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Ecuador votes for a new president after years of violence and blackouts

Ecuadorian voters are preparing to cast their ballots for a new president for the second time in 18 months amid an unprecedented security crisis in the country.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, the son of a banana tycoon, was elected in 2023 to finish the term of his predecessor Guillermo Lasso, who had resigned, dissolved congress and triggered new elections to avoid impeachment.

On Sunday, voters will decide whether to stick with Noboa’s course against the country’s crime epidemic or seek an alternative voice in his political rival Luisa González.

Here’s what you need to know:

Who is Daniel Noboa?

Noboa, a 37-year-old businessman, was the dark horse candidate of the 2023 election, beating González in that year’s second round vote. He sought to distinguish himself as “center left” during the 2023 campaign but has adopted a hardline approach to fighting crime during his short first term.

Noboa has presided over a series of crises in his term. He has declared numerous states of emergency, deployed military units to tackle gang activity in the country’s streets, and began construction on a new maximum-security prison after an infamous criminal leader escaped from custody last year.

Last year, he shocked Latin American leaders when he broke diplomatic norms and ordered an unprecedented operation to arrest Jorge Glas, a former Ecuadorean vice president, from the Mexican embassy in Quito. Glas, who is twice convicted for corruption, had been seeking asylum from Mexico when the raid took place.

Noboa, who was born in the US, continued the close relations with the United States that were cultivated under Lasso. The president has ratified two military cooperation agreements with the US military during his first term. He has also advocated for the US to re-establish a military base in Ecuador to help fight the drug trade.

He even attended US President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January and later followed Trump’s lead by declaring tariffs on Mexican goods.

The incumbent president has also called for further investment in public infrastructure, and has aimed to eliminate what he calls Ecuador’s “uncontrollable deficit” through an increase in Value-Added Tax.

Who is his competition?

Noboa will face off against leftist politician González and 14 other candidates on Sunday. Unless one candidate pulls through with more than 50% of the vote, or the margin between the two most popular candidates is more than 10% wide, the election will proceed to a second round in April.

Noboa’s main rival González is a close confidante of former leftist President Rafael Correa, still a dominant figure in Ecuador’s politics. During the 2023 campaign, Correa supported González’ run from exile in Belgium. In 2020, the former president was sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison for aggravated bribery, a charge he has repeatedly denied.

Running to “Revive Ecuador,” González has pledged to tackle the drug trade just as vigorously as Noboa. She’s argued that the government should eliminate SNAI, which manages the country’s prisons, and invest in facial recognition technology to curb lawbreaking. She also wants to reestablish the Ministry of Justice, which Ecuador shuttered in 2018 to reduce public spending.

Noboa’s first term has seen widespread blackouts in Ecuador, and both candidates have pledged to increase the supply of alternative energy sources.

Gonzalez’ plan calls for increased private sector investment in wind and solar power, while Noboa’s administration recently passed a law through Congress deregulating private use of both kinds of energy. González insists that the government ought to directly manage its drought-crippled hydroelectric plants, which supply almost 80% of Ecuador’s electricity.

“I’m the president of my party,” González said, “I’m the one leading my campaign – it’s my government plan, and my plans for the public. So who will rule? It’ll be Luisa (González).”

Why has violence spiked in the country?

Ecuador has become a cocaine trafficking hub, according to security experts and a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report. Though Ecuador has historically avoided the cocaine trade, it’s located between the two largest narcotics production hotspots in the world, Peru and Colombia. Ecuador’s ports are now a major exit point for South American cocaine headed to North America and Europe, the UN says.

This newfound position in the international drug trade has sparked a protracted security crisis. Between 2021 and 2023, according to Human Rights Watch, the Ecuadorian homicide rate more than tripled, though the government has said that murders have dropped 16.5% in 2024.

Criminal organizations and local gangs have engaged in corruption and extortion, overrun prisons, and murdered numerous politicians.

During the last election, presidential candidate and anti-corruption activist Fernando Villavicencio was gunned down just days before the first votes were cast. Five people were later imprisoned for his murder, with prosecutors accusing two of them of being members of the notorious Los Lobos gang.

What are the other issues?

Alongside crime, drought from the El Niño weather phenomenon has crippled Ecuador’s hydroelectric plants and thrown the country into an energy crisis. To conserve electricity, the government has orchestrated several power cuts, some extending as long as 14 hours. Though the cuts ended in December, there is still an energy deficit.

Ecuador would typically buy electricity from its neighbor Colombia, but a prolonged regional drought has weakened electrical grids throughout the region.

