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Infrastructure in Syria visited by International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors in August is “consistent with a nuclear reactor,” according to a confidential IAEA report obtained by the AFP, the outlet reported on Tuesday.

Syria under the (now-collapsed) Assad regime “failed to report nuclear material, facilities and activities,” according to the report.

After Assad’s regime was overthrown in December 2024, the new Syrian government agreed to grant IAEA inspectors access to suspected former nuclear sites.

In a July 17 letter, Damascus notified the agency of the existence of another undeclared site, inviting the nuclear watchdog “to cooperate with the Syrian authorities in the inspection and verification of the site and of any nuclear material to be potentially found,” according to the Associated Press.

Then, in August, IAEA inspectors visited the Deir Ezzor site in eastern Syria and the second facility, AFP reported.

“Based on observations made by the agency at the Deir Ezzor site, the agency confirms that the cooling infrastructure which has now been uncovered is consistent with that of a nuclear reactor,” the IAEA said, according to AFP.

The IAEA said it would continue to monitor the situation as the excavation work progresses.

Besides the “nuclear reactor under construction” at the Deir Ezzor facility, the nuclear watchdog listed a fuel fabrication plant, where the nuclear fuel for the reactor was manufactured, and a location where the nuclear fuel, as well as uranium scrap and waste, were stored, the report added.

Last month, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi commended Damascus’s “courageous decision” to report an undisclosed site, at which inspectors found several tons of nuclear material.

The IAEA said at the time it had found around 73 tons of natural uranium metal, comprising 55 tons of fuel rods and the rest uranium scrap and waste.

Nuclear material stored at secret ‘Site 99’

In 2017, Israel’s “Operation Orchard” targeted the suspected Deir Ezzor nuclear site, also known as the Al-Kibar reactor. The White House subsequently confirmed that intelligence indicated the site was a nuclear facility purposed for military uses.

Axios reported in August that Washington and the Syrian government had agreed to let the IAEA remove nuclear material stored by the Assad regime at a secret site.

An agreement between the nuclear watchdog and Damascus was signed in late July, following months of U.S.-brokered negotiations to prevent a potential escalation involving Israel and perhaps Turkey, the report read.

Despite Israel’s bombing of the site almost 19 years ago, several research and development sites connected with Syria’s nuclear program remain, including nuclear material stored at a location identified as “Site 99,” according to the report.

Although the material cannot be used for a nuclear weapon, it can be converted into a conventional explosive device that disperses radioactive material, known as a “dirty bomb.” This raised concerns in Jerusalem, which kept close tabs on the situation. JNS

A woman and her partner are facing a lengthy list of criminal charges in Florida after prosecutors alleged that four young children were confined for more than six years inside the sleeper compartment of a semi-truck, where they endured abuse, beatings, neglect and deprivation.

Tamra Marshon Stewart, 37, of Jacksonville, and Keysha Monique Epps, 51, of Atlanta, Georgia, have been charged in Orange County in connection with the alleged abuse, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday.

“This case is one of if not the most horrific that my team has ever had to work on,” Uthmeier said at a news conference.

According to authorities, Epps worked as a commercial truck driver and, together with Stewart, served as the primary caregiver for four children — two girls and two boys. Investigators said the children lived inside the sleeper cab of Epps’ truck while she regularly traveled between Atlanta and Miami.

Officials allege that from January 2020 until April 2026, the four children — two who were 5 years old, one who was 6 and another who was 9 — were forced to sleep together on a single bunk inside the truck. During that period, authorities say they were deprived of sufficient food, proper hygiene, education and necessary medical treatment.

Investigators said two of the children sustained burns that went untreated and ultimately caused significant scarring.

The two girls told investigators that Stewart had abused them over a period of years. The two boys allegedly witnessed the abuse and said they were beaten after confronting Stewart and informing Epps about what was occurring.

Prosecutors allege that Epps was aware of the abuse but neither intervened to protect the children nor reported what was happening to authorities.

Stewart now faces two counts of battery by a person in familial or custodial authority, two counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, and two counts of child neglect causing permanent disfigurement.

Epps has been charged with two counts of battery by a person in familial or custodial authority, two counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, two counts of child neglect causing permanent disfigurement, and four counts of failure to report child abuse.

Authorities said the investigation remains active and additional criminal charges could be brought as investigators continue examining the case.

“These children were trapped in a rolling prison and abused by the adults who were supposed to protect them,” Uthmeier said in a statement. “Florida has zero tolerance for anyone who preys on children. We will seek the maximum punishment under the law.”

Apple has changed the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” on Apple Maps for users in the United States, implementing President Donald Trump’s directive to rename the lake within the US geographic naming system.

