USA - Weary firefighters in California raced Saturday to slow the spread of wildfires that burned nearly one million acres statewide in a week and destroyed hundreds of homes ahead of an expected weather change that could bring more lightning strikes like the ones that sparked many of the blazes. Responding to the emergency, President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration to provide federal assistance. Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement that the declaration will also help people in counties affected by the fires with crisis counseling, housing and other social services. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning of high fire danger across the Bay Area and along the Central Coast, beginning from Sunday morning to Monday afternoon. Since thousands of lightning strikes began on August 15, the state reported 585 wildfires that have burned nearly a million acres, or 1,562 square miles, according to Cal Fire.

NORTH KOREA – North Korea could be on the brink of war after Kim Jong-un's sister was handed key powers, a move that risks increased violence with neighbours South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has delegated some of his authority to his younger sister Kim Yo-jong, allowing her to manage South Korean and US affairs. This is according to South Korea’s spy agency, as the two countries continue to be embroiled in growing tensions. The move appears to be intended to lighten Kim Jong-un’s burden, the National Intelligence Service said, denying that the leader has any serious health issues. It comes after Kim Jong-un went missing twice this year amid rumours that his health had deteriorated. The North Korean leader has placed great trust in his younger sister, who is thought to be pivotal to the country's propaganda and approach to foreign affairs. However, Kim Yo-jong's promotion could lead to an increased danger of violence after her chilling threats to South Korea in June.

USA - Dozens of fires are burning across the Bay Area. The CZU August Lightning Complex has encompassed the entirety of Big Basin Redwoods State Park and rages on across San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. Further north, multiple wildfires are burning in Napa and Sonoma counties, which Cal Fire is referring to collectively as the LNU Lightning Complex. A third lightning complex the "SCU" covers over 20 separate fires that have torched 85,000 acres in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Satellites have sent images back to Earth showing the blazes from space, but on-the-ground footage being shared on social media by those who have come close to the devastation has given us an up-close view of the nightmarish scenes.

VATICAN - This summer, several voices long dissatisfied with Pope Francis have started to beat the drum roll for change. There has been a stream of press articles and social media posts, and last month two books were published, both titled The Next Pope.

ISRAEL - The historic peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates did not include Israel's consent to any arms deal between the US and the UAE. From the outset, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed the sale of F-35s and other advanced weaponry to any country in the Middle East, including Arab countries that have peace agreements with Israel. The US has made it clear that it will always take strict care to maintain Israel's qualitative edge.

USA - Six weeks ago, US Postal Service workers in the high desert town of Tehachapi, California, began to notice crates of mail sitting in the post office in the early morning that should have been shipped out for delivery the night before. At a mail processing facility in Santa Clarita in July, workers discovered that their automated sorting machines had been disabled and padlocked.

USA - Dozens of corporations from around the world have collectively donated millions of dollars to left-wing organizations that advocate for defunding America’s police departments, a Daily Caller News Foundation review found. Companies including Microsoft, Intel and Airbnb have donated to Black Lives Matter Global Network and Color of Change, both of which want to defund police departments across the country.

USA - Representative Ayanna Pressley called for “unrest in the streets” while discussing the upcoming election on MSNBC Saturday. “There needs to be unrest in the streets for as long as there’s unrest in our lives, and unfortunately, there’s plenty to go around,” the Massachusetts Democrat and member of the so-called “Squad” told MSNBC’s Tiffany Cross. “This is as much about public outcry and organizing and mobilizing and applying pressure so that this GOP-led Senate and these governors that continue to carry water for this administration, putting the American people in harm’s way, turning a deaf ear to the needs of our families and our communities, hold them accountable. Make the phone calls, send the emails, show up,” she said.

MIDDLE EAST - This secret development raises concerns that the Saudis are building infrastructure for a future military nuclear program. Israeli defense and intelligence officials raised concerns with their US counterparts after both The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported that the Saudis had teamed up with China to build a secret facility in the desert near Riyadh to produce yellowcake, a basic material for uranium enrichment.

SAUDI ARABIA - Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that Riyadh will not normalize relations with Israel before an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord is reached, in the kingdom’s first official statement since Thursday’s deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates was announced.

MIDDLE EAST - An Egyptian envoy working to prevent an escalation is encountering difficulties as both Israel and Hamas are refusing to budge. Incendiary balloons landed throughout southern Israel on Wednesday, as tensions continue to rise between Israel and terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip. Police sappers handled a number of balloons that landed within and near towns and residential areas in southern Israel. Israel Fire and Rescue Services announced on Wednesday evening that there were 28 fires throughout the day. Alternate Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned that Israel "knows how to strike not just buildings and targets but also those operating within them." "We changed the equation in Gaza. Since I entered the position, there are no security disruptions that do not receive a response," added Gantz. "The State of Israel has no interests in Gaza except for bringing our boys back and complete quiet. If these two goals are met, we can develop Gaza."

ISRAEL - Immediately after the announcement of the US-sponsored peace deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that his country is not going to fulfill one of its key provisions – the suspension of the annexation of West Bank territories. The prime minister emphasized that the annexation plan was just delayed, but not suspended.

USA - The one that you serve the most is the one that you really worship. In America today, we don’t actually get down on our knees and pray to our stock market portfolios and the money in our bank accounts, but has our wealth become more important to us than anything else? It is well known that material comfort greatly motivates most Americans. We tend to vote for the politicians that we perceive will be the best for our economy, we religiously track the performance of our investments, and for many of us our financial goals are more important to us than any of our other goals. We desperately want to “do well”, and we tend to exalt others that are “doing well”.

USA - A series of fires raging through five North Bay counties grew to more than 124,000 acres by Wednesday night, destroying more than 100 structures and threatening 25,000 others. The firestorm was the largest of several fast-moving blazes in the San Francisco Bay Area and elsewhere in Northern California — many caused by intense lightning storms — that spread quickly overnight, burning homes and forcing thousands to flee.

UK - Honey better treatment for coughs and colds than antibiotics, study claims. Research suggests honey also more effective than many over-the-counter medicines. Honey may be better than conventional treatments for coughs, blocked noses and sore throats, researchers have said. The substance is cheap, readily available, and has virtually no side-effects. Doctors can recommend it as a suitable alternative to antibiotics, which are often prescribed for such infections, even though they are not effective, scientists from the University of Oxford said. Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) affect the nose, throat, voice box and the large air passages (bronchi) that lead from the windpipe to the lungs.“Honey is more effective and less harmful than usual care alternatives and avoids causing harm through antimicrobial resistance.”