
AI-generated summary
Syrian authorities have postponed the first meeting of the new transitional parliament, initially scheduled for Monday. The reason for the delay was not specified, with state television citing an electoral official. The new parliament, formed after the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, is part of a five-year transitional period under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Following a weekend trip to his Virginia golf club, President Donald Trump used Truth Social to criticize the state of the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovations, claiming the buildings are in disrepair and blaming judicial rulings and vandalism for delays. A federal judge will rule on whether the Trump-dominated Kennedy Center board violated court orders by approving an inscription crediting Trump with the renovation, despite a May ruling requiring congressional approval for renaming. Lawyers for Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty called the move an 'end-run' around the court decision and a 'breathtaking assault on the rule of law.' The Trump administration argues the Kennedy Center needs urgent renovation to avoid eventual demolition. Trump also claimed vandals damaged the Reflecting Pool and surrounding grass, citing an '86 47' message in the lawn, though officials admitted the damage likely stemmed from poor construction, leading to the dismissal of a case against a former Olympian. The decision infuriated Trump, who attacked D.C. prosecutor Jeanine Pirro, who had sought to keep charges open against David Hearn. Separately, a woman was indicted on two felony counts for spray painting the WWII Memorial.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz made misleading claims during a summer interview with ARD, overstating reductions in asylum numbers, misrepresenting Germany's debt position, and distorting the environmental benefits of electric vehicles, according to a live fact-check by DW and the ARD fact-checking network.

Ballot counting is underway in Guinea-Bissau's constitutional referendum, where voters decided on shifting from a parliamentary to a presidential system. Turnout exceeded 55% with no reported incidents, according to electoral officials. Results are expected Tuesday. The vote comes less than 10 months after a military coup, with the transitional government aiming to stabilize institutions before December elections.

The Trump administration is advancing proposals to eliminate the 60-day grace period for H-1B visa holders to find new work after job loss and to bar spouses of H-1B visa holders from obtaining work authorization, moves experts say would increase worker vulnerability and strengthen employer leverage, though neither proposal has been formally published for public comment.

Local opposition to big tech datacenters has grown into a nationwide movement uniting Americans across party lines, with over 75% opposing local development and 500+ municipalities passing bans. Organizers see this as an opportunity for transformative repolarization against tech oligarchs, though Democrats remain divided on taking a unified stance.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order to rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America,' calling it 'absolutely backwards,' while acknowledging he regretted the personal nature of their exchange after trading insults. The dispute occurs amid a broader U.S.-Canada trade war marked by reciprocal tariffs up to 50% on goods like steel, aluminum, and dairy, following collapsed trade talks. Canadian officials, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, rejected the name change as a provocation, while Trump responded by referencing Ford's late brother Rob Ford on Truth Social. U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer warned against Canadian retaliation, stating the U.S. would not 'just sit down and take that.'