5 things you need to know this weekend
Mother Teresa to be recognized as Catholic saint
Pope Francis on Sunday will canonize Mother Teresa, the nun who earned worldwide fame — and eventually the Nobel Peace Prize — for her dedication to helping the poorest of the poor. Born as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910 to Albanian parents, she was inspired in 1946 while on a train trip in India to found the Missionaries of Charity order, which has since opened more than 130 houses worldwide to provide care for the needy. She died in 1997 and was put on the fast track to sainthood by Pope John Paul II. A crowd of thousands is expected to attend the canonization ceremony in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.
Just get up and go on Labor Day weekend
It's Labor Day weekend, summer's last hurrah. If you are planning a weekend getaway, you are not alone: U.S. airlines expect 15.6 million passengers to take to the skies, a 4% increase over last year. If you are on the fence about where to go, here are easy trips from five U.S. cities, and some top B&B destinations. If you're heading to the beach, here are some of the best options for beachcombers. Who knows? You might even get a good deal. Our last piece of advice: If you're traveling on the East Coast, watch for the remnants of Hermine.
College football season kicks off in a big way
It’s back! The first full weekend of college football is upon us after the sport went into hibernation the past eight months. The jam-packed schedule is highlighted by No. 3 Oklahoma meeting No. 13 Houston and No. 1 Alabama facing No. 17 Southern California on Saturday. Sunday brings a matchup of traditional powers Notre Dame and Texas. It ends Labor Day night with No. 4 Florida State clashing with No. 12 Mississippi. To get you ready for all the action, here are matchups that will impact the College Football Playoff and game predictions from the Paste BN Sports college football staff.
China to display its global clout as G-20 summit host
Delaying school, suspending church services and sending people on vacation are a few ways China cleaned up Hangzhou in preparation for the Group of 20 Summit this weekend. The meticulous preparations reveal the government's eagerness to showcase its development and prove that the world's second-largest economy deserves a leading role in global affairs, experts say. China's president Xi Jinping may want to limit summit discussions to economic issues, but the other leaders likely will raise topics that may put China on the defensive, such as its weak human rights record, aggressive territorial claims in the South China Sea and overproduction of steel that is hurting foreign producers. President Obama will meet one-on-one with Xi on Saturday.
Merkel faces voter rebuke on refugees in home state
A right wing, anti-immigrant party in Germany stands to make strong election gains Sunday in Chancellor Angela Merkel's home state, a potential embarrassment for the German leader's liberal refugee policy. The vote in the Baltic Sea region of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will test the resilience of Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union and other mainstream parties ahead of next year's federal elections. The anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has been buoyed by dissatisfaction with Merkel's decision last year to take in more than 1 million asylum seekers, mostly Muslims.
Bonus: Saturday is National Tailgate Day. Here are 10 colleges with the best football tailgates:
And the essentials:
Be inspired: Mom creates fairy wonderland for son with autism.
Weekend TV: Wondering what to watch this weekend? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at the ABC fall preview and Ringside.
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