Canada train disaster toll may pass 40

Firefighters in Quebec have managed to put out a blaze from a freight train laden with oil. Source: AAP

FIVE bodies have been found so far in a grim search for victims from the catastrophic derailment of an oil-laden cargo train in eastern Canada and officials expect to find as many as 40 more.

Firefighters in the Quebec lakeside town of Lac-Megantic finally managed to put out a raging inferno sparked a day earlier when a driverless freight train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded, sending fireballs skyward and unleashing a wall of fire that tore through downtown homes and businesses.

"The flames, the fires all have been put out now. We did it," fire chief Denis Lauzon told a press briefing.

That meant police finally would be able to conduct a full search of the charred wreckage at the disaster scene.

But the accident devastated the centre of the small town 250 kilometres east of Montreal and forced about 2,000 to flee their home. Locals struggled to come to terms with the scope of the disaster.

Many in this heavily Catholic area were unable to go to Sunday services because their church was within the burned out area. The lucky ones headed to churches in nearby towns

"People are in shock, They just cannot believe how serious this all is," said Guy Boulanger, an official from a nearby Catholic diocese.

Police spokesman Michel Brunet said they anticipated "many more" fatalities. The official figure for missing people is 40, he said.

One firefighter said on condition of anonymity that there had been at least 50 people in one bar that was consumed by the flames.

"There is nothing left," he said.

The explosion completely levelled more than four blocks of the town's downtown area, and it took firefighters 18 hours to contain the inferno.

Brunet had said on Saturday that the fire was so intense investigators couldn't go anywhere near the devastated area.

Witnesses said they heard the train pass by at what seemed like a greater than usual speed, then careen off the rails and erupt into flames.

Explosion survivors described a wall of flames as the black tanker cars jumped the rail tracks just as dozens of people were enjoying a summer night out in downtown bars and restaurants.

Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway said in a statement on Saturday that the train had been transporting 72 carloads of crude oil when it derailed.

The train had been stopped in the neighbouring town of Nantes, around 13 kilometres west of Lac-Megantic, for a crew changeover.

For an unknown reason, Journet said, the train "started to advance, to move down the slope leading to Lac-Megantic," even though the brakes were engaged.

As a result, "there was no conductor on board" when the train crashed.

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Virgin takes 60% stake in Tigerair

Virgin Australia has completed the purchase of a 60 per cent stake in Tigerair Australia. Source: AAP

VIRGIN Australia has completed the purchase of a 60 per cent stake in Tigerair Australia.

Virgin Australia chief executive John Borghetti said the acquisition, which was announced in October 2012, had been completed on Monday.

Following the acquisition, Mr Borghetti will be appointed chairman of Tigerair Australia.

Mr Borghetti said the stake in Tigerair Australia would allow Virgin to re-enter the budget travel market.

"We are very pleased to partner with Tigerair in Tigerair Australia and we look forward to working together to expedite its growth," he said.

Tigerair Australia CEO Rob Sharp said the deal would help the airline to become a sustainable budget carrier.

"We are now well placed to build on the foundations of Tigerair Australia, ensuring it has the right scale to compete effectively," he said.

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Solar powered plane finishes US journey

A SOLAR-POWERED aircraft has completed the final leg of a history-making cross-country flight gliding to a smooth stop at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport.

The Solar Impulse touched down at JFK at 11:09 pm local time, completing the final leg of the cross-continental journey that started in California in early May. For Saturday's final leg, the aircraft left Dulles International Airport a little before 5 am local time.

The flight plan for the revolutionary plane had called for it to pass the Statue of Liberty before landing early Sunday at New York. But an unexpected tear discovered on the left wing of the aircraft Saturday afternoon forced officials to scuttle the fly-by and proceed directly to JFK for a landing three hours earlier than scheduled.

The pilot, Andre Borschberg, noticed balance issues with the wing in the early afternoon Saturday off the coast of Toms River, New Jersey, said Alenka Zibetto, a spokeswoman for Solar Impulse.

