图为2026年4月23日，韩国平泽正在建设的三星电子P5半导体工厂。 （彭博社）

（首尔综合电）韩国今年第一季经济表现强劲，人工智能（AI）热潮带动半导体出口飙升，成为拉动增长的核心引擎。

韩国央行周四（4月23日）发布的数据显示，今年1月至3月的国内生产总值（GDP）环比增长1.7%，远高于市场预期的1.0%。这不仅逆转了2025年第四季度的萎缩局面，也创下了自2020年第三季以来的最快扩张速度。

韩国央行说，增长主要来自出口大幅回升，按季增长5.1%，其中半导体及IT相关零部件需求强劲。

彭博经济研究显示，这段期间晶片出货量较上年同期激增139.1%，增速较上一季度提高了三倍多，且月度出货量增速已达到2021年以来未见的水平。

企业表现方面，SK海力士首季营业利润增长超过五倍，创历史新高。三星电子本月早前也公布季度利润增长达八倍，反映全球科技企业扩建AI数据中心持续推高晶片需求。

穆迪分析经济学家奇亚告诉法新社：“半导体出货量的强劲增长支撑了出口表现。财政支持以及此前通胀压力的缓解，也逐步提振了国内需求。”

不过，彭博经济师权孝成指出，韩国第二季度增长势头恐难持续。他说：“我们预计经济增长将放缓，因为伊朗战争导致的能源供应中断将对石化行业造成沉重打击，并波及更广泛的制造业和服务业。”

More than 15 million under fire weather alerts in central U.S., as warmth, strong winds fuel “extreme” wildfire risks

April 23, 2026 / 11:50 AM EDT / CBS News

By Emily Mae Czachor News Editor
Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and issues involving social justice. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.

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More than 15 million people across the central United States are under fire weather alerts through Friday, as a combination of heat, dry air and strong winds fuel risks of “extreme” wildfire behavior, forecasters said.

Within that group are roughly 3.8 million who face what the National Weather Service calls “critical fire weather” conditions on Thursday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center.

The critical risk area covers parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas the prediction center said. Broader sections of those states, as well as parts of Arizona, South Dakota and Wyoming, are seeing “elevated fire weather” conditions, which are slightly less intense.

Areas marked in red are facing “critical” fire weather conditions on Thursday, April 23, 2026. Those marked in orange face “elevated” fire weather conditions. Nikki Nolan/CBS News

Meteorologists define critical fire weather conditions as those that create favorable environments for wildfires to develop. Criteria includes high temperatures, low humidity and gusty winds, and a mixture of all three generally triggers red flag warnings.

The weather service has said it issues red flag warnings, or less urgent fire weather watches, “when the combination of dry fuels and weather conditions support extreme fire danger.”

Alerts currently active in the middle of the country include red flag warnings, which means critical fire weather conditions are currently occurring or expected to occur shortly, and fire weather watches, which are issued when those types of conditions are farther ahead in the forecast, according to the National Weather Service.

Several moderately populous metropolitan areas are located inside the risk area, including Albuquerque, Denver and El Paso, in addition to Amarillo, Texas, and South Dakota’s capital, Pierre.

Fire weather alerts are in place through Friday, April 24, 2026, for parts of the central United States. Nikki Nolan/CBS News

This bout of fire-prone weather partially stems from a storm system moving into central states on Thursday, bringing wind gusts of up to 50 or 60 mph to the Southern Plains, said CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan. At the same time, forecasters anticipate that relative humidity values in the region will sink down to single-digit values, meaning the air will be very dry.

Those conditions compound widespread warmth across the central and eastern U.S. on Thursday, with temperatures forecast to be between 15 and 25 degrees above average for this time of year, depending on the place.

The resulting fire danger is considered extreme because wildfires can grow quickly and spread uncontrollably over dry, arid land if they do develop.

Wildfire risks surfaced in central states as more than 100 wildfires were already burning in Florida and Georgia, destroying homes, prompting burn bans and forcing hundreds of evacuations. The blazes come as weather data show drought conditions in the U.S. reached record heights, and meteorologists warned of the potential for a more destructive oncoming wildfire season.

Nikki Nolan contributed to this report.

