INTERNACIONAL
Hungarians vote in record numbers as Trump-ally Viktor Orbán faces biggest electoral threat since 2010
JD Vance goes to Budapest
JD Vance rallies for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest ahead of a pivotal election, drawing attention from US conservatives. Panelists discuss Orban’s tight re-election bid, facing a flagging economy and corruption allegations that could end his 16-year hold on power. Critics highlight his controversial economic strategy and ties to Vladimir Putin, including blocking European Union aid to Ukraine, making the race unpredictable.
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The U.S. and Europe are watching closely as Hungarians turned out in record numbers to vote Sunday in a high-stakes election that sets up Trump ally, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, against his former political ally, Péter Magyar.
Trailing in the opinion polls, Orbán’s received a major boost earlier this week when Vice President JD Vance visited the country, making clear what the administration’s position was on the importance of having a pro-U.S. candidate in the heart of Europe, as so many of its continental allies have proven lackluster, most notably for a lack of help in the war against Iran.
In his remarks, Vance made clear why he was there. «The reason why we’re doing it is because we thought there was so much garbage happening against Viktor in this election that we had to show that there are actually a lot of people and a lot of friends across the world who recognize that Viktor and his government are doing a good job, and they’re important partners for peace,» he said at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium, a private university in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. «That’s why we’re here, but ultimately the Hungarian people are going to be sovereigns because that’s how it should be.»
TRUMP CALLS INTO VANCE-ORBAN HUNGARY EVENT: ‘MY KIND OF PEOPLE’
Vice President JD Vance laughs at the sound of President Donald Trump calling in as he was delivering remarks at a Day of Friendship event with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at MTK Sportpark in Budapest, Hungary, on April 7, 2026. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Following Vance’s return to the U.S., President Donald Trump weighed in on Truth Social Friday: «My Administration stands ready to use the full economic might of the United States to strengthen Hungary’s Economy, as we have done for our great allies in the past, if Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the Hungarian People ever need it. We are excited to invest in the future prosperity that will be generated by Orbán’s continued leadership!»
Beloved by many older and more rural Hungarians and reviled by detractors, Orbán has emerged as the country’s most consequential leader since its transition to democracy at the end of the Cold War. Still, the election campaign has become intense.
Orbán’s strained relationship with the European Union comes from his positioning on Russia’s war against Ukraine, his country’s firm support of Israel and his hard stance on not accepting migrants, which led to EU financial sanctions for his refusal to open the country’s border to foreigners.
During the 16-year Orbán government, the Hungarian economy has grown relatively quickly for an EU country. The country’s GDP per capita (what the average person earns annually) rose to nearly $17,000 last year, up from approximately $12,000 in 2014, according to Trading Economics data. However, it’s not all good. Inflation has recently been relatively high at an annual rate of 4.9%, and business sentiment has been consistently negative since Aug. 2022.
TRUMP SAYS HUNGARY’S BORDER STANCE KEEPS CRIME DOWN, SAYS EUROPE ‘FLOODING’ WITH MIGRANTS
Péter Magyar, a former insider within Orban’s ruling Fidesz party speaks during a protest outside the Hungarian Interior Ministry building to demand stronger protections for children and Interior minister Sandor Pinter to step down, in Budapest, Hungary, Friday, April 26, 2024. Magyar is leading the polls in April’s 2026 election. (Denes Erdos/AP)
The poll of polls shows Magyar’s Tisza party with 50% of the vote and Orbán’s Fidesz party behind at 39% as of April 9, according to Politico. Magyar now poses the largest electoral threat to Orbán since 2010.
«The polls are going well for the opposition,» Daniel Wood, portfolio manager at William Blair Investment Management, told Fox News Digital. «If the opposition wins, there’s a chance that the EU unlocks the frozen funds, which are around 7% of the GDP.»
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, at the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, May 13, 2019. Trump is meeting with the nationalist leader of Hungary despite bipartisan objections from Congress, as the U.S. seeks to steer the Central European nation and NATO member away from Russia and China. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)
Speaking to reporters outside a polling station Sunday, Orbán, 62, said the campaign had been «a great national moment on our side» and thanked activists and supporters for their work. «I’m here to win,» the Associated Press reported.
