Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 20, 2024, Winnipeg, Manitoba Notice Under The Environment Act Pursuant to Clause 5(3)(b) of the “Burning of Crop Residue and Non-Crop Herbage Regulation”, Manitoba Regulation 77/93 under The Environment Act, I hereby advise the following toll free number has been established for the publication of “burning periods”: Minister of Environment and Climate Change NORTHWEST ZONE SOUTHWEST ZONE WESTLAKE/INTERLAKE RED RIVER-SOUTHEAST FRENCH LANGUAGE INQUIRIES 1-800-265-1233 A18 ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM NEWS I WORLD SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2024 Israel should evacuate settlements, pay reparations: ICJ THE INTERNATIONAL Court of Jus- tice, the top judicial arm of the United Nations, said Friday that Israel should end its occupation of Palestinian ter- ritory, evacuate existing settlements, stop building new ones and pay repara- tions to Palestinians who have lost land and property. In a sweeping 83-page legal opin- ion, the court, based in The Hague, said Israel is responsible for “system- atic discrimination” against Palestin- ians based on race or ethnicity, has breached the right of Palestinians to self-determination and has effectively annexed large swaths of land. “Israel has an obligation to bring an end to its presence in the occupied Palestinian territory as rapidly as possible,” Nawaf Salam, the court’s president, said from the bench Friday. He added that the court considers Is- rael’s continued presence illegal and a “wrongful act.” The searing advisory opinion is non- binding but still holds legal weight and could have broader consequences in the international arena, including trade and diplomacy. The court said member states should not recognize as legal the situation arising from Israel’s presence in occupied territory, nor should they render assistance in maintaining it. Such a ruling could force compan- ies and member states to differentiate between Israel and occupied territory when it comes to trade, said Chantal Meloni, senior legal adviser for inter- national crimes and accountability at the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights. Israel declined to take part in the hearings and described the proceed- ings as biased and an “abuse of inter- national law and the judicial process.” “The Jewish people are not conquer- ors in their own land,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X after the announcement. “No false decision in The Hague will distort this historical truth and likewise the legality of Israeli settlement in all the territories of our homeland cannot be contested.” The office of Mahmoud Abbas, presi- dent of the Palestinian Authority, de- scribed the opinion as “historic” and said Israel should be compelled to im- plement it. The ruling Friday was the first time any international court has weighed in on the core issues related to the legality of Israel’s occupation of the territory it seized during the 1967 war with neigh- boring Arab countries. The case was initiated by a U.N. Gen- eral Assembly resolution in 2022, but has since taken on more significance as the decades-old conflict entered a period of unprecedented bloodshed. On Oct. 7, Hamas led an attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people, starting a war inside the Gaza Strip that has claimed more than 38,800 Palestinian lives, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel has faced mounting inter- national pressure over the war, including in a separate case South Africa lodged at the International Court of Justice ac- cusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, charges Israeli officials have vehemently de- nied. At the same time, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor an- nounced that he is seeking arrest war- rants both for Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. “This is as clear and as far-reaching a ruling as I have come across from this court,” said Philippe Sands, an inter- national barrister and member of the Palestinian legal team. He described Friday’s opinion as “hugely significant” and potentially more impactful than the genocide case, as it addresses the “core of Israel’s policy.” “Its legal consequences are entirely without ambiguity, its political conse- quences far-reaching,” he said, adding that the court “made clear its view, by an overwhelming majority” that the U.S. and other embassies relocated to Jerusa- lem are “illegal and must be removed for international law to be respected.” The U.N. General Assembly had asked the court to determine several things, including the impact of Israel’s occupation, its “ongoing violation” of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, and its “discrimina- tory laws” and measures aimed at al- tering “the demographic composition, character and status” of Jerusalem, part of which Palestinians envision as the capital of any