The blackouts have come alongside a dire economic situation in the country. A World Bank study from October 2024 further noted that a little over half of the country’s jobs are informal and unregulated by the government, leaving a significant amount of potential tax revenue out of Ecuador’s coffers.

According to an editorial written by Isabel Chiriboga, a Latin America expert at the non-partisan think tank Atlantic Council, the next president will have the unenviable job of stewarding an economy “teetering on the brink of collapse.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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A rare diplomatic spat exposes growing pressures in the Pacific as US, China vie for influence

Pacific allies don’t usually air their dirty laundry in public.

But a rare on-the-record dispute between New Zealand and Kiribati has renewed focus on the poor and isolated island nation, highlighting the existential threat it faces from the climate crisis – against the backdrop of a tussle between the world’s biggest powers for regional dominance.

When New Zealand’s right-wing government unexpectedly announced an aid review for its Pacific neighbor last week – ostensibly over an alleged snub to a top official – it “caused serious anxiety” for the approximately 120,000 people who live in Kiribati, according to one i-Kiribati minister.

Foreign aid accounted for 18% of Kiribati’s national income in 2022, according to the Lowy Institute – with New Zealand among its largest donors.

The Micronesian nation of 33 coral islands is scattered over a remote area of the central Pacific that spans 3.5 million square kilometers (1.3 million square miles) – an area larger than India.

Though among the least populated countries, Kiribati has one of the world’s largest exclusive economic zones. Its relative proximity to Hawaii and United States military bases in Guam also gives it strategic importance as great powers compete for influence in the vast waterways between Asia and the Americas.

The diplomatic fallout has put fresh attention on the battle for influence in the Pacific between China and Western nations, mainly the United States.

It also comes as US President Donald Trump’s administration threatens to disrupt American relations in the region, with concerns from Pacific leaders over how US withdrawals from the Paris climate agreement and World Health Organization, as well as a 90-day aid freeze, will impact vulnerable communities.

Diplomatic spat

The dispute erupted last week with a sudden move from New Zealand’s deputy prime minister.

Peters had planned to lead a delegation to Kiribati last month, which included the handover of a New Zealand-funded $14 million hospital upgrade.

But a week before they were set to arrive, Kiribati told the delegation that Maamau, who is also the country’s foreign minister, “was no longer available” to receive them, Peters’ spokesperson said.

“The lack of political-level contact makes it very difficult for us to agree joint priorities for our development program, and to ensure that it is well targeted and delivers good value for money,” Peters’ office added.

Between 2021 and 2024, New Zealand’s aid commitments to Kiribati totaled $57 million, with investments in health, education, fisheries, economic development, and climate resilience.

An analyst said New Zealand’s surprising move to review the entire assistance package was born out of “deep frustration” from Peters “that a number of diplomatic efforts to engage with the Kiribati government have been rebuffed.”

“New Zealand has struggled to get access with the Kiribati government, including across those key areas in which New Zealand is supporting health, climate and education, for instance,” said Anna Powles, associate professor at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at Massey University in New Zealand.

Kiribati framed the situation as a misunderstanding, however.

In a statement, the Kiribati President’s Office said it was “surprised to learn” there were media reports on Peters’ visit, “which was still under active negotiations based on the understanding that alternative dates were to be explored.”

What’s really going on?

The dispute may reflect concern shared among Western countries that their interests in the Pacific are being weakened by China’s diplomatic and economic outreach, experts say.

Maamau had embarked on a visit to two of Kiribati’s nearest neighbors when the dispute became public.

“Kiribati has clearly indicated who its preferred partners are in the region: Fiji, Nauru and then, of course, China,” Powles said.

“Both New Zealand, as we’ve just seen, and Australia have had challenges in terms of engaging with Kiribati and getting the type of access that they would hope to get. Whereas China has not had those same challenges at all.”

Many Pacific nations have forged closer ties with Beijing in recent years. In 2019, pro-China President Maamau oversaw Kiribati’s switch in diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China, one of several Pacific countries to do so.

Under Maamau, who was re-elected to a third term in October last year, Kiribati has taken an authoritarian and isolationist turn, critics say. A prominent opposition leader last year raised concerns over a lack of transparency about 10 agreements signed between Kiribati and China in 2022.

Tensions rose that year when Maamau also pulled out of the Pacific Islands Forum, threatening the unity of the 18-member grouping at a time when the region faced increased geopolitical pressure. It rejoined in 2023, though some suspected Beijing’s hand in the decision to leave, a claim China’s Foreign Ministry rejected as “completely groundless.”

