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Winnipeg Free Press
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Recognizing a state, and making a point
Opinion Canada will recognize a state that does not exist. A state that may never exist. A state that has yet to meet the internationally accepted attributes of statehood: a permanent population, a defined territory, an effective government, and exercised sovereignty. This is Palestine. Palestine is not yet a reality, but Canada is recognizing another reality. The reality of war, hunger, hardship, and politics. Almost two years after the horrific Hamas massacre of Israelis and others on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel is locked into a grinding war of lethal attrition against Hamas in Gaza. No immediate ceasefire prospects and no clear end game by any of the protagonists except the destruction of the other exists. ABDEL KAREEM HANA / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES A Palestinian boy carrying a plastic jerry can of water walks past buildings destroyed during Israeli air and ground operations in Gaza City on July 25. The most volatile neighbourhood in the world has seen more than 50 wars, insurgencies, coups, and rebellions of one sort or another since the end of the Second World War. The pattern is violently familiar and, therefore, depressingly inuring to most of us. Many expected Gaza to follow this same pattern. Israel's right to exist in peace and the monstrous scale of the Hamas terrorism gave it the legal and moral agency to strike back, hard. Retaliation by Israel would be harsh but somehow acceptable. Few shed any tears when key Hamas leaders were hunted down and eliminated. The tears came afterwards. The relentlessly dangerous and difficult task of eradicating a deeply embedded terrorist network in dense urban areas has meant more civilian casualties and visible suffering than much of the international community could stomach. With no end in sight. This is what prompted Prime Minister Mark Carney's momentous decision to recognize the State of Palestine during the next United Nations General Assembly this fall. 'The deepening suffering of civilians leaves no room for delay in co-ordinated international action to support peace, security, and the dignity of all human life', he said in a formal statement this week. There is something else, though. Canada has concluded that the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu will never accept a two-state solution of a fully sovereign Palestine living side by side with Israel. This has been the bedrock foreign policy principle of Canada — and many other countries — for peace in the Middle East. Unwilling to dismiss this principled approach, the Canadian prime minister has decided to dismiss the Israeli prime minster's approach to the principle. 'Regrettably, this approach is no longer tenable', Carney said. 'Prospects for a two-state solution have been steadily and gravely eroded' he went on, listing four reasons, three of which identify Israeli actions, making clear where most of the blame resides. With zero influence over how Israel is prosecuting the war, Canada is joining other countries to influence what happens after the war. In that sense, Canada is remaining consistent with the United States. Not the U.S. of President Donald Trump but the U.S. of former president Joe Biden. One month into the war, in November 2023, the U.S. set out a 'day after the war' declaration for Gaza and Israel. Meant to prevent a wider conflict from erupting, that declaration stated: 'The United States believes key elements should include no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. Not now. Not after the war. No use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism or other violent attacks. No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza.' Weekday Evenings Today's must-read stories and a roundup of the day's headlines, delivered every evening. This may yet come to pass, but it appears very far off right now. Politicians though live in the here and now. They see hunger lines in Gaza and become distressed. They read motions to annex the West Bank from the Israeli Knesset or statements by the Israeli prime minister to never agree to a fully fledged Palestinian state and become disturbed. They see no end in sight and are frustrated. All this is leaving Israel more politically isolated today than it was before Oct. 7. But it is also more militarily powerful, capable, and dominant in the region than ever before. And it has a fast friend in Donald Trump creating a superpower 'alliance of two' giving it more licence to act as it sees fit in Gaza and the region. It is doing so, and countries have taken notice. Short of declaring war, recognizing a governing entity, no matter how tenuous, as a sovereign state is as declaratory you can get in international relations. Canada, like France and Great Britain, is utilizing the entirely precedented and legal discretion it has under international law to unilaterally recognize another state. But doing so now, absent a negotiated peace settlement to create such a state, is not so much a diplomatic gesture of support for Palestinians, but a diplomatic rejection of Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. For Canada, the momentous part is not breaking with international law by declaring its recognition of Palestine as a state but breaking with its own international tradition of allying with the U.S. on key international issues. Indeed, this decision signals a widening chasm with America. Trump wants 'to break us, so that America can own us', said Carney on election night. What he didn't say is that maybe Canada has to break with America first. David McLaughlin is a former clerk of the executive council and cabinet secretary in the Manitoba government.