美军在印度洋登船 检查伊朗石油运输船

2026年4月23日 21:14 / 联合早报

美国战争部说，美国军队在印度洋登船检查了一艘向伊朗提供物资支持的船只，这是三天内美军第二次采取此类行动。

美国战争部星期四（4月23日）在声明中说：“昨晚，美军在印度洋对受制裁的无国籍船只‘Majestic X’号进行了海上拦截和登船检查，该船当时正在运输来自伊朗的石油。”

此前，战争部21日在社交媒体发布消息说，美军20日晚登上一艘涉伊朗油轮并检查。船舶追踪数据显示，该油轮当时位于印度洋，介于斯里兰卡和印度尼西亚之间。

新华社引述消息说，这艘名为蒂法妮号的油轮“无国籍且受制裁”，美军对该油轮实施了海上拦截并登船检查，全程未出现任何意外。

消息还说，美军将在“全球范围内开展海上执法行动”，拦截向伊朗“提供物资支持”的受制裁船只。

美军参谋长联席会议主席凯恩日前称，美军将在太平洋等其他海域追踪任何悬挂伊朗旗帜或任何试图向伊朗提供物资支持的船只。

美军在印度洋登船 检查伊朗石油运输船

2026年4月23日 21:14 / 联合早报

美国战争部说，美国军队在印度洋登船检查了一艘向伊朗提供物资支持的船只，这是三天内美军第二次采取此类行动。

美国战争部星期四（4月23日）在声明中说：“昨晚，美军在印度洋对受制裁的无国籍船只‘Majestic X’号进行了海上拦截和登船检查，该船当时正在运输来自伊朗的石油。”

此前，战争部21日在社交媒体发布消息说，美军20日晚登上一艘涉伊朗油轮并检查。船舶追踪数据显示，该油轮当时位于印度洋，介于斯里兰卡和印度尼西亚之间。

新华社引述消息说，这艘名为蒂法妮号的油轮“无国籍且受制裁”，美军对该油轮实施了海上拦截并登船检查，全程未出现任何意外。

消息还说，美军将在“全球范围内开展海上执法行动”，拦截向伊朗“提供物资支持”的受制裁船只。

美军参谋长联席会议主席凯恩日前称，美军将在太平洋等其他海域追踪任何悬挂伊朗旗帜或任何试图向伊朗提供物资支持的船只。

U.S. forces board another Iran-linked vessel in tit-for-tat series of ship interdictions

April 23, 2026 / 8:47 AM EDT / CBS News

U.S. forces boarded another “stateless” vessel linked to Iran, the U.S. military said Thursday. The tanker was interdicted in the Indian Ocean — far from the hotly contested Strait of Hormuz — in the latest seizure that is part of a tit-for-tat series of commercial vessel interdictions by U.S. and Iranian forces.

“Overnight, U.S. forces carried out a maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding of the sanctioned stateless vessel M/T Majestic X transporting oil from Iran, in the Indian Ocean,” the Defense Department said on social media.

“We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” the military added.

Video shared by the military appeared to show the interdiction, with U.S. forces descending from a helicopter and walking on board a massive tanker.

The operation came after Tehran’s forces seized two commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. A day before that, the Pentagon said U.S. forces had interdicted the Iran-linked “stateless sanctioned M/T Tifani” crude oil tanker in the Indo-Pacific Command’s area of responsibility, which includes the Indian Ocean.

A Philippine government agency said Thursday that 15 Filipino seafarers onboard two container ships currently being held by Iran were “safe and unharmed” and “their families have been informed and are receiving government support.” The statement was the first confirmation from a non-Iranian entity that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard forces had seized the two ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The country’s Department of Migrant Workers said that 10 Filipinos were onboard the Epaminondas, and five on the MSC Francesca — the two ships the IRGC said it seized Wednesday for breaching its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

“The ships are currently in the vicinity of the Iranian coastline,” the statement added.

The IRGC posted video Wednesday apparently showing masked fighters speeding toward the MSC-Francesca in a gun boat and climb a ladder up its hull. The video then shows another so-called “fast-boat” laden with soldiers approaching the cargo ship Epaminodes, followed by clips of IRGC fighters on board a ship, opening a door and walking up stairs with rifles, although it is unclear which vessel they are on.

The tit-for-tat comes as Iran has refused to reopen the Strait of Hormuz despite the U.S.-Iran ceasefire President Trump extended indefinitely this week. Iran has called the U.S. Naval blockade of its ports and Iranian-linked ships a violation of the agreement.

节点运行失败

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/iran-releases-video-appearing-to-show-seizure-of-2-ships-in-strait-of-hormuz/

MN lawmaker takes action to get answers on Omar’s alleged fraud ties after she skips key hearing: ‘Ghosted us’

April 23, 2026 9:04am EDT / Fox News

Omar did not respond to an invitation or show up to a fraud hearing in Minnesota this week

By Andrew Mark Miller, Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: A Minnesota Republican lawmaker is demanding answers from Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., after the Democrat failed to appear at a state hearing examining her potential connections to the sprawling pandemic-era fraud scandal.

State Rep. Kristin Robbins, chair of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee, sent a formal letter to Omar on April 22 criticizing her absence from a scheduled committee hearing she was invited to and requesting extensive documentation related to the “Feeding Our Future” investigation that has gained national attention in recent months.

