Primary showdown: Conservative firebrand Marsha Blackburn eyes governor’s office in Tennessee

August 6, 2026 6:00am EDT / Fox News

The two-term senator faces Rep John Rose and state Rep Monty Fritts in Tuesday’s race to succeed Gov Bill Lee

By Paul Steinhauser Fox News

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., analyzes the Democratic strategy to limit President Donald Trump’s war powers regarding Iran, calling it a ‘delay tactic.’ She emphasizes confronting Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its role in funding terrorist groups like Hamas. Blackburn also criticizes a Michigan Senate candidate for his anti-Israel comments.

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Conservative firebrand Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee is aiming to change her work address from Washington D.C., to Nashville.

The former longtime congresswoman and two-term senator with a robust national profile thanks to her regular cable news appearances is considered the front-runner in Thursday’s Republican gubernatorial primary, in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Bill Lee.

The Republican face-off for governor of Tennessee, where Democrats haven’t won a gubernatorial election in two decades, takes top billing as the red-leaning southeastern state holds nominating contests for state and federal offices.

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Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee is running for governor in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Bill Lee.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Blackburn is running in a race that also includes four-term Rep. John Rose, who like Blackburn is a staunch Capitol Hill supporter of President Donald Trump, and state Rep. Monty Fritts.

Even though the president handed out endorsements in other GOP gubernatorial primaries this cycle, Trump remained neutral in the Tennessee contest.

“Unfortunately, she’s running for governor. She’s running for governor of Tennessee. I’d love her not to, I begged her,” Trump said in January. “‘I said, ‘Marsha, don’t. We don’t want to lose you in the Senate.’”

But the president has said Blackburn would be a good governor, and also noted that Rose has been a staunch loyalist.

Even though she didn’t land Trump’s endorsement, Blackburn has showcased her support for him.

“As President Trump sends power and authority back to the states, I’m ready to deliver for the people of the Volunteer State and make our state America’s conservative leader,” she wrote on the eve of the primary in a social media post that included a photo of her and Trump.

Five Democrats, including Memphis City Councilwoman Jerri Green, are bidding for their party’s gubernatorial nomination.

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Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., is seen inside the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 4, 2026.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.)

Tennessee’s other U.S. senator, Republican Bill Hagerty, is unopposed in the GOP primary as he seeks a second six-year term in the Senate.

Five Democrats are vying to challenge Hagerty in the general election. Then-Sen. Al Gore’s re-election 36 years ago was the last time a Democrat won a Senate contest in Tennessee.

In U.S. House battles, Memphis voters will cast ballots for their Democratic and Republican nominees using a new GOP-drawn congressional district map that created an extra right-leaning seat and forced longtime Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen to not seek re-election.

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Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) walks through the U.S. Capitol on February 3, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, two-term Republican Rep. Andy Ogles, a major Trump ally in the House who is backed by the president, is facing a stiff primary challenge from Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, who was endorsed earlier this week by Lee. The race has seen a large infusion of money from outside groups.

Paul Steinhauser covers the national campaign trail from coast to coast for Fox News

EXCLUSIVE: Illegal immigrant’s hit-and-run on ‘kind’ elderly woman triggers ICE action: ‘Could hear screaming’

Guatemalan national Tomas Raymundo Brito allegedly struck a 74-year-old woman twice, leaving her on life support

August 6, 2026 5:30am EDT / Fox News

By Peter Pinedo Fox News

FIRST ON FOX:An illegal immigrant’s alleged hit-and-run that critically injured an elderly woman outside her Miami-Dade home prompted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to urge local authorities to “cooperate with us and not release this criminal from jail.”

Seventy-four-year-old Geraldine Byrd, who neighbors described as “kind” and friendly, is on life support in critical condition after authorities say she was run over by illegal immigrant Tomas Raymundo Brito, according to CBS Miami.

The outlet reported that Brito allegedly struck Byrd twice outside her home early Sunday morning. Byrd had stepped out of her car to open her gate when Brito allegedly struck her vehicle, causing it to spin into Byrd before his truck allegedly struck her again, trapping her underneath the vehicle.

Neighbors were reportedly alerted to the crash by the sound of a loud boom. One neighbor, Kristina Diaz, told NBC 6 South Florida that “we could hear screaming, we could hear everybody yelling, ‘Where is she? Oh, she’s underneath the car. Call 911.’”

