The mood is tense in Israel as citizens wait for possible retaliation by Iran after Saturday’s Israeli attack on the Iranian military. The ruling party is out in Japan and Lithuania following national elections, and in Georgia, the ruling party is claiming victory, but opposition groups are crying foul. A look at the final week of campaigning for Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and ahead to the upcoming COP29 Climate Conference.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Qatar, pushing for a cease-fire deal in the Middle East. Seventeen people were killed in Gaza following an Israeli attack on a school where people were sheltering; Israel says the attack was targeting Hamas fighters. Donors gather in France to raise money for Lebanon, and in Syria, the death of Hezbollah leaders reveals complex loyalties. Plus, a look how the upcoming election in the U.S. might impact the Senate.

The U.S. says North Korean troops are in Russia, but Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin can’t say for certain why. Heavy airstrikes by Israel on the Lebanese city of Tyre complicate cease-fire negotiations. Republicans and Democrats are competing for votes and merchandise dollars. Japan prepares for its election and a look at press freedom in Bangladesh following the recent change in government.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel, trying to capitalize on the optimism following the death of Yahya Sinwar to get a cease-fire deal. The United States charged a general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp. in a plot to kill an Iranian dissident journalist in New York. NATO reacts to North Korean troops in Ukraine, as Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping meet. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter casts his ballot, plus a look at the Electoral College: why we have it, and how well it works.

After Yahya Sinwar’s death last week, the turning point in the conflict that many had predicted has failed to materialize as Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads back to the Middle East looking to resume ceasefire negotiations. Lloyd Austin, the Secretary of Defense is in Kyiv to announce more American military aid, and to ease fears in Kyiv of diminishing assistance following the election. A look at labor unions in the US election and electoral results from Moldova. Plus, voting in Botswana is off to a rocky start.

Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas and architect of the October 7th attacks that killed 1,200 in Israel, was killed in a firefight with Israeli soldiers in Gaza. How will recent hurricanes in the Southeast United States affect voter turnout in the presidential election, and how is climate change affecting the mental health of young people.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made public his “Victory Plan” on Wednesday; a plan that outlines steps Zelenskyy believes Ukraine and its Western allies should take in order to end the war Russia started in 2022. Is a nuclear confrontation between Iran and Israel inevitable? Abortion continues to be a hotly debated topic in the U.S., but with the overturning of Roe V. Wade, it has become front and center of electoral politics. Viktor Orban is facing strong criticism from inside Hungary, and a disastrous explosion in Nigeria.

The secretaries of state and defense write a letter to their Israeli counterparts demanding better care be taken to improve the conditions for Palestinian civilians in Gaza and that more attention be paid to civilian deaths during Israeli strikes in Beirut. Ukraine alleges that North Korean soldiers are on the ground in Ukraine, fighting for Russia. Imprisoned Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai’s son speaks to VOA in Prague, and a look at what America needs from its foreign policy. Plus, a look at hunger in Africa, and Turkey’s relationship with Somalia.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected accusations that Israeli troops had deliberately targeted UNIFIL peacekeepers in Lebanon as "completely false." Meanwhile, an Israeli strike in Gaza hit shelters for displaced people. China holds massive military drill surrounding Taiwan and Syrian rebels are threatened by suicide drones. A look at what might motivate undecided American voters, and a glimpse at Indigenous People’s Day celebrations in Los Angeles.

Dozens injured in Hezbollah missile attack on Israel as cross-border attacks continue. The U.S. will send missile defense system and troops into Israel to help with Israel’s defense. All this as Iran says there is ‘no red line’ when it comes to defending its people and its interests. Psychiatrists show how election season might be bad for voters’ health, and at least one of the presidential candidates is trying to get people talking about their health and fitness. Russia is stepping up the nuclear posture in Belarus, and Bangladesh tries to heal.