future state. In a statement to the court last year, Israel said the issues presented “repre- sent a clear distortion of history.” “In pointing a finger at one side only, the questions overlook thousands of dead and wounded Israelis who have fallen victim to murderous Palestinian acts of hatred and terrorism — acts that continue to endanger Israel’s civilians and national security on a daily basis,” the Israeli statement said. — The Washington Post LOVEDAY MORRIS Russian court sentences U.S. journalist to 16 years AFTER a closed trial with secret evi- dence, a Russian court Friday con- victed American journalist Evan Gershkovich of espionage — charges the U.S. government said were wholly fabricated — and sentenced him to 16 years in a maximum security penal col- ony, according to Russian state media The Wall Street Journal reporter was the first American journalist arrested in Russia since the Cold War and his case has grave implications for media freedoms. The trial proceeded with unusual swiftness — suggesting potential de- velopments in negotiations for a pris- oner exchange. Trials for espionage in Russia typically take months. Gershkovich’s arrest in March 2023 seemed to mark a brazen new chapter in hostage diplomacy, by which the Kremlin detains foreigners on minor, or even baseless, charges to then use them to negotiate exchanges for Rus- sians convicted and imprisoned for ser- ious crimes in the West. Senior Russian and U.S. officials have said talks about an exchange involving Gershkovich are underway but, accord- ing to Kremlin policy, would only pro- ceed once the trial was over. The secrecy of the trial and argu- ments means that the evidence pre- sented against Gershkovich faced no public scrutiny and may never be dis- closed. The prosecution Friday had re- quested an 18-year prison term, close to the 20-year maximum. President Joe Biden said in a state- ment Gershkovich was targeted be- cause he was an American and a jour- nalist and sentenced to 16 years despite having committed no crime. “We are pushing hard for Evan’s re- lease and will continue to do so,” Biden said, describing Gershkovich as a “hos- tage.” “As I have long said and as the UN also concluded, there is no question that Russia is wrongfully detaining Evan.” In Russia’s highly politicized legal sys- tem, where the courts routinely are used to jail journalists, democracy and hu- man rights activists and political oppon- ents of the government, Gershkovich’s conviction had appeared inevitable since his arrest, but supporters and friends nonetheless expressed their shock. “Russia has just sentenced an inno- cent man to 16 years in a high security prison,” Pjotr Sauer, a correspondent for the Guardian and close friend of Gershkovich. posted on X, formerly Twitter. “I have no words to describe this farce. Let’s get Evan out of there.” Gershkovich, the Wall Street Jour- nal and U.S. State Department have all strongly denied the accusation that he was working for the CIA. — The Washington Post ROBYN DIXON Firefighter killed at Trump rally honoured with bagpipes, gun salute C ABOT, Pa. — The keen of bag- pipes, a three-volley gun salute and a bugle sounding taps pierced the air of a small Pennsylvania town Friday as hundreds gathered to honour an ex-fire chief who was shot and killed at a rally for former U.S. president Don- ald Trump. Following funeral services for Corey Comperatore, large crowds of mourn- ers waiting outside fell silent as his American flag-draped casket emerged from Cabot Methodist Church. Fire- fighters ceremoniously removed the flag and presented it to his wife, Helen, before loading the casket onto a fire truck adorned with black bunting. Three firefighters stood sentry on the back of the truck, trailed by more than 100 other emergency vehicles from fire departments across the region as it rolled slowly toward Comperatore’s hometown of Freeport, where he was to be laid to rest. A sharpshooter team mounted on a nearby rooftop served as a reminder of last weekend’s bloodshed. Officials have said Comperatore spent his final moments shielding his wife and daugh- ter from gunfire at Trump’s rally last Saturday in Butler, Pa. Trump, who suffered an ear injury in the shooting but was not seriously hurt, did not attend the funeral because of Secret Service concerns, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly. Annette Locke, a member of the West Deer Township Volunteer Fire Depart- ment, stood across the road from the church and lightly touched her heart as she spoke about the horrific toll from the “totally senseless” shooting. “He was with his family on a beauti- ful sunny day, and now he’s gone,” Locke said. Joe and Jen Brose stood at the edge of their driveway with their three young boys, all dressed in T-shirts celebrating the USA, watching the long procession, which took a full half-hour to pass. “The community comes together at times like this,” Joe Brose said. “I thought