Feed aggregator

Several Canadian websites, including those operated by government-related services, briefly labeled Lake Ontario as “Lake America” on Sunday, even though Google had said its adoption of President Donald Trump’s new name for the lake would be limited to users in the United States, according to CBC News.

The unexpected appearance of the name on Canadian sites came one day after Google Maps said it had changed its designation of the lake in response to an executive order signed by Trump. Google said it acted after the US government’s official geographic names database was updated to reflect the new name.

Despite Google’s assertion that the change would be restricted to US users, maps used by a number of Canadian organizations subsequently began identifying the body of water as “Lake America.” CBC News reported that the affected sites included Hydro One’s power outage map, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s store locator, GO Transit’s station finder, and a Canadian federal government map dealing with housing and infrastructure.

Hydro One confirmed that its map was displaying the wrong name and attributed the problem to a third-party mapping provider.

“We are aware that Lake Ontario is being incorrectly labeled on our outage map,” a spokesperson told CBC News in an email, adding that Hydro One regrets the “error.”

The utility said it was working to have the designation corrected.

“The issue originates from a third-party mapping service,” the utility said. “We are working with our vendor to correct the issue as quickly as possible and restore the proper geographic reference.”

Metrolinx, the Ontario government agency that oversees GO Transit, similarly acknowledged the problem and said it was reviewing its online services to ensure the traditional Canadian name remained in place.

“We are actively reviewing our websites to make sure they all identify Lake Ontario by its correct name: Lake Ontario,” Metrolinx said.

The agency said it was also moving to shut down the particular mapping feature where the new name had appeared.

“We are in the process of disabling the map function on the GO stations’ page where this occurred.”

MapQuest, meanwhile, announced on social media that it does not intend to use Trump’s chosen name for the lake. Apple has yet to publicly indicate whether it plans to make any changes to its own mapping services.

Trump announced Thursday that Lake Ontario would be known as “Lake America” in the United States, making the move as relations between Washington and Ottawa have become increasingly strained over trade.

Sitting at the Resolute Desk, Trump signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to update the lake’s name within the US geographic naming system. Although the order gives the department 30 days to implement the change, Trump declared that the new designation was “official, effective immediately.”

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 fight over the lake’s name is unfolding against the backdrop of an escalating trade battle between the United States and Canada, with both governments imposing tariffs on goods from the other country. Washington announced 50% tariffs on $20 billion in Canadian products following the collapse of trade negotiations, while Ottawa retaliated with tariffs covering $20 billion in American goods, including dairy products, steel, appliances and agricultural equipment.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected Trump’s effort to rename the lake, pointing to the centuries-old origins of 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 existed long before either modern Canada or the United States came into being.

“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 prime minister concluded by portraying the dispute as part of broader changes taking place in the United States while insisting that Canadians would continue referring to the lake by its longstanding 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.

{Matzav.com}

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei accused the United States and Israel on Sunday of seeking to undermine unity across the Muslim world, issuing the charge as questions continue to swirl over his health and whereabouts following months without a public appearance.

In a message issued for Islamic Unity Week, Khamenei described Washington and Jerusalem as fundamentally hostile to Muslim solidarity and claimed that even Muslim governments maintaining close relations with the two countries are not immune from that hostility.

“The criminal rulers of the US and the illegitimate Zionist regime are the sworn enemies of this unity and friendship,” Khamenei said in a message marking Islamic Unity Week. He added that even leaders of Muslim countries regarded as allies of Washington and Jerusalem were subject to what he characterized as their hostility.

Khamenei went on to contend that greater solidarity throughout the Muslim world could have strengthened the position of Palestinian Arabs. He questioned whether they would have remained “so defenseless” if Muslims had acted as “a single, united hand.”

His comments followed another appeal for unity issued two days earlier, when Khamenei called on Iranian government officials to protect national cohesion and refrain from statements that could erode public confidence.

Addressing Government Week on Friday, Khamenei issued a categorical warning against conduct that could deepen divisions within Iranian society.

“I firmly declare that committing anything that harms social cohesion is forbidden.”

Khamenei also instructed officials to steer clear of “discouraging statements that weaken national and public motivation.” He criticized what he portrayed as manufactured political divisions, citing such competing formulations as “war or negotiations,” “consensus or extremism” and “compromise or warmongering.”

The Iranian leader urged government authorities to emphasize the country’s “power and strength,” maintaining that focusing excessively on Iran’s vulnerabilities could benefit its adversaries while damaging the morale of those who support the regime.

Khamenei additionally turned to Iran’s mounting economic problems, urging officials to address inflation, unemployment, rising prices, investment and domestic manufacturing. He also expressed support for efforts to diminish the dollar’s importance within the Iranian economy.