MAN CHARGED IN CRASH THAT KILLED MOTHER AND TWO YOUNG SONS HAS ICE DETAINER, PRIOR DWI CONVICTIONS

Seventy-four-year-old Geraldine Byrd, a woman described as “kind” and friendly by her neighbors, is on life support in critical condition after allegedly being run over by illegal immigrant Tomas Raymundo Brito, right.(Daniel A. Varela/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images; DHS)

The same neighbor told the outlet that Byrd “would always send my daughter gifts for her birthday. So, she was a very kind woman.” Speaking in Spanish, another neighbor, Flor Ortiz, told CBS Miami that she and Byrd “do not speak the same language, but we always greet each other. She is a good person.”

After the incident, Brito allegedly got out of the truck and fled the scene. A family member of Byrd’s reportedly chased him down and found him hiding in a shed. After his arrest, Brito reportedly admitted he was the driver and said he drank five beers before the incident.

Byrd was airlifted to a nearby hospital and remains on life support in critical condition, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Brito was charged with leaving the scene of a crash causing serious bodily injury and driving without a license.

ICE LODGES DETAINER FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF TRYING TO DISARM VIRGINIA POLICE OFFICER

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, center, gives her opening remarks during a news conference about the Memorial Day weekend mass shootings, Monday, May 31, 2021, at the Fred Taylor Miami-Dade Police Headquarters in Doral, Fla.(Carl Juste/Miami Herald via AP)

Fox News Digital learned that ICE lodged a detainer with the Miami-Dade Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center the same day Brito was arrested.

Brito entered the U.S. illegally at an unknown date and location, according to DHS. He is a Guatemalan national.

“This criminal illegal alien from Guatemala is charged with hit-and-run after a drunk-driving accident that sent a 74-year-old woman to the hospital in critical condition in Miami-Dade County,” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“He should have never been allowed in our communities or on our streets,” Mullin continued, adding, “ICE is asking officials in Miami-Dade County to cooperate with us and not release this criminal from jail, and to turn him over to ICE custody so we can remove him from our country.”

Mullin added that “thanks to the strong leadership of President Donald Trump, ICE is unleashed to go after criminal illegal aliens like this one so that we can make America safe again.”

A spokesperson for the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department confirmed with Fox News Digital that the department had received ICE’s request and that Brito is currently in custody.

The spokesperson told Fox News Digital that “Miami-Dade County honors these detainer requests in accordance with the law by holding the individual for the authorized 48-hour period.”

The spokesperson said that “if ICE does not take custody of the individual within that timeframe, the individual is released as required by law.”

“Miami-Dade County and the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department comply with all applicable laws regarding immigration detainer requests and do not deny detainer requests submitted by federal authorities,” the spokesperson added.

NEW MAINE LAW LIMITS POLICE COOPERATION WITH FEDERAL IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS

President Donald Trump (C), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (not pictured) tour a migrant detention center, dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, on July 1, 2025.(Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Miami-Dade County is not a sanctuary jurisdiction, and Florida law prohibits sanctuary policies. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office also participates in ICE’s 287(g) program under state law.

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Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, a Democrat, has previously criticized ICE’s “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center, which closed down this June. Upon the center’s closure, Cava released a statement alleging that “people, including some of our own residents,” had been “held there without meaningful due process.”

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She added that “immigrants helped build Miami-Dade County, and our community has always believed that public safety, the rule of law, and respect for human dignity can go hand in hand.”

Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

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厄尔尼诺现象带动印尼晒盐业产量飙升

2026年8月6日 19:43 / 联合早报

印尼西爪哇省井里汶市传统盐农今年7月迎来罕见大丰收，盐农忙着在盐田整理结晶盐。 （路透社）

（井里汶路透电）印度尼西亚受强烈的厄尔尼诺现象影响，正遭遇长时间高温干旱。尽管这对传统农作物造成严重威胁，却让高度依赖连续烈日暴晒的沿海晒盐业的产量大幅上涨。

厄尔尼诺现象正使印尼遭遇更严峻的旱季，并增加野火和作物歉收的风险。

不过，西爪哇省井里汶（Cirebon）今年7月的盐产量飙升至接近600公吨，远高于去年同期的25公吨至30公吨。

由于厄尔尼诺现象引发的干旱预计持续到10月或明年初，当地晒盐业很可能迎来创纪录的丰收。

印尼大部分食盐生产依赖低技术方式，即在旱季通过沿海浅水盐田蒸发海水。在爪哇岛北海岸西爪哇井里汶等地，盐农往往要花上数小时从盐田底部刮取结晶盐。如果下雨，即使是短暂的降雨，也会打断这一过程，降低产量和质量。

