作者： root

美中期选举赌盘大热 投注额已超2024国会选举总额

2026年8月18日 16:00 / 联合早报

反腐败数据联盟分析截至8月10日的数据，发现Kalshi、Polymarket、Polymarket US三个平台上针对美国中期选举开设的预测市场数量，是2024年的16倍。 （路透社）

美国“反腐败数据联盟”说，美国11月中期选举结果的投注额已经高达1亿3300万美元（约1亿7000万新元），超越2024年国会选举周期内9240万美元的投注总额。

路透社报道，这家非营利研究与倡导组织预测，如果投注活动的增长速度与2024年持平，2026年中期选举的总投注额可能达到16亿美元。

这一数据凸显了预测市场的迅猛增长。随着个人散户和机构投资者的参与度不断提升，越来越多用户正加速涌向Polymarket和Kalshi等平台。这些平台允许用户对政治、经济、流行文化等现实事件的结果进行投注。

在投注额极速增长的同时，监管审查也在不断收紧，批评人士指这些平台实际上等同于赌博。但预测市场公司以及特朗普政府坚称，这些是金融市场平台而非赌博平台，它们提供的投注合同允许用户对冲风险，或根据自己对未来事件的预期进行交易。

反腐败数据联盟（Anti-Corruption Data Collective，简称ACDC）说，通过分析截至8月10日的数据，他们对Kalshi、Polymarket、Polymarket US三个平台上与2026年美国参众两院选举相关的7466个预测市场进行了评估。结果发现，各大主要平台针对美国今年中期选举开设的预测市场数量是2024年的16倍。

ACDC研究员肯德勒-克雷奇在一份声明中说：“与2024年相比，相关投注市场规模呈爆炸式增长。现在，几乎全国每个席位都有多个投注市场开放。”

Polymarket和Kalshi未立即回应路透社对ACDC分析报告的置评请求。

在ACDC研究结果公布之际，距离决定美国国会控制权的中期选举不到三个月。全美大多数州的党内初选将一直持续到9月中旬，而正式的中期选举投票日为11月3日。

乌军用英国无人机发动袭击 俄警告英国将承担后果

2026年8月18日 16:06 / 联合早报

乌克兰总统泽连斯基上个月访问英国期间，与英国首相伯纳姆一同前往汉普郡朴茨茅斯皇家海军基地参观乌克兰军事装备，现场展示了一架乌克兰无人机。 （路透社）

乌克兰使用英国公司制造的无人机袭击俄罗斯，俄罗斯警告英国将为此承担后果。

路透社报道，俄罗斯驻伦敦大使馆星期一（8月17日）发声明称：“伦敦正在蓄意升级局势……伦敦的行为必将带来后果，它必须为此负责。”

声明也指出：“英国越深入卷入冲突，越支持基辅的恐怖主义机器，它付出的代价就越高。”

据《泰晤士报》上周末报道，过去六个月里，乌克兰在深入俄罗斯境内的袭击中，使用了两家英国公司制造的无人机。报道称，袭击目标包括位于俄罗斯西南部伏尔加格勒，以及莫斯科附近雅罗斯拉夫尔的炼油厂。

针对俄罗斯大使馆的评论，英国国防部发言人回应说：“英国与乌克兰并肩作战，我们致力于向乌克兰提供抵御普京非法入侵所需的装备。”

英国此前曾向基辅提供“暴风影（Storm Shadow）”巡航导弹，该导弹能够打击俄罗斯境内的远程目标。乌克兰军队于2024年11月首次使用这些导弹袭击俄罗斯目标。

今年6月，英国称将在今年底前向乌克兰提供15万架无人机，作为一项价值7亿5200英镑（约13亿新元）援助计划的一部分。

自2022年俄罗斯对乌克兰发动战争以来，莫斯科多次警告英国和其他西方盟友，他们对基辅的支持，包括提供装备，可能会引发报复措施，并增加冲突升级的风险。

Omar’s GOP challenger comes out firing with vow to clean up ‘mess’ in deep blue district: ‘People are fed up’

The 30-year state trooper won the Republican primary and plans to focus on fraud scandals tied to taxpayer dollars

August 18, 2026 6:00am EDT / Fox News

By Andrew Mark Miller

Rep. Omar’s GOP challenger makes fraud central to Minnesota House bid

John Nagel, who is running against Rep. Ilhan Omar in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, spoke to Fox News Digital about the district being the “epicenter” of the state’s fraud problem and why he says voters are ready for change.