Officials said the pilot and aircraft didn't appear to be in danger. They said the eight-foot tear on the lower left side of the wing wasn't expected to worsen through the final portion of the trip.

Despite the relatively short distance, Saturday's commuter-like hop was a long flight. The slow-flying aircraft was travelling between two of the world's busiest airports and was required to take off very early in the morning and land very late at night, when air traffic is at a minimum.

"This is a leg where everybody is quite moved," Bertrand Piccard, one of two pilots who took turns flying the Solar Impulse across the United States, said shortly after the plane was in the air over Washington early Saturday.

The aircraft, powered by some 11,000 solar cells, soars to 9,140 metres while poking along at a top speed of 72 kph. Most of the 11,000 solar cells are on the super-long wings that seem to stretch as far as a jumbo jet's. It weighs about the size of a small car, and soars with what is essentially the power of a small motorised scooter.

The Solar Impulse left San Francisco in early May and has made stopovers in Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Dulles.

The cross-country flight is a tuneup for a planned 2015 flight around the globe with an up-graded version of the plane.

Solar Impulse's creators view themselves as green pioneers - promoting lighter materials, solar-powered batteries, and conservation as sexy and adventurous. Theirs is the high-flying equivalent of the Tesla electric sports car.

Europe saw the solar plane first with a test flight from Switzerland and Spain to Morocco last year.

Promoted as solar-powered, what really pushes the envelope with this plane is its miserly energy efficiency, Borschberg said before the flight.

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Mandela still critical as his family feuds

Nelson Mandela remains hospitalised in a critical state for a fourth week with a lung condition. Source: AAP

NELSON Mandela remains hospitalised in a critical state after doctors ruled out turning off his life support unless he suffers massive organ failure.

Meanwhile his grandson's lawyers were planning to lodge an official complaint over a court document which they say falsely claimed he was "in a permanent vegetative state".

The anti-apartheid hero's health condition was unchanged over the weekend, South Africa's presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said on Saturday.

He is in a critical but stable condition after his June 8 admittance for an obstinate pulmonary infection and relies on machines to help him breathe.

There has been no official update on his health but a close friend of the former statesman had said turning off life support was discussed and ultimately dismissed.

"I was told the matter had been raised and the doctors said they would only consider such a situation if there was a genuine state of organ failure," Denis Goldberg, who has known Mandela for more than 50 years, told AFP on Friday.

"Since that hasn't occurred they were quite prepared to go on stabilising him until he recovers."

The 80-year-old Goldberg was convicted along with Mandela in 1964 for their fight against white-minority rule.

He visited the former president in hospital on Monday.

A court document filed by a lawyer for Mandela's feuding family 10 days ago stated the 94-year-old was "assisted in breathing by a life support machine".

"The Mandela family have been advised by the medical practitioners that his life support machine should be switched off," the court filing read.

"Rather than prolonging his suffering, the Mandela family is exploring this option as a very real probability."

The document - which was designed to press a court to urgently settle a family row over the remains of Mandela's children - also stated that Mandela was "in a permanent vegetative state".

South Africa's presidency has said that was not the case, but refused to give further details of his condition, citing the need to respect Mandela's privacy.

President Jacob Zuma, Mandela family members and his close friends have reported since last week his condition has improved.

Earlier Goldberg said Mandela was "clearly a very ill man, but he was conscious and he tried to move his mouth and eyes when I talked to him".

Mandela spent 27 years in prison for fighting white-minority rule and went on to lead the process of racial reconciliation as South Africa's first black president.

Meanwhile an acerbic feud between his relatives showed little sign of abating.

Fifteen family members had won a court order against Mandla after he moved the family graves two year ago without their consent.

The fall-out from the dispute continues to reverberate.