Winnipeg Free Press
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
A case must be made before refusing a permit
Opinion Will new problems sent our way from the United States never cease? Trumps and tariffs and annexation and borders and fentanyl and complaints about us being nasty for not buying American products or vacationing in the United States is all bad enough. Now, enter Sean Feucht. JOSE LUIS MAGANA / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Christian musician Sean Feucht The Christian musician has ruffled feathers across the country because — to quote Feucht himself — 'God called us to come to Canada.' After he requested permission to hold free concerts in a number of public spaces, a series of municipalities have cancelled or refused to issue permits for his performances. Winnipeg has denied him a permit to perform: so has Abbottsford, Halifax, Charlottetown, Moncton, Gatineau, Quebec City and Vaughn. West Kelowna is considering its options, and Saskatoon has granted a permit, but has said it is also monitoring security concerns. There are plenty of personal reasons you may not want Feucht to perform in your province: you may find parts of his hardline Christian message to be exclusionary and effectively promote discrimination against members of our community. You may question the ethics of his ministry: after all, in June, six former senior members of his groups issued a report saying he should be removed from 'all positions of leadership and financial stewardship,' and said 'Having witnessed first-hand what we have witnessed about Sean we can no longer encourage any financial contributions to him and his endeavours; we can no longer encourage anyone to work for him, paid or unpaid; and we can no longer encourage anyone to partner with him in any ministry capacity.' But you can't simply go to a laundry list of the most common reasons to refuse to issue a permit for a performance, and select the one most likely to apply. In Winnipeg's case, the reason given was that the chosen public location, Central Park on Ellice Avenue, was too small, at just under two hectares, for the 2,000 people Feucht's organizers are expecting — especially because the concert is free, and total numbers of attendees were hard to predict. As well, there are concerns from the city's emergency services about how they would access the area, given the numbers of pedestrians, concert-goers, vehicle volumes and parking issues related to a concert of that size. That's certainly a more cogent set of reasons than other municipalities have given. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. But perhaps it would have been simpler to request that the organizers find a better site. Holding something like a national Liberal Party Convention would have security and safety concerns — but the City of Winnipeg would not turn that away. Heck, a True North Whiteout street party has security and operational concerns, yet the city and the Winnipeg Police Service manage to address those. A city can certainly refuse to issue a permit for a performance, but that refusal has to be clearly articulated, transparent, and the refusal has to be made for good reasons. (Just to be clear — being hounded by outspoken citizens who don't like a performer's public positions doesn't constitute a good reason.) If those reasons aren't clear and cogent, the risk is that they will be interpreted as a means to quell free speech or the ability of people to assemble. Which, unfortunately, is what's happening now. One thing is for sure: denying Feucht permission to perform pretty much across the country has most likely been a far greater money and attention generator for the performer than just ignoring him — or, at the minimum, suggesting a venue better suited to the size of his proposed event — would ever have been.
Toronto Sun
31-07-2025
- Toronto Sun
Police arrest Arkansas man in killings of married couple hiking at Devil's Den State Park
Published Jul 30, 2025 • 2 minute read This May 2020 photo provided by Stephen O'Connell shows a sign for a hiking trail at Devil's Den State Park in West Fork, Ark. Photo by Stephen O'Connell / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A 28-year-old Arkansas man was arrested Wednesday in the killings of a married couple in front of their children at Devil's Den State Park over the weekend, officials said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Arkansas State Police arrested James Andrew McGann from Springdale and charged him with two counts of capital murder. Police did not mention a possible motive. A lawyer couldn't be located for him yet as he's just been arrested. The search for the man who killed the hikers at a state park in northwest Arkansas had entered its fifth day Wednesday. Many details about the attack remain unclear. Here are some things to know: Couple found dead on a walking trail Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were found dead Saturday on a walking trail at Devil's Den. Their daughters, who are 7 and 9, were not hurt and are being cared for by family members, authorities have said. Police released a composite sketch and photo of a person of interest they were searching for in the attack. Along with the drawing, state police released a statement saying the suspect 'likely sustained an injury while attacking the couple.' It did not go into further detail. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The State Police have released few details, including how the couple was killed. The FBI has said its Little Rock field office is assisting in the investigation. Read More Victims had moved from South Dakota Clinton and Cristen Brink had just moved from South Dakota to the small city of Prairie Grove in northwest Arkansas. Their water had been connected less than two weeks ago, Mayor David Faulk said. Clinton Brink had been scheduled to start a job as a milk delivery driver Monday in the nearby Fayetteville area, according to Hiland Dairy, his employer. Cristen Brink had been licensed as a nurse in Montana and South Dakota before moving to Arkansas. The Brink family said the couple died 'heroes protecting their little girls.' Park known for hiking trails Devil's Den is a 2,500-acre state park near West Fork, about 140 miles (220 kilometres) northwest of Little Rock, the state capital. Devil's Den is known for its hiking trails and rock formations, and it is a short drive from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and Walmart's Bentonville headquarters. It was selected as a state park site in the 1930s. The park's trails, which lead to the surrounding Ozark National Forest, remained closed Wednesday. Celebrity MLB Canada Opinion Wrestling
Toronto Sun