In an interview earlier in the week, Péter Magyar complained the EU’s longest-serving leader has led the country on a «180-degree turn» in recent years, endangering its Western orientation while cozying up to Moscow. Yet despite that drift, «Hungarians still see that Hungary’s peace and development are guaranteed by membership of the European Union and NATO,» Magyar said. «I think this really will be a referendum on our country’s place in the world,» he told the Associated Press.
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Results are expected later this afternoon.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
europe, elections, the european union, donald trump, alliances, jd vance
INTERNACIONAL
Top energy group warns wealthy foreigners are potentially bankrolling anti-data center campaigns across US
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Power the Future, a pro-energy advocacy group, is asking Congress to take a closer look at opposition to data centers springing up across the country.
In a letter to Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., the group asked lawmakers to open formal investigations into millions of dollars in funding they believe is incentivizing nonprofits and local groups to take up an environmental stance against data centers.
In their view, it’s a movement that’s trying to look more grassroots than it actually is.
«We request that your committees open a formal investigation into a coordinated, billionaire-funded, and potentially foreign-backed political campaign designed to block the construction of data center and AI infrastructure across the United States, which sits among the most important economic and national-security buildouts of President Trump’s second term,» the letter reads.
FOREIGN BILLIONAIRES FUNNEL $2.6B TO US ADVOCACY GROUPS TO INFLUENCE POLICY, WATCHDOG REPORT CLAIMS
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., speaks to reporters after a closed-door deposition with Ghislaine Maxwell at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2026. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
The letter highlights fears that American laws surrounding nonprofits, which shield donors from public disclosures, could be enabling wealthy ideologues to make donations that are difficult to track.
The group pointed to environmentally-minded nonprofits like the Sierra Club, Food and Water Watch, Earthjustice, Goods Jobs First, Piedmont Environmental Council, the Southern Environmental Law Center, MediaJustice and the Athena Coalition that have received — and spent millions — opposing their expansion.
New Venture Fund, the Sierra Club Foundation and the Sixteen Thirty Fund collectively received over $13 million from pro-environmental donors, according to grant reporting.
It’s unclear if those donations were made for the express intent of opposing data center constructions.
Even so, across the board, the groups affirm that data centers are costing more resources than they are worth at the expense of local communities’ environmental well-being.
Power the Future disagrees.
RAPID RISE OF AI PUTS NEW URGENCY ON CONGRESS TO UNLEASH AMERICAN ENERGY
The Douglas County Google Data Center in Lithia Springs, Ga., March 6, 2026. (Mike Stewart/AP)
Beyond generating tax revenue for communities and creating employment opportunities, Power the Future argued that the data centers enable the U.S. to stay competitive with foreign powers.
«Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has called opposition to that buildout a ‘surrender’ to China,» Power the Future wrote in its data center report.
«The compute infrastructure that trains AI models, processes intelligence data and powers the next generation of American economic and military advantage has to be built somewhere.»
Although the group’s founder, Daniel Turner, believes that part of the opposition may well come from legitimate local concerns about unwanted development in rural areas, he’s skeptical of the money being pumped into the picture.
‘BAD IDEA’: CONSERVATIVES WARN RED STATE DATA CENTER BILL WILL DERAIL TRUMP’S VISION OF ENERGY ‘GOLDEN AGE’
Racks of servers with colorful wires at a data center as AI expansion strains the power grid, prompting a proposal for tech firms to fund their own energy needs. (Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images)
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«There is certainly a lot for communities to discuss around data centers. But is it a paid operation by radical green groups who see banning data centers as the new banning the gas stove or banning the leaf blower?» Turner said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Power the Future has found 188 local opposition groups across 24 states that oppose data center expansion, according to its research.
infrastructure across america, controversies environment, congress, lobbying, energy in america
INTERNACIONAL
La guerra contra Irán: Donald Trump dijo que Estados Unidos va a “liberar” desde este lunes barcos que están atascados en el estrecho de Ormuz
El presidente Donald Trump dijo este domingo que Estados Unidos va a “liberar” barcos que están atascados en el Estrecho de Ormuz a partir del lunes, lo que sugiere que su gobierno romperá al menos temporalmente el bloqueo en esta vía estratégica por donde circula el 20% del petróleo del mundo.
Trump dijo que la iniciativa es «un gesto humanitario» y advierte a Irán de no interferir en la operación.
