On 21 November, weeks of escalating threats, military posturing, and diplomatic tension culminated not in conflict but in a stark phone call in which Donald Trump reportedly issued Nicolás Maduro an ultimatum: leave Venezuela immediately or face the consequences. This shows that Trump is not easing pressure and may be edging closer to military action, despite earlier signs of potential compromise through envoy Richard Grenell’s negotiations which freed US detainees and reopened migrant returns. Analysts note that while advisers like Marco Rubio influence policy, Trump himself has long viewed Venezuela as unfinished business touching on his key concerns - migration, drugs, and China. Trump’s resort to a threatening phone call may in itself be a response to the Venezuelan armed forces’ refusal to buckle before the overwhelming US military presence. Experts warn that a ‘decapitation strike’ targeting Maduro is conceivable, with the justification that he is an illegitimate leader after stealing two elections. Observers say Trump is using intimidation to force concessions while leaving the door open to rapid escalation.

The Honduran presidential election has become increasingly tense after the National Electoral Council (CNE) announced a full manual recount of the 30 November vote. Currently there is a wafer-thin margin between the two leading candidates, which has prompted the CNE to announce a ‘technical tie’; it is calling for patience while all the votes are counted manually. Donald Trump sharply criticised the process on social media, accusing the authorities of attempting to alter the outcome and warning that there would be ‘hell to pay’ if his preferred candidate, Nasry Asfura, is not declared the winner. Asfura, a right-wing former mayor, held a lead of just over 500 votes with more than half of ballots counted. His centrist rival, Salvador Nasralla, cited internal projections suggesting he was ahead but refrained from claiming victory. Whatever the final outcome, the election is a clear defeat for the country’s ruling left-wing, whose candidate, Rixi Moncada, only has 19% of the vote.

Tim Baker has spent more than four decades crafting world-class bows for violins and cellos - the very tools which, as he puts it, give musicians their ‘voice’. But now his longstanding craft is caught in the middle of an urgent conservation battle. Brazilwood, also known as pernambuco, is the prized, endangered timber used in most professional bows, beloved for its strength and resonance. With the tree’s population reduced by 84% due to centuries of overharvesting and ongoing illegal logging, Brazil is pushing for the highest level of international trade protection. Advocates say drastic action is needed to save the species, but musicians fear that tighter restrictions could ground performers, expose their bows to confiscation, and make global touring nearly impossible without complex permits. Conservationists and performers alike agree that the status quo is unsustainable, but they need to agree on a plan that protects both music and nature.

On 11 November hundreds of Indigenous activists stormed the UN COP30 climate summit in Belém, demanding real protection for their lands and rights amid growing frustration over government inaction. The protests, led by Amazonian communities, erupted as president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva promoted his administration’s commitment to Indigenous inclusion - claims protesters say ring hollow while oil drilling, logging, and mining continue to threaten the rainforest. ‘We can’t eat money’, said Gilmar of the Tupinamba community, voicing anger at the summit’s focus on climate finance over preservation. The demonstrations followed the arrival of the Yaku Mama protest flotilla, which sailed over two thousand miles to call attention to Indigenous leadership in environmental stewardship. Despite Lula’s rhetoric, Brazil’s state oil company has just received approval to begin exploratory offshore drilling near the Amazon’s mouth. This year’s meeting is the first to take place since the International Court of Justice ruled that countries must meet their climate obligations and that failing to do so could violate international law. Note: the four nations responsible for almost 50% of global pollution (Russia, China, India, and the USA) are not even attending COP30. The conference is a major focus for prayer, as churches become more and more aware of the climate crisis. For a link to the John Stott lecture on 20 November, which will focus on the challenges which the world is facing and a Christian response, see

The latest US strike on a vessel in the Pacific, ordered by Donald Trump, has drawn renewed condemnation and concern. Two people were killed in what was described as an anti-narcotics operation, bringing the total death toll from similar maritime attacks to at least 67 since September. Despite claims that the vessels targeted were involved in drug trafficking, Washington has yet to provide evidence, prompting accusations of extrajudicial killings. Human rights advocates, including the UN’s Volker Turk, have warned that such actions violate international law and risk killing innocent fishermen. The escalation has drawn condemnation from Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro, who regards Trump’s intensified ‘war on drugs’ as a pretext to topple him from power. With an aircraft carrier about to join other US vessels already in the region, the world watches anxiously, fearing that a campaign meant to stop drugs could instead fuel regional instability and human suffering.

