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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}

Russia has been secretly providing Iran with advanced missile technology aimed at helping Tehran develop weapons capable of striking US Navy aircraft carriers in the Middle East, according to a Financial Times investigation published Tuesday.

The covert partnership reportedly dates back to 2023 and operated under the codename C430L, with Moscow assisting Tehran as it worked to develop increasingly sophisticated missile capabilities.

One of the project’s primary goals was reportedly to create a ramjet propulsion system capable of propelling Iranian missiles at several times the speed of sound. Missiles using such technology, especially when traveling at low altitudes, could leave Western air defense systems with significantly less time to detect and respond to an incoming attack.

The Financial Times reported that the sophistication of the technology involved meant that any transfer would likely have required approval at the highest levels of Russia’s government. The missile cooperation may have been one component of a wider exchange between the two countries, with Iran aiding Moscow’s drone program while Russia provided assistance to Tehran’s missile efforts. The two governments have also developed extensive intelligence ties.

Documents reviewed by the Financial Times reportedly show that work on the arrangement had begun even before it was formally signed in November 2023, approximately one month after the October 7 attack.

According to the investigation, Russian support for Iran remained ongoing during the war with Iran in February and provided Tehran with significant assistance as it carried out attacks against Gulf states.

Military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran has grown considerably in recent years as both governments have faced increasing Western pressure over their international alliances and activities in their respective regions.

The deepening relationship was on display in April 2025, when Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Moscow and met Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the meeting, Araghchi delivered a message from Iran’s then-Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was later eliminated in joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year. The message stressed the importance of further strengthening relations between Russia and Iran.

Several weeks after that meeting, Putin signed legislation previously approved by the Russian parliament that expanded bilateral cooperation between Moscow and Tehran across multiple areas, including military and security matters.

Iran has also pursued the acquisition of Russia’s advanced Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets as part of its efforts to strengthen its military capabilities. Tehran, however, has voiced frustration over Moscow’s repeated delays in delivering the aircraft.

{Matzav.com}

Something remarkable will take place across Flatbush this Motzoei Shabbos.

Matzav.com has learned that before the first haunting words of Selichos are recited, before Ashrei and the Yud-Gimmel Middos, and before thousands begin the annual journey toward the Yomim Noraim, more than 30 shuls throughout the Flatbush community will open their batei medrash for a community-wide seder limud designed to bring people into Selichos with the zechus and spiritual elevation of Torah.

The sweeping initiative, billed simply as the “Selichos Seder,” has brought together an extraordinary cross-section of Flatbush shuls, rabbonim, kollelim and bnei Torah around a beautifully simple idea: What better way is there to prepare to stand before the Ribbono Shel Olam than by first sitting down and learning Torah?

Under the banner “Elevate Your Selichos — Stand before Hashem with the z’chus of Torah,” participating shuls will hold a seder limud b’chavrusa beginning at approximately 12:10 a.m., followed by Selichos at approximately 12:55 a.m. Individual shul schedules may vary. And organizers have made clear that no one should stay away because he does not have a chavrusa: Those arriving without one will be paired up.

But perhaps even more striking than the concept itself is the scope of the response.

More than 30 shuls have already joined the initiative, with the list still in formation.

Participating shuls include Agudas Yisroel Bais Binyomin, led by Rav Moshe Tuvia Lieff; Agudas Yisroel of Flatbush; Agudas Yisroel of Madison, led by Rav Yisroel Reisman; Bais Medrash Avreichim, led by Rav Meir Finkel; Bais Medrash Bais Yeshaya, led by Rav Moshe Yitzchak Fisher; Bais Medrash Torah U’Tefillah, led by Rav Yitzchok Olshin; Bais Mordechai D’Bertch, led by Rav Tzvi Eli Rokeach; Chaim Berlin Alumni-Marine Park, led by Rav Ahron Rapps; Kesser Yisroel Mordechai, led by Rav Meir Platnick; Khal Avrechei Bais Chaim Yisroel, led by Rav Yehuda Friedman; Khal Bais Elazar Faltishan, led by Rav Yonasan Binyamin Katz; Khal Beis Mordechai, led by Rav Boruch Miller; Khal Bnei Avraham Yaakov, led by Rav Moshe Bergman; Khal Bnei Shlomo Zalman, led by Rav Yosef Frankel; Khal Bnei Torah Bais Naftali, led by Rav Bentzion Schiffenbauer; Khal Bnei Torah-Kollel Dirshu, led by Rav Shlomo Cynamon; Khal Talmidei Hayeshivos, led by Rav Binyamin Cohen; Khal Tiferes Avraham-Zidichov, led by Rav Yechezkel Eichenstein; Khal Zichron Mordechai, led by Rav Yekusiel Bitman; Khal Zichron Yakov-Shlomo V’Chava, led by Rav Ezra Rodkin; Knesses Bais Avigdor, led by Rav Aharon Kahn; Kollel B’nei Torah, led by Rav Yosef Eisen; Yeshivas Ohr Yisroel, led by Rav Herschel Zolty; Khal Igud Avreichim, led by Rav Pinchas Frankel; Khal Kollel B’nei Yeshivos, led by Rav Moshe Scheinerman; Khal Kol Torah, led by Rav Lipa Geldwerth; Khal Meshivas Nefesh, led by Rav Noam Rosenzweig; Khal Nachlas Dovid, led by Rav Daniel Osher Kleinman; Khal Premishlan, led by Rav Moshe Ahron Fulop; Khal Sasregen, led by Rav Bentzion Frankel; and Khal Sha’ar Hashamayim, led by Rav Chanoch Posy.

It is difficult to overstate what a scene this promises to create. Motzoei Shabbos before the first Selichos has always possessed a character all its own. There is an electricity in the air as the clock moves toward midnight. Men who have spent an ordinary Motzoei Shabbos at home begin making their way toward shul. The streets fill. The batei medrash come alive. A familiar niggun begins, and suddenly the reality of Elul, of Rosh Hashanah drawing near, feels very real.

This year, across Flatbush, that experience will begin nearly an hour earlier, with the sound of Torah.

In shul after shul, chavrusos will bend over their seforim. The hum of learning will fill batei medrash across the neighborhood. And then, almost simultaneously, those same voices will close their Gemaros and open their Selichos, carrying the zechus of their Torah directly into their tefillos.

There is something especially powerful about the fact that this is not taking place in one building or under the banner of one particular kehillah. It is a Flatbush-wide undertaking. Different shuls. Different rabbonim. Different neighborhoods and constituencies. One community preparing together for the first Selichos.

The first night of Selichos can easily become defined by the atmosphere surrounding it: the late hour, the packed shul, the special melodies and the emotion of hearing Selichos for the first time in nearly a year. All of those things are meaningful. But the Flatbush Selichos Seder seeks to add something before all of them: Torah.

Before asking, learn. Before pleading, toil. Before standing before Hashem and saying Selach lanu, spend time immersed in His Torah.

At 12:10 this Motzoei Shabbos, lights will be burning in batei medrash across Flatbush, pages of Gemara will be turning, and hundreds — perhaps thousands — of Jews will be learning together.

Then, at approximately 12:55, the learning will give way to Selichos.

The same mouths that moments earlier were speaking words of Torah will begin speaking words of tefillah.

And across more than 30 shuls, an entire community will begin the journey toward the Yomim Noraim together — carrying with it the greatest zechus it knows: the zechus haTorah.

{Matzav.com}