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

The French interior minister has called it a 'catastrophe'

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 prepares 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 their familes 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 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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Canada Train Blast: Engineer Blamed For Crash

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

Savita Halappanavar died of septicaemia

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.

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.

Malala leaves Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham

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.

"This frail young girl who was seriously injured has become such a powerful symbol not just for the girls' right to education, but for the demand that we do something about it immediately," Mr Brown told CBS News.

"There will be no compromise with any religious extremist who says girls should not go to school or stop going to school at 10."

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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Boston Bombings: Tsarnaev Pleads Not Guilty

By Sky News US Team, with Tom Parmenter, in Boston

Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to 30 charges including the use of a weapon of mass destruction.

His arm in a cast, Tsarnaev made his first courtroom appearance since his capture at the end of a chaotic week in April.

Wearing a bright orange overall he walked calmly into court 10 at the Federal Court in Boston.

He fidgeted in his seat and was then told to stand as the different charges were read to him.

A survivor of the bombing arrives at the federal courthouse in Boston

The 19-year-old smiled crookedly - he appeared to have a jaw injury - at his sisters.

Tsarnaev leaned over a microphone and said, "Not guilty" over and over in a Russian accent, before being led out of the courtroom.

He made a kissing motion toward his family as he left.

The proceedings lasted just seven minutes and took place in a courtroom packed with victims of the bombing, their families, police officers, and members of the public and the media.

The April 15 attack killed three people and wounded more than 260 others.

Authorities say Tsarnaev orchestrated the attack along with his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died following a shoot-out with police three days after the bombing.

MIT officers who lost colleague Sean Collier stand guard at the courthouse

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was arrested on April 19 when he was found hiding in a boat in a suburban backyard.

He was initially charged in hospital, where he was recovering from wounds suffered in another police gunfight.

Reporters and spectators began lining up for seats in the Boston courtroom at 7.30am as a dozen Federal Protective Service officers and bomb-sniffing dogs surrounded the building.

Four hours before the hearing, the defendant arrived at court in a four-vehicle convoy that included a van, a Humvee and a state police car.

A group of about a dozen Tsarnaev supporters cheered as the cars arrived.

The demonstrators yelled, "Justice for Jahar!" as Tsarnaev is known. One woman held a sign that said, "Free Jahar."

Lacey Buckley, 23, said she travelled from her home in Washington state to attend the arraignment.

Dzhokhar was found hiding in a boat in Watertown

Ms Buckley said she has never met Tsarnaev but came because she believes he is innocent.

"I just think so many of his rights were violated. They almost murdered an unarmed kid in a boat," she said.

A group of friends who were on the high school wrestling team with Tsarnaev at Cambridge Rindge and Latin waited in line outside the courtroom for hours, hoping to get a seat.

One ex-teammate, Shun Tsou, 20, of Cambridge, called Tsarnaev "a silent warrior type".

"There was nothing sketchy about him," said Mr Tsou, adding that he had not formed an opinion on Tsarnaev's guilt or innocence.

Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell and Lingzi Lu were killed

Prosecutors say Tsarnaev, a Muslim, wrote about his motivations for the bombing on the inside walls and beams of the boat where he was captured.

He wrote the US government was "killing our innocent civilians".

"I don't like killing innocent people," he said, but also wrote: "I can't stand to see such evil go unpunished. ... We Muslims are one body, you hurt one you hurt us all."

Three people - Martin Richard, aged eight; Krystle Marie Campbell, 29; and Lingzi Lu, 23 - were killed by the bombs, which were improvised from pressure cookers.

Authorities say the Tsarnaevs also killed Massachusetts Institute of Technology officer Sean Collier days later while they were on the run.

Numerous bombing victims had legs amputated after the two explosions, which detonated along the final stretch of the race a couple hours after the elite runners had finished.

Following the appearance Tsarnaev was driven back to the secure hospital in Massachusetts where he is being held - his case will be heard in court again in September.

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Canada Train Blast: Engineer Blamed For Crash

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 stationary 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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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 the 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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San Francisco Plane Crash: Crew Were Ejected

Survivors Tell Of Plane Horror

Updated: 12:53pm UK, Monday 08 July 2013

Survivors have spoken of the terrifying moment a pilot tried to abort a landing seconds before it crashed onto the runway in San Francisco.

Two Chinese teenagers died after the Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 struck the runway shortly after the jet reportedly hit a sea wall.

Benjamin Levy said: "The nose of the plane, as you know, goes up a little bit. And then full throttle starts hitting hard and then we felt that we were going up again, so that's why I said maybe the guy is about to pull one of those almost mislandings and go back up.

"But it didn't happen, we just crashed back. So as I say - if we flipped, none of us would be here to talk about it."

Xu Da, a product manager from China, was sitting with his wife and teenage son near the back of the plane.

He stood up and saw a gaping hole through the back of the plane where its galley was torn away along with the tail.