The company confirmed that Americans using Apple Maps will now see the body of water labeled “Lake America” following the update to the US Geographic Names Information System. Canadian users will continue to see the traditional “Lake Ontario” designation, while users in other countries will be shown both names, Reuters reported.

Apple is following the same geographic-labeling approach it used after Trump directed that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America.

The Apple Maps change comes after Alphabet, Google’s parent company, implemented a similar update on Google Maps for American users late Saturday.

Although Google had said its “Lake America” label would be displayed only to users in the United States, the new designation briefly appeared Sunday on several Canadian websites, including government services.

Trump announced last Thursday that he wanted Lake Ontario to be officially designated “Lake America” in the United States, making the move amid worsening tensions between Washington and Ottawa over trade and other issues.

Sitting at the Resolute Desk, Trump signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to update the lake’s name in the US geographic naming system. The department was given 30 days to carry out the directive, though Trump declared that the change was “official, effective immediately.”

The president also said all necessary parties had already been informed of the decision.

Trump said he had “notified all of the various people that we have to notify. So, we’ve done everything that you have to do.”

The naming dispute comes as economic friction between the neighboring countries continues to intensify. The United States imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion in Canadian products after trade negotiations broke down, prompting Canada to retaliate with tariffs on $20 billion worth of American goods. The Canadian measures cover products including steel, dairy goods, appliances and agricultural equipment.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney pushed back against Trump’s renaming initiative, emphasizing the centuries-old history behind the Lake Ontario name.

“The name Lake Ontario comes from the Wendat word Ontari’io, which, appropriately, means ‘the lake is beautiful, the lake is big”.”

Carney noted that the name predates the founding of both modern Canada and the United States.

“The name is more than 400 years old, predating both the Confederation of Canada and the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America,” added Carney.

The Canadian leader concluded by portraying the dispute as part of broader changes taking place in the United States while insisting that Canadians would continue using the lake’s historic name.

“We know that America is changing. Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms. Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always,” concluded the Prime Minister.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warned Tuesday that Israel will retaliate if Britain moves forward with sanctions over Israeli construction in the E1 area, escalating a growing diplomatic clash between Israel and London over development between Yerushalayim and Ma’ale Adumim.

“If Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain,” Sa’ar said in an excerpt from a Hebrew-language podcast interview with Ynet.

The foreign minister said Jerusalem is treating the prospect of British punitive measures seriously, while accusing the British government of allowing internal political pressures to drive an increasingly hostile approach toward Israel.

“There is a government there that is systematically acting against Israel. It has already harmed defense exports to us and imposed sanctions on ministers. What guides it is its domestic politics, and at the end of the month the Labour Party conference is convening,” he said.

Pressed on what steps Jerusalem might take against Britain, Sa’ar declined to reveal specifics but indicated that Israeli officials are already preparing possible retaliatory measures.

“Why hint at it? What I’ve said is enough. We are preparing. If they make a mistake, there will be a response,” he replied.

Sa’ar issued the warning shortly after British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told lawmakers that Israel’s plans for E1 amounted to “the crossing of a red line.” According to Miliband, construction in the area would separate territory envisioned for a future Palestinian state and “risks making a Palestinian state unviable.”

“This government will not acquiesce in the destruction of the two-state solution,” Miliband said. “We will act and I will set out a comprehensive set of measures in the coming weeks.”

Tensions between the two countries have intensified following the publication of a tender covering seven residential compounds in E1, totaling 1,234 housing units. The developments are included among approximately 3,400 housing units that received approval for the area last August.

Miliband swiftly denounced the tender and called on Israel to cancel it. He said he had raised the matter directly with Sa’ar, while the British Foreign Office summoned Israel’s Chargé d’Affaires over the issue.

The British foreign secretary also made clear that London was considering further action against Israel in response to its policies.

“Britain will not stand back and accept the destruction of the two-state solution. In the coming weeks we will set out a comprehensive set of measures to respond to Israeli government policies, protect the viability of the Palestinian state, target sanctions at those who participate in illegal settlement expansion and support a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians,” the UK Foreign Secretary declared.

Sa’ar rejected the British criticism, taking issue both with Miliband’s position and his choice of language while accusing London of applying a double standard to Israel.

“Britain itself still controls colonial territories thousands of miles from its shores. It is absurd for Britain to lecture the Jewish people about where they may live in their historic tiny homeland, when the Jewish people’s connection and right to this land is the most extensively documented of any people in human history.”

Sa’ar also challenged Britain’s suggestion that the latest tender reflected a new policy decision by the Israeli government, saying the underlying development plan had already been approved last year.

“There have been no new decisions regarding development in E1. The decision was made in 2025. The tender process has been underway for several months, with certain tender documents published only in recent days. The British Foreign Secretary’s statement is entirely one-sided.”