这使得让大部分人困扰的干旱天气，反而成为对晒盐业有利的条件。当地盐农协会负责人达当说：“对我们而言，厄尔尼诺现象是一种恩赐和恩典，我们应该心怀感激。”

与盐农高唱丰收形成鲜明对比的是，传统农民正为农作物缺水干枯而苦恼。与此同时，印尼多地正遭遇大规模野火，对环境和人们的健康及安全构成威胁。

《雅加达邮报》星期三（8月5日）报道，根据林业部野火监测系统Sipongi的数据，今年上半年，印尼约有10万7000公顷土地和森林被烧毁，面积几乎是雅加达的两倍，较2019年同期高出120%。2019年是印尼近年来野火破坏程度最严重的一年。

独立森林监测平台Nusantara Atlas也记录到，今年1月以来，印尼共有11万6000个火点，比2019年同期增加约6000个。其中，仅星期一和二（3日及4日）两天，就检测到超过3100个火点。

印尼当局已在多个地区发布预警。其中，过火面积最大的西加里曼丹，上个月底单日监测到超过200个火点后，当局把当地的烟霾紧急状态延长至11月15日。

Rand Paul predicts Fauci contempt vote will pass, vows swift DOJ referral

August 6, 2026 5:30am EDT / Fox News

The Senate Homeland Security Committee is set to vote Thursday on whether to refer the matter to the DOJ

By Alex Miller, Fox News

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., believes that he has the votes to hold former chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci, in contempt for invoking the Fifth Amendment, and he plans to immediately refer him to the DOJ if successful.

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Senate Republicans are readying immediate ramifications for Dr. Anthony Fauci’s refusal to testify last week in the upper chamber, and the leader of the push believes the votes are there to pull it off.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and his Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs are slated to decide whether to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress for declining to answer lawmakers’ questions after being subpoenaed to testify, and, instead, invoking the Fifth Amendment on Thursday morning.

“I think there is a very good chance that we will win the vote,” Paul told Fox News Digital.

RAND PAUL SEEKS CONTEMPT CHARGES AFTER FAUCI INVOKES FIFTH AMENDMENT MORE THAN 100 TIMES

Anthony Fauci declined to testify in a Senate committee hearing on his role in the U.S. response to COVID-19, invoking his 5th Amendment rights.(Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images, Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

And if successful, Paul wants to get the Department of Justice (DOJ) involved swiftly.

“The next step will be when we send the referral over directly to the Department of Justice,” he said.

Paul unveiled the contempt resolution on Tuesday, which stipulated that once reported from committee, it would be sent to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.

The Kentucky Republican has spent years challenging Fauci, who previously served as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director and played a major role in the country’s policy and messaging on COVID-19 during the pandemic.

WATCH: RAND PAUL SAYS THERE’S ONE THING AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HEARD FROM FAUCI

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He’s charged that Fauci should be thrown in prison and sought to compel him to admit that the virus sprang from a lab leak in Wuhan, China, in connection to risky research allegedly funded under his direction.

Last week’s hearing was meant to be the ultimate battle between the two and the pinnacle of Paul’s yearslong crusade against Fauci. But that didn’t happen when Fauci, under advice from his lawyers, pleaded the Fifth Amendment well over 100 times during the hearing.

“Although it pains me to do so because of the respect I have for the legislative branch of government, and my decades-long record of cooperating with Congress under the advice of my attorneys, I will invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution to refrain from answering your questions,” Fauci said.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM FAUCI’S HEARING: PAUL BOOTS LAWYER, MORENO ERUPTS AS CONTEMPT VOTE LOOMS

Those became the last words that the former chief medical advisor to the president uttered in the hearing beyond invoking his constitutional rights.

That prompted Paul to tee up a vote on contempt charges against him in a bid to compel Fauci to speak. The lawmaker also cast doubt on whether Fauci’s invocation of the Fifth Amendment comported with his sweeping pardon from former President Joe Biden on his way out of office.

Biden granted Fauci a full and unconditional pardon for all actions taken between Jan. 1, 2014, and Jan. 19, 2025.

Former President Joe Biden speaks about foreign policy during a speech at the State Department in Washington on Jan. 13, 2024.(Susan Walsh/AP Photo)

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“I think there’s another legal question that the courts may have to decide upon, and that is whether or not a presidential pardon offers you complete immunity,” Paul said as the hearing closed.