Despite the series of statements attributed to him, Khamenei has not been seen publicly since the 40-day war began on February 28. His disappearance from public view came after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in joint American-Israeli strikes on Iran and Mojtaba Khamenei subsequently assumed the position of Supreme Leader.

The prolonged lack of a public appearance has fueled persistent speculation about Khamenei’s physical condition and location, with some reports alleging that he sustained severe wounds and others raising the possibility that he is no longer alive.

In July, Saudi broadcaster Al Hadath cited an Israeli defense source who claimed Khamenei had fled Iran. The source further alleged that Ahmad Vahidi and senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officials were preparing statements in Khamenei’s name. According to the same account, growing internal disputes within the IRGC, coupled with unrest across Iran, were threatening the organization’s continued stability.

CNN reported in March that Khamenei had been wounded on the opening day of the war. According to that report, his injuries included a broken foot, wounds near his left eye and cuts to his face.

Another report issued earlier this month and attributed to Khamenei’s office claimed that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had participated in a conference with the Supreme Leader. However, no photographs, video or other visual documentation of the purported meeting were released.

President Donald Trump weighed in on the continuing uncertainty surrounding Khamenei during an interview last week with The Glenn Beck Program. Trump said he believes the Iranian leader remains alive, although he asserted that Khamenei suffered extensive injuries.

“I don’t think he’s dead. He was very seriously wounded,” Trump said. “The left side of his body, the arm, the leg, the whole thing, he was very seriously wounded. But I don’t think he’s dead.”

Trump also said that Iranian officials continue to publicly conduct themselves as though Khamenei remains in command, repeatedly portraying their decisions as requiring his authorization.

“And if he is, they’re putting on a pretty good show because they talk about, you know, going back to talk to him all the time, you know, to get a final blessing on things,” the President said.

Britain’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, is urging the British government to reconsider planned sanctions and trade restrictions targeting Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, warning that the measures could hurt British Jews, damage UK-Israel relations and ultimately undermine efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.

Rabbi Mirvis said he presented those concerns directly to Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband during a meeting Friday, amid reports that Britain is preparing punitive measures in response to Israeli plans to build housing in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim.

“I welcomed the opportunity on Friday to meet with the Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon. Ed Miliband. While we share fervent hopes for a future of peace and security in the Middle East, I explained why I believe the UK Government’s intended sanctions will be counter-productive and even endanger such a vision of peace,” Rabbi Mirvis said in a post on social media.

The Chief Rabbi also warned that the move would be particularly troubling for British Jews amid what he described as unprecedented hostility toward Jews and Israel.

“I told the Foreign Secretary that many within the UK Jewish community will view such measures with deep dismay, at a time when the vilification of Jews, Judaism and the Jewish State has already reached unprecedented levels,” he added.

Rabbi Mirvis questioned whether the proposed sanctions would have any meaningful effect on Israeli government policy. Instead, he said, their economic impact could expand well beyond their intended targets and potentially develop into a broader boycott of Israel.

“The intended policy will not influence Israeli decision-making in the way the Government intends. Instead, it risks inflicting real harm across the region. Given the obvious challenges of defining and implementing such measures, there is a clear danger that they will spiral into a de facto boycott of trade with Israel more broadly, damaging the long-term relationship between our two countries and threatening the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Palestinian workers,” continued Rabbi Mirvis.

The Chief Rabbi said British Jews could also bear an outsized share of the consequences because of their extensive religious, family, educational and charitable connections to Israel. He warned that heightened anti-Israel rhetoric has repeatedly been accompanied by increased hostility toward Jews.

“These measures will also disproportionately affect British Jews because of our close religious, family, charitable and educational ties to Israel. Over recent years, we have seen repeatedly that when rhetoric towards Israel escalates, hostility towards Jews is never far behind.”

Rabbi Mirvis made clear that he condemns attacks against Palestinians carried out by Israeli extremists, but argued that Britain’s proposed policies could perversely strengthen those responsible while punishing many others who reject such violence.

“I strongly condemn the reprehensible violence perpetrated against Palestinians by a small number of extremists, yet the UK Government’s proposals will only embolden the tiny minority who support such criminality, while penalizing countless others who abhor it.”

He also challenged the British government’s rationale for targeting Israel over construction in E1. Rabbi Mirvis noted that previous diplomatic frameworks for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have envisioned the strategically located area remaining under Israeli control.

“The stated justification for punishing an ally in this way, is Israel’s long-planned construction of homes in the E1 area. Yet successive peace efforts, from Oslo to Camp David and beyond, have envisaged a final agreement in which this area would remain under Israeli sovereignty. It is therefore difficult to escape the painful conclusion that domestic political considerations are driving foreign policy, the impact of which is negative both for prospects for peace in the Middle East and for the UK Jewish community,” concluded the Chief Rabbi.

