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Konstantin Kontis and Vicky Kos were compelled to testify at a coronial inquest resuming on the sixth anniversary of the tragedyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQuiet sobs could be heard in Melbourne’s coroner’s court, as several families attended to finally hear from the pair who were the most senior managers when, throughout July and August 2020, almost a quarter of the 188 residents at St Basil’s aged care home died from Covid-19 or neglect.Following multiple failed legal bids to avoid giving evidence after 50 residents died in the Victorian aged care home they managed, Konstantin Kontis and Vicky Kos were compelled to testify at a coronial inquest resuming on the sixth anniversary of the tragedy. Continue reading...

People hope to see friends or relatives among those still returning as death toll from mass crossing nears 100Hundreds of people have gathered in the northern Moroccan town of Fnideq, near the border with Spain’s Ceuta, flashing photos of their missing loved ones to passersby in the hope of tracking them down.Their perch was the same small tranche of land that made headlines around the world last week as extraordinary scenes emerged of about 72,000 people making their way into Ceuta, a tiny Spanish territory in north Africa. Continue reading...

• Punch, a beloved Japanese macaque, recently celebrated his first birthday. • The occasion drew global attention, resulting in hundreds of birthday cards being sent to the monkey from around the world. • This event highlights the strong emotional connection and international popularity the animal has garnered from supporters.

The US state mourns its longest-serving senator while Republicans scramble to choose a successorThe South Carolina state house is a microcosm of the US’s contradictions. Outside there are memorials to the Confederate war dead and African American history. Below a statue of Strom Thurmond, a longtime US senator and racial segregationist, are the names of his five children including Essie Mae, whose mother, a Black maid, was 15 when Thurmond impregnated her.Thurmond died at the age of 100 in 2003; his successor, Lindsey Graham, a lifelong bachelor who never had children, died last Saturday at 71. His sudden exit leaves a void not just in Washington but the state that molded Graham, elected him to the Senate four times and wrestled with his shape-shifting journey from Ronald Reagan Republican to Donald Trump sycophant. Continue reading...

• Senator Lindsey Graham established himself as a critical dealmaker in Congress, frequently negotiating with both Democrats and fellow Republicans to resolve complex legislative issues. • His career is marked by a dramatic political shift, moving from a harsh critic of Donald Trump during the 2016 election to a staunch supporter and key ally. • Graham played pivotal roles in high-stakes events, including the failed Senate Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act and attempts to challenge Joe Biden's 2020 election victory.

Senator played major role in critical negotiations with Democrats and members of his own party on key issuesWhen Democrats and Republicans were earlier this year locked in a standoff that had plunged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) into the longest partial government shutdown in US history, news of a path forward emerged in the form of a statement from Republican senator Lindsey Graham.By announcing that the budget committee he chairs would set to work on a measure to fund the agencies leading Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign for the remainder of his presidency, Graham played a major role in rallying the GOP behind a plan that reopened DHS. Continue reading...

• Samsung reported a 19-fold surge in quarterly profit driven by booming AI demand, though the result only exceeded analyst estimates by 6%. • The modest beat triggered a sell-off, with Samsung shares sliding up to 8.7% in Seoul and dragging down peers like SK Hynix and Kioxia Holdings. • The slump caused an MSCI gauge of Asian technology stocks to drop as much as 2.9%, prompting investors to rotate into financial and communications sectors.