South Sudan’s suspended vice president appears in court on treason charges.

JUBA, South Sudan — The criminal trial of South Sudan’s suspended vice president began in the capital Monday as Riek Machar appeared in a cage alongside his co-defendants.

It was the first time Machar had been seen in public since he was placed under house arrest in March.

President Salva Kiir suspended Machar as his deputy earlier this month after justice authorities filed criminal charges for Machar’s alleged role in an attack on a garrison of government troops earlier this year.

In addition to treason, Machar and seven others face charges of crimes against humanity, murder, conspiracy, terrorism, destruction of public property and military assets.

The trial by a special court in Juba, the capital, was broadcast on national television.

In opening remarks, a lawyer for Machar opposed the trial by what he described as “an incompetent court” that lacks jurisdiction.

The defence argued Machar cannot be criminally charged without hurting the spirit of a 2018 peace deal between Machar and Kiir to end a deadly civil war that caused an estimated 400,000 people. That agreement is the basis for the transitional government in which Machar has been serving as first vice president.

Defence attorneys said the agreement effectively governs South Sudan, which has been on the brink of a return to full-blown war as government forces battle armed groups believed to be loyal to Machar.

They argued Machar remains the country’s vice president under the provisions of the 2018 agreement, which was negotiated with the help of regional leaders and others in the international community.

The proceedings were then adjourned until Tuesday.

Kiir and Machar were leaders of the rebel movement that secured South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in 2011. They are from rival ethnic groups: Kiir is from the Dinka, the largest, and Machar is from the Nuer, the second-largest.

Their military rivalry began in the 1990s, when Machar led a breakaway unit that drew accusations he had betrayed the rebel movement. During the split, forces loyal to Machar carried out a massacre in the town of Bor that targeted the Dinka, angering rebel commander Kiir and John Garang, the movement’s now-deceased political figurehead.

Fighting among southerners briefly undermined their struggle for independence, but also sowed lifelong distrust between Kiir and Machar.

Machar and Kiir don’t see eye to eye even as they work together, analysts said, and their feud has grown over the years as Machar waits his turn to become president while Kiir persists in the office.

The criminal case against Machar appeared to be “a pretext for a political power struggle,” said Daniel Akech, a senior analyst for South Sudan with the International Crisis Group.

“This makes the case political,” he said.

Presidential elections in South Sudan have been repeatedly postponed. In 2013, citing a coup plot, Kiir fired Machar as his deputy. Later that year violence erupted in Juba as government soldiers loyal to Kiir fought those devoted to Machar in the start of what became a deadly civil war. The fighting was often along ethnic lines.

___

Muhumuza reported from Kampala, Uganda.

Deng Machol And Rodney Muhumuza, The Associated Press

#Singapore is to hang a Malaysian man this week as activists press for a halt to the death penalty

#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.

Also on Saturday, Estonia summoned a Russian diplomat to protest after three Russian fighter aircraft entered its airspace without permission Friday and stayed there for 12 minutes, the Foreign Ministry said. It happened just over a week after NATO planes downed Russian drones over Poland and heightened fears that the war in Ukraine could spill over.

Writing on social media site X on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had been targeted by “more than 1,500 strike drones, over 1,280 guided aerial bombs, and 50 missiles of various types” over the previous week.

Noting that “thousands of foreign components” were found in the Russian weaponry, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was “counting on the 19th EU sanctions package to be truly painful, and on the United States to join the Europeans.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the package of sanctions on Friday.

Zelenskyy expects to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week, where he has said he hopes to gauge how close Ukraine and its partners are to finalizing long-term security guarantees.

Trump on Sunday morning in an exchange with reporters very briefly addressed the Russian incursion into Estonian airspace.

“We don’t like it,” Trump said. Asked if the U.S. would back Poland and other Baltic states if they continue to face Russian aggression, Trump responded, “I will.”

Russia’s Defense Ministry on Saturday denied its aircraft violated Estonia’s airspace.

The Associated Press

#Canadian recognition of Palestinian state greeted with cheers, dismay.

OTTAWA — Canada’s formal recognition of a Palestinian state drew applause from longtime advocates of the move and sharp denunciation from voices who said it would not foster a lasting peace.

Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement on Palestinian statehood Sunday ahead of a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. The United Kingdom and Australia joined Canada in recognizing an independent Palestinian state.

