Three people died on Monday when a long-distance train collided with a dump truck in a rural region of the US state of Missouri, leaving multiple passengers injured, local officials said. Seven of the Amtrak train's approximately eight cars derailed on a route from Los Angeles to Chicago when it struck the truck at a rail crossing southwest of Mendon, Missouri. Railcars were seen toppled on their sides along a farm field as passengers climbed out the windows and doors in images posted to social media. "It all happened like slow motion. It started to rock and, and rock, and then flicker, and then it just all of a sudden – all this dust was through my window," Robert Nightingale, who had been asleep in the train, told CNN. Blocked in his car, he climbed into a hallway before exiting through the side of the train, he said, adding that the dump truck appeared to have been carrying big boulders. Justin Dunn, a spokesman for the Missouri State Highway Patrol, told reporters at a press conference that the investigation "is in its preliminary stages". The train was carrying more than 200 passengers and around a dozen crew when it crossed the intersection on a gravel road, which officials said had neither lights nor electronic control devices marking the tracks, which is common in rural areas. "There are multiple injuries and we can confirm there were three fatalities – two on the train and one in the dump truck," Dunn said. Emergency responders from surrounding counties arrived at the scene and some injured were carried to trauma centres in medical helicopters, officials said. The National Transportation Safety board, the US agency responsible for investigating transportation incidents, said on Twitter that a 14-member team would probe the derailment. The accident comes one day after another Amtrak-operated train collided with a passenger vehicle at a railroad crossing in California, resulting in three deaths. (AFP)

A specialist in geriatrics, Paul Shea, said on Tuesday that he supports the idea of quarantining elderly care home residents who are close contacts of Covid patients on site, rather than sending them to AsiaWorld-Expo. On an RTHK programme, Shea said it's better for such residents to be taken care of somewhere they are familiar with, as they can experience anxiety if taken to government facilities. "The question is what is most suitable for the elderly? We are not just considering the manpower, but it's more comfortable for the elderly people if they stay on site, with the same caretakers, environment and lighting," he said. "If you have been to the AsiaWorld-Expo, the elderly people are sleeping in a big hall facing a black ceiling. They felt scared as they thought they were in hell," Shea said. The doctor conceded that quarantining elderly people in care homes may lead to further outbreaks, but said the public health system is unlikely to collapse given Hong Kong's vaccination rate.

Incoming Executive Council convenor, Regina Ip, says she believes there's a good chance President Xi Jinping will personally attend Friday's ceremonies to commemorate the handover and the inauguration of the next government. She told RTHK's Hong Kong Today programme on Tuesday that a visit would show he attaches a lot of importance to the SAR, especially considering the president hadn't left the mainland since the pandemic started. Ip, also a legislator from the New People's Party, said she expected his speech would highlight Hong Kong's integration with the mainland and the way forward for One Country, Two Systems. “The implementation of One Country, Two Systems has been quite eventful, and there had been doubts and uncertainty in some quarters, people wondering whether this arrangement will expire in 25 years’ time. So President Xi might give guidance on how the central authorities view this arrangement,” she said. She also said the SAR's Covid policies had been damaging to Hong Kong's economy and its status as an international hub, so she was pleased to hear that incoming Chief Executive John Lee and health secretary Lo Chung-mau would focus on easing travel restrictions. Ip, who will assume the role of Exco convenor on July 1, said she hoped to work more closely with the chief executive and discuss his priorities, particularly for his policy address. "There's been a lot of criticism that the current administration has not done well enough in putting across its messages to the people. So I think the new chief executive is aware of that," she said. She added that the incoming Exco is made up of experienced people with backgrounds in finance, governance, law, and medicine, and that everyone should do their part in better explaining the government's policies to the people.