Pacific security partners Australia, New Zealand and the US have also expressed concern about the presence of uniformed Chinese officers on Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.

New Zealand going public with the spat was “not smart diplomacy,” said Jon Fraenkel, professor in comparative politics at Victoria University of Wellington. But it was unlikely that Wellington would ultimately cut the aid package, he added.

And though Beijing is a significant partner, “the level of Chinese assistance to Kiribati has not been extraordinarily large,” Fraenkel said. “A lot of it is just grant assistance, which may or may not have some kind of developmental impact.”

Concerns over Beijing’s influence in the region were reinforced on Wednesday when the Cook Islands’ Prime Minister Mark Brown announced a state visit to China next week to discuss a strategic partnership agreement. The Cook Islands is in free association with New Zealand, which means its people hold New Zealand citizenship.

The ministry said it expects the Cook Islands government to fully consult Wellington on “any major international agreements” that have “major strategic and security implications.”

US concerns

Under former President Joe Biden, the US ramped up rhetoric, as well as defense and security assistance to the Pacific to counter China’s growing regional influence.

It signed security agreements with Papua New Guinea and Fiji, renewed the Compacts of Free Association with Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, and opened an embassy in the Solomon Islands.

But US aid to the Pacific only accounted for 7% of oversees funding to the region in 2022, according to the Lowy Insitute’s Pacific Aid Map.

“There is a sense of concern that the US was not able to make as many inroads into the region as many partners in the Pacific had hoped,” Powles said.

The Biden administration unsuccessfully attempted to reopen an embassy in Kiribati and the US has “very little leverage on the ground,” she added.

And with Trump back in power, there is more concern that cuts to USAID, and Washington’s impending withdrawals from the Paris climate agreement and WHO “will further undermine the US’ reputation in the region,” Powles said.

The climate crisis is one of the region’s biggest security concerns. The Pacific Islands are among the most climate vulnerable places and are disproportionately affected by a warming world despite contributing the least to global emissions.

Rising and warming seas, the loss of coral reefs, acidic oceans, dwindling supplies of fresh water and fish, as well as disaster recovery support from more powerful cyclones are among the most pressing concerns.

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape said last month that the US withdrawing from the climate agreement was “totally irresponsible.”

As well as setting the US back on its own climate commitments, the withdrawal would impact funds for climate resiliency, disaster relief, and health.

“Trump’s strategy in the Pacific will be both deeply transactional but also prioritizing security over other forms of assistance and cooperation,” Powles said.

Among the tranche of executive actions Trump signed on his first day in office was an order to increase US Coast Guard presence around the world, including in the Pacific.

With Trump’s transactional nature, there are concerns Pacific Islands would be forced to choose between China and US assistance, Powles added.

But the island countries “are not fools,” said Fraenkel, of Victoria University of Wellington.

“Certainly, anything that isolates Kiribati from New Zealand or Australia makes it more likely that they’ll look elsewhere,” he added. But the impression that the island states are “just simply being seduced by the baubles of Beijing, is a slightly crude characterization.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Modi’s party returns to power in Indian capital for first time in 27 years

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party won elections in the sprawling megacity of Delhi for the first time in 27 years on Saturday, defeating one of his most prominent critics in a much-needed boost after losing its national majority last year.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 48 seats in the capital territory’s 70-member assembly, according to figures posted online by the Indian Election Commission.

“Development wins, good governance triumphs,” said Modi in a post on X. “I bow to my dear sisters and brothers of Delhi for this resounding and historic mandate.”

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of Arvind Kejriwal, one of Modi’s most prominent opponents and former chief minister of the capital, won just 22 seats.

“We accept the mandate of the people with great humility. I congratulate the BJP for this victory, and I hope they will fulfil all the promises for which people have voted them,” Kejriwal said in a video statement.

Delhi, a sprawling city of some 20 million people, faces huge issues like access to housing and high levels of air pollution that blanket the city in toxic smog for months each year.

The capital has long been a stumbling block for the BJP electoral juggernaut, which has rolled across much of India over the past decade, with the party last holding power there in 1998.

The AAP, which grew out of a popular anti-corruption movement, has governed the capital – home to India’s parliament and government buildings – since 2015.

Just before general elections in April last year, Kejriwal was arrested on graft charges that he and his party said were ordered by the BJP, something Modi’s government has long denied.

The US State Department later angered Modi’s government by calling on authorities to ensure a fair legal process for Kejriwal.