Rabbi Mirvis’ intervention followed a report in The Times that British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is preparing a series of measures in response to Israel’s E1 construction plans. Among the possibilities reportedly under consideration are restrictions on goods associated with Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria and sanctions against individuals involved in moving the housing plans forward.

Israel recently published a tender for seven residential complexes in E1 encompassing 1,234 housing units. Those homes are part of approximately 3,400 units that received approval for construction in the area last August.

Miliband responded to the tender by sharply condemning Israel and demanding that the plans be rescinded.

“This Israeli Government’s publication of a tender for the E1 settlement project is an unacceptable and destructive act. E1 would cut across the heart of Palestine and risks separating the West Bank from East Jerusalem, which would endanger the viability of a two-state solution,” Miliband said.

The British foreign secretary maintained that construction in E1 conflicts with London’s commitment to establishing a Palestinian state and asserted that Israeli communities beyond the pre-1967 lines violate international law.

“The UK has been clear privately and publicly in our opposition to E1 and our support for a two-state solution as the only way to ensure long-term security and peace for both Palestinians and Israelis. All settlements damage that prospect and are a flagrant breach of international law,” he claimed.

Miliband said he personally conveyed Britain’s objections to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. He also revealed that London’s Foreign Office summoned Israel’s Chargé d’Affaires to formally protest the E1 plans.

“Today, I made clear to the Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar that the Israeli Government must halt E1 plans immediately, retract the tender and stop all settlement expansion. In addition, the Israeli Chargé d’Affaires has been summoned to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, where we set out the UK’s profound objection to this move by the Netanyahu government and demanded an immediate reversal,” said Miliband.

Miliband further signaled that the British government intends to unveil additional steps against Israel in the coming weeks.

“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 responded by forcefully rejecting Britain’s demands and accusing Miliband of addressing Israel in a condescending manner.

“I reject outright the statement of the UK Foreign Secretary and the patronizing tone of his words,” Sa’ar wrote on social media.

The Israeli foreign minister defended the right of Jews to live throughout Eretz Yisroel and invoked Britain’s own historic recognition of the Jewish people’s connection to the land.

“The Jewish people have the right to live throughout the Land of Israel, just as the British have the right to live in London and throughout the United Kingdom. More than a century ago, the Balfour Declaration formally recognized the historic right of the Jewish people to re-establish their national home in the Land of Israel – including in the area in question.”

Sa’ar then turned Britain’s criticism back on London, pointing to territories under British control far from the United Kingdom and accusing the government 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 rejected the suggestion that Israel had suddenly authorized a new E1 construction initiative. He said the underlying decision dates back to 2025 and that the tender process had already been moving forward for months before the latest documents were released.

“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.”

The Trump administration is preparing another round of banking sanctions against Iran this week as Washington intensifies its effort to cut Tehran off from the global financial system, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday.

Speaking to The Associated Press, Bessent said the administration is prepared to use aggressive financial measures to pressure Iran and those facilitating its access to international markets.

“This is going to be financial violence if we have to,” Bessent said in the interview. “We are showing people that we know who you are, you know who you are, and this has got to stop.”

Bessent made the remarks ahead of Group of 20 meetings in Asheville, North Carolina, where he is expected to meet individually with finance officials from major global economies as well as developing countries. Winning broader international support for the campaign to economically isolate Iran is expected to be a central subject of those discussions.

As the war with Iran approaches its sixth month, the Trump administration has increasingly turned to financial pressure as another major front in the conflict. U.S. officials have labeled the expanding effort an “economic D-Day” against Tehran, building upon sanctions that Washington has maintained against Iran for decades.

Last week, Bessent unveiled “Operation Economic Outcast,” an initiative aimed at further restricting Iran’s access to money and isolating its government from the international financial system. The United States later announced additional sanctions targeting UAE branches of Egypt’s Banque Misr.

As part of the Treasury Department’s proposed action, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, known as FinCEN, would prohibit Banque Misr UAE from maintaining correspondent banking relationships with American financial institutions. Such a move would significantly restrict the bank’s ability to process dollar-denominated transactions connected to Iran.

The administration has thus far largely relied on warnings to governments that continue doing business with Tehran instead of imposing sweeping new sanctions against those countries. China presents one of Washington’s most significant challenges because it remains Iran’s largest trading partner and the leading buyer of Iranian oil.

Bessent told AP that he intends to address China’s continued purchases of Iranian oil directly with Chinese officials during the G20 gathering. Asked about possible U.S. sanctions against Beijing over that trade, he said “all options are on the table.”

The Treasury secretary also pushed back against claims that the Trump administration has been reluctant to challenge China over its economic relationship with Tehran, calling that characterization “a completely false narrative that the media picked up on.”

Despite the tensions over Iranian oil, Bessent said the United States and China have overlapping interests in two critical areas: restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and ensuring that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon.

{Matzav.com}

LISTEN:

​​For more info, email bitachon4life@gmail.com.

LISTEN: