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Encyclopedia Britannica has taken down a disputed map from its Britannica Kids platform after criticism that it labeled the entire area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea as “Palestine,” without referencing Israel. The move followed objections raised by the pro-Israel legal advocacy group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) and questions from The Telegraph, which reported concerns that the map effectively denied Israel’s existence and mirrored the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

The map had appeared alongside text defining “Palestine” as the territory stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean. Critics said the presentation closely tracked language commonly used by pro-Palestinian activists and groups such as Hamas. In a letter to Britannica’s publishers, UKLFI argued that the framing advanced a contemporary political narrative and erased the presence of the State of Israel from the same geographic space.

Public attention to the issue began in November 2024, when London-based Jewish children’s author Shari Black contacted Britannica directly to raise concerns. She said she was taken aback by what she viewed as historical inaccuracies in educational material for children, adding that the content appeared to promote an agenda aimed at delegitimizing Israel, despite its establishment through international agreement.

UKLFI also challenged Britannica Kids’ broader historical use of the term “Palestine” as a label extending back thousands of years. The group noted that historians generally trace the name to Roman Emperor Hadrian, who applied it to the region in 135 CE following the Bar Kokhba revolt, replacing the name Judea in an effort to weaken Jewish identification with the land.

Responding to the complaints, Britannica editor-in-chief Theodore Pappas said the company would examine UKLFI’s claims and make changes where appropriate.

UKLFI Director Caroline Turner said that applying the label “Palestine” retroactively across the region’s history misrepresents historical developments and falsely suggests an unbroken continuity that does not reflect the record.

Following The Telegraph’s inquiry, Britannica removed the map and updated the entry to clarify the present-day reality, stating: “Today the State of Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip are located within this area.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, convened a special follow-up discussion that revealed serious shortcomings in the implementation of the High Court ruling on the enlistment of yeshiva students, with security officials warning of a deep enforcement failure and the military announcing tougher criminal and disciplinary measures against draft dodgers.

According to figures presented at the meeting, as of January 2026 the number of individuals designated for military or national service who received draft orders but failed to report has surpassed 71,000. Approximately 80 percent of those classified as draft dodgers come from the chareidi community.

The discussion was attended by senior legal officials, representatives of Israel Defense Forces, and police officials. During the session, sharp disparities in enforcement practices were raised. Military officials warned that, as a rule, the Military Police are not granted authorization to carry out arrests in chareidi neighborhoods. They added that even in cases where chareidi deserters are detained incidentally by the police, they are often released in practice without being transferred to military authorities.

A police representative said the policy stems from a severe manpower shortage and concerns over the potential for serious public disturbances. She argued that effective enforcement would require the addition of six Border Police companies. IDF officials countered that the current reality amounts to selective enforcement, which disproportionately impacts other sectors of the population where enforcement is significantly stricter.

Attorney General Baharav-Miara described the findings as “harsh and troubling,” and stressed that under the High Court’s ruling, claims of limited resources cannot justify a failure to enforce the law. In response, the IDF presented a series of immediate steps to tighten enforcement, including reducing the period required to pursue criminal prosecution for draft evasion from 540 days to 365 days, and increasing the maximum detention period under disciplinary proceedings to 35 days.

At the same time, the attorney general instructed professional officials at the Finance Ministry to reexamine funding mechanisms related to draft dodgers, including indirect funding. Among the options being considered is accounting separation within yeshivos, a move intended to expand the range of economic sanctions available against those who fail to report for mandatory service.

{Matzav.com}

A young yeshiva student from Yeshivas Ohel Yosef in Yerushalayim was arrested Sunday afternoon near his home, marking what family members describe as the first time a yeshiva bochur has been detained in the heart of a chareidi neighborhood under circumstances linked to the draft law.

The arrest took place in the Ramot neighborhood, close to the student’s residence. According to those familiar with the incident, a police vehicle pulled up near the home while the bochur was standing outside after returning from a Shabbos break. Officers exited the vehicle and arrested him on the spot.

The family says the arrest was carried out by the Military Police and was connected to the student’s failure to report to the induction office, in accordance with the directives of gedolei Yisroel. As in previous cases, the bochur is from a family of Edot HaMizrach. It was also reported that “the bochur is receiving legal representation from the legal department of Chayei Olam.”

Less than two weeks ago, another yeshiva student—described as a draft evader and a talmid of Yeshivas Noam HaTalmud—was arrested in the community of Adam. That arrest took place late at night, around 3:00 a.m.

The nighttime detention sparked significant unrest in the chareidi street, particularly among the Sephardic public. Sources familiar with the details pointed to what they described as a troubling pattern. “Time and again we see that the initiated arrests—those that come to the home in the middle of the night—are focused on bochurim from the Sephardic sector,” one source said. “Is this coincidence, or a deliberate policy? The public is no longer buying the stories of coincidence.”

Meanwhile, in the Knesset, the state budget passed a first reading with the support of Degel HaTorah and Shas, despite the fact that the draft law has yet to be enacted. Knesset members from Agudas Yisrael—Yitzchok Goldknopf, Meir Porush, and Yitzchok Tessler—voted against the budget.

Officials in Shas and Degel HaTorah acknowledged in conversations with Kikar HaShabbat, “Voting against the budget primarily harms the chareidi public. If the budget does not pass, the first to be hurt will be us, since a central portion of the sector’s funding is not anchored in the base budget. We do not have real tools to threaten the prime minister.”

{Matzav.com}

Houthi terrorists in Yemen are signaling a possible return to attacks against Israel, saying that continued military activity in Gaza could prompt action from their side.

In a message posted to social media, Houthi spokesman Hezam al-Asad said the group’s tolerance for Israel’s conduct in Gaza was “beginning to run out,” warning that ongoing fighting and civilian deaths would “open the gates of hell from the Yemeni front.” He said the Houthis would not stay on the sidelines while Gaza remains under what he described as bombardment and siege, especially during what he called a fragile ceasefire that is violated on a daily basis.

Al-Asad said previous warnings issued by Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi should be taken seriously, adding that Yemen is preparing for future confrontations and would resume hostilities with “deeper, broader, and more effective capabilities” if fighting escalates again.

He also placed blame on the countries and parties serving as guarantors and mediators of the ceasefire, accusing them of remaining silent in the face of Israel’s actions and cautioning that continued violations could spark a broader regional crisis.

According to the Houthi spokesman, the current ceasefire does not legitimize continued military operations in Gaza, and he said the persistence of fighting means preparations are underway for every possible outcome.

Al-Asad further claimed that what he referred to as the “axis of resistance” remains united, stretching from Gaza to Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran, and accused the United States of bearing primary responsibility for Israel’s actions during the ceasefire, which he again described as fragile and repeatedly violated.

{Matzav.com}

The Islamic State extremist group claimed responsibility on Friday for an attack on an air force base in Niger’s capital that wounded four soldiers and damaged an aircraft. The claim of responsibility was contained in a statement on Amaq News Agency, the group’s propaganda wing, that said it was “a surprise and coordinated attack” in […]

NASA has kicked off a two-day countdown rehearsal ahead of fueling its next-generation moon rocket, a pivotal test that will help determine when four astronauts can lift off on a historic lunar flyby.

Already in quarantine to limit exposure to illness, Commander Reid Wiseman and his fellow crew members are set to become the first humans to head toward the moon since 1972. From their base in Houston, they will oversee the rehearsal before traveling to Kennedy Space Center once the rocket receives clearance to fly.

The massive Space Launch System rocket, standing 322 feet (98 meters) tall, rolled out to the launch pad two weeks ago. Should Monday’s fueling exercise proceed without problems, NASA could target a launch attempt as soon as a week later. During the test, teams will load the rocket with more than 700,000 gallons of ultra-cold propellant, halting the process about 30 seconds before engine ignition.

