AP News in Brief at 9:04 p.m. EDT

The memorial service for Kirk, whom Trump credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory, drew tens of thousands of mourners, including Vice President JD Vance, other senior administration officials and young conservatives shaped by the 31-year-old firebrand.

“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom,” Trump said in his tribute. “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.”

Speakers highlighted Kirk’s profound faith and his strong belief that young conservatives need to get married, have children and pass on their values to keep building their movement. They also repeatedly told conservative activists, sometimes in forceful tones, that the best way to honor Kirk was doubling down on his mission to move American politics further to the right.

“For Charlie, we will remember that it is better to stand on our feet defending the United States of America and defending the truth than it is to die on our knees,” Vance said. “My friends, for Charlie, we must remember that he is a hero to the United States of America. And he is a martyr for the Christian faith.”

UK, Australia and Canada recognize a Palestinian state, prompting anger from Israel

LONDON (AP) — The U.K., Australia and Canada formally recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday, prompting an angry response from Israel, which ruled out the prospect.

The coordinated initiative from the three Commonwealth nations and longtime allies reflects growing outrage at Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza and the steps taken by the Israeli government to thwart efforts to create a Palestinian state, including by the continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has faced pressure to take a harder line on Israel within his own governing Labour Party over the deteriorating situation in Gaza, said the U.K.’s move is intended “to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis.” He insisted it wasn’t a reward for Hamas, which was behind the attack on Oct. 7, 2023, in which the militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted 251 others.

“Today, to revive the hope of peace and a two-state solution, I state clearly as prime minister of this great country that the United Kingdom formally recognizes the state of Palestine,” Starmer said in a video message. “We recognized the state of Israel more than 75 years ago as a homeland for the Jewish people. Today we join over 150 countries who recognize a Palestinian state also.”

The moves by the three countries prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to say that the establishment of a Palestinian state “will not happen” while Hamas urged the international community to isolate Israel.

Trump ramps up retribution campaign with push for Bondi to pursue cases against his foes

Eight months into his second term, President Donald Trump's long-standing pledge to take on those he perceives as his political enemies has prompted debates over free speech, media censorship and political prosecutions.

From late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel's suspension to Pentagon restrictions on reporters and an apparent public appeal to Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue legal cases against his adversaries, Trump has escalated moves to consolidate power in his second administration and root out those who have spoken out against him.

In a post on social media this weekend addressed to Bondi, Trump said “nothing is being done” on investigations into some of his foes.

“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” he said. Noting that he was impeached and criminally charged, “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

Criticizing investigations into Trump’s dealings under Democratic President Joe Biden’s Justice Department, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said Sunday that “it is not right for the Trump administration to do the same thing.”

Trump reveals Murdochs and Dell could potentially take part in TikTok deal

President Donald Trump said prominent billionaires – including media mogul Rupert Murdoch and tech founder Michael Dell – could be part of a deal in which the U.S. will take control of the social video platform TikTok.

Trump namedropped the 94-year-old Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch, the head of Fox News and News Corp, as part of a group of possible participants in a deal during an interview recorded Friday and aired Sunday on Fox News.

“I think they’re going to be in the group. A couple of others. Really great people, very prominent people,” Trump said. “And they’re also American patriots, you know, they love this country. I think they’re going to do a really good job.”

Trump’s disclosure of the potential involvement of the Murdochs and Dell, the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, is the latest twist in a fast-moving potential deal to keep TikTok operating in the U.S.

Trump also said Sunday that tech giant Oracle founder and CEO Larry Ellison was part of the same group. His involvement had been previously disclosed. On Saturday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Oracle would be responsible for the app’s data and security and that Americans will control six of the seven seats for a planned board.

A Syrian president arrives in New York for UN General Assembly for the first time in nearly 60 years

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrived in New York on Sunday to take part in the U.N. General Assembly, the first president of Syria to do so in nearly six decades.

The last time a Syrian head of state attended the General Assembly was in 1967. That was before the 50-year rule of the Assad family dynasty, which came to an end in December when then-President Bashar Assad was ousted in a lightning insurgent offensive led by al-Sharaa. Assad’s fall also brought to an end nearly 14 years of civil war.

Since then, al-Sharaa has sought to restore ties with Arab countries and the West, where officials were initially wary of his past ties with the al-Qaida militant group. The rebel group he formerly led, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, was previously designated by the United States as a terrorist group.

Since assuming power, al-Sharaa has preached coexistence and sought to reassure Syria’s minority communities, but the country’s fragile recovery has been threatened by outbreaks of sectarian violence. Fighters affiliated with the new government were also accused of killing hundreds of civilians from the Druze and Alawite religious minorities.

Along with his appearance at the U.N. General Assembly, al-Sharaa is likely to use his visit to push for further sanctions relief for Syria as it attempts to rebuild its war-battered economy and infrastructure.

Patrons at New Hampshire restaurant shooting prevented worse tragedy with selfless acts, AG says

NASHUA, N.H. (AP) — Patrons at a restaurant acted quickly and selflessly to stop a gunman who opened fire while a wedding was taking place at a New Hampshire country club, averting a worse tragedy, authorities said Sunday.