En un posteo en la red Truth Social, Trump publicó este domingo: “Países de todo el mundo, casi todos no involucrados en la actual violenta disputa en Oriente Medio…han pedido a Estados Unidos que ayudemos a liberar sus barcos, que están encerrados en el Estrecho de Ormuz, por algo con lo que no tienen absolutamente nada que ver. ¡Son meros espectadores neutrales e inocentes!»,
«Por el bien de Irán, Oriente Medio y Estados Unidos, hemos dicho a estos países que guiaremos sus barcos con seguridad fuera de estas vías restringidas, para que puedan continuar con sus asuntos con libre y eficacia. De nuevo, estos son barcos de zonas del mundo que no tienen ninguna relación con lo que actualmente ocurre en Oriente Medio”.
“He dicho a mis representantes que les informen de que haremos todo lo posible para sacar a sus barcos y tripulaciones del estrecho con seguridad. En todos los casos, dijeron que no volverán hasta que la zona sea segura para la navegación y todo lo demás”.
“Este proceso, Proyecto Libertad, comenzará el lunes por la mañana, hora de Oriente Medio. Soy plenamente consciente de que mis representantes están manteniendo discusiones muy positivas con el país de Irán, y que estas discusiones podrían conducir a algo muy positivo para todos”, explicó.
“El movimiento de los barcos solo pretende liberar a personas, empresas y países que no han hecho absolutamente nada malo — son víctimas de las circunstancias. Este es un gesto humanitario en nombre de Estados Unidos, los países de Oriente Medio pero, en particular, el país de Irán”, agregó.
Trump dijo que la iniciativa era un gesto humanitario: “Muchos de estos barcos están quedándose sin comida y con todo lo necesario para que las tripulaciones a gran escala puedan mantenerse a bordo de forma sana y sanitaria. Creo que eso ayudaría mucho a mostrar buena voluntad en nombre de todos aquellos que han estado luchando tan intensamente durante los últimos meses. Si, de alguna manera, se interfiere este proceso humanitario, esa interferencia tendrá que ser tratada con contundencia”.
Según la Organización Marítima Internacional, más de 20.000 marineros están varados en unos 2.000 petroleros y cargueros que no pueden salir por el estrecho. Los países de la región han cerrado una producción significativa de petróleo porque ya no hay ningún lugar donde almacenar nuevos suministros.
Después de que Irán cerrara efectivamente el estrecho, Estados Unidos impuso un bloqueo naval a los puertos de la República Islámica, buscando presionar su economía y bloquear las exportaciones de petróleo.
Esto ha generado preocupaciones en la Casa Blanca de que los republicanos puedan sufrir una derrota contundente en las elecciones legislativas de mitad de mandato de noviembre, mientras los estadounidenses lidian con los altos precios del combustible, que se han disparado en los surtidores hasta un 40%
Las más recientes encuestas confirman el pesimismo de los estadounidenses respecto de la gestión de Trump, sobre todo en su manejo de la guerra y la inflación.
Una encuesta de The Washington Post/ABC/Ipsos de este domingo señaló que la aprobación de Trump en temas económicos, que fue fundamental para su regreso a la Casa Blanca en 2024, cayó desde que inició la guerra de Irán a finales de febrero.
Un 66 por ciento de los ciudadanos desaprueba su gestión de la guerra con Irán, frente a un 33% que la avala. Su valoración económica ha bajado siete puntos, hasta el 34 por ciento, debido sobre todo al aumento de los combustibles. Su índice de aprobación sobre el manejo de la inflación ha caído cinco puntos desde el inicio de la guerra en febrero, hasta el 27 por ciento, y su puntuación más baja se debe a la percepción de su gestión del costo de vida general, con un 23 por ciento que lo aprueba frente a un 76 por ciento que lo rechaza.
La aprobación global de Trump se sitúa ahora en el 37 por ciento, en gran medida igual que el 39 por ciento de febrero. Pero su desaprobación ha alcanzado el 62 por ciento, la cifra más alta de sus dos mandatos.
La encuesta muestra también que, si bien la imagen de Trump se mantiene firme entre sus seguidores más fieles, el electorado más moderado e independiente (clave para ganar una elección en EE.UU.) se aleja del jefe de la Casa Blanca.
Entre los republicanos, la aprobación de Trump se ha mantenido estable en el 85 por ciento, pero su índice de valoración entre los independientes con tendencia republicana ha alcanzado un nuevo mínimo del 56 por ciento. Su índice de aprobación es del 25 por ciento entre los independientes en general.