Canada officially recognizes the State of Palestine: Carney

Canada has long been committed to a two-state solution in the region -- a sovereign Palestinian state existing side by side with Israel in peace and security.

In July, Carney said the hope was this outcome would be achieved as part of a peace process built around a negotiated settlement between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.

But he added this approach was no longer tenable for several reasons.

He cited the pervasive threat of Hamas terrorism to Israelis, culminating in the terrorist attack of Oct. 7, 2023, a vote by Israel’s Knesset calling for annexation of the West Bank and the “ongoing failure” of the Israeli government to prevent a rapidly unfolding humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

On Sunday, Carney stressed the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to governance reforms, a 2026 election in which Hamas can play no part and demilitarization of the Palestinian state.

Jewish advocacy group B’nai Brith Canada said in a statement that Ottawa had bowed to international pressure by prematurely recognizing a Palestinian state built “entirely on empty promises” from the Palestinian Authority.

“The PA has shown, time and again, that it cannot be trusted,” said Richard Robertson, the organization’s director of research and advocacy. “It is unable to govern the Palestinian Territories and has repeatedly demonstrated it is unwilling to deliver on the very commitments upon which Canada’s recognition is supposed to be predicated.”

Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East called Canada’s recognition a “real policy victory” and the result of sustained pressure from civil society.

“Canada is right to recognize Palestine, but cannot hold it to unfair conditions that would violate this right,” the group said in a statement. “Instead, Canada should work to realize the right of self-determination by doing whatever it can to bring an end to Israel’s illegal presence in occupied Palestine.”

The National Council of Canadian Muslims declared Sunday a historic day, but added that much more has to be done.

New Democrat MP Heather McPherson echoed that sentiment, saying in a social media post that recognition alone is not enough.

Canada must act to end starvation in Gaza and stop annexation of the West Bank, she said. “Without action, there will be little left of Palestine to recognize.”

The federal Conservatives accused Carney of trying to create a Hamas-controlled state that will reward terrorists for violent acts and oppression of Palestinians.

“Conservatives will always stand for Israel’s right to exist and defend itself, living next to a future demilitarized, terror-free, democratic and peaceful Palestinian State.”

People who exploit the tragic events in the Middle East as a pretext to target Jewish Canadians will only be further emboldened by Carney’s announcement, said Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center president Michael Levitt.

“Whether it’s the violent protests on our streets, the antisemitic incitement or escalating physical assaults against Jews, all Canadians should be concerned by the extremists who increasingly threaten public safety,” he said in a statement.

“For the sake of peace in the region and here at home, this is the wrong policy at the wrong time.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2025.

North Korean leader recalls ‘good memories’ of #Trump, urges US to drop denuclearization demands.

Speaking to Pyongyang’s rubber-stamp parliament on Sunday, Kim stressed that he has no intention of ever resuming dialogue with rival South Korea, a key U.S. ally that helped broker Kim’s previous summits with Trump during the American president’s first term, according to a speech published by state media on Monday.

Kim suspended virtually all cooperation with the South following the collapse of his second summit with Trump in 2019 over disagreements about U.S.-led sanctions against the North. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have worsened in recent years as Kim has accelerated his weapons buildup and aligned with Russia over the war in Ukraine.

Kim’s comments came as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung prepares to depart for New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, where he is expected to address nuclear tensions on the Korean Peninsula and call on North Korea to return to talks.

Trump is also expected to visit South Korea next month to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, prompting media speculation that he may try to meet Kim at the inter-Korean border, as they did during their third meeting in 2019, which ultimately failed to salvage their nuclear diplomacy.

During his latest speech at the Supreme People’s Assembly, Kim reiterated that he would never give up his nuclear weapons program, which experts say he sees as his strongest guarantee of survival and the extension of his family’s dynastic rule.

“The world already knows well what the United States does after forcing other countries to give up their nuclear weapons and disarm,” Kim said. “We will never lay down our nuclear weapons … There will be no negotiations, now or never, about trading anything with hostile countries in exchange for lifting sanctions.”

He said he still holds “good personal memories” of Trump from their first meetings and that there is “no reason not to” resume talks with the United States if Washington “abandons its delusional obsession with denuclearization.”

Kim has stepped up testing activities in recent years, demonstrating weapons of various ranges designed to strike U.S. allies in Asia and the U.S. mainland. Analysts say Kim’s nuclear push is aimed at eventually pressuring Washington to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and to negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

Kim is also trying to bolster his leverage by strengthening cooperation with traditional allies Russia and China, in an emerging partnership aimed at undercutting U.S. influence.