Modi won a third term at last year’s mammoth general elections, becoming the first leader since India’s founding prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to secure such a feat. But voters delivered a shock result that reduced the BJP’s majority in the national parliament, and the party now governs the country of 1.4 billion people as part of a coalition.

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Huge healthcare data breach exposes over 1 million Americans’ sensitive information

The healthcare industry has recently been a major target for hackers. You might remember the 2024 Ascension attack, which led to significant disruptions. 

The Change Healthcare breach was also on a massive scale. UnitedHealth initially claimed that 100 million Americans were affected, but later raised that number to 190 million. 

There have been countless other incidents, and now you can add another to the list. Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC), a Connecticut-based federally qualified health center, has disclosed a data breach following a criminal cyberattack on its systems. 

The attack has affected over a million people in the U.S.

What You Need to Know

Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC) detected a data breach on Jan. 2 after identifying unusual activity within its computer systems. An investigation confirmed that a skilled hacker had accessed and extracted data but did not delete or lock any information. If CHC’s claims are accurate, this is a positive outcome, as hackers often deploy ransomware, a type of attack in which they lock systems and demand payment before restoring access.

In a regulatory filing with the Maine Attorney General’s Office, CHC said that 1,060,936 people were affected by the data breach. The type of information compromised varies depending on an individual’s relationship with CHC. Patient data that may have been accessed includes names, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, diagnoses, treatment details, test results, Social Security numbers and health insurance information.

For individuals who are not regular CHC patients but received COVID-19 services at a CHC clinic, the breached data may include names, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, addresses, gender, race, ethnicity and insurance details if provided. Additional information, such as test dates, results and vaccine details, including type, dose and administration date, may also have been affected. In rare cases, Social Security numbers were also included in the breach.

The organization did not disclose how the hackers gained access to the data or whether proper cybersecurity measures were in place at the time of the breach. While CHC has assured that its systems are no longer at risk, the same cannot be said for its patients, who may now be targets of various cyberattacks.

CHC’s response

CHC said the hacker’s access was terminated within hours, and daily operations were not disrupted. To strengthen cybersecurity, CHC claims it has implemented advanced monitoring software and reinforced system protections. The organization said there is no evidence at this time that the compromised data has been misused.

The health center is offering free identity theft protection services for all patients and COVID-19 service recipients whose Social Security numbers were involved in the breach. The organization is also encouraging individuals whose Social Security numbers were not affected to take additional steps to protect their information.

 

6 ways to protect yourself from Change Healthcare data breach

The breach has exposed sensitive personal data, making it essential to reduce your online footprint. While no service can guarantee complete data removal, a reputable data removal service can significantly limit your exposure. These services systematically monitor and erase your personal information from numerous websites and data brokers. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.

With addresses among the compromised data, scammers may exploit this breach to send fraudulent letters. Be aware of mail claiming missed deliveries, account suspensions or security alerts. Always verify the authenticity of such communications before responding or taking action.

Scammers may use your compromised email or phone number to target you with phishing attacks. Be wary of messages asking for personal information or containing suspicious links. To protect yourself, ensure strong antivirus software is installed on all your devices. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

Given the scope of this breach, regular monitoring of your bank accounts, credit card statements and other financial accounts is critical. Look for unauthorized transactions or suspicious activity, and report any issues immediately to your bank or credit card provider.

If your Social Security number is exposed, you could become a target for related scams. Official communication regarding Social Security issues usually comes via mail, not phone calls or emails. Learn more about spotting and reporting scams by visiting the Social Security Administration’s scam information page.

Data breaches happen every day, and most never make the headlines, but with an identity theft protection service, you’ll be notified if and when you are affected. An identity theft protection service can monitor personal information like your Social Security number (SSN), phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. It can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals.

One of the best parts of using an identity theft protection service is that it might include identity theft insurance of up to $1 million to cover losses and legal fees and a white glove fraud resolution team where a U.S.-based case manager helps you recover any losses. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft. 

Kurt’s key takeaway

The CHC breach may not be as large as the UnitedHealth attack, but with over a million individuals affected, it’s still a serious incident. Cybercriminals can exploit stolen data in various ways, from identity theft to targeted phishing scams. While CHC has taken steps to secure its systems, those impacted should remain vigilant. Be wary of unexpected emails, calls or messages requesting personal information, and consider monitoring financial and medical accounts for any suspicious activity.

