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BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s president signed a constitutional amendment into law on Saturday that ends his term in office, bringing to a close a dispute between him and the country’s new government that was seeking to oust him as part of a purge of officials appointed during the reign of Viktor Orbán. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who defeated the long-serving Orbán in a blowout election in April, had repeatedly called on the Orbán-appointed president, Tamás Sulyok, to resign, arguing he had failed to live up to his role as president by neglecting to stand in the way of antidemocratic steps by Orbán’s government. When Sulyok refused, lawmakers with Magyar’s pro-European, center-right Tisza party passed a constitutional amendment this week that called for an immediate end to his term. Sulyok had five days to sign the amendment into law, which he did on the final day before the deadline. In a video posted to Facebook Saturday evening, Sulyok — whom Magyar had frequently referred to as Orbán’s “puppet” — said that being made to sign the amendment was “lasting proof that the fundamental values of a free society, the rule of law, democracy, the principle of power-sharing, have been trampled on in the interest of power.” Sulyok’s term will officially end at midnight on Monday, when speaker of Parliament, Ágnes Forsthoffer, will automatically assume his duties until lawmakers elect a new president, a task which has a 30-day deadline. Since taking office in May, Magyar’s administration has quickly gone to work dismantling what he calls Orbán’s “mafia” by removing numerous political appointees and heads of institutions viewed as having facilitated Orbán’s autocratic government. The new government suspended the news service of Hungary’s public television and radio — which Magyar has argued served as a “propaganda factory” for Orbán’s party — and shuttered Hungary’s Sovereignty Protection Office, an authority seen by Orbán’s opponents as a tool for intimidating critics and silencing independent media. The amendment which removed Sulyok also made some judicial reforms, set up an office aimed at investigating financial abuses under the Orbán government, and imposed a 12-year term limit on lawmakers. In a Facebook post on Saturday, Orbán responded to Sulyok’s signing of the amendment by writing that “tyranny is no longer a threat, but a reality.” “If this could be done to the president of the republic, then tomorrow no one will be safe,” Orbán wrote. But in a video statement on Facebook on Saturday, Magyar said that by passing the amendment, “we have fulfilled several of our important commitments and returned what the Orbán regime tried to take away from the Hungarian people for many years.” He added he would convene his party on Monday to discuss its nomination for a next president. Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

CHICAGO (AP) — The ball from current Cubs first baseman Michael Busch’s first inning solo homer against Minnesota on Saturday was recovered in Wrigley Field’s right-field bleachers by former Chicago first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo didn’t catch Busch’s 12th homer on the fly, but reached behind and picked the ball up off the concrete after it landed. Rizzo held it high in the air with a small boy on his shoulder. Rizzo, a three-time All-Star who played 10 of his 14 seasons with the Cubs, took part in dedicating an arching, 31-foot wide “Champions Gate” on the west side of Wrigley Field before the game. It commemorated the 10th anniversary of Chicago winning the World Series in 2016. Rizzo hit .292 with 32 homers and 109 RBIs in the 2016 regular season, then went on to add three homers and 10 RBIs in the postseason as the Cubs ended a 108-year championship drought. Team owner Tom Ricketts, 2016 manager Joe Maddon and Rizzo addressed the crowd in a ceremony that included some 20 players from team. Maddon and the players returned to the field before the game and right-hander Kyle Hendricks threw a ceremonial first pitch. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Islamic militants and a separatist group ambushed a Malian army convoy in the country’s hard-hit north on Saturday, resulting in the killing or capture of scores of soldiers, the rebels said. The Malian army confirmed the attack, saying in a statement that armed groups ambushed the convoy of Malian soldiers and their partners in a remote part of the northern Gao region, and that it was launching counterattacks. It was the latest in a series of militant attacks against Malian security forces in recent months as armed groups compete for influence and territories in the Sahel region. Later on Sunday, the army said it carried out “precision strikes against enemy positions” in the area where the attack happened. “Three terrorist positions were successfully targeted (and) several terrorists were neutralized. … These operations allowed the convoy to break free from the ambushes and continue its route,” it said. Both the regional al-Qaida affiliate JNIM and the separatist Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA, separately claimed responsibility for the attack as a joint operation in statements that spoke about “great human losses” and “serious material damage” on the side of the Malian army. The groups said the convoy was made up of both the Malian army and Russia’s Africa Corps, whose forces have been supporting Mali’s military on the ground. It is the latest such partnership between the two groups that observers say poses great risks to Mali’s stability and its ruling junta. “There were many soldiers killed, others captured alive. Army cars including armored cars were destroyed and others seized in good condition,” said FLA spokesperson Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane. The military convoy was leaving the northern town of Anefis and headed to Gao city when it was ambushed in the Sahara desert. The nature of the convoy wasn’t immediately clear, although fuel tankers could be seen as part of it, suggesting it could be a Malian logistics convoy. The rebels shared videos purportedly showing the soldiers lined up as they appear to be surrendering while surrounded by the militants and Malian military vehicles. In one of the videos, the rebels were seen opening fire on some soldiers lying on the ground. The soldiers were also seen being transported in vehicles belonging to the armed groups. The Associated Press could not independently verify the videos. There has been a series of militant attacks against Malian security forces in recent months as armed groups compete for influence and territories in the Sahel region. Landlocked Mali is part of the Sahel, a vast strip of land south of the Sahara Desert that has become the epicenter of extremist violence in recent years. In northern Mali, Tuareg-led separatist groups have been fighting for years to create an independent state named Azawad. In 2024, they merged into the Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA. Both the FLA and the JNIM have increasingly worked together in their attacks against Malian forces, including the largest coordinated attack in over a decade in the West African nation, which took place in April. Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will attend Sunday’s World Cup final after an invitation from her U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, their first meeting since December after months of verbal sparring. Sheinbaum did not attend the World Cup’s opening match in Mexico City, when her national team beat South Africa 2-0. Instead, she gave her ticket to a young Indigenous woman. “I decided to go because it is a direct invitation from the president of the United States,” Sheinbaum told Mexican media. “Canadian Prime Minister (Mark) Carney will also be there, and tomorrow I will record a message with more details.” The relationship between Sheinbaum and Trump is mired in tensions in different areas, including security and trade. Their last encounter was at World Cup draw in December. The World Cup is being hosted jointly by the three North American nations for the first time. Defending champions Argentina will take on Spain for the title in New Jersey. Spain’s King Felipe VI is also expected to attend. ___ Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

REDDING, Calif. (AP) — A father and son are expected to face federal kidnapping charges after they zip-tied two U.S. Forest Service employees and held them at gunpoint inside a trailer in Northern California near Mt. Shasta. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said the two workers were conducting routine field operations in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest when they were taken Thursday. They were released early Friday morning after being held for more than 12 hours near Gunboot Lake. “I want to say how profoundly grateful and relieved that we are, that our two employees were released safely. Their well-being continues to be our highest priority,” Schultz said. The 49-year-old suspect and his adult son surrendered around 2:30 a.m. Friday and walked out of the trailer carrying an assault rifle and knives. He also told authorities he had grenades. Shortly after deputies from the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s office reached the remote area around noon Thursday they deployed drones to help locate the trailer and started calling additional law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, for help. FBI Sacramento acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh said it’s fortunate no one was hurt during the standoff. “Crisis situations like this don’t often result in everyone leaving the scene safely,” Tosh said. U.S. Attorney Eric Grant said he plans to charge both men with kidnapping federal employees, but no charges were listed in online court records Saturday afternoon. Brought to you by www.srnnews.com