He has sent thousands of troops and huge supplies of military equipment to Russia to help support President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. He visited Beijing earlier this month, sharing the spotlight with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin at a massive military parade. Experts say Kim’s rare foreign trip was likely intended to boost his leverage ahead of a potential resumption of talks with the United States.

There’s growing concern in Seoul that it could lose its voice in future efforts to defuse the nuclear standoff on the peninsula, as the North seeks to negotiate directly with the United States. Such fears were amplified last year when Kim declared that he was abandoning North Korea’s long-standing goal of peaceful unification with South Korea and ordered a rewriting of the North’s constitution to cement the South as a permanent enemy.

Kim Tong-hyung, The Associated Press

#News: #French mayors fly Palestinian flags despite government orders ahead of UN assembly.

It’s unclear how many cities will join the initiative on Monday after Socialist leader Olivier Faure’s call to fly the flags despite warnings from the Interior Ministry against such displays in a country with both Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim populations.

But the call has been gaining momentum as Palestinian flags have been more and more visible in France over the nearly two-year war in Gaza.

Palestinian banners were on display in demonstrations this week during a big day of protests across the country that criticized several polices by French President Emmanuel Macron and his government.

The Palestinian flag has been flying at the town hall of Malakoff, a suburb of Paris, since Friday. The city mayor, Jacqueline Belhomme, told The Associated Press on Sunday she was ordered to take it down but refused to comply.

“We stand with the Palestinian people; it is something symbolically important, just as we did some time ago with the Ukrainian flag when we stood with the Ukrainian people who were under attack by Russia.”

In southwestern France, the communist mayor of Mauleon-Licharre, a town of 3,000 residents, raised a Palestinian flag on Friday but removed it the next day after the case was referred to an administrative court.

“The flag is now in my office. This is an attack on my freedom of thought,” mayor Louis Labadot told local radio station Ici Pays Basque.

The war in Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict are expected to be at the top of the agenda of world leaders at their annual gathering at the U.N. General Assembly starting Monday. The Palestinians had said they hope at least 10 more countries will recognize the state of Palestine, adding to the more than 145 countries that already do.

On Sunday, Canada, Australia and the U.K. all formally recognised a Palestinian state.

Mathieu Hanotin, the mayor of Saint-Denis, the Paris suburb hosting the national soccer stadium, said he will fly the Palestinian flag in a solidarity gesture with the Palestinian people.

In western France, the city of Nantes also plans to raise the Palestinian flag on the city hall building, Mayor Johanna Rolland, a Socialist, told France information “For municipalities that wish to join, through a symbolic gesture, France’s recognition of the state of Palestine, I believe it makes sense. I will do so without hesitation,” she said.

In a note sent to the State’s representative in regions, France’s Interior Ministry instructed them to oppose the display of Palestinian flags on town halls and other public buildings, citing the risks of importing an ongoing international conflict onto national territory.

“The principle of neutrality in public service prohibits such displays,” the ministry said, adding that any decisions by mayors to fly the Palestinian flag should be referred to administrative courts.

“The front of a town hall is not a billboard. Only the tricolor flag -- our colors, our values -- has the right to be represented in what remains, for us, a common home,” Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on Saturday.

Ian Brossat, a spokesman for the French Communist Party, accused Retailleau of contradicting France’s official position.

“The interior minister disagrees with French diplomacy. He does not support the recognition of a Palestinian state, unlike the president,” Brossat told BFM TV. “By asserting his personal beliefs instead of upholding the position of the French Republic, which is to recognize a Palestinian state, he is taking France and its diplomacy hostage.”

In June, Nice city mayor Christian Estrosi, who had put on display Israeli flags on the Riviera city’s town hall to show his support for hostages held by Hamas, was forced by a court decision to remove them.

The Socialist mayor of Paris suburb Saint-Ouen, Karim Bouamrane, said he would display both the Israeli and Palestinian flags on the facade of his town hall in a bid to carry a message of peace.

“We are one community, the republican community,” he told #RMC radio. “The community I stand for is that of peace: I do not want to pit Muslims against Jews, nor activists against #Hamas supporters and those against (Benjamin) Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.”