Extreme cold weather forced NASA to push back the fueling rehearsal and the launch timeline by two days. As a result, Feb. 8 is now the earliest possible liftoff date.

Once airborne, the American and Canadian astronauts will travel inside the Orion capsule perched atop the rocket, looping around the moon before heading directly back to Earth without landing. The mission is expected to last close to 10 days and will conclude with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

Between 1968 and 1972, NASA’s Apollo program sent 24 astronauts to the moon, with 12 of them stepping onto its surface.

{Matzav.com}

Nearly a month before a driver repeatedly slammed his car into the entrance of the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights, senior city officials were alerted that the site faced elevated risk and should be fortified with physical barriers, the New York Post revealed. A Dec. 30 report authored by Moshe Davis, executive director of […]

Brig. Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch, who served as Israel’s coordinator for prisoners and missing persons gave his first in-depth interview since the return of the last hostage, Ran Gvili, H’yd. After revealing that Hamas leader leader Yahya Sinwar intended to hold the hostages as bargaining chips for as long as a decade, Hirsch said that […]

Elon Musk said Sunday that measures implemented by SpaceX to prevent Russia from using Starlink without authorization appear to be effective, following concerns that the satellite internet system was being exploited in the war in Ukraine.

“Looks like the steps we took to stop the unauthorized use of Starlink by Russia have worked. Let us know if more needs to be done,” said Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, in a post on X.

The comments followed remarks last week from Ukraine’s defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who said Kyiv is coordinating with SpaceX to block Russian forces from using Starlink to guide drones. Ukrainian officials said they discovered Starlink terminals on long-range drones launched by Russia during attacks.

“Western technology must continue to help the democratic world and protect civilians, rather than being used for terrorism and destroying peaceful cities,” Fedorov wrote on X.

Although Musk has clashed publicly with Ukrainian officials over his views on the conflict with Russia, Ukraine’s military continues to depend heavily on Starlink. Tens of thousands of terminals are used for frontline communications and, in some cases, to support drone operations.

Starlink has significantly increased Musk’s influence on the global stage. In 2022, he openly asserted authority over when and where the service could be used by Ukrainian forces as they fought Russian troops, underscoring the platform’s strategic importance in the war.

{Matzav.com}

For the past 21 years, YWN’s team of seasoned reporters has delivered breaking news and reliable updates, building two decades of trust with over half a million readers each day. On this live blog, YWN will be providing continuous, around-the-clock coverage, bringing you the latest developments as they unfold. You can also join over 150,000 […]

Saudi Arabia’s defense minister warned U.S. officials in Washington that failing to confront Iran militarily could strengthen the Islamic Republic. Prince Khalid bin Salman told a closed-door gathering on Friday that Tehran would be “emboldened” if President Donald Trump refrains from ordering a strike on Iran, according to reporting by Axios. “At this point, if […]

Caribbean correspondent Dánica Coto returned to Cuba in late January, more than three years after her last visit to the island. The landscape and lives in Cuba are now very different, and more changes are anticipated since the fallout of the U.S. attack on Venezuela, Cuba’s strongest ally, has yet to be fully felt. This is an interview […]

A proposal backed by Democratic lawmakers in California has ignited anger among motorists and Republican legislators, who warn it could ultimately lead to drivers being taxed based on how many miles they travel.

With the state facing a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall and fuel tax revenue shrinking as more residents switch to electric vehicles, Democrats are exploring alternative ways to fund transportation projects.

California motorists already face some of the highest fuel costs in the country. According to the American Automobile Association, the average price of gas in January reached $4.23 per gallon, second only to Hawaii.

On Thursday, lawmakers moved forward with Assembly Bill 1421, sponsored by Democratic Assemblymember Lori Wilson. The bill would instruct the California Transportation Commission and the state Transportation Agency to continue examining mileage-based taxation models, stopping short of actually putting such a tax in place.

Opposition to the measure was visible over the weekend, as activists gathered at Cal Expo in Sacramento to gather signatures against a slate of Democratic tax proposals, including the potential per-mile charge.