it was very heartwarming, it was very humbling to see it,” said Jen Brose, whose sister had attended the Trump rally. Trump honoured Comperatore during his speech Thursday at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. He displayed Comperatore’s firefighting gear on the convention stage, kissing his helmet and heralding the ex-chief as “an unbelievable person.” Mike Drane, who lives near the church where the funeral was held, said he was overwhelmed by Trump’s tribute. “Trump knew that that bullet was for him, not for Corey,” Drane said. Nancy Macurdy, who lives across the street from the church, was away camp- ing when the shooting happened but wanted to be back home for the funeral. “We’re a very close community here,” she said. A woman who was inside the church for the funeral service said Comper- atore’s wife and daughters delivered testimonies, and the church’s pastor read a eulogy written by one of Com- peratore’s siblings. The woman, who declined to be quoted by name, said she did not recognize any politicians or Trump representatives among the crowd, which included country sing- er Billy Ray Cyrus. The service was closed to the news media. In nearby Sarver, the town where Comperatore lived, families took the day off from work or changed other plans to gather along the community’s main artery. Bands of young boys stood by the roadway, signalling for trucks to honk their horns. Five-year-old Ryder Presutti, dressed in a red firefighter’s outfit, waved a small American flag as the fire trucks passed by. Others congregated at Andy’s House of Cars or Cabot Archery to await the funeral procession. Outside the Dollar General store, at least a dozen SUVs were lined up tailgate style, with their trunks open. One resident expressed her feelings with a front yard sign made of giant black letters that read, “American Hero Corey Comperatore.” “It’s a very heartbreaking situation,” said Daneene Wimer, 44, of Evans City, near where the shooting took place. She and her sisters came with their families to honour “somebody who put their life in their hands for their family.” “I will definitely be shedding tears (when the procession passes),” she said. Comperatore, 50, worked as a pro- ject and tooling engineer, was an Army reservist and spent many years as a volunteer firefighter after serving as chief, according to his obituary. Two other people were wounded at Trump’s rally: David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township. As of Wednesday, both had been upgraded to serious but stable condition, according to a spokes- person with Allegheny Health Network. — The Associated Press MATT SLOCUM / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The funeral procession for Corey Comperatore, 50, passes by Friday in Sarver, Pa. The former fire chief was shot and killed while attending a weekend rally for former president Donald Trump. Man kills grizzly bear in Montana after attack BILLINGS, Mont. — A 72-year-old man picking huckleberries in Montana shot and killed a grizzly bear after it attacked in a surprise encounter and injured him badly enough he had to be hospitalized, authorities said Friday. The man was alone on national for- est land when the adult female charged him Thursday. He suffered significant injuries before killing the bear with a handgun, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials said. The bear was likely reacting defen- sively to protect cubs, agency spokes- person Dillon Tabish said. Wildlife workers set out game cam- eras in the area to try to confirm the presence of any cubs. If cubs are found, it’s uncertain if they would be captured because it is difficult to find facilities qualified to take them, he said. “Depending on the age, we might leave them in the wild because they have a better chance of survival, rather than have to euthanize them,” Tabish said. The attack happened on the Flathead National Forest about 3.2 kilometres north of Columbia Falls, a northwestern Montana city of about 5,500 people, ac- cording to the state wildlife agency. The victim’s name and further de- tails on his condition were not released. Meanwhile, Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff shot and killed an adult female grizzly Thursday after it had become accustomed to seeking out food from people and breaking into houses in and around Gardiner, a town of about 800 just north of Yellowstone National Park. Pet food, garbage and barbeque grills left outside and accessible to bears con- tributed to the problem, according to a department statement. No people were hurt by the bear before it was shot in the Yellowstone River. An estimated 2,000 grizzlies roam western Wyoming, eastern Idaho, west- ern Montana. — The Associated Press THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich listens Friday from a glass cage in a courtroom in Yekaterinburg, Russia. U.S President Joe Biden described Gershkovich as a ‘hostage.’ ;