It was a big week around the world. Voters in Israel went to the polls, a well-known opposition leader went home to Venezuela, and families in the American Southwest faced historic floods while neighbors opened their doors. Here is what happened, explained simply, as of Wednesday morning, October 28.
1. Israel votes, and no side wins a clear majority
Israelis voted on Tuesday, October 27, in the country’s national election. To form a government, a party or group of parties needs 61 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
According to the Associated Press, exit polls on election night showed neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot reaching 61 seats. Arab-led parties were projected to win about 17 or 18 seats, which could make them important in what comes next. Turnout was high: Israel’s Central Elections Committee put it at 77.7%, according to Al Jazeera and The Jerusalem Post.
Early projections have shifted as votes are counted. The Jerusalem Post reported Wednesday morning that updated exit polls moved toward Netanyahu’s bloc, while opposition leaders described the result as a defeat for the government. Exit polls have differed from final results before, and official results are still coming in. If no group can build a majority, weeks of coalition talks could follow, or even another election.
2. María Corina Machado returns to Venezuela
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, returned home on Sunday, October 25, after nearly ten months abroad, MercoPress reported. She appeared at a Mass at the Divina Pastora sanctuary in Barquisimeto, surrounded by supporters, after posting online: “I am here. With you.”
According to WORLD’s Monday news report, Machado is pushing for a new presidential election. Delcy Rodríguez, who served as vice president under Nicolás Maduro, currently leads the country. U.S. officials have said an election cannot happen quickly because Venezuela first needs trusted election officials and courts, while many Venezuelans want a vote scheduled for next year. President Trump said he did not know about Machado’s return in advance but hoped she was safe.
It is a story worth keeping in prayer for the people of Venezuela.
3. Historic floods hit the Four Corners, and neighbors step up
Days of unusually heavy rain since October 21 sent rivers surging across the Four Corners region, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet. In Pagosa Springs, Colorado, the San Juan River reached a level “unseen in over a century,” the Associated Press reported. The flood there was 2 to 3 feet higher than one just over a year earlier that officials had already called a 100-year flood.
In the Farmington area of New Mexico, about 2,000 people were affected and at least a couple hundred needed rescue. New Mexico National Guard helicopters carried out 11 hoist rescues. Nearly 100 Colorado National Guard members joined local authorities in Archuleta County. As of Sunday, San Juan County, New Mexico, was not aware of any deaths, CBS News reported, but cleanup will be long and messy, and power may take days to restore.
One quiet sign of hope: officials said shelters were not full, and they suspected many evacuees were staying with friends and family. Neighbors are taking in neighbors. Forecasters warned that more storms could come, so if you live in the region, keep watching local alerts.
Looking up
Floods and uncertain elections can make the world feel unsteady. But this week also showed people choosing to help: guardsmen lifting families to safety and neighbors opening their homes to families who had to leave their own.
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”
— Psalm 121:1-2 (KJV)
Through every storm, we rise together.
Which of this week’s stories would you like us to follow up on, and who would you like our readers to pray for?
Sources: Associated Press via PBS NewsHour, “No clear winner in Israeli election, exit polls indicate” (Oct 27, 2026); Al Jazeera, “Netanyahu, Eisenkot camps clash over Israel election projections” (Oct 28, 2026); The Jerusalem Post, Israel election vote count (Oct 27-28, 2026); MercoPress, “María Corina Machado returns to Venezuela after ten months abroad” (Oct 25, 2026); WORLD, “Monday morning news: October 26, 2026” (Oct 26, 2026); Associated Press via The Gazette, “Pagosa Springs experiencing once-a-century flooding” (Oct 24, 2026); CBS News, “Four Corners region faces more flood threats following days of heavy rain” (Oct 25, 2026); KJV Psalm 121:1-2
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