News

COVID-19-related riots have erupted in Europe as a reaction to nationwide lockdowns and isolation of the unvaccinated. Riot police in Brussels “were forced to use water cannon and tear gas as peaceful demonstrations turned violent” (Telegraph, November 22, 2021). Netherlands police opened fire on a crowd wounding four.

A once-in-a-century weather event has caused tremendous flooding in the Vancouver, British Columbia, area (BBC, November 17, 2021). The storm dropped the monthly average rainfall in just 24 hours. The flooding and landslides have disrupted both the Trans-Canada highway and rail transportation to the port of Vancouver. A state of emergency was declared, and Canadian armed forces are assisting with the disaster.

In July, Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse was murdered (Reuters, October 27, 2021).

The costs of fertilizer have roughly tripled since last year, which has serious implications for world food production (Fortune, November 4, 2021).