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Tourist bus flips in Cuba, injuring 16

Cuban authorities say a serious highway crash involving a bus has left 16 foreign tourists injured. Source: AAP

CUBAN authorities says a serious highway crash involving a bus carrying foreign tourists has left 16 passengers injured, most of them from Europe.

State-run newspaper Cinco de Septiembre says the government-operated vehicle ran off the road and turned over on Thursday evening. The crash occurred on the route between Trinidad and Varadero, two principal tourist destinations.

Nineteen people were on board. The injured were listed as two Britons, two Czechs, four Dutch, one Filipino, one Irish and six Russians.

Three of the tourists were considered to be in serious condition but none was in immediate danger of dying, Cinco de Septiembre said on Friday.

Two underwent surgery and were in intensive care.

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Teens film high speed NSW car chase

A MAN'S son and nephew have used a mobile phone to film him behind the wheel during a high-speed police car chase in southern NSW.

The teenagers were passengers in the car the 36-year-old ACT man was driving when it allegedly hit speeds of 140k/h during the pursuit from Goulburn to Collector.

Police had first tried to stop the car on the Hume Highway following a registration check about 3pm (AEST) on Friday.

A search revealed the registration plates belonged to another vehicle for which the registration had expired.

But police allege the driver sped off the highway into Mazamet Road, did an abrupt u-turn and re-entered the south bound lanes of the Hume Highway.

Road spikes were deployed just south of Goulburn but a second set was needed to finally stop the car on the Federal Highway at Collector.

The driver's 16-year-old son and 18-year-old nephew were filming the incident on a mobile phone, which was seized as evidence by police.

The 36-year-old Banks driver initially resisted arrest.

He was later charged with police pursuit (Skyes Law), exceed speed, unlicensed driving, unregistered vehicle, uninsured vehicle, use unauthorised number plates and possess property stolen outside NSW.

The man was refused bail when he appeared in court on Saturday and will reappear on Monday.

The two teenagers were released while police carry out further investigations into several other offences they believe the car was involved in.

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Fat Malaysian orangutan put on diet

AN obese orangutan has been put on a strict diet by Malaysian wildlife authorities after two decades of gorging on junk food handed out by tourists.

Jackie reportedly weighs 100 kilograms, twice the normal weight of an adult female in the rich jungle habitats of Borneo island.

The 22-year-old ape was relocated more than three months ago by the wildlife department in the state of Sabah - which lies in the northeast of Borneo - because visitors to the Poring forestry park kept feeding her.

Department director Laurentius Ambu was cited in a newspaper report on Friday as saying that Jackie's familiarity with her human carers led her to seek out tourists at the park's visitors' area.

"I am glad that Jackie is a much happier orangutan now," Ambu was quoted as saying in The Star.

Officials could not be immediately reached for comment, but Ambu was reported as saying Jackie's weight-loss program would "take time".

The primate's new diet is said to include more leafy vegetables and fruit.

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Huge seagrass regrowth at Qld port

SEAGRASS is making an unlikely comeback at a large Queensland port that's been criticised by green groups for damaging the environment.

But the new findings, released by James Cook University's seagrass monitoring program on Friday, paint a grim picture for the flora in other areas of the state.

During 2010 and 2011 huge areas of seagrass were wiped out by heavy rainfall, flooding and cyclones.

"We've had three years in a row of poor conditions," lead researcher Dr Michael Rasheed told AAP.

"The seagrass really hasn't had a chance to bounce back in most areas."

Of the populated areas monitored by researchers, only Gladstone Harbour, Townsville and off-shore areas of Abbott Point near Bowen saw significant regrowth in 2012.

At Gladstone Harbour, where the highest growth was recorded, researchers found meadows had expanded by 700 hectares.

The amount of seagrass in the area is now what it was in 2010.

The findings come as an independent review panel assesses the health of the harbour and the impacts of port developments on the Great Barrier Reef.