One person was killed and two others were wounded by gunfire Saturday night before a suspect was taken into custody in a nearby neighborhood not long after the shooting, authorities said.

The gunfire killed Robert DeCesare Jr., 59, at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua, said New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella and Nashua Police Chief Kevin Rourke. They said the suspect was Hunter Nadeau, 23, of Nashua, and that he had been arrested and charged with one count of second-degree murder for knowingly shooting DeCesare.

Nadeau was a former employee of the club, Formella said, adding that Nadeau made a number of statements during the shooting and appeared to be attempting to cause chaos in the moment as opposed to showing a hate-based motivation. Witnesses reported that Nadeau said “Free Palestine” during the confusion.

Some witnesses said someone struck Nadeau with a chair in an attempt to subdue him. Formella cited “selfless acts of courage by the patrons in the restaurant who put aside care for their own safety and worked to intervene and stop the shooter.”

Ukrainian and Russian attacks kill 3 civilians as Zelenskyy prepares to meet Trump

Ukrainian attacks on Russia's Belgorod border region killed two civilians while Russian shelling of eastern Ukraine left a man dead, officials said Sunday.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod, wrote on the Telegram messaging app that a woman was killed when shelling struck a private home in the border town of Shebekino, while a man died in a drone strike on the village of Rakitnoe.

The Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, has faced frequent cross-border attacks since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In Ukraine, a man was killed and residential buildings and infrastructure were damaged by Russian shelling in Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region, Serhii Horbunov, head of the city’s military administration, said Sunday.

The latest round of attacks came after Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack targeting regions across Ukraine on Saturday, killing at least three people and wounding dozens. Russia launched 619 drones and missiles during the attack, Ukraine’s air force said.

Airport cyberattack disrupts more flights across Europe

BRUSSELS (AP) — Fallout from a cyberattack that disrupted check-in systems at several European airports extended into a second full day on Sunday, as passengers faced dozens of canceled and delayed flights — and the impact poised to worsen for at least one major airport.

Brussels Airport, seemingly the hardest hit, said it asked airlines to cancel nearly 140 departing flights scheduled for Monday because a U.S.-based software system provider “is not yet able to deliver a new secure version of the check-in system.” The airport said 25 outbound flights were canceled on Saturday and 50 on Sunday.

Starting late Friday, airports in Berlin, Brussels and London were hit by disruptions to electronic systems that snarled up check-in and sent airline staffers trying options like handwriting boarding passes or using backup laptops. Many other European airports were unaffected.

The cyberattack affected software of Collins Aerospace, whose systems help passengers check in, print boarding passes and bag tags, and dispatch their luggage. The U.S.-based company on Saturday cited a “cyber-related disruption” to its software at "select” airports in Europe.

It was not immediately clear who might be behind the cyberattack, but experts said it could turn out to be hackers, criminal organizations or state actors.

Miami jumps to No. 2 behind Ohio State in AP Top 25, Oklahoma into top 10

Miami jumped LSU and Penn State into the No. 2 spot behind Ohio State in The Associated Press college football poll on Sunday while Oklahoma climbed into the top 10 for the first time in two years and Indiana and Texas Tech made big moves after lopsided wins over Top 25 opponents.

The Hurricanes have beaten two ranked opponents, and they turned in another complete performance in a 19-point home win over Florida to earn their highest ranking since 2017.

Penn State, which had been No. 2 since the preseason, was idle and slipped to No. 3. LSU fell one spot to No. 4 after an easy win over Southeastern Louisiana of the second-tier Football Championship Subdivision.

No. 5 Georgia and No. 6 Oregon held their positions and were followed by No. 7 Oklahoma, which beat previously ranked Auburn at home and returned to the top 10 for the first time since it started 7-0 in 2023. Florida State, Texas A&M and Texas round out the top 10.

Ohio State had an open date and received 52 of 66 first-place votes from the media panel. Miami got seven first-place votes, four more than a week ago. Penn State had five first-place votes and Oregon and Oklahoma each received one.

Christopher Nolan to lead Directors Guild of America

Christopher Nolan has been elected to lead the Directors Guild of America, the organization said late Saturday. The Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer” filmmaker said in a statement that it is, “one of the greatest honors of my career.”

The guild represents the interests of some 19,500 film and television directors in the United States and abroad, in addition to hosting the DGA awards annually.

“Our industry is experiencing tremendous change, and I thank the Guild’s membership for entrusting me with this responsibility,” said Nolan, a well-known champion of the theatrical experience and film stock.

The box office success of “Oppenheimer,” which was shot entirely on large-format film ( a combination of 70mm and IMAX ), and made over $976 million worldwide made many in the industry reconsider the mass audience appeal of a format that not too long ago was in danger of extinction. Just over a decade ago, facing bankruptcy and an industry that seemed to be migrating to digital, Kodak nearly stopped film production. Filmmakers like Nolan, Martin Scorsese and others rallied to keep it going. Earlier this year, Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” helped prove the point again.

Nolan will take over for outgoing president Lesli Linka Glatter, who led the group for four years through the Hollywood strikes of 2023. He said he looks forward to collaborating with Glatter and the board “to achieve important creative and economic protections for our members.”