30-07-2025
- Toronto Sun
Florida has executed more people than any other state this year, with 3 set to die over next month
Published Jul 29, 2025 • 2 minute read Clouds hover over the entrance of the Florida State Prison in Starke, Fla., Aug. 3, 2023. Photo by Curt Anderson / Files / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — There are three executions set to take place in Florida over the next month, including a man convicted of fatally shooting three people and wounding another person, under a death warrant signed Tuesday by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Curtis Windom, 59, is set to die by lethal injection Aug. 28 in the state with the highest number of executions this year. Experts say an uptick in executions around the country can be traced to aggressive Republican governors and attorney generals pushing to get through lengthy appeals processes and get executions done. Also, President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order on his first day back in office to urge prosecutors to seek the death penalty, which may have also fueled the increase, according to John Blume, the director of the Cornell Death Penalty Project. Windom is scheduled to be killed at Florida State Prison near the city of Starke. He was convicted in 1992 and sentenced to death for the murders of Johnnie Lee, Valerie Davis and Mary Lubin. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Eight other executions have taken place in Florida this year, with a ninth scheduled for Thursday and a 10th scheduled for Aug. 19, all by lethal injection. Edward J. Zakrzewski, II, was convicted of killing his wife and two children in 1994 after she sought a divorce, and Kayle Bates was convicted of killing a woman after abducting her from an insurance office in 1982. According to court documents, Windom bought a .38-calibre revolver and ammunition in the Orlando area on Feb. 7, 1992. He then tracked down Lee and shot him multiple times over what Windom claimed was a $2,000 debt. Windom then went to the apartment of Davis, with whom he shared a child, and shot her, officials said. Windom shot another man, who survived, while fleeing the apartment. Davis' mother, Lubin, was driving home when Windom spotted her and shot her at a stop sign. The Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court will hear final appeals before the execution. After Florida, Texas and South Carolina are tied for the highest number of executions, with four each this year. Alabama has executed three people, Oklahoma has killed two, and Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee each have killed one person. MLB Toronto & GTA Editorial Cartoons Toronto Blue Jays Canada
Toronto Sun
07-07-2025
- Toronto Sun
SHOCK STATISTIC: 50% of U.S. murders now going unsolved
Get the latest from Brad Hunter straight to your inbox A man walks past police tape near a crime scene in Central Islip, N.Y., Thursday, April 13, 2017. Photo by Seth Wenig / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS If you are murdered in the United States, there's a 50% chance your killing is going to go cold. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account According to The New York Times, in cities like Louisville, Kentucky, police don't even make an arrest in half of their homicide investigations. The problem is nationwide, the Times reported. While the clearance rate was 58% in 2023, that number is inflated because it includes homicides from previous years that the police solved in 2023. For comparison, the homicide clearance rate in Canada is around 70% The Toronto Police Service's clearance rate is one of the highest in North America, with an 80% solve rate over the past five years. Experts in the U.S. claim the volume of investigations and distrust of the police have stymied countless murder probes. And the fact that solving a case has come down to a flip of the coin, criminals have become emboldened. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's a vicious cycle,' Brian Forst, a criminologist at American University, told the Time s. 'When the bad guys see that the police are not there to deter crime and catch criminals, they remain on the streets to do more bad stuff. And the rest of the community is less deterred from crime. They think, 'Why not? I'm not going to get caught.'' Experts say the most powerful deterrent to violent crime is the would-be killer knowing cops will catch them quickly. The idea that they will be captured and punished somewhere down the road doesn't work. 'The certainty of being caught is a vastly more powerful deterrent than the punishment,' concluded the National Institute of Justice in its review of the evidence. Most of the victims in the mounting tally of unsolved murders are poor and Black. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Take a bunch of teenage boys from the whitest, safest suburb in America and plunk them down in a place where their friends are murdered and they are constantly attacked and threatened,' author Jill Leovy wrote in Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America . 'Signal that no one cares, and fail to solve murders. Limit their options for escape. Then see what happens.' Experts told the Times there are five key reasons why murder investigations go cold. – Lack of attention and police resources. Cops in New York and Boston boast the country's highest clearance rate because they are well-funded. – America has more guns than any other country in the world. A firearms murder is harder to solve than a stabbing. In 2023, the U.S. homicide rate with guns was 4.4 per 100,000; in Canada, it was 0.7 per 100,000. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. – The U.S. also has more gang crime than other Western nations. These crimes are harder to solve. – For sheer volume, no one can touch the U.S. More murders and fewer cops is a recipe for disaster. One detective noted, 'We are swamped.' – A long history of distrust between the cops and the community harms homicide detectives' ability to solve murders. The American murder rate has dropped dramatically since the 1990s, when battles over crack turf turned city streets into slaughterhouses. But for the above-mentioned reasons, murder remains as American as apple pie. More resources and modern technology could provide an Rx to stem the march to the morgue. But in the end, murder is about the victims, their friends and families. 'I want someone to be held accountable for taking my son's life,' said Delphine Prentice, the mother of Damion Morton, who was shot and killed in 2017. But after eight years, she added, 'I'm about to give up hope.' bhunter@ @HunterTOSun Sunshine Girls World Toronto Raptors World Music