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MINNEAPOLIS — Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., officially has a Republican challenger who is making the case that Minnesota voters are “fed up” with fraud and dysfunction and are ready for a change as he looks to unseat Omar in one of the country’s most closely watched progressive strongholds.

John Nagel, a Minnesota native who spent 30 years as a state trooper, told Fox News Digital in an interview that he believes his background gives him a unique opportunity to make the case against Omar in Minnesota’s deep-blue 5th Congressional District.

“I think the people of Minnesota have been lied to. They’ve had their money stolen. They want to see somebody that’s going to come in and fix things,” Nagel said. “They’re tired of being told the same old things.”

Nagel argued that his roots in the state and decades in law enforcement separate him from the political class.

ILHAN OMAR ON TRACK FOR FIFTH TERM AS MINNESOTA VOTERS MAINTAIN FAR-LEFT STREAK

Fox News Digital spoke to retired Minnesota State Trooper John Nagel about his bid to unseat Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District.(Fox News Digital ; Alex Wong/Getty Images)

“I’m from Minnesota, born and raised here. I’m not a Washington plant,” Nagel said, pointing to his three decades as a state trooper and his work teaching defensive driving and working in schools across the area.

Nagel, who won the Republican primary in Minnesota’s 5th District last week, said his campaign will focus heavily on the fraud scandals that have rocked Minnesota in recent years, drawing a sharp contrast with Omar and Democrats in the state.

“I’m pro-American. I’m from Minnesota. I love Minnesota and I love my country,” Nagel said when asked about the contrast he plans to draw with Omar.

“I’m not involved in fraud,” he added, before arguing that Omar’s district has been at the center of the state’s fraud problems and Fox News Digital has extensively reported on Omar’s ties to those implicated in the scandal.

Omar’s former campaign staffer Guhaad Hashi Said pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering after prosecutors said a fraudulent food site he established received nearly $3 million in reimbursements while serving only a fraction of the more than 1 million meals it claimed.

MILLION-DOLLAR SNAP FOOD STAMP FRAUD SCHEME IN WALZ’S BACKYARD SPARKS OUTRAGE: ‘CRUEL JOKE’

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., attends a field hearing at the Minnesota Senate Building on Jan. 16, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. The hearing, titled “Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Deadly Assault on Minnesota,” featured local citizens and politicians discussing Immigration Operation “Metro Surge.”(Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)

Omar also promoted Safari Restaurant as a meal distribution site during the pandemic, praising the Minneapolis establishment in a 2020 Somali-language video. Safari co-owner Salim Said was later convicted in the Feeding Our Future scheme, with prosecutors alleging the site received more than $16 million in fraudulent child nutrition funds. Safari had also hosted Omar’s 2018 election-night watch party.

Omar additionally introduced the MEALS Act in 2020, which sought to expand waivers for federal school meal programs during the pandemic. Provisions similar to the legislation were ultimately enacted as part of broader bipartisan COVID relief, and Omar later pushed the Trump administration to extend pandemic-era meal waivers. Republican Minnesota lawmakers have argued those changes removed safeguards and helped create conditions exploited by Feeding Our Future fraudsters.

Omar has rejected that characterization, telling Fox News Digital earlier this year that any suggestion she knew about the fraud scheme is “flat-out false.”

OMAR CONFRONTED ON CAMERA OVER GOP PROPOSAL TARGETING FOREIGN-BORN LAWMAKERS: ‘GOOD LUCK TO HER’

Federal agents enter an office building as a search warrant is executed at Ultimate Home Health Services over potential Medicaid fraud, on December 18, 2025, in Bloomington, Minnesota, United States.(Christopher Juhn/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Nagel also accused Minnesota Democrats of failing to adequately combat fraud and argued voters in both parties are looking for leaders willing to crack down on abuse of taxpayer dollars.

“I have not met a Democrat yet that has come out and said, yeah, we really want to do something about fraud,” Nagel said. “It’s been just the opposite.”

Nagel also suggested he sees an opening with voters who may not traditionally support Republicans, including members of Minnesota’s Somali community who have grown dissatisfied with Omar.

He specifically pointed to Somalilanders in the district, claiming some former Omar voters are “coming out of the woodwork” and turning against the congresswoman and saying he is willing to work with members of the community who share his vision for the state.