INTERNACIONAL
Somali pirate and Houthi alliance targets $1T oil trade route with revived hijack tactic
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A surge in Somali piracy is fueling fears of a Red Sea «security vacuum» across the region as analysts warn of a revived maritime crime playbook, now linked to Iran-backed Houthis.
The warning follows a May 2 report from Yemen’s coast guard that armed men hijacked an oil tanker off Shabwa and steered it toward the Gulf of Aden, and the vessel has since been located with recovery efforts underway, Reuters reported.
«There is a fundamental shift in the maritime center of gravity amid a new phase of maritime instability in the region,» Ido Shalev, chief operating officer at RTCOM Defense, told Fox News Digital.
«Somali and Houthi-linked groups are teaming up — using skiffs and new tech to strike ships with coordination not seen in a decade — while Saudi crude rerouted from the Strait of Hormuz has created a ‘target-rich environment for them,’» he added.
COULD SOMALILAND BASE EMERGE AS US FOOTHOLD AGAINST IRAN, HOUTHIS IN KEY SEA LANES?
Members of the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) sit on a speed boat as they patrol the Gulf of Aden waters off the coast of Bosaso in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, Somalia. (Abdirahman Hussein/Reuters)
«There is an opportunistic alignment, with the Houthis providing geopolitical cover and advanced GPS and surveillance, and Somali groups providing the boots on the ground or skiffs on the water,» Shalev said.
With the MT Eureka taken off Shabwa, Shalev, a former Israeli naval officer, suggested what he called the «Somali model» had returned «with a vengeance.»
«This is a transactional collaboration, and in the exact area where the Houthis are active and would like to cause damage and support their IRGC sponsor,» he said before describing how pirates would hijack the entire ship and cargo, taking them to a secure anchorage «like Qandala or Garacad.»
«They then demand a ransom for the entire package: the vessel, the tens of millions of dollars in oil, and the crew,» he said.
TRUMP HALTS MILITARY STRIKES ON HOUTHIS BUT EXPERT WARNS IRAN-BACKED TERRORIST GROUP REMAINS MAJOR THREAT
Somali and Houthi-linked groups are teaming up using skiffs and new tech to strike ships with coordination not seen in a decade. (Jason R. Zalasky/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
The surge in regional risk is also exacerbated, Shalev said, by the volatility of the Strait of Hormuz. As Iranian-backed threats persist in the Persian Gulf, global energy flows are shifting.
«Due to the closure and instability of the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia has diverted millions of barrels of crude per day through its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu,» the former Israeli naval officer said.
«This creates a target-rich environment in a sector that was previously a backbound route. With Brent Crude prices surging — peaking near $115/bbl this quarter — the prize for a successful hijacking has never been higher.»
The risk level in waters off Somalia was recently upgraded to «substantial» following a wave of hijackings and attempted attacks that began April 21, according to Windward AI and alerts from the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
At least three vessels were hijacked within days: a Somali-flagged fishing boat on April 21, followed by the Palau-flagged tanker Honour 25 (IMO 1099735), and, by April 26, a general cargo ship seized and redirected to Garacad.
ISRAEL’S NAVY HITS HOUTHIS IN YEMEN IN ‘UNIQUE’ STRIKE AFTER TRUMP PROMISES END TO US OPS
The surge in regional piracy risk is exacerbated by the volatility of the Strait of Hormuz as Iranian-backed threats persist in the Persian Gulf and global energy flows are shifting. (Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Cassandra Thompson/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
Shalev, who served as the lead architect for Nigeria’s «Falcon Eye» project — a surveillance system that successfully reduced piracy in those waters to 0% — warned that the distraction of global warships is being exploited.
«Because international naval forces are preoccupied with missile threats, a ‘security vacuum’ has now opened in the region, so pirates can travel vast distances in skiffs to board vulnerable commercial vessels,» he said.
«Somali piracy, which had been suppressed for years, has seen this sharp resurgence that also correlates perfectly with the Houthi crisis in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,» Shalev said.
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The Red Sea carries 12% to 15% of global trade and about 30% of container traffic, moving over $1 trillion in goods annually, including oil and LNG, according to reports.
«The current crisis proves that you cannot ‘patrol’ your way out of this; you have to see the threat before it ever reaches the ship,» Shalev said.
somali immigrant community, middle east, coast guard, saudi arabia, iran
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