When asked to expand on the legal question looming over Fauci’s pardon, Paul declined. “It’s a good legal discussion, and we will make those legal points to DOJ in sending the referral over,” Paul said.

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

广岛核爆81周年 中国外交部：须铭记日本军国主义侵略扩张教训

2026年8月6日 19:48 / 联合早报

日本广岛星期四（8月6日）纪念核爆81周年，民众在原爆圆顶馆前的元安川放纸灯笼，悼念遇难者。 （路透社）

日本广岛核爆81周年之际，中国外交部强调，核武器造成的灾难和悲剧虽不应重演，但日本军国主义侵略扩张的教训须铭记，并敦促日本切实履行不扩散核武器的国际法义务。

美国于1945年8月6日二战时期在广岛上空投下第一颗原子弹，迄今正值81周年。

中国外交部发言人林剑星期四（8月6日）在官网答记者问时说，核武器造成的灾难和悲剧不应重演，发生核爆的特定背景更应反思铭记，日本军国主义侵略扩张的教训必须警钟长鸣。

林剑说，日本右翼势力长期篡改历史事实，政治利用“核爆受害者”身份标签博取国际同情，刻意淡化日本侵略周边国家造成数千万人民伤亡，妄图洗脱侵略罪责。

“更讽刺的是，日本执政当局近来企图整军扩武，寻求美国强化对日核保护、图谋突破‘无核三原则’，首相官邸高官甚至叫嚣谋求自主拥核，毫不掩饰‘再军事化’的野心。这种两面做派，是对全世界爱好和平人士的挑衅和对历史正义的亵渎。”

今年也是东京审判开庭80周年。林剑说，历史的审判仍未结束，并指日本应对历史心怀敬畏，正视国际社会关切，切实履行不扩散核武器的国际法义务，“不要再次走向历史的被告席”。

针对日本在其太平洋岛屿建设军事设施，以应对中俄日益频繁的军事行动，林剑说，这是日本加速“再军事化”的又一佐证。

他说，日本时至今日不仅拒绝反省历史，还故伎重施，不断炮制周边国家威胁等虚假叙事，掩盖持续强军扩武企图。事实证明，日本“再军事化”已成为地区和平稳定的现实威胁，国际社会必须高度警惕。

【早知】敏昂莱访泰 缅泰各有盘算？

2026年8月6日 19:53 / 联合早报

AI摘要

• 敏昂莱以文职身份首访泰国，聚焦经贸合作与边境议题，推动缅甸重返亚细安。
• 双方将签署劳工合作备忘录，并成立工作组处理边境河流污染，恢复边境贸易。
• 泰国亟需稳定缅局势以遏制电诈、管理410万缅籍人口，并维护边境安全与经济利益。
• 缅甸借泰国争取区域承认，但拒绝接受亚细安“五点共识”，回归进程仍存障碍。
• 访前允许翁山淑枝会见红十字代表，被视作缓和国际压力的策略性举措。

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缅甸领导人敏昂莱（左）星期四（8月6日）抵达曼谷，与泰国首相阿努廷在首相府会面。 （路透社）

缅甸总统敏昂莱星期四（8月6日）首次以文职领导人身份访问泰国，使缅甸重返亚细安一事再受关注。

缅甸自2021年爆发军事政变引发内乱以来就被排除在亚细安峰会之外，泰国曾多次表明，愿助缅甸回归这个区域集团。此回会晤，泰缅双方各有哪些盘算与考量？

敏昂莱此行访泰会有何收获？

敏昂莱此行，旨在加强缅泰双边关系，一大重头戏是扩大两国投资和贸易合作。

访泰首日，敏昂莱与泰国首相阿努廷共同出席2026年泰缅商业论坛开幕式。大会目的是助商企界准确了解缅甸的投资环境，包括法律、法规和经济前景，评估投资机会，制定更全面的投资计划。