“I’m here to serve everybody in Minnesota,” Nagel explained. “I don’t care what faith you are, I don’t care what color you are. When you go to Congress, you’re supposed to be taking care of everybody from Minnesota, and she doesn’t do that.”

Nagel, who described himself as a “just a normal guy that wants to make things better” without “big bucks backing me” will face an uphill battle in the district which includes all of Minneapolis, from downtown and the university area to North, Northeast and Southwest Minneapolis, but also inner-ring suburbs including Richfield, St. Louis Park, Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal, New Hope, Brooklyn Center, Columbia Heights and Fridley.

The Cook Political Report ranks the race as “Solid D.”

Nagel, who is from St. Louis Park, told Fox News Digital his years in law enforcement have never been about partisanship and that he intends to speak to all voters regardless of party affiliation.

“When I would get to a crash scene, I didn’t ask them if they were a Democrat or Republican before I gave them first aid,” Nagel said. “I don’t care who you are, I don’t care how you voted in the past.”

“If you want lower taxes, if you want to have pro-police, if you want your schools to be better, if you just want to [have] a normal life where your paycheck comes back to you and you can go to work every morning and not have much to worry about, those are the people that I want to talk to,” he continued.

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The U.S. Capitol Building is seen at sunset on June 6, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

Nagel said concerns about Minnesota’s economy and schools are also driving his campaign, arguing that the state is losing jobs and risks making itself unattractive to families and businesses.

“We are losing jobs,” Nagel said. “Our school system is so bad that no one’s going to want to bring their kids here, even if we do have industry here.”

“People are just fed up. They want normalcy, which is what I want,” he added.

Nagel said his motivation is personal, pointing to his family and a new granddaughter as reasons he decided to enter politics.

“I’m doing this because I’ve got a family,” he said. “I’ve got a brand-new granddaughter. And I’m not going to leave what we currently have in Minnesota, which is a mess.”

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

Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.

称YouTube一节目传播假信息 伊朗禁播出

2026-08-18 16:22 / 联合早报

伊朗司法部门说，当局已对YouTube频道“Azad”展开调查，起因是这个频道播出的一期节目包含“虚假信息”。 （路透社档案照片）

伊朗司法部门称，由于YouTube一档辩论节目传播“虚假信息”，已下令禁止节目播出；频道创办人则说，当局以相关罪名对他提出指控，并在问话后准许他保释。

法新社报道，伊朗司法部门星期一（8月17日）通过旗下新闻网站Mizan Online说，当局已对YouTube频道“Azad”展开调查，起因是这个频道播出的一期节目包含“虚假信息”。

Mizan Online说，由于这个节目没有获得负责监管伊朗媒体活动的文化部正式许可，因此被视为“未经授权的媒体机构”。

报道说：“司法监督部门已下达命令，在取得许可证之前，禁止该频道负责人从事任何媒体活动。”

报道也说，这个频道在未经授权运营期间“多次违反媒体规定”。

这次调查是在《纽约时报》刊登一篇报道数天后展开的。报道形容“Azad”是一档“探讨触及伊朗威权体制底线课题”的谈话节目。

节目创办人兼主持人艾哈迈迪说，他因涉嫌传播虚假信息，于上星期天（16日）和星期一接受问话，并遭到起诉。

艾哈迈迪星期一在社交平台发文说：“根据法院裁决，我获准保释，但Azad频道在另行通知前禁止播出任何访谈节目。”

Azad的YouTube频道有近16万名订阅者，经常就广泛的议题展开讨论，包括伊朗与美国的战争、性暴力、经济、哲学以及其他社会问题。

节目嘉宾来自伊朗不同政治立场，包括一些身在海外的反对派人士，他们公开批评伊朗伊斯兰共和国的政策。

Azad的YouTube页面显示，频道于2017年8月加入这个视频分享平台。

伊朗长期以来严格管控媒体，自2月28日美以发动恐怖袭击引发持续至今的中东战争以来，伊朗尤其加强对媒体报道的管控。

YouTube和其他多个社交媒体平台多年来一直在伊朗遭到封锁，当地用户必须依靠虚拟私人网络（VPN）绕过相关限制。

日澳扩大军事合作 日本拟赴澳试射高超音速导弹

2026年8月18日 16:28 / 联合早报

8月18日，澳洲副总理兼国防部长马尔斯（左）与日本防卫部长小泉（右）进次郎在堪培拉国会大厦举行记者会并握手。 （法新社）

日本计划未来在澳大利亚境内试射高超音速导弹等远程武器，日澳也将联合研发用于探测威胁的激光系统。两国进一步扩大军事合作之际，正共同应对区域安全环境变化，以及美国要求盟友承担更多防务责任的压力。