Health officials on Monday said they logged 1,719 new local Covid-19 infections and 154 imported cases. Of the latest local cases, 609 were detected by PCR tests and 1,110 were flagged up by rapid test results and confirmed by the authorities. There were five additional patients linked to the Victoria Harbour Restaurant in Tuen Mun, bringing the total number in the cluster to more than 40. Dr Albert Au from the Centre for Health Protection said staff from the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department found that the restaurant had failed to comply with ventilation requirements specified by the government. "[They] found that the amount of fresh air supply and air changes per hour were below standard and relatively low. That might have been one of the reasons for this outbreak," said Au. He added that the eatery will not be allowed to reopen until the authorities conclude that it has fulfilled the necessary air change and ventilation requirements. There were also 464 cases reported by more than 330 schools, and officials have ordered the suspension of certain classes at seven schools. ______________________________ USEFUL LINKS General Covid-19 situation: https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/ Covid-19 testing: https://www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/ Community Clinics for Covid-19 patients: https://bit.ly/3a4BZFE RAT reporting platform: https://www.chp.gov.hk/ratp/ Vaccination programme: https://www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/sen/ Vaccination pass scheme: https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/vaccine-pass.html Hotline for Covid-positive patients: 1836 115

Police on Monday said they had arrested another six men in connection with a shooting and machete attack in Central earlier this month, taking the total number to 16. Officers said they believe a gang were attacked by rivals near Lan Kwai Fong on June 10, in connection with a dispute over drugs. Police earlier said that three people were injured in the incident. The newly arrested suspects are aged between 22 and 43. Senior superintendent Ho Chun-tung from the organised crime and triad bureau said officers are still looking for the gun used in the incident. "Unfortunately, the gun involved in the shooting incident we haven't found it yet. But we are working on some leads and we are trying very hard to find the gun," he said. Eight people have been charged over the case, accused of wounding and possessing weapons.

Hong Kong’s sole deputy to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, Tam Yiu-chung, says he hopes President Xi Jinping will give instructions on Hong Kong’s future development when he attends the handover anniversary ceremony on July 1. On a Commercial Radio programme on Monday, Tam noted that Hong Kong is half way through the 50 years of One Country, Two Systems promised by the central government. “It’s the 25th anniversary of the system. At least [we hope] there will be an overview, and the future development direction. Let’s see if President Xi will give important instructions on One Country, Two Systems, I hope everyone would want to know more,” he said. When asked if he expects the central government to state clearly how long One Country, Two Systems can last, Tam said the key is to ensure it gets back on the right, healthy track. “Personally, I think this is not a difficult matter to handle. No one ever said 50 years is a deadline for changes. It’s easy to resolve this matter. But whether the central government will give a clear time frame or will it offer a general direction or principle that we can work towards? I think it’s also a likely approach,” said Tam. Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday that Xi will attend the inauguration of the new term of SAR government, but unlike on previous occasions, it did not specify the length of his stay or details of his itinerary. Tam would not speculate on whether Xi will physically attend the ceremony or make alternative arrangements, saying it’s better to just wait for an official announcement. But a deputy to the National People’s Congress, Ip Kwok-him, said he believes Xi will travel to Hong Kong for a brief visit – unless the city sees a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases. “It’s been reported in the news that President Xi will attend some events, but it didn’t say the dates of his visit. If, very unfortunately, Hong Kong’s epidemic situation worsens drastically, I think it’s totally likely that President Xi will make his appearance and give his speech online,” said Ip.

Police say they are ditching the old uniforms of the force's three counter-terrorism units, with officers being given a new one that's more practical, offers better protection and can meet operational needs. Currently, elite officers from the airport security unit (ASU), the counter-terrorism response unit (CTRU) and the railway response team (RRT) each have their own uniforms, with officers in the latter two wearing regular police shirts. ASU chief inspector Hung Yat-na said the force had reviewed the units' uniforms and decided to give them a facelift after studying the outfits worn by their counterparts in mainland China and overseas. She said officers in the three units would be given a standardised uniform, but in different colours for easier identification. The new uniforms will be more breathable, with better tailoring, more pockets and soft pads on the ankles and shoulder. ASU officers will keep their iconic navy blue colour, while the uniform for the CTRU will be grey-blue and the RRT's grey. "Tactical units officers are required to respond to violent incidents or attacks in short notice without warning," she said. "The current force working dress and blue working dress are designed for general patrol or policing work. The new one is specifically designed for tactical application to fulfil operational requirements." Hung declined to say if the new uniform would be able to resist knife or corrosive attacks, but said the force had taken the risks faced by officers into consideration when designing the new outfits. She also said the epaulette showing an officer's ID number and rank had been moved to the top of the arm from the shoulder. "Given the job nature of the tactical units, CTRU and RRT officers put on the weapons bag and ASU officers carry the MP5 sub-machine gun in hand while on patrol," Hung explained. "[Therefore] moving the epaulette to the upper arm and adding the English short-form of each unit could facilitate members of the public to clearly identify our officers." The elite officers are expected to show off their new uniforms in the coming days – including on July 1, when Hong Kong marks the 25th anniversary of the handover.

