海角大神

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a military operation called 鈥淪outhern Spear,鈥� framing it as an anti-drug offensive to protect 鈥淎merica鈥檚 neighborhood.鈥� His comments come amid a string of attacks on alleged drug vessels 鈥� 20 strikes and 80 reported deaths so far 鈥� and a military buildup in and around the Caribbean. President Donald Trump is allegedly considering military options inside Venezuela, where some fear regime change as the motive in disguise. Some legal experts and European allies have said the strikes violate international law.

Ukraine鈥檚 energy and justice ministers resigned amid a $100 million graft probe that includes close confidantes of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The country鈥檚 biggest wartime corruption case involves kickbacks at the state nuclear agency Energoatom. Mr. Zelenskyy, who was elected in 2019 on an anti-corruption platform, called it 鈥渁bsolutely unacceptable鈥� for senior officials to profit illegally while Ukrainians steel themselves for a cold and dark winter amid increased Russian bombardments on energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, a fatal aerial attack hit Kyiv overnight.

The BBC apologized to President Trump for giving viewers of a Panorama episode the 鈥渕istaken impression鈥� that he 鈥渉ad made a direct call for violent action鈥� by splicing together pieces of his Jan. 6, 2021, speech. The president had threatened a $1 billion defamation lawsuit if the BBC did not apologize, retract the documentary, and compensate him by today. The media company said it would not rebroadcast the film but rejected the grounds for a lawsuit and Mr. Trump鈥檚 request for compensation.

The White House struck trade deals with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala in an effort to lower food prices at home. It will remove reciprocal tariffs on goods the United States cannot produce in 鈥渟ufficient quantities,鈥� such as bananas, cocoa, and coffee. The administration has also reached trade agreements with the European Union and several Asian countries, including South Korea and Japan.

Some Korean workers have returned to their posts at Hyundai鈥檚 Georgia battery plant as fallout from the September immigration raid continues. The State Department has restored B-1 business visas to many of the 317 Koreans detained in the raid 鈥� which threatened Korean investment in U.S. shipyards and other industries. At least 30 workers are back at the factory, while others say they don鈥檛 plan to return after their weeklong detention. Over half of the South Koreans detained reportedly had valid visas.

Australian bagpipers broke the record for the world鈥檚 largest bagpipe ensemble. Thousands gathered in Melbourne this week to catch 374 bagpipers playing 鈥淚t鈥檚 a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 鈥檔鈥� Roll)鈥� by Australian band AC/DC, on the same street where its 1976 music video was filmed. Players ranged from the amateur to the well-seasoned, including one 98-year-old. The previous record was set by 333 bagpipers in Bulgaria in 2012.

Also, three Chinese astronauts made it back to Earth today following a 9-day delay after their return spaceship was damaged, likely by space debris.

鈥� From our staff writers around the world

As the COP30 climate conference gathers in Brazil, Beijing and Washington have taken opposing positions on climate change. Donald Trump calls it a 鈥渃on.鈥� Xi Jinping has invested billions this year on green tech. Whose view will prove more prescient?

Immigration courts play a significant role in deciding who can stay in the United States. The Trump administration is transforming this system to聽speed up removal proceedings and detain more people in the process.

For boys caught up in gang violence in the Nigerian city of Kano, a female soccer coach has become an unlikely savior.

Richard Linklater鈥檚 鈥淣ouvelle Vague鈥� is about the making of Jean-Luc Godard鈥檚 鈥淏reathless.鈥� But its true subject is the exhilaration that comes from being part of an artistic escapade, writes our film critic.聽

Nomadic children typically lack the opportunity to gain high-tech skills. One digital initiative in Kashmir expands the children鈥檚 sense of their own possibilities.

In a Thanksgiving letter to shareholders this past Monday, Nov. 10, business titan and retiring Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett announced that he鈥檚 鈥済oing quiet.鈥�

鈥淪ort of,鈥� he added.

In fact, this 鈥渜uiet鈥� farewell from one of the world鈥檚 wealthiest individuals will likely echo through the halls of American business and philanthropy for some time.

For investors, there is keen interest in how his handpicked successor will perform as chief executive of one of the United States鈥� 10 largest firms.聽

But it is at the intersection of affluence and altruism, of gaining and giving, that Mr. Buffett鈥檚 words and actions carry outsize implications. He has donated $60 billion over the last 20 years, and this week gifted $1.3 billion from sales of stock to four family foundations. That still leaves $150 billion of his personal fortune to be given away.

鈥淭he most enduring part of the letter wasn鈥檛 financial,鈥� wrote executive coach and author Marcel Schwantes in Inc. 鈥淏uffett didn鈥檛 talk about markets, mergers, or money.鈥澛�

Instead, he shared a 鈥渞oadmap鈥� on how to 鈥渂uild lives of meaning.鈥澛�

The letter was issued the same week that the longest U.S. government shutdown ended. The 43-day period underscored the economic precariousness of hundreds of thousands of Americans. Neighbors and nonprofits stepped up to meet basic needs amid furloughs, paused paychecks, and frozen benefits. Such generosity 鈥� individually and collectively 鈥� embodies a sentiment in Mr. Buffett鈥檚 letter.

鈥淲hen you help someone in any of thousands of ways, you help the world,鈥� he stated, adding that 鈥済reatness鈥� comes through such acts, not through accumulating money, publicity, or power.

The multi-billionaire has long viewed his immense wealth as the fruit of opportunities and support from trusted colleagues more than as his personal achievement. 鈥淚t is beyond arrogance for American businesses or individuals to boast that they have 鈥榙one it alone,鈥欌�� he said in 2019. Rather, it鈥檚 because there is 鈥渘o incubator for unleashing human potential like America.鈥澛�

This year, Mr. Buffett happily shared that Berkshire Hathaway paid $26.8 billion in corporate taxes for 2024, reportedly the highest such payment ever made to the U.S. government. (He has long called for a higher minimum tax on the ultrarich.)

This sense of obligation to the country is accompanied by a down-home humility, frugality, and folksiness. In that spirit, two simple sentences in Mr. Buffett鈥檚 letter offer food for thought 鈥� not just during the Thanksgiving season, but yearlong:

鈥淜indness is costless but also priceless. Whether you are religious or not, it鈥檚 hard to beat The Golden Rule as a guide to behavior.鈥�

Note: The photo caption was revised on Nov. 21 to correctly identify the location as being the University of Nebraska.