法新社报道，澳洲副总理兼国防部长马尔斯和日本防卫部长小泉进次郎星期二（8月18日）在堪培拉会谈后宣布上述计划。

马尔斯说，双方将建立更完善的安排，让日本未来10年能更广泛使用澳洲的导弹试验场。他指出，澳洲可在多个领域为日本提供“战略纵深”，其中就包括开放本国试验场。

小泉进次郎对此表示欢迎。他说，如果日本自卫队能在澳洲试射高超音速导弹等远程防区外导弹，将是“突破性进展”，双方将加快磋商，争取落实有关计划。

近年来，随着中国军力持续增强，澳洲和日本不断深化防务合作。与此同时，美国也持续要求亚太盟友增加国防开支，并承担更多区域安全责任。

日澳去年已达成日本二战后规模最大的防务出口交易之一。澳洲将在未来10年投入约100亿澳元（约90亿8000万新元），采购日本制造的隐形护卫舰。

两国星期二也宣布展开名为“Boobook”的新防务合作项目。项目以澳洲一种夜行猫头鹰命名，重点包括共同研发能够侦测潜在威胁的激光系统。

马尔斯说，这项计划将发展更先进的激光能力，可部署在陆战平台和近岸作战平台上。

日澳近年来持续强化军事互操作性和国防工业合作。随着两国进一步共享试验设施、联合研发先进武器系统，双方防务关系正从装备采购逐步扩大到武器测试和技术共同开发。

Socialist insurgency storms Trump’s backyard, with pro-Israel Democrats in crosshairs

DSA-endorsed challenger faces the pro-Israel Democrat incumbent in a key primary for a crucial swing district

August 18, 2026 5:00am EDT / Fox News

By Paul Steinhauser

Oliver Larkin grilled on policies that would use ‘other people’s money’

Oliver Larkin, a Florida DSA-aligned U.S. Congress candidate, is interviewed on ‘The Big Weekend Show’ about his policy proposals and elite schooling background.

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The high-stakes battle between the left wing and the center-left establishment over the future of the Democratic Party takes the spotlight Tuesday in Florida, where a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) faces a more moderate incumbent Democrat who supports Israel.

After attention-grabbing left-wing victories this month by Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed and Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in crucial Democratic Senate nomination showdowns, and a major setback for the DSA with the defeat of DSA member Francesca Hong in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, the next faceoff in the party’s civil war comes in Florida, which, along with Alaska and Wyoming, is holding primaries.

The Senate primaries in Alaska and Florida will set up crucial general election showdowns in the fight for control of the chamber. Floridians will pick the major party nominees in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis, while longtime Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is fighting for political survival against a socialist candidate in a dramatically altered congressional district.

But the primary grabbing the most national attention is in Florida’s 25th District, where DSA-endorsed Oliver Larkin is challenging the more moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz in a key congressional swing district that’s among roughly two dozen House seats that will determine whether Republicans hold onto their razor-thin majority in the midterm elections.

DEMOCRATIC GROUP LAUNCHES $15 MILLION WAR ON DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS: ‘MORTAL DANGER’

Oliver Larkin, left, a self-identified DSA member, is challenging incumbent Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., in Florida’s Tuesday Democratic primary election.(Joe Raedle / Al Drago)

The 33-year-old Larkin, a veteran of Sanders’ 2016 Democratic presidential campaign, is the only DSA-endorsed House candidate running in a crucial congressional swing district.

Larkin says he supports abolishing the U.S. Senate, arguing in a Fox News interview that it’s an “undemocratic institution,” and has referred to Israel’s ruling coalition as a “religious supremacist regime.”

Moskowitz is a strong and vocal supporter of Israel and has advocated for robust U.S. military and security assistance.

The two-term federal lawmaker, a former state representative and Florida emergency management director, is running for re-election in the state’s newly redrawn 25th Congressional District, a Broward County-anchored swing seat in the southeastern corner of the one-time battleground state that has leaned red.

Moskowitz, who enjoys establishment backing from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, is also supported by AIPAC, a major pro-Israel political group. Larkin has support from prominent far-left figures, including controversial political streamer Hasan Piker.