敏昂莱（右）星期四（8月6日）下午与阿努廷在曼谷共同出席2026年泰缅商业论坛。这场论坛旨在让泰国商企界了解缅甸营商和投资环境，以便规划对缅投资。（路透社）

另据法新社引述消息人士报道，敏昂莱与阿努廷还会签署一份关于劳工合作的谅解备忘录。

此外，敏昂莱也会与泰方讨论边境安全、诈骗网络、贸易和缅甸和平进程等议题。

泰国外交部长西哈萨早前说，双方预计签署一份职权范围文件，成立联合工作组，负责解决边境河流污染问题；私营部门也致力于恢复边境贸易。

泰国为何迫切希望解决缅甸问题？

泰缅相毗邻，共同边界长达2400多公里，缅甸的稳定与泰国边境安全和经贸发展息息相关。

泰缅之间长期保持广泛贸易与安全关系，缅甸廉价的劳动力和丰富的自然资源，促使泰国即使在缅甸动荡期间也继续在当地开展商业。泰国也持续从缅甸进口天然气，并向缅甸出口电力。

缅甸内战不仅压垮国内经济，也助长跨国犯罪，尤其活跃于边境地区的电信诈骗据点；而电诈犯罪活动已对泰国经济支柱旅游业造成沉重打击。泰国因此需与缅甸、老挝和柬埔寨等邻国合作，加大打击诈骗团伙的力度。

大量缅甸难民涌到泰国边境地区生活，泰当局近期向这些难民发放证件，允许他们在泰国工作。图为泰国的那空沙旺的水稻场，缅甸克伦难民与当地农民一同耕作。（法新社）

此外，泰国境内仍有大量缅籍公民滞留，包括劳工与难民。国际移民组织估计，截至2024年，泰国境内约有410万缅甸人，其中230万人已在泰国劳工部正式登记。然而根据最近数据，登记在册的缅籍劳工人数现已锐减至约100万，说明缅籍无证移民正在增加。

如何管理和帮扶境内缅籍人口，是泰国政府眼下的一道难题。若缅甸持续动荡，泰国恐会面临更庞大的流动人口。

缅甸为何接受泰国调解？

正如泰国需要缅甸，缅甸也需要泰国，特别是争取国际承认。

缅甸去年底到今年初的最近一届大选，由军方支持的巩固发展党虽获胜，却未受国际认可。由于反军政府的政党都无法参选，这场选举被外界界定为军政府的骗局，旨在为自己“洗白”。

缅甸战略与政策研究所行动执行主任昂杜年（Aung Thu Nyein）指出：“敏昂莱此前已赢得中国、印度和俄罗斯等超级大国的支持，但希望至少还能争取到区域支持……缅甸当今政权需要泰国也承认它的合法性，以及泰国在缅甸和平进程中所能发挥的作用。”

缅甸能否通过泰国重返亚细安？

自2021年缅甸发生军事政变以来，亚细安一直限制缅甸军政府参与高层政治会议，却也与缅甸保持有限接触。不过，为解决缅甸问题而达成的“五点共识”，迟迟未能落实。

敏昂莱4月表明，缅甸会重返亚细安，可他并不认同“五点共识”。分析认为，缅甸军方既急于得到亚细安的合法承认，又不愿让亚细安干预政变事宜。

另一方面，虽然曼谷保持与内比都的沟通，但仅限于军政高层之间，并未广泛涵盖缅甸各派反政府阵营。能否扩大与缅甸民族团结政府、地方武装组织和公民社会等方面的对话，对缅甸亚回归亚细安之路有着重要意义。

敏昂莱何以访泰前让翁山淑枝“见光”？

亚细安曾多次呼吁缅甸当局，允许亚细安特使探视遭软禁的缅甸前领导人翁山淑枝，但均未成功。

然而，敏昂莱访泰前不久，缅当局却准许她会见红十字国际委员会代表。昂杜年认为这是“明智之举，或许可以平息亚细安方面的一些疑虑”。尽管如此，缅甸回归亚细安之路，仍待更多进展和时间。

缅甸总统新闻与信息局8月3日发布的照片显示，​​被软禁的缅甸前领导人翁山淑枝（左），在内比都会见红十字国际委员会缅甸代表处常驻代表贝克。（法新社）

马国警方：越南盗猎团伙锁定马来亚虎

2026年8月6日 19:57 / 联合早报

马来西亚警方发现，越南盗猎团伙偷渡进入马国后，专猎黑市价格每只约50万令吉（约16万新元）的马来亚虎。 （路透社档案照片）

（吉隆坡综合讯）马来西亚警方发现，北马陆路边境已成外国盗猎团伙潜入马国的主要通道，其中越南盗猎者最猖獗，他们专猎黑市价格每只约50万令吉（约16万新元）的濒危物种马来亚虎，甚至为此在马国森林扎营半年。