The United Nation's environment arm was highly critical of Australia's management of the reef in a report last year and requested a review of the harbour.

Environmentalist Bob Irwin has described the harbour as a war zone.

Dr Rasheed says activities at Gladstone Harbour are likely affecting seagrass, but the port's water quality management scheme is encouraging growth.

Researchers found there has been far less growth in coastal areas at Abbott Point near Bowen, Weipa, Cairns, Innisfail, Karumba and Mackay.

Dr Rasheed says it has been difficult for seagrass to bounce back in these areas as such large chunks were destroyed during storms such as Cyclone Oswald.

Seagrass is an important part of the marine eco-system, is a nursing habitat for many species and is also a food source for turtles and dugongs.

The seagrass monitoring program is partly funded by the Gladstone Ports Corporation.

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Egypt army detains ousted president Morsi

Egypt's army has toppled president Mohamed Morsi after a week of bloodshed that killed nearly 50. Source: AAP

EGYPT'S army has detained Islamist president Mohamed Morsi after a week of deadly clashes and mass protests calling for him to go after a year in office.

His defence minister, armed forces chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, announced Morsi's overthrow on Wednesday on state television, even as police began rounding up key Morsi aides and leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Warrants have been issued for the arrest of a total of 300 Brotherhood officials, state media reported.

Thousands of protesters camped out on the streets of Cairo for days celebrated wildly at the news of Morsi's downfall, letting off fireworks and sounding car horns.

But at least seven of Morsi's supporters were killed in clashes with security forces in Alexandria and the eastern city of Marsa Matrouh, security officials said.

The official MENA news agency also reported three people killed in the southern province of Minya when pro-Morsi supporters attacked the Islamist's opponents.

Morsi and his senior aides were "under house arrest" in a military facility, a senior Muslim Brotherhood member told AFP.

The ousted president was later taken to the defence ministry, Gehad El-Haddad added. His father, senior Morsi aide Essam El-Haddad, is one of those detained.

Egypt's army is "preventively" holding Morsi, a senior army official said on Thursday.

"He is being held preventively for final preparations," the official added, suggesting Morsi might face formal charges.

Police also began arresting leaders of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood movement, an interior ministry general told AFP. Saad al-Katatni, head of Morsi's Freedom and Justice Party, was already in custody, he added.

Morsi issued a defiant call for his supporters to defend his elected "legitimacy" in a pre-recorded speech posted online after Sisi's statement.

Thousands of his supporters remained camped out in northern Cairo, but Egyptian television stations stopped broadcasting live feeds of the pro-Morsi rally after the military announced his overthrow.

In his speech, Sisi laid out details of the roadmap for a political transition.

The Islamist-drafted constitution would be frozen and presidential elections held early, he said, without specifying when.

The armed forces, which had deployed troops and armour across the country, would "remain far away from politics", he stressed.

In Cairo, celebrations at the news began immediately.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of the capital to celebrate, cheering, whistling, letting off firecrackers and honking car horns for several hours.

"It's a new historical moment. We got rid of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood," said one celebrator, Omar Sherif.

In an amateur video posted online, Morsi declared: "I am the elected president of Egypt" and urged people to "defend this legitimacy".

And Morsi's national security adviser Essam al-Haddad, said on Facebook: "For the sake of Egypt and for historical accuracy, let's call what is happening by its real name: military coup."

But the opposition Congress Party of Amr Mussa insisted "this is not a coup".

"Consultations will start from now, for a government and reconciliation," said Mussa, a former Arab League chief, who last year ran against Morsi for the presidency.

Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president, had come under massive pressure in the run-up to Sunday's anniversary of his maiden year in office.

His opponents accused him of failing the 2011 revolution by concentrating power in the hands of his Muslim Brotherhood.

The embattled 61-year-old had proposed a "consensus government" as a way out of the crisis.

But it failed to satisfy his critics and the army stepped in.

Its commander named the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly al-Mansour, as interim leader of the Arab world's most populous country.

