As Israel’s 14-month-old war with Hamas drags on, the arriving winter means life will get even harder for the two million Palestinians living in the territory. Turkey's Foreign Minister met with Syria's de facto leader in Damascus on Sunday. President-elect Donald Trump is threatening to reassert U.S. control over the Panama Canal, accusing Panama of charging excessive rates to use the Central American passage, which allows ships to cross between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. And a NASA spacecraft is about to make the closest approach to the sun.

Will the U.S. government shut down, and if so, how will American activities overseas be affected? Turkey is making inroads in the Balkans as Russia seems preoccupied with Ukraine. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says the leaders of Ukraine and Russia should be “prepared to make a deal” to end the brutal conflict that has consumed Ukraine since 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual press conference on Thursday, answering dozens of questions on home and international affairs.

Hadi al-Bahra, head of the Syrian National Coalition that grouped opponents of Bashar al-Assad during the civil war, says Syria's transitional government should be credible and inclusive. A bipartisan effort to protect children from the harms of social media is running out of time in this session of the U.S. Congress. Ghana's Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed two separate cases challenging the legality of one of Africa's most restrictive pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

An explosion in Moscow Tuesday morning killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of the radiation, chemical and biological protection troops of the Russian Armed Forces. President-elect Donald Trump has chosen retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg to be his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, where Trump has promised to bring a quick end to the war. Denmark released anti-whaling activist Paul Watson from detention on Tuesday and said it had rejected a Japanese request to extradite him over criminal charges dating back more than a decade.

President-elect Donald Trump gives first press conference since election. Families are returning to Aleppo, even as their future is uncertain. During fighting, more than 60,000 Israelis fled their homes near the border with Lebanon; now, as a ceasefire appears to be holding, some are returning. A look at Trump’s pick to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a deadly storm in the Indian Ocean, and yet another school shooting in the United States.

Israel strikes military targets inside Syria and occupies a demilitarized border area, claiming threats to its security following the fall of the Assad regime. The president of South Korea is impeached and more than a dozen African countries elected new leaders this year. Right-wing ideologies are resurgent in Europe. President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Communications Commission has taken aim at big tech and China’s influence on U.S. communications. Plus, the unique role of social media in discussing the news.

It’s all diplomatic hands on deck in the Middle East as Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Jordan Thursday for talks with Jordanian and Turkish officials about the fall of the Syrian regime, and top Biden aides are pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza. A look at how U.S. foreign assistance is allocated and where it goes, French President Emanuel Macron is in Poland for meeting about security in Ukraine. Plus, what is "birthright citizenship" and what would happen if President-elect Donald Trump follows through with his plan to eliminate it?

VOA is on the ground in Damascus as security and political concerns following the Assad regime’s fall still linger. Donald Trump has signaled a hands-off approach to Syria when he takes office, but how realistic is that? Russia is planning on using its hypersonic missile in Ukraine again and the International Court of Justice hears from island nations who say climate change is an existential threat.

The Kremlin was a key supporter of Bashar al-Assad in his government's brutal attempts to defeat rebels, and that memory may make it difficult for Moscow to regain its foothold in Syria. Meanwhile, a Turkish-backed Syrian militia is moving against Kurdish forces in Syria. The corruption trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is back on in Israel. A look at the woman nominated to be the next U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., and the implications of President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to shut the U.S. Department of Education.

A multifaceted look at Syria, the day after Bashar Assad fled to Russia. Rebels are celebrating in Damascus; politicians are eager in Istanbul, and the U.S. readies for many possibilities. In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks of diplomacy, and BRICS countries are thinking about a new currency to replace the dollar. Plus, it’s the end of an era for Taylor Swift.