A plaque reads in Portuguese “603,324 lives lost to COVID-19” in front of Sen. Renan Calheiros during the session by a Senate committee investigating the handling of the pandemic by the administration of President Jair Bolsonaro in Brasilia, Brazil, Oct. 18, 2021. The committee is taking testimony from people who have lost relatives to the coronavirus.
A Brazilian Senate Commission investigating President Jair Bolsonaro’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis in Brazil issued its final report on Wednesday, accusing him of crimes against humanity. The 1,200-page report details malfeasance, the blocking of needed health measures, and the illegal use of public funds. And in Syria, two roadside bombs that detonated under a bridge hit a bus in Damascus on Wednesday, killing 14 people. It’s a sign that despite the Assad government’s recent efforts to normalize relations abroad, Syria’s civil war still rages. Also, after days of speculation, North Korea says it had test-fired a ballistic missile from a submarine in order to enhance its undersea capabilities. It’s the first such launch since 2016, and it comes as the US, South Korea and Japan meet to discuss restarting talks with Pyongyang.
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