The Associated Press

The armed wing of #Hamas has released what it calls a “farewell picture” of 48 Israeli captives held in #Gaza as the #Israeli army continues to destroy and seize the besieged enclave’s largest urban centre.

Sacramento police arrest man in connection with shooting at local ABC affiliate news station.

Even though the building was occupied at the time, all employees of KXTV — also known as ABC10 — are safe and unharmed after the shooting, according to Tegna, the media company that owns the station.

KXTV is also a local affiliate of ABC and CNN.

Hours after the shooting — which was reported at 1:30 p.m. local time Friday — a 64-year-old man was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, shooting into an occupied building and negligent discharge of a firearm in connection to the shooting, police said.

Police identified the suspect as Anibal Hernandez Santana, who was arrested after a vehicle match led police to a residence, Sacramento police told CNN early Saturday morning. He is currently being held at the Sacramento County Main Jail on $200,000 bail, records show. He’s scheduled to appear in court on September 23. CNN is working to identify Hernandez Santana’s attorney.

The FBI is assisting the Sacramento Police Department in the investigation, the agency told CNN Saturday.

The shooting came one day after protesters gathered at the station in response to ABC pulling comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show off air “indefinitely” over comments he made about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, according to KXTV. There were no protests taking place at the time of the shooting on Friday, CNN affiliate KCRA reported.

In a statement to CNN, Tegna spokesperson Molly McMahon said “while details are still limited, importantly, all of our employees are safe and unharmed. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement and have taken additional measures to ensure the continued safety of our employees.”

Police are working to determine whether the station has received any recent threats, said Anthony Gamble, Sacramento police spokesperson. They will also look for digital evidence including surveillance footage, piece together a timeline and interview employees who were inside the station.

“It should never be accepted that somebody is going to drive by any type of business, let alone a media partner, and shoot at the building,” Gamble said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the shooting, his office said in a post on X.

“While no injuries have been reported, any act of violence toward journalists is an attack on our democracy itself and must be condemned in the strongest terms,” the post read. “We stand with reporters and staff who work every day to keep communities informed and safe!”

Police are asking the public to share any information that may be related to the case. Those who wish to remain anonymous can submit tips through Crime Stoppers.

Article written by Zoe Sottile, Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN

CNN’s Jack Hannah contributed to this report.

#Russia launches a large-scale attack on Ukraine, killing 3 and wounding dozens.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks took place across nine regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy and Kharkiv.

“The enemy’s target was our infrastructure, residential areas and civilian enterprises,” he said, adding that a missile equipped with cluster munitions struck a multistory building in the city of Dnipro.

“Each such strike is not a military necessity but a deliberate strategy by Russia to intimidate civilians and destroy our infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said in a statement on his official Telegram account.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian drones overnight slammed into an energy facility in Samara, southwestern Russia, according to the local governor and Ukraine’s General Staff.

Russia’s Defense Ministry on Saturday said its forces intercepted 149 Ukrainian drones during the night.

Zelenskyy said he expects to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly next week. He also said the first ladies of Ukraine and the United States would likely hold separate talks focused on humanitarian issues involving children.

At least 30 people were wounded in the attack in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region, local Gov. Serhii Lysak said. Several high-rise buildings and homes were damaged in the eastern city of Dnipro.

In the Kyiv region, local authorities reported strikes in the areas of Bucha, Boryspil and Obukhiv. A home and cars were damaged. In the western region of Lviv, Gov. Maxim Kozytsky said two cruise missiles were shot down.

Russia launched 619 drones and missiles, Ukraine’s air force said, of which 552 drones, two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles were shot down or neutralized.
`We expect sanctions’

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine and its partners have laid the groundwork for long-term security guarantees and that he hopes to gauge how close they are to finalizing such commitments during next week’s meetings in New York.

He said European nations are prepared to move forward with a framework if the United States remains closely engaged. He noted that discussions have taken place at multiple levels, including among military leadership and general staffs from both Europe and the U.S.

“I would like to receive signals for myself on how close we are to understanding that the security guarantees from all partners will be the kind we need,” Zelenskyy said.

He said sanctions against Russia must remain on the table if peace efforts stall, and that he plans to press the issue in talks with Trump.

“If the war continues and there is no movement toward peace, we expect sanctions,” he said, adding that Trump is looking for strong steps from Europe.
Ukraine targets Russia’s oil sector

Ukraine on Saturday claimed its drones struck the Novokuibyshevsk Refinery, a major producer of jet fuel that is operated by Russian oil major Rosneft. It said the strike resulted in explosions and a fire.