Wasserman Schultz, an 11-term congresswoman and former Democratic National Committee chair, is running for re-election in the newly drawn 20th District, even though she lives in an adjacent district. She has faced criticism from Black leaders for being the only White candidate running for a majority-minority seat that has been represented by Black lawmakers for three decades.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

Elijah Manley, who has been endorsed by Democratic Socialists of America, is facing off against Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., a veteran House Democrat.(Tom Williams, CQ-Roll Call / Carline Jean, South Florida Sun Sentinel)

The field includes former Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned from Congress in April over allegations that she misused $5 million in federal funds, which she denies; former Broward County Mayor Dale Holness; and community activist Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, a rapper best known for his role in 2 Live Crew.

A slew of groups on the left, including the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), are backing Elijah Manley, a 27-year-old substitute teacher and self-described socialist who overcame childhood homelessness.

In the race to succeed DeSantis, Rep. Byron Donalds enjoys the backing of President Donald Trump. The large field of contenders also includes Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner and businessman James Fishback.

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Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida is interviewed by Fox News Digital ahead of his 2026 campaign kickoff for governor, in Bonita Springs, Florida on March 28, 2025.(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

Former Republican Rep. David Jolly, who became a Democrat last year, is the best-known candidate running for his party’s gubernatorial nomination. No Democrat has won an election for Florida governor in more than three decades.

Florida’s Senate primary will tee up the race to fill out the remainder of the term previously held by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who stepped down from the Senate early last year to serve in the Trump administration.

DeSantis appointed then-Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to fill the vacant seat. She faces three primary challengers on Tuesday.

Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., leaves the Senate floor after a vote in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, October 21, 2025.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman, who gained national attention after testifying in Trump’s first impeachment trial, faces progressive state Rep. Angie Nixon for the Democratic nomination.

Democrats are hoping to flip the Senate seat in the midterms, as they aim to win back the Senate majority.

Democrats also have their eyes on red-leaning Alaska, where Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is running for re-election and is expected to face a formidable challenge from former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola.

Sullivan and Peltola are the best-known candidates among the 16 contenders in the state’s all-party primary, where the top four vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation.

A former teacher also named Dan Sullivan is on the ballot. Republicans unsuccessfully tried to block the other Dan Sullivan from appearing on the ballot, accusing him of colluding with Democrats to help elect Peltola by confusing voters, an accusation he and the Peltola campaign have denied.

Rep. Mary Peltola speaks during the Capitol Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 3, 2024.(Nathan Posner/Anadolu)

Meanwhile, Peltola made headlines last week by distancing herself from an endorsement coming from former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Alaska also has crowded primary fields in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Mike Dunleavy and in the contest for the state’s sole congressional seat, where Republican Rep. Nick Begich is seeking re-election.

In bright-red Wyoming, Trump is backing Rep. Harriet Hageman in her bid to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Cynthia Lummis.

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There are also primaries for governor, where GOP Gov. Mark Gordon is term-limited, and for the state’s at-large U.S. House seat, which Hageman is leaving to run for the Senate.

Meanwhile, four months after Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell quit Congress amid sexual assault allegations that sank his bid for California governor, voters in his former Bay Area district will choose a replacement. Both candidates on the ballot are Democrats, meaning the GOP’s razor-thin House majority will narrow further.

Fox News’ Matthew Donnell contributed to this story

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

美国研究：多数人40岁前曾同居 三分之二最终结婚

2026年8月18日 16:56 / 联合早报

美国研究显示，多数人在40岁前曾有未婚同居经历，其中约三分之二最终与伴侣结婚。 （路透社）

美国皮尤研究中心最新研究显示，超过四分之三的美国成年人在40岁出头前，曾与未婚伴侣同居，反映未婚同居已成为美国成年人常见的人生经历。不过，多数同居伴侣最终仍会步入婚姻。

《华盛顿邮报》报道，皮尤研究中心估算，超过三分之一的美国成年人曾与两名或以上伴侣同居。整体而言，约三分之二曾同居的伴侣最终结婚；若至少拥有大学学士学位，这一比例进一步升至77%。

这项研究主要聚焦年龄较大的千禧一代。研究人员依据美国劳工统计局长期追踪调查的数据作出估算，调查对象近9000人，均出生于1980年至1984年之间。

美国劳工统计局每年或每两年访问这些受访者一次，最新一轮访问在2023年进行，当时受访者年龄介于38岁至43岁。

美国结婚率过去数十年来整体呈下降趋势，也引发部分人士对人口增长和家庭结构变化的担忧。美国保守派智库传统基金会今年较早前曾提出“婚姻训练营”等构想，希望鼓励更多人结婚。