“I just got very tense and insecure, because I drive a lot of miles,” said Sherrie Ann Lorenzo, a resident of Chico. “I don’t want to be taxed for driving. It’s my freedom. I live in the home of the free, I thought.”

Ideas outlined in the ongoing study suggest a per-mile fee ranging from two to nine cents. Given that California drivers average about 11,400 miles per year, such a charge could translate into annual costs of roughly $228 to $1,026.

Critics say the financial burden is only part of the concern, warning that monitoring vehicle mileage could prove complicated and raise serious privacy issues.

“This disproportionately hits rural residents and long-distance commuters,” said Republican Assemblymember Alexandra Macedo. “This favors wealthy EV drivers over everyday Californians. We already pay the highest gas tax in the U.S. We shouldn’t be adding a mileage tax on top of it.”

Bruce Lou, a delegate with the San Francisco and state Republican Party, also condemned the proposal online.

“This per-mile tax would be on top of the highest gas taxes in the country,” Lou wrote on X. “Citizens shouldn’t be treated like ATMs.”

Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio of San Diego sharply criticized AB 1421 during remarks on the Assembly floor Thursday.

“When you add up the car tax, the gas tax, and this new mileage tax, a working family with two cars and two parents driving could be forced to pay $4,200 a year to the state of California just for the privilege of driving on crappy roads,” DeMaio said. “What are we thinking here?”

Wilson has pushed back against the criticism, characterizing it as politically driven and saying the legislation reflects unavoidable fiscal realities.

“California’s transportation funding system is becoming less stable, less equitable, and less sustainable as more drivers switch to fuel-efficient and zero-emission vehicles,” she said.

She added that she is “committed” to revising AB 1421 to prevent drivers from being taxed twice through both fuel taxes and mileage-based fees.

As written, the bill would order a detailed report examining equity issues affecting low-income drivers who often travel longer distances in less efficient vehicles, evaluate the impact of a weight-based per-mile charge on commercial and electric vehicles, and review regional and statewide options for implementing a road usage tax.

Similar mileage-based systems have already been tested or adopted elsewhere. Oregon and Utah operate voluntary programs, Hawaii is gradually introducing a mandatory charge for electric vehicles, and Washington and Colorado have run pilot projects while weighing long-term alternatives to fuel taxes.

Concerns about privacy, billing errors, rural drivers, low-income households, and out-of-state motorists are expected to remain central to the debate.

Republican Rep. Darrell Issa warned that the bill could open the door to intrusive government surveillance, calling it “a tool for future control.”

“To collect the tax, the government will amass a database of everywhere a car goes,” Issa wrote. “Church? Political rallies? Gun ranges? Fast food?”

For now, lawmakers have yet to provide clear answers to those concerns.

{Matzav.com}

A serious security incident occurred east of the community of Homesh in the Shomron on Sunday, Arutz Sheva reported. Four terrorists attacked a shepherd who was in the area. At the same time, the attackers tried to seize the personal weapon of the owner of the Shuva Yisrael farm, which operates in the area. The […]

A family in Israel is facing a heartbreaking crisis. The father is battling cancer, and their child has a serious heart condition. Please keep David ben Margolit in your tefillos—and please help urgently. The family is overwhelmed with medical and living expenses. DONATE HERE: https://thechesedfund.com/kupahsheltzedaka/an-emergency-cry-for-help-a-father-battling-cancer-while-caring-for-a-very-sick-child?aff=1l

On Saturday morning, in broad daylight in Richmond, London, two masked men smashed a front display window of a jewelry store and stole jewelry worth thousands of dollars.

Iran’s supreme leader issued a sharp warning on Sunday, saying any military action by the United States would trigger a “regional war” across the Middle East, heightening tensions as President Donald Trump has openly threatened strikes against the Islamic Republic.

The remarks by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, marked his most explicit threat to date, coming as the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other American warships operate in the Arabian Sea. The deployment followed Trump’s decision to move naval forces after Tehran’s violent suppression of nationwide protests.