Samara’s regional governor, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, said unspecified fuel and energy facilities were targeted. He later reported that four people had died in the attack, but did not immediately say who they were or describe any damage.

Ukraine’s General Staff also said a second Russian oil refinery was hit overnight, in the city of Saratov. The city lies in a region of the same name, southwest of Samara.

Russian and Ukrainian Telegram channels published videos of what they said was a strike near of the Saratov refinery. They show blasts and a fiery glow against the night sky, with air sirens wailing in the background.

Local Gov. Roman Busargin did not immediately comment on claims that the refinery was hit. He said a woman was hospitalized following nighttime drone strikes on Saratov, and residential buildings were damaged.

Ukrainian drones also struck Russian pumping stations of the Kuibyshev-Tikhoretsk oil pipeline, an intelligence official told The Associated Press on Saturday. They spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose sensitive information.

The pipeline leads to the export terminal in the port of Novorossiysk.

Explosions were recorded several stations in various regions of Volgograd and Samara, according to the intelligence official.

Ukraine “continues its successful work on introducing drone sanctions against Russian refineries and oil pumping stations. It is this infrastructure that brings petrodollar surpluses to the Russian budget, which fuels the war against Ukraine. Work on blocking these money flows will continue,” they told AP.
Russia denies violating Estonia’s airspace

Russia’s Defense Ministry denied its aircraft violated Estonia’s airspace, after Tallinn reported three fighter jets crossed into its territory on Friday without permission and remained there for 12 minutes.

The incident, described by Estonia’s top diplomat as an “unprecedentedly brazen” incursion, happened just over a week after NATO planes downed Russian drones over Poland, heightening fears that Moscow’s war on Ukraine could spill over.

In a statement early Saturday, Moscow stressed its fighter jets had kept to neutral Baltic Sea waters more than 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) from Estonia’s Vaindloo Island in the Gulf of Finland.

“On Sept. 19, three MiG-31 fighter jets completed a scheduled flight from Karelia to an airfield in the Kaliningrad region,” it said, referencing the Russian enclave sandwiched between Polish and Lithuanian territory. Estonia, Poland and Lithuania belong to NATO.

“The flight was conducted in strict compliance with international airspace regulations and did not violate the borders of other states, as confirmed through objective monitoring,” the statement said without providing details about the monitoring operation.

On Friday, Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had summoned a Russian diplomat to lodge an official protest over the airspace violation. Officials said Tallinn also moved “to start consultations among the allies” under NATO’s Article 4, which states that parties would confer whenever the territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened.

On Saturday, Poland’s Operational Command said Polish and allied aircraft were deployed again overnight in response to Russian long-range airstrikes in neighboring Ukraine. In a later post on X, the Operational Command described the deployment as “preventive” and “aimed at securing the airspace in areas adjacent to the threatened zone.”

Last week, fellow NATO member Romania said it deployed two F-16 jets to intercept a drone that briefly entered its airspace.

Hanna Arhirova, The Associated Press

#News : #USA, What we know about #Charlie #Kirk’s memorial service:

Thousands of people will gather Sunday to honor the life of assassinated #conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a memorial service expected to underscore his indelible influence on American politics.

With a lineup of speakers from the highest levels of the U.S. government, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Kirk’s memorial is poised to resemble something akin to a state funeral for the U.S. conservative movement, carrying with it all the gravity – and security concerns – such an occasion entails.

Here’s what we know:
The service and speakers

Kirk’s memorial service will be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, 11 days after he was fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University. The service is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. MT (1 p.m. ET), according to a web page about the memorial from Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA.

The memorial will feature a who’s who of U.S. leaders and conservative pundits paying tribute to the slain activist, who was a close ally of the president. Trump said earlier this week he will “say a few words” at the ceremony.

“We’ll be going out to a service on Sunday. I’ll be leaving with some of the people in this room, just to celebrate Charlie and all that he’s done,” Trump said Thursday at a news conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Kirk was a “great person,” the president said, adding he believed Kirk might have become president himself one day.

In addition to the president, Turning Point USA has also said that Vice President JD Vance and Kirk’s widow, Erika, will deliver remarks. Erika Kirk, who had two young children with Kirk, has pledged to continue her late husband’s work, including his campus tours and podcast. On Thursday, Turning Point USA announced she is the organization’s new CEO.