不过，皮尤的数据也显示，同居并不意味着婚姻制度正在被完全取代。相反，对不少美国人而言，同居已成为迈向婚姻前一段较常见的经历。

高市调低食品消费税 仍无力挽回民意反引发市场担忧

2026年8月18日 17:13 / 联合早报

日本高市早苗政府本月初正式批准从明年4月起调低食品消费税两年，虽获49%民众支持，但也有大部分民众关注减税对国家财政的影响。 （法新社）

（东京综合电）日本首相高市早苗近期将食品消费税从8%减至1%，虽兑现了竞选承诺，民意支持却未见起色，反而跌至任内新低，更引发市场担忧政府为支付减税导致国债雪上加霜，拖垮国家财政。

《日经亚洲》星期二（8月18日）发表分析文指，日本50名经济学家今年初已警告，调低食品消费税将给日本经济带来显著负面冲击，导致日元疲弱，国债利率冲高。庆应义塾大学经济学教授中室牧子点出：“人们需要听到政府解释，减税的资金从何而来。”

高市内阁本月初正式批准从明年4月起调低食品消费税，为期两年。然而减税后少了的10万亿日元（约800亿新元）资金如何填补，财长片山皋月却须到今年12月第二周才能公布。

市场忧高市重蹈英短命首相特拉斯错误

这让市场联想到英国前首相特拉斯2022年9月上任后推出历来最大规模的减税和开支计划，却没有财政资源支撑，瞬间引发市场恐慌抛售英国政府债券，导致英镑大挫，结果特拉斯上任仅45天便黯然下台，成为英国史上任期最短的首相。

民间的担忧也在随后发布的民调中显现。据日本放送协会（NHK）上周一（10日）发布，民众对高市内阁施政的满意度在8月份下滑五个百分点至53%，创去年10月上任以来最低；不认同高市内阁的比率则上升六个百分点至33%。

调低食品消费税的政策虽获49%民众支持，高于不支持的39%；但也有大部分民众关注减税对国家财政的影响，“高度关注”者30%，“有些关注”者37%。

投资者如今密切关注，今年底提呈的2027财年预算案草案中是否出现财政缺口，须发行更多债券填补。从债券供需角度看，发行更多国债将推高长期收益率，让日元面临更大贬值压力，这一点已体现在近期市场走势中。通货膨胀最终也将进一步走高。

美国财长贝森特也认为，单单依靠美日联手进场干预，难以扭转日元贬值的走势；关键是高市必须调整政策方向，改善经济情况。

Meta faces 29-state trial that could reshape Instagram and Facebook

2026-08-18 10:03 UTC / Reuters

By Diana Novak Jones

August 18, 2026 10:03 AM UTC Updated 17 mins ago

Item 1 of 2 The logo of Meta at the Meta Lab in Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 20, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo

[1/2]The logo of Meta at the Meta Lab in Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 20, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary
• Companies

• States seek order forcing Meta to change Instagram, Facebook nationwide
• Meta says penalties could reach $1.4 trillion
• Judge will decide case after advisory jury issues a verdict

Aug 18 (Reuters) – A coalition of states suing Meta Platforms over claims Facebook and Instagram were designed in ways that harmed young users’ mental health will ​begin making its case on Tuesday in California federal court in a trial that could reshape some of the most popular ‌apps on the planet.

Attorneys for Colorado, California, New Jersey and Kentucky, who are leading a bipartisan group of 29 states, will give their opening statements before an eight-person jury in Oakland that is serving expressly in an advisory capacity for U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who will ultimately decide the case.

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The trial will test the four states’ allegations that Meta ​designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children and teens and misled consumers about the safety of the platforms for young users. ​It will also address the claims of all 29 states accusing Meta of improperly collecting and using children’s personal data ⁠while they used the company’s platforms in violation of federal law.

Attorneys for Meta are expected to tell the jury that the company has made a ​huge effort to keep kids safe online. The company has argued that it has not made misleading statements about safety and the states have failed to present ​any evidence of actual harm to their residents.

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Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify during the multiweek trial, as is Instagram head Adam Mosseri.