马国武吉阿曼警察总部内部安全及公共秩序部的野生动物犯罪管制与特别调查情报局指挥官莫哈末查基阿沙说，这些不法分子非法入境后，深入森林保护区长期扎营，一边猎捕野生动物，一边联络马国的同伙收集猎物，最终运返他们的原籍国，满足当地黑市对珍稀野生动物及相关制品的庞大需求。

除了马来亚虎，大象、穿山甲、鹿、犀鸟、珍稀鸟类、爬虫类及灵长类动物，也是盗猎团伙的目标。

警方调查发现，野生动物制品如今已不限于传统药材用途，也被当作收藏品、装饰品、纪念品及身份象征。电子商务平台及社交媒体，则让这类跨境非法交易变得更隐蔽。

栖息地不断缩小和盗猎活动猖獗，导致野生马来亚虎数目从1950年代的3000多只，减少至目前的不到200只。

马国半岛野生动物保护及国家公园局总监阿都卡迪尔说，各执法单位2019年至今年5月展开“国家宝藏联合行动”以来，已拆除2851个陷阱、逮捕1230人，充公物品总值超过4亿令吉。

此外，马国执法人员2023年曾瓦解涉及越南人的大型盗猎团伙，三名涉案者被判罚款1亿2890万令吉及监禁八年六个月。这是《2010年野生动物保育法令》生效以来最严厉的判刑。

GOP dropout candidate puts ‘communist’ opponent on notice after stunning comeback win

August 6, 2026 6:54am EDT / Fox News

Smith surfaced at a Republican ‘unity brunch’ after his shock win during Tuesday’s primaries

By Alec Schemmel Fox News

Michigan Republican who beat Trump-backed candidate despite suspending campaign speaks after win

Republican candidate in Michigan primary, who beat Trump-backed Amir Hassan despite suspending his campaign a month earlier, speaks at state GOP event following shock victory. (Credit: WWMT)

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A Michigan Republican who suspended his campaign, endorsed one of his opponents and then won the primary anyway is back on the trail — and promising to take the fight to Democratic Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet.

Tom Smith surfaced at a GOP unity brunch in Macomb County on Wednesday, where he declared that he was “running” for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District and told Republican activists he would need their help to unseat Rivet. Smith did not return Fox News Digital’s inquiries about whether he would be resuming his campaign.

“My name is Tom Smith, and I’m running for the 8th Congressional District to unseat communist comrade Rivet,” Smith said at a Republican unity brunch in Macomb County. “And I’ll need your help to do it.”

REPUBLICAN WHO REPORTEDLY DROPPED OUT DEFEATS TRUMP’S PICK IN KEY SWING-DISTRICT PRIMARY

Thomas Smith won his congressional primary in Michigan(Tom Smith for Congress via Facebook)

Meanwhile, in a statement to CNN, Smith reportedly said he was “humbled and honored” to be chosen to take the fight to Democrats in the November general election for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District.

“I look forward to working with Speaker Johnson and the entire Republican team to expand our House majority and advance President Trump’s America First agenda to lower costs for working families and make America affordable again,” Smith said.

TRUMP-BACKED REPUBLICAN ADVANCES TO FACE VULNERABLE DEMOCRAT IN KEY HOUSE BATTLEGROUND

Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet

After dropping out of the race last month, Smith put his support behind his contender in the race, Al Lemmo, who finished third in Tuesday’s GOP primary behind Thomas and Trump-backed candidate Amir Hassan.

Hassan came in second to Thomas by a substantial margin, putting out a video posted to social media on Wednesday after his defeat declaring there were “no excuses.”

People complete their ballots (Photo by REBECCA DROKE/AFP via Getty Images)(REBECCA DROKE/AFP via Getty Images)

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“I fell short last night. I make no excuse. It was a tough race,” Hassan said in the video, which appeared to be recorded from his car. “I know what God has in store for me – something greater, even if I can’t see it right now and don’t understand.”

He subsequently congratulated his opponents, told his supporters he “looked forward to seeing [them] again,” and said that despite his loss, “it’s still time to flip the eighth.”

Alec Schemmel is a Politics Reporter for Fox News Digital who is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina but now resides in the Washington D.C.-Baltimore Metro Area.