Do you think these companies are doing enough to protect your data, and is the government doing enough to catch those behind cyberattacks? Let us know by writing us at 

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to 

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

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Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:

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  • What is the best way to stay private, secure and anonymous while browsing the web?
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Trump must not repeat his Kim Jong Un mistake with Iran, security expert warns

President Donald Trump’s revelation this week that he wants to negotiate with Iran raised eyebrows in the security sector. A former national security advisor cautioned the president against forming a Kim Jong Un-type relationship with the Ayatollah. 

Trump has described his relations with Kim as a ‘love’ affair, but his first-term efforts at diplomacy with the hermit kingdom failed to prevent North Korea from advancing its nuclear program.

‘On the question of negotiations, we’ll see where this goes,’ said John Hannah, former national security advisor to Dick Cheney and current Randi & Charles Wax senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA).

Hannah spoke Thursday evening during a discussion hosted by JINSA in Washington, D.C., on Trump’s new plans to start negotiations with Iran. 

‘Trump and Kim Jong Un — that’s a worst-case [scenario] — he comes out hot and heavy against. He gets engaged and snared in a negotiation. He gets sweet talked to. It’s dragged out for the rest of his presidency,’ Hannah said. ‘And we make absolutely zero progress on dismantling or neutralizing the North Korean nuclear program.

‘That’s the nightmare.’ 

Trump’s decision to pursue negotiations with Iran to dismantle its nuclear program was announced by the president in a post Wednesday night on his Truth Social media platform, when he stated his desire for a ‘Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement.’

‘We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed,’ he wrote. ‘God Bless the Middle East!’ 

His post came one day after Trump signed an executive order directing the Treasury Department to begin a ‘maximum pressure’ campaign on Iran through sanctions targeting the regime’s oil exports in a move to deter Tehran from continuing its nuclear development. 

But, after the order, he told reporters he was ‘torn’ about signing the directive and added he was ‘unhappy to do it.’ 

The Trump administration has not released details on who will lead these negotiations, how they will differ from the negotiations attempted by the Biden administration or what a new deal would include that wasn’t in the international deal reached during the Obama administration under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). That deal was finalized by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — China, France, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S.

The so-called Iran nuclear deal, which Trump pulled out of in 2018, was also signed onto by Germany and the European Union.

Hannah said Trump’s change in tune on securing a nuclear deal with Iran could be a negotiating tactic, though he warned that ’25 years of negotiations with the Iranians on the nuclear program have led nowhere except an Iran right on the cusp of having nuclear weapons.’

The former national security advisor, along with the former special representative for Iran and Venezuela Ambassador Elliott Abrams, together warned that the Trump administration is facing a serious deadline when it comes to taking on negotiations with Iran.

Come October, Russia, a top ally to Iran, will take on the lead role of the United Nations Security Council, filling the presidency for one month, which could pose its own security concerns.   

But there is another October deadline looming over international attempts to block Iran’s nuclear development. The ability for the nations remaining in the JCPOA to apply ‘snapback’ sanctions on Tehran will expire Oct. 18, 2025.

‘There have to be negotiation discussions between Trump and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu on how long are we going to wait to see this negotiation drag on,’ Abrams said, referring to the years-long talks by the Biden administration that proved fruitless. 

‘I’m sure the Iranians will say if you impose snapback [sanctions] the negotiations are over, and we will leave the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.’

Iran, particularly in recent years, has been found to have repeatedly violated the treaty, though proponents of a nuclear deal argue it is a useful tool to keep Tehran involved in nuclear nonproliferation discussions. 

But Abrams also warned that the U.S. and Israel should engage in military drills to remind Iran of what it is potentially facing should it move forward with nuclear development. 

Retired Israel Defense Forces Major General Yaakov Amidror echoed this sentiment and said he believes it is unlikely that Iran completely ignores the threat of U.S.-Israeli strike force capabilities because it relies on the legitimate aspects of this nuclear program for economic stability.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday rejected the possibility of engaging in any future negotiations with the Trump administration. 

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Judge blocks Trump from placing 2,200 USAID workers on leave

A federal judge on Friday ordered a temporary block on plans by the Trump administration to put 2,200 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development on leave.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, also agreed to block an order that would have given just 30 days for the thousands of overseas USAID workers the administration wanted to place on abrupt administrative leave to move their families back to the U.S. at the government’s expense.

Both actions by the administration would have exposed the workers and their families to unnecessary risk and expense, according to the judge.

This comes as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency, seek to dismantle the agency.

Nichols noted that staffers living overseas have said the administration had cut some workers off from government emails and other communication systems required to reach the U.S. government in case of a health or safety emergency.