Xu and his family escaped through the opening. Once on the tarmac, they watched the plane catch fire, and firefighters hose it down.

In the chaotic moments after the landing, Wen Zhang grabbed her four-year-old son, who hit the seat in front of him and broke his leg.

Spotting a hole at the back of the jumbo jet where the bathroom had been, she carried her boy to safety.

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

Eugene Rah said: "The seat I was sitting in, it has one more strap coming across my chest here in addition to the one that goes around the waist because It was a sleeper seat. If I did not have that, I would have hit the ceiling: that's how hard the impact was."

Fred Hayes filmed the crash from around a mile away "I was watching it come in and I did notice that nose being up in the air. My initial reaction was that it was trying to abort the landing and go back up," he told CNN.

"There was big boom and then it pitched forward and bounced off its nose."

One of the flight attendants described the chaos as she and her colleagues began their evacuation of more than 300 people.

Sky's Asia correspondent Mark Stone said Lee Yoon Hae told South Korean media that she first went to the cockpit to see if the pilots were alive. She then made three announcements telling the 291 passengers to remain calm and prepare to evacuate.

There were four pilots on the plane: two in the cockpit and two more reserve pilots in the main cabin. One of the reserve pilots opened the front door with an axe and ordered the evacuation.

Stone said Mrs Lee, 40, explained how one of her colleagues had a leg trapped. She helped to release her leg and at the same time tried to calm the passengers, some of whom were panicking.

Mrs Lee said that many of the passengers were confused and disorientated.

She shouted to the Chinese passengers to evacuate immediately. Many of them tried to take their hand baggage with them, but she said she was forced to order them not to.

Mrs Lee said several fires broke out within the cabin and she was not aware that the tail of the plane had broken off because the ceiling between her and the rear of the aircraft had collapsed.

She helped one badly injured female passenger to the emergency slide and then returned back into the aircraft to help others and was one of the last to leave the aircraft.

Mrs Lee, who has already been given 14 awards for her work at Asiana Airlines, broke her coccyx in the accident, but was unaware of her injuries until she arrived at the hospital.

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Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood Spurns Cabinet Offer

The Islamist group of Egypt's ousted president Mohamed Morsi is to reject an offer 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.

The ousting of Mr Morsi a week ago by the military, after mass protests calling for his resignation, has prompted widespread violence in the divided country, with dozens of lives already claimed.

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

However this 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 plan 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 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.

More follows...

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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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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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Ohio Kidnap Victims In 'Thank You' Video

Three women abducted and held captive in a house in Cleveland, Ohio for a decade have thanked the public for their support in a YouTube video.

Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight broke their silence in the video, saying the encouragement of family, friends and the public had allowed them to restart their lives.

Former bus driver Ariel Castro is alleged to have kidnapped the women off the streets between 2002 and 2004.

Ariel Castro is charged with 329 crimes and could face the death penalty

He has pleaded not guilty to 329 charges, including 139 counts of rape, and aggravated murder over the death of an unborn child.

The women were rescued in May when Ms Berry broke through a door at the home and yelled to neighbours for help.

"I'm getting stronger each day and having my privacy has helped immensely," she said in the video.

"I want everyone to know how happy I am to be home with my family and my friends. It's been unbelievable.

"I want to thank everyone who has helped me and my family through this entire ordeal."

Ms Berry, now 27, was reportedly forced to give birth to daughter Jocelyn in an inflatable children's paddling pool, with fellow captive Michelle Knight giving the baby mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

In the video, Ms Knight said she had "been through hell and back" but that she was doing well and didn't want to be "consumed by hatred".

Taken at aged 20 and the eldest of three women, she spoke of how her faith in God had helped her deal with the situation.

The three women before they were taken between 2002 and 2004

"I have no problems expressing how I feel inside," she said.

"Be positive; learn that it is important to give than to receive. Thank you for all your prayers. I'm looking forward to my brand-new life."

The three victims' rehabilitation has been helped by more than $1m (£670,000) of public donations to the Cleveland Courage Fund.

Gina DeJesus, now 23 and the youngest of the kidnapped women, spoke briefly only to say "thank you for the support."

The three women were apparently held at Ariel Castro's home

However, her father, Felix DeJesus, and aunt Nancy Ruiz, also spoke in the video to thank people for being "awesome".

Castro, 52, was last week refused a visit with the six-year-old girl he fathered with Amanda Berry, with a judge calling the request "inappropriate".

An upcoming meeting will discuss the possibility of seeking the death penalty for the alleged crimes.

Castro's lawyers have previously hinted that he might plead guilty if talk of capital punishment was taken off the table.

A trial is scheduled for August 5, but the judge said it could be delayed.

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Canada PM: Train Blast Site 'Like War Zone'

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has visited the town where a runaway train carrying crude oil came off the rails and exploded, killing five people.

