Crooked Bough News Round-up

— No arrests after Budapest Pride defied Orban’s ban, police say

 

at 7/14/25 5:16pm

Two weeks after Budapest Pride persisted in the face of government threats, an organizer expressed tentative relief at the lack of a police crackdown.

— State Department cuts China policy staff amid major overhaul

 

at 7/14/25 2:31pm

The State Department fired personnel and consolidated offices that help craft the U.S. diplomatic response to China’s aggression in Asia and global tech competition.

— Israeli jets hit Syrian forces seeking to quell sectarian clashes in the south

 

at 7/14/25 7:11am

Sectarian clashes between Druze and Bedouin militias have killed at least 30 people as well as six government soldiers.

— Ukraine optimistic as Trump signals shift on supplying weapons

 

at 7/14/25 5:29am

After months of mixed signals over the war, President Donald Trump appears set to resume military support for Ukraine, using European money, amid his disappointment with Vladimir Putin.

— King Charles III to host Trump in September for second U.K. state visit

 

at 7/14/25 4:46am

Buckingham Palace confirmed that the president has accepted the king’s invitation to visit from Sept. 17 to 19. He and the first lady will be hosted at Windsor Castle.

— The Philippines is quietly working with Taiwan to counter China

 

at 7/14/25 3:00am

Manila’s significant shift could pave the way for the Philippines, an American treaty ally, to play a bigger role in regional defense if China invades Taiwan.

— Trump ready to send weapons to Ukraine again, get tough on Russia

 

at 7/14/25 2:42am

After months of mixed signals over the war, Trump appears to resume military support for Ukraine, with E.U. funding, amid disappointment with Putin.

— Some world leaders butter up Trump. Others welcome the fight.

 

at 7/13/25 10:00pm

World leaders are choosing to either flatter or defy President Trump. Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu chose the former, becoming one of several leaders to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

— Ukraine says it killed Russian agents who assassinated senior intel officer

 

at 7/13/25 7:43pm

In a rare statement, Ukraine’s SBU said that it killed two Russian agents responsible for assassinating Col. Ivan Voronych in Kyiv.

— IDF blames ‘error’ for Gaza strike that killed children collecting water

 

at 7/13/25 5:44pm

Ten people, including children, were killed in a strike at a water collection point in central Gaza, according to health officials. Israel is investigating the incident.

— Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerian president and ex-military ruler, dies at 82

 

at 7/13/25 10:54am

He escalated the country’s conflict with Boko Haram and sought to reduce state corruption, but grew increasingly unpopular over his two terms as president.

— Hospitals struggle, hunger surges in Afghanistan amid U.S. aid cuts

 

at 7/13/25 1:00am

The U.S. provided more than 40 percent of humanitarian support to Afghanistan until Trump’s recent cuts. Aid groups warn the impacts could be devastating.

— Iran sees chance for nuclear deal with U.S. even after attacks

 

at 7/13/25 12:00am

Amid a power struggle among Iranian elites, those advocating negotiation over confrontation may increasingly have the upper hand, analysts say.

— In China, the master’s degree is the new bachelor’s degree

 

at 7/12/25 11:00pm

College graduates are earning master’s degrees just to have a chance in a job market marred by China’s shaky post-pandemic recovery.

— Palestinian American from Florida killed in the West Bank, family says

 

at 7/12/25 1:43pm

Sayfollah Kamel Musallet, who lived in Tampa and was an American citizen, his family said, was visiting relatives in the West Bank when he was killed.

— Trump says he’ll slap 30% tariffs on Mexico, European Union on Aug. 1

 

at 7/12/25 9:55am

Trump has spent the past several days sending letters to world leaders about new tariffs the United States would be imposing on them.

— El Chapo’s son Ovidio Guzmán López pleads guilty to U.S. drug charges

 

at 7/12/25 8:48am

Ovidio Guzmán López admitted to overseeing the smuggling of cocaine, fentanyl and other drugs into the United States in a government plea deal. A date for his sentencing has not been set.

— Forget the tennis finals. At Wimbledon this July, it’s pickleball.

 

at 7/12/25 4:28am

The upstart court sport is taking the United Kingdom by storm and raising a racket among some traditional tennis fans.

— Japan, after 101 tough days, learns a hard lesson about U.S. alliance

 

at 7/12/25 3:00am

Japan thought it had a special relationship with the U.S. Now, Tokyo is finding that its security alliance counts for little as it struggles to cut a trade deal.

— A love note in a bottle is found years later, an ocean away

 

at 7/12/25 2:30am

Anita and Brad’s message floated all the way from Canada’s Bell Island to Ireland’s west coast — leaving online detectives wondering: Were they still together?

As of 7/14/25 6:06pm. Last new 7/14/25 5:25pm.