USAID contractors in various regions, including the Middle East, even reported that ‘panic button’ apps had been removed from their phones or disabled when the administration abruptly placed them on leave.

‘Administrative leave in Syria is not the same as administrative leave in Bethesda,’ the judge said.

The judge also pointed to workers stating difficulties that would arise from the 30-day timeline to return to the U.S., including that they had no home to return to in the U.S. after decades overseas and that they would be forced to pull children with special needs out of school in the middle of the school year.

Nichols ordered 500 USAID staffers who had already been placed on leave by the administration to be reinstated.

But the judge declined a request from two federal employee associations to grant a temporary block on an administration-imposed funding freeze that has shut down the agency and its work, pending more hearings on the workers’ lawsuit.

Nichols emphasized in the hearing earlier Friday that his order to pause the administration’s actions was not a decision on the employees’ request to block the administration’s efforts to quickly destroy the agency.

‘CLOSE IT DOWN,’ Trump said on Truth Social, referring to USAID, ahead of the judge’s ruling.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Trump’s cuts to foreign aid could benefit US position in Iran negotiations, expert says

President Donald Trump’s decision to cut foreign aid funding could strengthen the president’s bargaining position as he looks to contain Iran.

‘I look at the USAID cutoff and the praise that the Iranians have given as part of President Trump’s negotiating skills,’ EJ Kimball, director of Policy & Strategic Operations at the U.S. Israel Education Association, told Fox News Digital.

The comments come after Trump’s controversial decision to halt funding for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and send most of the employees of USAID packing, part of the administration’s plan to weed out what it considers wasteful government spending.

Despite the controversy, the decision has received praise from the Iranian regime, who have traditionally viewed U.S. aid to Iran as a threat to the country’s government.

According to a report from The Associated Press on Wednesday, Trump’s move has been ‘lauded’ in Iranian state media, who view the cuts to foreign aid as a blow to pro-democracy activists Iran believes have benefited from U.S. foreign aid.

The favorable perception of Trump’s move by Iran comes at a critical time, with Trump recently renewing the U.S.’s ‘maximum pressure’ campaign on Iran and reaffirming the U.S. position that Iran can never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.

While Trump has used harsh rhetoric on Iran in recent days, including a vow to ‘obliterate’ the country if it successfully carries out an alleged plot to assassinate him, the president has also urged the regime to begin negotiating for a ‘nuclear peace agreement’ with the United States.

‘I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon. Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED,’ Trump wrote in a post on social media Wednesday.

Kimball believes Trump can use the cuts to foreign aid as a bargaining chip in those potential negotiations, noting the president could change his mind and resume the funding if the Iranians fail to reach an acceptable deal.

‘I would say that he’s teasing the Iranians at the moment, knowing that really at any moment’s notice, he could immediately turn back on the spigot of funding to the opposition groups if he doesn’t feel like they’re acquiescing to his demands or negotiation,’ Kimball said.

‘It seems to me that he’s got a carrot-and-stick approach with the Iranian regime, and pausing funding for regime critics, teasing a deal, but also threatening sanctions, and talking to Israel about a military strike and how Iran will not get nuclear weapons is part of his master negotiating skills to keep his opponents off balance,’ Kimball added.

In the end, Kimball believes Trump’s ultimate goal is to cut a deal that would eliminate Iran’s nuclear program without putting U.S. service members in harm’s way in another overseas conflict.

‘It’s been very clear he does not want to send U.S. troops to war, but he’s also not going to be soft about it and allow the taking of a bad deal to avoid war,’ Kimball said. ‘The end goal for President Trump is a deal that removes the threat that Iran poses to the United States, to Israel, to the region, and really to the entire world, not just in their nuclear program, but in their ballistic missile development and delivery systems to ensure that Iran can be great again.’

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DAVID MARCUS: If USAID is so vital, where is the global outrage?

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

If you listen to the Democrats these days you will hear lamentations about the deep cuts the Trump Administration is making to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Lives will be lost, they insist.

But, curiously, outside of the United States, there has been a deafening silence in regard to this massive shift in how America goes about funding various projects around the world, and even some support for the changes from unlikely quarters.

Take the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, who shocked his CNN interviewer this week by saying of the cuts to USAID, ‘President Trump has unconventional ways of dealing with things. I completely agree with him.’ When pressed on the support his nation’s people may lose, he replied, ‘We might learn some lessons.’

The point that Kagame is making, and it is a wise one, is that Africa needs to be more self-sufficient and not permanently a needy client state of global powers, including America. USAID and the State Department dole out most of the roughly $70 billion in annual foreign aid from the U.S. But much of USAID’s funding is passed directly to various groups and projects that may or may not align with the recipient’s government. 

