Leader rejects IS claim of crash responsibility

US intelligence chief says militant group's involvement in jet's downing 'unlikely'

Egypt's president has dismissed claims that a Russian passenger jet was downed by a branch of Islamic State as propaganda, after the airline said the crash, which killed all 224 people on board, was due to "external" factors.

Analysis of the "black boxes", which could reveal what happened to the doomed jet, was expected to begin on Tuesday, according to Egyptian officials. Russia's government commission overseeing the crash probe is also due to meet.