As Iran war drags on, Americans are bracing for more chaos in Middle East, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

2026-08-06T10:06:08.479Z / Reuters

Summary

• Just 35% of Americans approve of war, Reuters/Ipsos poll shows
• 58% expect gasoline prices to worsen while 15% expect improvement, poll shows
• Poll surveyed 4,505 U.S. adults nationwide and had 2-point margin of error

WASHINGTON, Aug 6 (Reuters) – Five months into the U.S. war with Iran, Americans who expect the Middle East to slide toward chaos outnumber those who see the war bringing more stability ​by three to one, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The six-day poll concluded on Monday, as Republican President Donald Trump again backed away from threatened “massive attacks” on ‌Iran, underscoring uncertainty surrounding a conflict he initially predicted would bring a swift victory.

The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. Sign up here.

Fifty percent of poll respondents said they thought U.S. military action in Iran would destabilize the Middle East over the next year, about three times the 17% who said the war would lead to more stability in the region. Another 16% said stability would stay about the same and 17% said they were unsure or didn’t answer the question.

Americans were also pessimistic about gasoline prices, which ​have risen as Iran has choked off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil supplies. Some 58% said they expected gas prices to worsen, while ​just 15% expected them to improve.

Respondents held similarly grim views about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with a majority fearing it will get worse over ⁠the next few years, and also raising concerns about new conflicts arising elsewhere on the world stage.

POLITICAL RISK

The findings underscore the political risks for Trump and his fellow Republicans as they seek to ​defend narrow congressional majorities in November’s midterm elections.

Trump returned to office in January 2025 vowing to avoid “stupid wars”, a message that resonated with voters weary of the two decades of war that followed the September ​11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks.

Republicans, in contrast with their general support for Trump, were sharply divided on how they see his war with Iran playing out. While 80% of Republicans approve of Trump’s performance as president and 66% back his handling of Iran, fewer than half – 41% – think stability in the Middle East will get better over the next year as a result of the war.

The war has led to Iranian missile and drone attacks against neighboring ​countries and commercial shipping, and sparked new fighting in Lebanon, which has reduced in intensity since a U.S.-brokered truce. The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have also threatened Saudi shipping transiting the Bab al-Mandeb ​chokepoint at the southern end of the Red Sea.

David Schenker, who served as the State Department’s top Middle East official during Trump’s first term, said the economic effects could persist even if the fighting ended quickly. But ‌he said it ⁠was not certain the war would result in a more unstable Middle East, arguing that U.S. and Israeli attacks had significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities and the regional proxy network.

“I don’t think there’s an understanding of the nature of the degradation of Iran’s capabilities, which is significant,” said Schenker, now with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

The war, which Trump launched with Israel in late February, has cost U.S. taxpayers at least $37.5 billion, killed 18 U.S. service members and killed thousands of Iranians.

AN UNPOPULAR WAR

Just 35% of Americans approve of the war. Asked which political party has a better approach to handling ​war and terrorism, registered voters picked Democrats over ​Republicans – 37% to 36% – the first time Democrats ⁠led since Reuters/Ipsos polling began posing the question in December 2024, when Republicans led 39% to 28%. The poll also showed voters now see Democrats as better able to manage the economy for the first time in about a decade.

“This war was unpopular the day it started, and it’s gotten more unpopular since,” said ​Justin Logan, director of defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, a Washington think tank.

Logan said Trump faced a difficult tradeoff: ​He has set ambitious goals ⁠for the conflict – destroying Iran’s missile capabilities and preventing it from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon – while seeking to limit U.S. casualties and the political costs that could come with them.

“That incoherence, or rudderlessness, in the conduct of the war is causing more problems for the president,” Logan said.

WORRIES ABOUT UKRAINE, CHINA

The poll found that Americans also have significant concerns that wars underway will get worse and that new wars will break out. ⁠Some 58% said ​they were concerned the Russia-Ukraine war, in which Washington and European allies have supported Kyiv with weapons and intelligence, could get ​worse.

Another 55% said they worried about China engaging in conflict with Taiwan while 48% were concerned a war could break out between Russia and a European country other than Ukraine. Some 37% worried the U.S. would go to war over Greenland.

The Reuters/Ipsos ​poll was conducted online, gathering responses from 4,505 U.S. adults nationwide. It had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

Reporting by Jason Lange and Simon Lewis; editing by Scott Malone and Sanjeev Miglani

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Jason Lange is a Washington correspondent focused on political data. Send tips to jason.lange@thomsonreuters.com

Rep Andy Ogles battles challenger Charlie Hatcher, who secured an 11th-hour endorsement from Gov Bill Lee

By Elizabeth Elkind Fox News

Published August 6, 2026 7:00am EDT

Andy Ogles talks Trump endorsement, Tennessee GOP primary
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402859701112

Rep. Andy Ogles spoke with Fox News Digital ahead of what’s expected to be a high-stakes primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.