Mansour, a hitherto little known judge, is expected to be sworn in on Thursday.

Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the UN nuclear watchdog, sat beside army chief Sisi as he announced on state television that Morsi's rule was over.

So too did the heads of the Coptic Church and Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning.

The choreography was designed to show broad civilian support for the military's move against Morsi.

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Packer Sydney casino proposal to proceed

Another high roller room in Sydney will attract unsavoury and laundered money, says a NSW Greens MP. Source: AAP

JAMES Packer's proposal for a second Sydney casino has been given the green light to proceed to the next stage.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell says the proposal for Crown could proceed to "stage three" of the assessment proposal but it was not yet a licence to build.

The parliamentary committee charged with assessing Mr Packer's proposal, as well as a rival bid by the owners of The Star, found Crown's contribution to gross state product and tax was 26 per cent and 31 per cent larger than Echo's respectively.

"There is no agreement yet for a new VIP facility," Mr O'Farrell told reporters in Sydney in Thursday.

"There is an agreement to go to stage three."

Cabinet met on Thursday morning to consider a report by businessman David Murray into which of the two competing bids for a Sydney site would deliver the state the greatest financial benefit.

Echo wanted to build two new hotels next to The Star and connect Pyrmont, Darling Harbour and Barangaroo into one integrated resort, while extending the company's right to be the state's sole casino operator for a further 15 years.

Meanwhile, Packers's Crown Group is lobbying for a second Sydney casino with plans for a new $1.5 billion luxury hotel and VIP-only facility on Barangaroo.

Mr Murray said the decisive factor in the decision favouring Crown was the opportunity to introduce competition to the market.

"It came out strongly for both proponents but more strongly for Crown," Mr Murray told reporters.

He said Sydney had been underperforming nationally and internationally, and NSW needed an integrated resort style facility to compete more effectively.

The Crown project will result in 1250 additional jobs after construction, increased international tourism and an increase in Gross Domestic Product of $442 million per year in 2025.

The Sydney Business Chamber said Sydney was the winner in the government's decision to give Crown the go ahead to develop its project at Barangaroo.

"The Crown proposal with its retail and commercial components and its interaction with the Harbour and surrounding open public domain will mean that Sydneysiders will get the full value of the entire precinct for generations," Executive director Patricia Forsythe said in a statement.

"The Crown focus on high quality facilities and services will ensure that Sydney is able to promote itself as a strong tourist destination particularly with the growing Asian market."

Mr O'Farrell said Mr Murray made his decision to ensure there was no monopoly in the casino sector.

"Competition being a driver to encourage people to sharpen pencils, to work harder and to attract greater business," he said.

Mr O'Farrell said the Crown proposal would cater for VIP gaming only, with no poker machines, no low bet tables and members-only requirements.

"That will be part of the legislation and that will be part of the licence," he said.

He said the proposal would have to proceed under a number of conditions, including non-rebate gaming to be taxed at 29 per cent while the licence fee and gaming tax payments over the first 15 years of full operation must exceed $1 billion.

These costs will be independently reviewed after 20 years of operation.

Mr O'Farrell said local VIP membership criteria must include a 24 hour cooling off period.

Mr O'Farrell said he had not spoken to Mr Packer to tell him the news, saying "this process is being done at arm's length".

Mr Murray said having two casinos was good for competition.

"Two sites tend to spark off one another and produce more," Mr Murray said.

Independent member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, said the recommendation in favour of Mr Packer's bid could be seen as "proof of undue influence".

He also questioned the Murray review.

"Public submissions were not sought, there was no community debate and massive community opposition was ignored," Mr Greenwich said.

Greens NSW MP John Kaye said the decision would turn Sydney into a symbol of corruption and exploitation.

"The O'Farrell government has never strayed off James Packer's song sheet so it is hardly surprising that Crown has been given the golden gift," he said.

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