Britain’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, has also weighed in on the dispute. During a meeting with Miliband last week, Rabbi Mirvis urged the foreign secretary to reconsider proposed sanctions and trade restrictions affecting Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, warning that such measures could damage efforts toward peace while also carrying consequences for Britain’s Jewish community.

{Matzav.com}

Toronto mayoral candidate Bahira Abdulsalam is pledging to make the war in Gaza an immediate focus of her administration if elected, declaring that her first motion at City Hall would include an effort to “open our doors” to families coming from Gaza.

Abdulsalam, a professional engineer who is running for mayor in Toronto’s Oct. 26 municipal election, made the proposal in remarks that began circulating widely online in recent days. The City of Toronto confirms that the 2026 mayoral election is scheduled for Oct. 26.

“So here is my first motion to the city hall, if elected as a mayor of the city of Toronto,” Abdulsalam said.

She then laid out two elements of the proposed measure, beginning with a review of the city’s purchasing practices and suppliers.

“First, disclose, show Torontonians what our city buys, who it buys from and measure this against the international law,” she said.

Abdulsalam then turned directly to Gaza, saying, “Second, we open our doors for families grieving from Gaza and coming here to the city.”

Her comments immediately raised a practical question about how such a proposal could be implemented by a Toronto mayor. Immigration and citizenship are federal responsibilities in Canada, meaning that Toronto City Hall and the mayor do not have the authority to independently admit foreign nationals into the country. The City of Toronto itself identifies “citizenship and immigration” as responsibilities of Canada’s federal government.

Toronto does, however, play a substantial role in helping immigrants and refugees after they arrive. A 2025 federal-provincial immigration agreement specifically recognizes Toronto’s infrastructure and experience in integrating immigrants and responding to large numbers of refugees, while providing for cooperation among the federal, Ontario and Toronto governments.

Abdulsalam therefore could use the mayor’s office to advocate for federal action and seek city resources or programs to assist Gaza families admitted by Ottawa, but she could not unilaterally bring Gaza residents into Canada. Toronto’s mayor also serves as a representative of the city in dealings with other levels of government, providing a potential avenue for such lobbying.

The proposal fits into a broader pattern of pro-Palestinian advocacy that has become a prominent element of Abdulsalam’s political activity. Her campaign website includes what she calls a “Palestine Platform,” which calls for a two-way Canadian arms embargo on Israel, greater funding for Gaza relief efforts including UNRWA, and other measures aimed at changing Canadian policy toward Israel and the Palestinians.

Her Gaza remarks also come as Abdulsalam faces controversy over previous social-media statements concerning Israel, Zionism and Hamas.

The Toronto candidate is currently the subject of disciplinary proceedings before Professional Engineers Ontario stemming from complaints over her online political commentary. Among the posts cited in reporting on the case are statements attributed to Abdulsalam describing Hamas as “the Palestinian Resistance and the only military force in the world that is standing up courageously against Israel to defend the Palestinians,” and another in which she wrote that “Zionism is way more cruel than the Nazis.”

In another post cited in the complaint, Abdulsalam wrote, “Hamas is the official government of the Gaza Strip; it is not merely a resistance movement; it is the elected government in Palestine.”

Abdulsalam has strongly contested the disciplinary case and argues that the engineering regulator is improperly attempting to police political speech that she made in her private capacity.

“I am before a discipline tribunal because of what I posted, in my own name and on my own time, about political and social questions, questions of war and peace, of conscience, and of parents and children,” she said in a July statement.

“A regulator’s authority exists to protect the public from unsafe engineering. It was never granted to superintend the political conscience of the people it licenses,” Abdulsalam added. No final disciplinary finding should be inferred merely from the existence of the proceedings.

Jewish organizations have sharply criticized Abdulsalam over her past statements. B’nai Brith Canada CEO Simon Wolle told the Jerusalem Post last month that his organization was “appalled” by posts he said expressed explicit support for Hamas and repeated antisemitic conspiracy theories.

The Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation has similarly condemned her rhetoric. Its executive director, Andria Spindel, argued that international conflicts have no place in municipal government and accused Abdulsalam’s statements of fueling “hatred and bigotry.”

Abdulsalam, for her part, has publicly rejected accusations that she engages in collective blame against Jews or other communities. In a recent campaign statement, she said it is unfair to hold all Jews responsible for the actions of a government, just as it is unfair to judge all Muslims or Palestinians based on the conduct of individuals.

This is Abdulsalam’s second campaign for Toronto mayor. She ran in the 2023 mayoral by-election, finishing 14th in a field of 102 candidates. She formally entered the 2026 mayoral contest in May.

{Matzav.com}