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A key congressional primary race will serve as a test of President Donald Trump’s political weight on Thursday night.

Voters in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District are headed to the polls to decide between Trump-backed Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., and Republican Charlie Hatcher, the former state agriculture commissioner, who scored an 11th-hour endorsement from Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday evening.

Ogles, one of Trump’s most vocal allies in Congress, is seeking a third term representing the Middle Tennessee district, which includes part of the Nashville suburbs. Hatcher is the state’s former Agriculture commissioner under Lee, and served as Tennessee State Veterinarian before that under both Democrat and Republican administrations.

“I’m not really surprised at all. You know, they’re friends,” Ogles said of Lee endorsing his rival.

GOP GOVERNOR ENDORSES CANDIDATE CHALLENGING TRUMP-BACKED CONGRESSMAN IN REPUBLICAN US HOUSE PRIMARY

President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David in Maryland on July 31, 2026.(Aaron Schwartz/AFP via Getty Images)

He argued that his endorsements, including Trump and House GOP leaders, prove that he’s the more conservative choice in the race.

“The golden endorsement that anyone wants is that of President Trump’s, which I have. And I think Trump has really done a good job of making sure that he’s choosing conservatives in races, which is also why I have the endorsement of House Speaker Mike Johnson, you know, conservative stalwart. House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan has endorsed me,” Ogles said.

“And so you just go down the list of my endorsements, it’s that of the conservatives, whereas my opponent has less conservative folks, shall we say, endorsing him.”

TOP TRUMP ALLY WARNS SUPER PAC BANKROLLED BY DEM BILLIONAIRE IS MEDDLING IN GOP PRIMARY

And having Trump’s backing is not a small edge in deep red Tennessee, which Trump won by double digits in 2024. He bested Vice President Kamala Harris by roughly 18 points in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District that year.

But despite that and his incumbency advantage, Ogles has still faced a tough race this year with a clean energy super PAC spending more than $1 million to unseat him.

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., walks through the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 3, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition super PAC spent roughly $1.3 million against Ogles and in favor of Hatcher. The group boasts billionaire Chris Larsen as a top donor, who also previously donated to Harris’ presidential campaign.

Ogles is a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, whose members have built a reputation as being thorns in the side of House GOP leaders.

TRUMP-BACKED REPUBLICAN ADVANCES TO FACE VULNERABLE DEMOCRAT IN KEY HOUSE BATTLEGROUND

But Ogles, for the most part, has avoided that label. He instead acted as a key liaison between Johnson and his right flank on several pieces of legislation, which has apparently earned the Louisiana Republican’s loyalty in response.

Johnson spoke in support of Ogles at a tele-rally on Tuesday night, warning that he was the best choice against Democrats who would take the country down a “dark, dangerous, deadly road to communism” should they win in November.

“I think everybody who’s listening to our voices tonight understands we have a fateful midterm election coming up,” Johnson said. “We have to keep and maintain and grow the republican majority in the House, and Andy Ogles is a key part of this majority.”

The House speaker also lauded Ogles as one of his top negotiators on extending Trump’s tax cuts in the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” earlier this year, as well as other measures.

“We’re working with a one or two vote margin, and at the end of the day when things are tight, Andy Ogles is one of the members who’s a small handful of guys who helps deliver the vote,” Johnson said. “He helps me, he’s my agent on the floor, you know, he’s making sure that we corral the votes and get these things done. So he has an outsized influence in Congress, and he’s a critical member of this team.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, speaks to members of the media after a meeting with House Republicans at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.(Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Lee said in a video released Tuesday night that he and Hatcher have been friends for 25 years and that he’s “stood with President Trump since day one,” touting him as a conservative with strong right-wing values.

Hatcher thanked Lee for his endorsement on Facebook and added, “In Congress, I will work hard, serve people, and get the job done by pursuing sensible, problem-solving solutions. I will defend our conservative values, support President Trump’s agenda, and fight to lower the cost of living for Tennessee families.”

But despite Lee invoking Trump in his endorsement, the pair have notably split on a Republican primary race once before. Trump endorsed Republican Bobby Harshbarger for a state Senate seat over a Lee-backed incumbent in 2024. Harshbarger ultimately won, and Trump denounced Lee as a “RINO” in a Truth Social post afterward.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Hatcher’s campaign for comment.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com