Health officials on Sunday reported 1,917 new Covid cases, of which 118 were imported. The Centre for Health Protection's Chuang Shuk-kwan was asked if Hong Kong would soon be seeing 2,000 new cases a day. "Now there is a slow increasing trend in Covid infections, so of course the case numbers may go up," she said. She said two more people linked to the Victoria Harbour restaurant in Tuen Mun had come down with the virus, raising the total number of cases in the cluster to 42. An individual class of St Stephen's College in Stanley was suspended for a week, after three students and one staff member living in the dormitory contracted Covid. Chuang said it's unclear if the infections are related to previous cases at the school. "We haven't discovered any connections with the previous infections among the students of St Stephen's College," she said. "Of course there are many cases in the community, and it's possible two sources of infection made their way into the campus. We need to investigate further to see whether the cases are connected." She said nine other students living on the same floor as the patients need to undergo quarantine. Separately, around 70 people linked to two elderly care homes in Kwai Chung and Sai Wan were sent to quarantine, after the facilities reported several infections. ______________________________ USEFUL LINKS General Covid-19 situation: https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/ Covid-19 testing: https://www.communitytest.gov.hk/en/ Community Clinics for Covid-19 patients: https://bit.ly/3a4BZFE RAT reporting platform: https://www.chp.gov.hk/ratp/ Vaccination programme: https://www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/sen/ Vaccination pass scheme: https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/vaccine-pass.html Hotline for Covid-positive patients: 1836 115

Customs authorities in Hong Kong and Macau have seized more than HK$110 million worth of smuggled goods and cash, after officers intercepted two river trade vessels in waters between the two special administrative regions. Four men, aged between 40 and 76, have been arrested. The haul included red wine, frozen meat, cigars, electronic products and HK$23 million of cash. "It was the first time that we found criminals smuggling a large amount of cash from Hogn Kong to Macau using river trade vessels," said Grace Tang, a group head of the Customs and Excise Department, during a press conference on Sunday. Customs officials here said they launched the joint operation as they suspect smugglers have switched to taking the river route to via Macau to transport goods to the mainland after the authorities stepped up efforts in crack down on sea and land smuggling.

A grassroots organisation on Sunday renewed its call for the government to regulate initial rent levels for subdivided flats, saying the rent control imposed in January is not enough to protect tenants. At a press conference, the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) said its survey of around 300 tenants showed that some landlords had recently raised rents at a higher rate than over the past two years as they knew they couldn't ask for a further rent hike until the end of the two-year contract, and that would be capped at ten percent. A tenant surnamed Chan said her landlord demanded a HK$500, or 10 percent, rent hike when her tenancy contract ended in January. "In the past generally the rent hikes would be HK$200... [But now] it's HK$500. It's nothing to other people but HK$500 is enough for us to buy food for a week," she said. SoCO's community organiser Angela Lui said 60 percent of the survey respondents agreed that the current rent control is not comprehensive without regulation of initial rents. Lui said for rent control to be effective, authorities need to cap rents at 120 percent of the unit's rateable value. "Most of the respondents think [the initial rent level] is the core problem of the subdivided unit market, because the rent is really high. So if the legislation doesn't cover this part, the problem can't be solved no matter how the legislation is executed," she said. The government had said it expected to look into regulating the initial rent levels after doing more research in 2023. SoCO also urged the authorities to step up enforcement efforts, saying they need to do home visits to see if landlords are compliant with the legislation, instead of only launching an investigation on receiving complaints. The organisation noted that half of the tenants surveyed said they wouldn't lodge a complaint even if their landlords broke the law, as they are afraid of being kicked out.