Whether Trump will ultimately authorize the use of force remains uncertain. He has repeatedly said Iran is interested in negotiations and has pointed to Tehran’s nuclear program as another central issue he wants addressed.

Khamenei, however, also described the ongoing demonstrations as “a coup,” signaling a tougher official stance as reports indicate tens of thousands of people have been detained since protests erupted.

In Iran, charges of sedition can carry the death penalty, renewing fears that Tehran could carry out mass executions of detainees — a development Trump has described as a red line.

At the same time, Iran had scheduled live-fire military exercises for Sunday and Monday in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passage linking the Persian Gulf to global markets and used for roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil.

The US military’s Central Command warned Tehran not to threaten American vessels or aircraft during the drills or interfere with commercial shipping.

Iranian state television first reported Khamenei’s statements online before broadcasting footage of his speech.

“The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,” Khamenei was quoted as saying.

It added that he also declared: “We are not the instigators and we do not seek to attack any country. But the Iranian nation will deliver a firm blow to anyone who attacks or harasses it.”

Khamenei further hardened his rhetoric toward the protests, after previously acknowledging that some demonstrators were driven by genuine economic grievances. The unrest began on Dec. 28, initially sparked by the collapse of Iran’s rial, before quickly evolving into a broader challenge to his rule.

“The recent sedition was similar to a coup. Of course, the coup was suppressed,” he said. “Their goal was to destroy sensitive and effective centers involved in running the country, and for this reason they attacked the police, government centers, (Revolutionary Guard) facilities, banks and mosques — and burned copies of the Quran. They targeted centers that run the country.”

Separately, Iran’s parliament speaker said the Islamic Republic now considers all European Union militaries to be terrorist organizations, responding to the bloc’s decision to designate Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as a terror group over its crackdown on protesters.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a former Guard commander, announced the move, which is expected to be largely symbolic.

Iran has relied on a 2019 law to reciprocally label other nations’ militaries as terrorist groups after the United States designated the Guard as a terror organization that year.

Qalibaf made the announcement as he and other lawmakers donned Guard uniforms in a show of support for the force, which controls Iran’s ballistic missile program and extensive economic interests and answers directly to Khamenei.

“By seeking to strike at the (Guard), which itself has been the greatest barrier to the spread of terrorism to Europe, Europeans have in fact shot themselves in the foot and, once again, through blind obedience to the Americans, decided against the interests of their own people,” Qalibaf said.

Lawmakers later shouted slogans of “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!” during the session.

Trump has publicly outlined two red lines that could prompt military action: the killing of peaceful protesters or the mass execution of those detained during the crackdown.

He has also increasingly focused on Iran’s nuclear program, which the US had negotiated with Tehran over multiple rounds of talks before Israel launched a 12-day war with Iran in June.

During that conflict, the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities. Activity observed at two of the sites has raised suspicions that Iran may be attempting to obscure satellite imagery as it works to preserve what remains.

Trump said Saturday night that he had not yet decided how to proceed on Iran.

Speaking with reporters aboard a flight to Florida, Donald Trump sidestepped a question about whether Tehran would feel emboldened if Washington refrained from striking, saying, “Some people think that. Some people don’t.”

He added that Iran should negotiate a “satisfactory” agreement to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons, but cautioned, “I don’t know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us.”

Late Saturday, senior Iranian security official Ali Larijani wrote on X that “structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing.” There has been no public indication of direct talks with the United States, something Khamenei has repeatedly ruled out.

{Matzav.com}

Kristi Noem reveals over 220,000 people have applied to work for ICE.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić says that as the Epstein documents surface, he expects a strike on Iran and other major developments within the next 48 hours.

UNPRECEDENTED ARREST: A yeshivah bochur from Ohel Yosef Yeshiva in Jerusalem was arrested in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem. The arrest took place near the bochur’s home, in the heart of the Chareidi neighborhood. A police vehicle stopped near the bochur’s house while he was outside after coming home for Shabbos home. Officers got out […]