Portal:Current events/2021 November 4

November 4, 2021 (Thursday)

Business and economy

Argentina–Brazil relations
- After eight months of deficit, October becomes the second positive month for trade between Argentina and Brazil. Argentina ended a record seven years of surpluses as the market was boosted by iron and steel. (MercoPress)

Disasters and accidents

2021 Lagos high-rise collapse
- The death toll from the collapse of a building three days ago in Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria, increases to 36. (Al Jazeera)

Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia
    - Croatia reports a record 6,310 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 483,142. (Medical Xpress)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
    - Germany reports a record 33,949 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, surpassing the previous record of 33,777 new cases reported on December 18, 2020. (Euronews)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
    - Russia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 1,195 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 243,255. (Anadolu Agency)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia
    - Slovakia reports a record 6,713 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Reuters)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
    - Ukraine surpasses three million cases of COVID-19 after reporting a record 27,377 new cases in the past 24 hours. (Ukrinform)
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 drug development
    - The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency grants conditional authorisation to Merck's molnupiravir, which can be used to treat symptomatic COVID-19 patients, making the United Kingdom the first country to approve the world's first COVID-19 antiviral oral drug. (BBC News)
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
  - The Biden administration announces January 4, 2022 as a deadline for private companies to require their employees fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or face weekly testing in an effort to encourage private businesses to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (The New York Times)
2020–2021 H5N8 outbreak
- The Netherlands reports an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu among ducks at a poultry farm in the central province of Flevoland. To reduce the spread of the virus, the Dutch government will kill 10,000 animals. (U.S. News & World Report)

Law and crime

During his trial at Maidstone Crown Court in Kent, England, David Fuller admits two murders and the sexual abuse of at least 100 corpses. (BBC News)

Politics and elections

2021 United States elections
- 2021 New Jersey State Senate election
  - In an upset, truck driver Edward Durr defeats longtime New Jersey Senate president Stephen M. Sweeney to represent New Jersey's 3rd legislative district after the Associated Press called the race for him. (CBS News)
Politics of Portugal
- President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa calls a snap election for January 30 after the Socialist Party was defeated in a key budget vote last week. (Politico Europe)
Pope Francis appoints Raffaella Petrini as the new secretary general of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, becoming the highest-ranking woman in the Roman Curia and the first woman to ever hold the position. (Vatican News)