In Hungary, President Viktor Orban has gone a step further than applauding Trump’s USAID actions. His nation is making it illegal for many anti-government organizations to accept foreign aid from our country.

What started out as an opportunity to spread the basic American ideals of freedom and democracy turned into anti-democratic attempts to affect political change in other nations that border on imperialism.

‘Now is the moment when these international networks have to be taken down, they have to be swept away,’ Orban said this week, alleging that American foreign aid funds have been used in attempts to ‘topple’ his government.

Orban has a point. There is a fine line between, for example, exporting the American value of a free press by funding Hungarian news outlets, and interfering in Hungarian elections, especially if the news outlets are essentially mouthpieces for opposition parties.

The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, seconded Orban’s assessment in an X post in which he wrote that most nations don’t want the aid. ‘While marketed as support for development, democracy, and human rights, the majority of these funds are funneled into opposition groups, NGOs with political agendas, and destabilizing movements.’

U.S. foreign aid serves two basic purposes. The first is economic: We buy a certain amount of allegiance from developing nations with our largesse, as well as eventual access to their markets.

The second is informational: We get a megaphone to try to make those nations more like America and less like China. 

USAID is an independent agency established by President John F. Kennedy, but President Trump has moved to put it under Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Although Rubio has proposed deep personnel cuts, he has assured Americans that important, life-saving, economic aid that is in line with America’s interests will be protected by his department. And few argue we should simply shut down medical clinics or stop sending mosquito nets to Africa.

Even Kagame envisions his continent being weaned off of a need for foreign assistance, not quite going cold turkey.

No, where the real issue lies is in the informational purpose of foreign aid. What started out as an opportunity to spread the basic American ideals of freedom and democracy turned into anti-democratic attempts to affect political change in other nations that border on imperialism.

Moreover, the side order of wokeness that comes with American foreign aid these days, in areas like gender and sexuality, are not only unwelcome in many third world nations, but it can actually retard those societies’ natural evolution towards greater tolerance.

It is difficult at the moment to understand exactly what changes are being made to foreign aid. Beyond the dramatic removal of agency names on buildings and announced layoffs, it’s not clear what aid we are keeping and what we are disposing of.

Ultimately, it is Rubio who has put himself in charge of foreign aid and the future of USAID. It is his responsibility to separate the wheat from the chaff, the programs that both save lives and advance American interests, versus those driven by partisan ideology.

What is not acceptable to the American people, or it seems to many global leaders, is that American foreign aid continues with the status quo. Trump was elected to make concrete changes to how we influence and interact with the world.

Trump and Rubio earned and deserve this chance to dramatically change and fix an aspect of our foreign policy that has been broken for decades, that has lost sight of its mission and that has often wrought more harm than good.

This can be a new age for American foreign aid, and a much more successful one. 

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Former Hamas hostage released 491 days after he was kidnapped and his family was slaughtered

Eli Sharabi, who was ripped from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri by Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 attacks, has returned to Israel after 491 days in captivity. Sharabi’s family watched excitedly as he returned home, but three people were noticeably absent. Sharabi will not be greeted by his wife or daughters because Hamas terrorists murdered them during the 2023 massacre.

Sharabi and his family lived on Kibbutz Be’eri, a border community in southern Israel that was hit particularly hard on Oct. 7, 2023. In January 2024, just months after Hamas’ attacks, Israel confirmed that Sharabi’s brother, Yossi, who was also taken hostage, was killed in captivity.

Kibbutz Be’eri saw 98 men, women and children slaughtered in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks and 30 kidnapped. Among them were Sharabi and Ohad Ben-Ami, who was also released on Feb. 8, 2025. The kidnapped and killed accounted for approximately a tenth of the population of Kibbutz Be’eri, which is less than four miles from the Gaza border.

It is unclear whether Sharabi knows what happened to his wife, Lianne, and daughters, Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13. It is also unknown whether Or Levy, who was taken from the Nova festival and released to Israel on Saturday, is aware that his wife was killed on Oct. 7, 2023.

Sharabi is not the first hostage to be released from captivity to a reality without his wife and children. Yarden Bibas, who was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was released from Hamas captivity on Feb. 1, after spending over 480 days as a hostage in Gaza. Yarden’s wife, Shiri, and their two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, remain in Hamas captivity.