Beyond the marquee speakers, numerous other Trump administration officials and high-profile conservative personalities are expected to attend, highlighting Kirk’s stature in Republican politics and his relationships with members of the White House and Trump’s Cabinet.

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller are also slated to provide remarks, as are Donald Trump Jr. and Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host and conservative commentator.

Worship music at the service will be led by prominent Christian contemporary musicians like Chris Tomlin, Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham and Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes.
Attendance will be ‘big,’ Trump says

It’s unclear how many people will attend the memorial, but State Farm Stadium – home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals – can seat more than 63,000 people, according to its website, with the ability to expand to accommodate an additional 10,000.

“We’re going to have a stadium, and I bet that stadium is going to be pretty packed, maybe completely packed,” Trump said Monday when asked about the memorial. “It’s going to be big.”

Attending the memorial in person requires registration through Turning Point USA, which has said people will be welcomed on a “first-come, first-served” basis. That includes providing a name, email, phone number and ZIP code, with additional guidance to be given to attendees Saturday evening. Doors are expected to open around 8 a.m. MT (10 a.m. ET).

Parking will be free, but Turning Point USA has asked those who attend to carpool if possible. Attendees are also asked to follow a dress code: “Sunday Best – Red, White, or Blue.”

Overflow seating will be available at Desert Diamond Arena, just across West Maryland Avenue, according to Turning Point USA. The event also will be livestreamed on Kirk’s Rumble account, the organization said.

The organization had not released any attendance registration numbers as of late Friday morning.
Law enforcement faces security challenges

With so many American leaders in attendance, Kirk’s memorial will present a major test for law enforcement, particularly the Secret Service, which will be the lead agency coordinating security while already strained and under pressure in an era of rising political violence.

“Our teams are already on the ground in Phoenix and Glendale, working side-by-side with state, local, and federal partners. Together, we are fully committed to ensuring that these solemn events receive the comprehensive protection and support they require,” William Mack, the special agent in charge of the Phoenix field office, said in a statement.

The memorial has been given a Level 1 special event assessment rating, a senior Department of Homeland Security official said – the highest such designation. The SEAR-1 rating, previously given to other major events like the Super Bowl and the Kentucky Derby, frees federal resources across the federal government to coordinate on security.

“This designation is reserved for events of the highest national significance and enables the federal government to provide the full range of law enforcement and security resources necessary to support local officials in ensuring a safe and successful event,” the official said.

US national security agencies “have no information to indicate a verified, credible threat” to the event, according to a joint threat assessment obtained by CNN. But the assessment notes extremists “may view the memorial service or related events as attractive attack targets due to the attendance of these individuals, other senior U.S. government officials, state and local government officials, and political activists, and due to major international media attention.”

The threat assessment indicates authorities have observed “several threats of unknown credibility” to some of the people who are expected to attend the ceremony, including the Kirk family, Trump and Vance, but does not spell out any threats to the event itself.

Since Kirk’s killing, sources say they have observed streams of online hate from people of various political affiliations, but are not tracking any credible threats.

Turning Point has signaled attendees should expect “TSA-level screening,” saying on its web page for the memorial that “advanced security measures are in place, which may result in longer wait times than usual.” Bags will not be allowed inside.

Under normal circumstances, State Farm Stadium falls under the jurisdiction of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, which confirmed state, federal and local law enforcement are coordinating on planning and security for Kirk’s memorial. A department spokesperson declined to provide further details, telling CNN, “We are not able to discuss that planning, tactical and security considerations, or staffing.”

Asked about the Glendale Police Department’s preparation for Kirk’s memorial, spokesperson Officer Moroni Mendez noted the city has hosted many large events in recent years, giving it the experience needed to deal with an influx of visitors. State Farm Stadium, for example, hosted Super Bowl LVII in 2023.

“With that, we obviously have the experience, and are proficient at hosting these types of mega events,” Mendez told CNN, though he acknowledged this event will be different.

“There’s going to be a lot of important people here. We had a meeting with the Secret Service yesterday to talk about how we’re going to go about planning this event,” Mendez said.

Mendez warned traffic in and around Glendale will be impacted and that some intersections will be closed as police work to direct attendees to parking lots.

“We’ll have all our units available. It will be a busy day for everyone, not just Glendale but also Arizona DPS and all the agencies assisting.”

By Dakin Andone, CNN