BIGGEST TEST YET

In terms of potential damages and implications for Meta, experts have said the trial is the biggest test yet of youth social media litigation and comes amid a broader reckoning across the ​globe over social media’s effects on young users.

Meta has said the penalties could be as high as $1.4 trillion, near the company’s market cap of $1.5 trillion. The ​attorneys general have yet to specify what they are seeking in penalties, but said at a hearing last week that the amount could be closer to $200 billion.

The attorneys general ‌of Colorado, ⁠Kentucky, California and New Jersey are also asking the judge to issue an order forcing the company to implement age restrictions, eliminate infinite scroll and make other changes to its platforms nationwide.

blob:https://www.reuters.com/8d53aaee-0183-4dfc-a961-b42f0f906b27

In a statement ahead of the arguments, a Meta spokesperson said the states’ claims are unsubstantiated and the company stands by its record of creating strong protections for teens.

“The AGs offer no proof anyone in their states was misled, claim benign features like having an additional Instagram account ​somehow harmed their residents, and attempt ​to penalize Meta for industry-wide challenges ⁠like age verification,” the spokesperson said. “Rather than sticking to the facts or the law, the states have instead decided to chase an outlandish payout.”

A MULTISTATE INVESTIGATION

The states’ lawsuit, which was filed in 2023, stems from a multistate investigation into ​Instagram and Facebook’s impact on young users. The investigation was announced following disclosures by Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen, who testified ​before a U.S. Senate ⁠committee in 2021 that the company knew its products could harm young users and how to make them safer, but chose not to make those changes in favor of pursuing higher profits.

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The states are expected to present a trove of internal documents and research from Meta, as well as testimony from former Meta employees and ⁠experts.

Meta and ​other social media companies like Snap Inc, TikTok parent ByteDance and YouTube parent Alphabet are ​facing growing pressure from lawmakers and in the courts. The states’ lawsuit is among thousands of cases filed against the companies by states, municipalities, school districts and individuals over allegations that their products ​harm young users.

Meta has said the flood of litigation could seriously impact its business and financial results.

Reporting by Diana Novak Jones, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Nia Williams

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叙利亚指责以色列对一空军基地发动八次空袭

2026年8月18日 17:19 / 联合早报

7月22日，叙利亚国旗在首都大马士革的倭马亚广场上飘扬。 （法新社档案照片）

叙利亚指责以色列对叙利亚西北部的阿布杜胡尔空军基地发动八次空袭。

叙利亚官方媒体Ekhbariya引述军方消息人士报道，以色列星期二（8月18日）清晨对叙利亚西北部的阿布杜胡尔空军基地发动八次空袭，目标包括跑道和仓库设施。

军方消息人士和居住在基地附近的平民说，空袭未造成人员伤亡。以色列军方拒绝就这次空袭作出回应，叙利亚国防部也未作出回应。

这个基地距离土耳其边境约70公里，自2013年以来一直作为军用机场使用。在叙利亚长达14年的内战期间，这个基地几经易手，交战双方分别是效忠前总统阿萨德的部队和武装组织。

军方消息人士称，自阿萨德政权于2024年底被推翻以来，这个基地一直被用作叙利亚新军队的训练中心。

阿萨德政权被推翻后，以色列一直在入侵叙利亚领土，包括向联合国巡逻的缓冲区派遣军队。这个缓冲区自1974年以来一直分隔以色列和叙利亚军队，在以色列占领的戈兰高地的驻防区。

这次空袭发生在以色列和土耳其之间的安全紧张局势加剧，两国就叙利亚问题展开日益激烈的言辞交锋之际。土耳其外长菲丹在8月6日的讲话中说，以色列持续发动袭击，威胁叙利亚安全，并呼吁各方向以色列施压，要求尊重叙利亚的领土完整。

以色列国防部长卡茨则直接向土耳其总统埃尔多安发出警告，称以色列不会允许任何可能对以色列构成威胁、增强叙利亚军事能力的举措。

8月初，叙利亚在北部地区使用俄制米格-21战斗机举行空中演习，这是自阿萨德政权下台以来的首次这类演习。

以色列公共广播公司Kan于8月11日报道称，以色列安全官员发现有迹象显示，叙利亚正在加快重建空军的步伐，包括招募新飞行员、进行飞行训练以及举行首次战斗机演习。

Kan引述一名以色列安全部门消息人士的话说，以色列正在密切关注事态发展，并已向美国表达关切。