At least 64 people, including four police officers, have been killed during a massive law enforcement operation in Rio de Janeiro - the deadliest in the city’s history. Governor Claudio Castro hailed the raids as a decisive blow against organised crime, but the high civilian toll has sparked national and international alarm. Operation Containment targeted the powerful Comando Vermelho gang, deploying 2,500 officers with helicopters and armoured vehicles across the Alemao and Penha favelas. Bystanders were reportedly caught in the crossfire, reigniting debate over police tactics, human rights, and the heavy cost of Brazil’s drug war. For many residents of Rio’s poorest neighbourhoods, the tragedy underscores a grim reality - they are trapped between violent gangs and aggressive law enforcement. Human rights groups have questioned the timing of such a large-scale operation, less than two weeks before the UN climate summit COP30 begins. As Brazil heads for a national election in 2026, the threat of criminal violence and drug trafficking is expected to take centre stage.

Peruvian President Jose Jeri has declared a 30-day state of emergency in the capital, Lima, and the neighboring province of Callao to confront rising crime and growing public unrest. The measure, approved by the Council of Ministers, allows the armed forces to work alongside police in maintaining order and security. In a televised address, Jeri said the government was “moving from defense to offense in the fight against crime” to restore peace and public trust. The decision follows violent protests last week that left one person dead and over 100 injured, marking the first major challenge to Jeri’s new administration. Sworn in earlier this month after the ouster of Dina Boluarte, the president has made law and order his top priority. However, analysts warn that repeated emergency declarations — including similar measures under Boluarte — have failed to address the root causes of Peru’s insecurity. Critics say lasting reform requires judicial and police accountability, not just military deployment.

Venezuela has announced it will close its embassies in Norway and Australia, days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The move, confirmed by Norway’s foreign ministry, came without explanation but follows years of diplomatic tension between Nicolás Maduro’s government and Western nations. Norway expressed regret at the decision, emphasising that the Nobel committee operates independently of its government. Machado, who remains in hiding, received the Peace Prize for her “extraordinary examples of civilian courage’. She dedicated the award to Donald Trump and the ‘suffering people of Venezuela’. Barred from last year’s disputed election, she remains a powerful symbol of resistance to Maduro’s rule. The closures underscore Venezuela’s shifting alliances amid growing isolation from democratic nations. For the White House’s reaction to the Peace Prize award, see

At least 64 people have died and 65 remain missing after torrential rains and floods devastated five Mexican states. The deluge, triggered by remnants of Hurricane Priscilla and Tropical Rainstorm Raymond, caused rivers to burst their banks and unleashed deadly landslides which wiped out entire communities. President Claudia Sheinbaum said that around 100,000 homes were damaged, and some had ‘practically disappeared’. She added that there had not been any meteorological signs ‘which could have indicated that the rain was going to be of this magnitude’. Thousands of soldiers and emergency responders have been deployed to deliver food, water, and medical aid, while power crews are working to restore electricity to hundreds of thousands affected. Officials said the rainfall, exceeding 280mm in some areas, was impossible to predict at such magnitude. As survivors search for missing loved ones, grief and exhaustion hang over devastated regions.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has urged Donald Trump to remove the 40% tariff recently imposed on Brazilian imports. The two leaders held a thirty-minute phone conversation, exchanging direct contact numbers and discussing trade and economic cooperation. Lula reiterated his invitation for Trump to attend the upcoming climate summit in Belém and said that Brazil remains one of the few G20 nations with which the United States enjoys a trade surplus. Trump described the discussion as positive, noting plans for future meetings in both countries. The tariffs, added to an earlier 10% duty, were justified by the Trump administration as a response to Brazil’s internal political instability following former president Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction for attempting a coup. Despite tensions, the leaders’ dialogue signals an effort to preserve economic ties and foster mutual understanding between the Western Hemisphere’s two largest democracies.