The image of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas’ kidnapping went viral as the two red-headed boys were seen clinging to their mother. Kfir, who is now two years old, was just nine months old when he was kidnapped, making him the youngest hostage. Ariel and Kfir are the only children taken on Oct. 7 who remain in Gaza. The condition of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir remains unknown.

‘Sadly, my family hasn’t returned to me yet. They are still there. My light is still there, and as long as they’re there, everything here is dark. Thanks to you, I was brought back – help me bring the light back to my life,’ Yarden said in a statement distributed by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. This is his first statement since being freed.

While in captivity, Bibas was forced to make a hostage film in which he was seen breaking down as Hamas claimed his wife and children had been killed. Hamas often uses these types of videos as part of what the IDF calls ‘psychological terror.’ However, the terror organization included Shiri, Kfir and Ariel on the list of 33 hostages set to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire deal.

Yarden referenced the video in his statement and made a plea directly to Prime Minister Netanyahu.

‘Prime Minister Netanyahu, I’m now addressing you with my own words, which no one dictated to me: Bring my family back. Bring my friends back. Bring everyone home.’

The release of Sharabi, Levy and Ben-Ami marks the fifth round of hostage releases. While they too were forced to participate in a ceremony with Hamas prior to leaving Gaza, the images of the three men were strikingly different from many of those who had been freed before them. The three of them looked starved and exhausted, with many on social media comparing them to Holocaust victims.

Israeli President Isaace Herzog said that the ’emaciated and pained’ men were a visual representation of a ‘crime against humanity.’ In response to the images of the men, Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to take action, saying their condition would ‘not be ignored.’

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Ruby and Hagit Chen, whose son Itay Chen remains in Hamas captivity, noted the ‘disturbing images’ and demanded Netanyahu begin ‘intensive negotiations’ to bring the remaining hostages, including their son, home.

There are still 76 hostages in Hamas captivity, many of whom are believed to be alive. So far, as part of the current ceasefire deal, Hamas has released 18 hostages. In exchange for the hostages, Israel has released more than 550 Palestinian prisoners.

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Pritzker trolls Trump by ‘renaming’ Lake Michigan as ‘Lake Illinois,’ joking he’d annex Green Bay

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has taken a satirical jab at President Donald Trump’s effort to rename the Gulf of Mexico and annex Greenland. 

A straight-faced Pritzker released a choreographed video on Friday, with fake camera shutter clicks going off in the background, where he asserts that he is renaming Lake Michigan to ‘Lake Illinois,’ poking fun at Trump’s recent executive order where he changed the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America.

‘The world’s finest geographers, experts who study the Earth’s natural environment, have concluded a decades-long council and determined that a great lake deserves to be named after a great state,’ Pritzker said. 

‘So today, I’m issuing a proclamation declaring that hereinafter, Lake Michigan shall be known as Lake Illinois. The proclamation has been forwarded to Google to ensure the world’s maps reflect this momentous change.’

Trump signed Executive Order 14172 on his first day back in office which changed the name of the ocean basin. The order also renamed the highest peak in North America to ‘Mount McKinley,’ reversing the 2015 decision to call it by its centuries-old name Denali.

Google has said it will make Trump’s changes once the Department of the Interior updates the Geographic Names Information System. As of today, Google Maps still refers to it as the Gulf of Mexico.

In the video, Pritzker then switches his attention to Green Bay, a Wisconsin city near Lake Michigan. And just like how Trump vowed to take over Greenland from Denmark, Pritzker pledged to snap up Green Bay from The Badger State.  

‘In addition, the recent announcement that to protect the homeland, the United States will be purchasing Greenland… Illinois will now be annexing Green Bay to protect itself against enemies, foreign and domestic,’ Pritzker said. 

‘I’ve also instructed my team to work diligently to prepare for an important announcement next week regarding the Mississippi River.’

‘God bless America and bear down,’ Pritzker said, a nod to Wisconsin’s Green Bay Packers, one of Chicago Bears’ biggest rivals.

The video comes on the heels of a Justice Department lawsuit filed against the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago for allegedly interfering with federal immigration enforcement with its sanctuary polices.

The lawsuit claims that several state and local laws are designed to interfere with the federal government’s enforcement of federal immigration law in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution.

Pritzker and Trump have also clashed over Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship, with Pritzker declaring the move unconstitutional. 

Trump’s order, ‘Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,’ asserts that the 14th Amendment of the Constitution does not automatically confer American citizenship to individuals who are born within the United States. 

They also feuded during Trump’s first term in office when Pritzker claimed the state only recovered a quarter of its requested personal protective equipment from the federal government.

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