Around 40 people remain unaccounted for after the unmanned 73-carriage freight train crashed on Saturday morning in Lac-Megantic in Quebec.

"This is an unbelievable disaster," Mr Harper said. "This is a very big disaster in human terms as the extent of this becomes increasingly obvious.

"You know, it looks like a war zone here. A large part of the downtown has been destroyed, it's just, it is really just terrible."

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

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

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.

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.

A train wagon burning after the explosion

"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."

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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Egypt: Morsi Supporters Shot Dead At Barracks

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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San Francisco Plane Crash: Pilot Was Training

The pilot who was flying a Boeing 777 when it crashed in San Francisco had just 43 hours' experience flying the plane, aviation officials have said.

Two teenagers were killed and around 180 people were injured, many of them seriously, when Asiana Airlines flight 214 slammed into the runway.

Air crash investigators said the crew tried to abort the landing less than two seconds before impact.

Although the captain had spent nearly 10,000 hours at the controls of other planes, he had never landed at San Francisco before.

The plane spun as it hit the ground. Pic: CNN/Fred Hayes

He was sitting alongside another pilot who had flown 3,200 hours in 777s and around 12,000 hours in total.

Meanwhile, officials are 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 during the crash or whether she was knocked down as emergency crews rushed to the scene.

As air crash investigators continue to look for the cause of the crash, they published a series of pictures, 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.

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

They have recovered both black boxes from the 777, which should reveal exactly why the aircraft came down.

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

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

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

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.

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 in to land.

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

Amateur video obtained by CNN shows the plane landing on the runway and then appearing to spin counter-clockwise before crashing down again with black smoke billowing from its tail.

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.'"

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, many of whom were Chinese.

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Canada Explosion: Oil Train Derails In Quebec

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

A fireball has engulfed a Canadian town after a train carrying crude oil derailed, sparking several explosions.

One person has been killed, according to police, but several people were reported missing.

The crash happened as the unmanned 73-car freight train travelled through the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic, a lakeside town with a population of 6,000, on Saturday morning.

Fires continued burning nearly 24 hours after the accident and up to 2,000 people were forced from their homes.

The train's operator confirmed it had been parked out of town, but they are unsure how it "got released".

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

Massive flames and thick smoke could be seen. The derailment caused several tanker rail cars to explode in the downtown area.

Lieutenant Guy Lapointe, a spokesman with 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.

A train wagon burning after the explosion

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

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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Egypt Protests Continue As New PM Put On Hold

Supporters of Egypt's ousted leader have vowed to continue their protests as the new president backed away from an announcement of a new interim prime minister.

Protesters have gathered across the country in support of Mohammed Morsi, who was ousted by the army this week in a move that has led to further chaos.

Mr ElBaradei is a Nobel prize winner

In Cairo's Nasr City district, lines of fighters brandished homemade weapons and body armour at road blocks affixed with Mr Morsi's picture.

They have vowed to take to the streets until the toppled Muslim Brotherhood leader is reinstated.

At least 36 people are known to have died in street battles that took place in the capital and across the country overnight.

The violence came as reports said Mohamed ElBaradei, who is a main rival of Mr Morsi, would be sworn in by Egypt's new interim president Adli Mansour.

But the presidency later appeared to backtrack.

"Interim president Adly Mansour met today with Dr ElBaradei but so far there has been no official appointment," presidential advisor Ahmed al-Muslimani told reporters.

However, he added that Mr ElBaradei was "the logical choice" among a list of names being considered.

Mourners attended funerals for five protesters killed overnight

Mr ElBaradei won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work as former director of the UN's nuclear watchdog agency.

He also led the protests against Hosni Mubarak during the Arab Spring uprising that ended his autocratic rule in February 2011.

Friday night's street battles took the overall death toll to at least 75 in the past week.

Hundreds of people gathered at a mosque in the Manyal neighbourhood of Cairo to attend funerals for five anti-Morsi protesters who were killed overnight.

Earlier, the president held talks with the army chief and interior minister in apparent attempts to work out strategies to contain another round of violence.

More than 75 people have been killed in the past week

Meanwhile, lawyers for Mubarak entered a not guilty plea as his retrial for alleged complicity in the killings of protesters in 2011 resumed.

The 85-year-old former leader appeared in the dock behind bars, wearing dark sunglasses and a white prison uniform.

During the televised hearing, Cairo's criminal court heard submissions by the defence before proceedings were adjourned until August 17.

It comes as US President Barack Obama insisted America was not aligned with any political party or group in Egypt.

A White House statement said: "The US categorically rejects the false claims propagated by some in Egypt that we are working with specific political parties or movements to dictate how Egypt's transition should proceed.

"We remain committed to the Egyptian people and their aspirations for democracy, economic opportunity and dignity.

"But the future path of Egypt can only be determined by the Egyptian people."

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Boeing Plane Crash Lands In San Francisco

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

The Asiana Airlines flight, 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.

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."

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

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.

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.

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

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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