The cause of the accident was not immediately clear and federal safety authorities will investigate

At least three people were killed on Saturday afternoon when an Amtrak train that runs between Seattle and Chicago derailed in north-central Montana, toppling several cars onto their sides, authorities said.

The westbound Empire Builder train derailed at about 4pm near Joplin, a town of about 200, Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams said. The accident scene is about 150 miles north-east of Helena and about 30 miles from the border with Canada.

Continue reading…
Source: The Guardian

States including Idaho and Kansas report throwing away thousands of expired doses; clashes in Norway as bars, restaurants and nightclubs reopen

• Fears for 1 million UK furloughed staff with Sunak set to end scheme
• New York City’s vaccine mandate for school staff blocked by judge
• ‘We feel we’re not going to get really sick’: why the pandemic hasn’t dissuaded ocean cruisers
• Dutch protesters march through The Hague against ‘corona pass’

3.59pm BST

Here is a round-up of all the top Covid stories from the UK and around the world so far today:

3.33pm BST

A decline in public services in the UK could be hidden behind a “Covid crisis smokescreen”, unions have warned.

It comes amid calls from union chiefs for rail and bus services to be renationalised to avert “disastrous” cuts to services and jobs and increases in fares.

People just will not travel on trains if fares go up, and coupled with the new ways of working, there is a real danger that the railways will be hollowed out.

Continue reading…
Source: The Guardian