“Minnesotans and the Members of the House Fraud Prevention & State Oversight Committee were disappointed that you failed to appear before our committee to answer questions,” Robbins wrote in the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, referring to Omar’s no-show at a hearing focused on the MEALS Act, a federal COVID-19 relief measure passed in 2020 and sponsored by Omar.

Despite Omar’s absence, Robbins said the committee still expects answers and is now formally requesting records from the congresswoman’s office in addition to several questions outlined in the letter.

COMER WARNS ‘WALLS ARE CAVING IN’ ON TIM WALZ AS MINNESOTA FRAUD PROBE WIDENS

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., attends a field hearing at the Minnesota Senate Building in St. Paul on Jan. 16, 2026, continuing the town hall event following an attack.(Jim Vondruska/Getty Images)

Robbins is asking Omar to turn over communications showing how she promoted expanded access to federal child nutrition programs, including emails, texts and meeting records with the Minnesota Department of Education and constituents.

The request also zeroed in on Omar’s public promotion of a Minneapolis restaurant that later became linked to the program. Robbins cited a Somali-language TV appearance in which Omar highlighted Safari Restaurant as a meal distribution site and asked for all communications related to the video and the restaurant’s participation.

The video of that promotion was played during Tuesday’s committee meeting as the lawmakers discussed the ties between Omar and individuals within the Minneapolis Somali community associated with the fraud, a subject Fox News Digital has extensively reported on.

GOP LAWMAKER UNVEILS WALZ ACT AFTER BILLIONS LOST IN MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6386342908112

Robbins is seeking records of any contact between Omar and a long list of individuals charged or implicated in the Feeding Our Future case, including nonprofit founder Aimee Bock and dozens of alleged co-conspirators.

“She didn’t even respond, ghosted us,” Robbins told Fox News Digital about Omar ignoring an invitation to appear at the hearing. “And her Meals Act is what created the conditions that allowed Feeding Our Future to happen.”

When asked if Omar has ever responded to any requests from the committee, Robbins said, “No, we’ve sent multiple emails, multiple letters, nothing.”

The letter also raises questions about political donations Omar received from individuals later charged in the case, requesting “any and all” communications with those donors.

Robbins, who is running for governor of Minnesota, has asked Omar to provide a written response and the requested materials by May 5.

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The letter marks the latest escalation in Republican-led scrutiny of the Feeding Our Future scandal, which federal prosecutors say involved the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded child nutrition aid during the COVID-19 pandemic under the backdrop of a larger fraud crisis that is believed to be in the tens of billions of dollars.

Questions about Omar’s ties to the Minnesota fraud scandal represent just one of several controversies she currently finds herself in the middle of as she is facing a possible ethics investigation into her personal financial disclosures as well as accusations, notably from Vice President JD Vance, that she committed immigration fraud.

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

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

特朗普：美军将摧毁在霍尔木兹海峡布雷的船只

2026年4月23日 21:33 / 联合早报

这张取自MarineTraffic网站4月21日屏幕录像的截图显示，4月18日至20日期间波斯湾、霍尔木兹海峡和阿曼湾的海上交通数据可视化情况。 （法新社）

美国总统特朗普声称，美国将摧毁任何在霍尔木兹海峡布雷的船只，同时加大对伊朗的压力，要求伊朗重新开放这条至关重要的海上通道。

特朗普星期四（4月23日）在社交媒体上发文说：“我已经命令美国海军击沉任何在霍尔木兹海峡水域布雷的船只，无论大小。”

他说：“必须毫不犹豫。此外，我们的扫雷舰目前正在清理海峡。”

特朗普特也声称，美国“已完全控制了霍尔木兹海峡”。他说，在美国和伊朗达成协议之前，霍尔木兹海峡都会受“严密封锁”，任何船只未经美国批准都将无法通过霍尔木兹海峡。

特朗普：美军将摧毁在霍尔木兹海峡布雷的船只

2026年4月23日 21:33 / 联合早报

这张取自MarineTraffic网站4月21日屏幕录像的截图显示，4月18日至20日期间波斯湾、霍尔木兹海峡和阿曼湾的海上交通数据可视化情况。 （法新社）

美国总统特朗普声称，美国将摧毁任何在霍尔木兹海峡布雷的船只，同时加大对伊朗的压力，要求伊朗重新开放这条至关重要的海上通道。

特朗普星期四（4月23日）在社交媒体上发文说：“我已经命令美国海军击沉任何在霍尔木兹海峡水域布雷的船只，无论大小。”

他说：“必须毫不犹豫。此外，我们的扫雷舰目前正在清理海峡。”

特朗普特也声称，美国“已完全控制了霍尔木兹海峡”。他说，在美国和伊朗达成协议之前，霍尔木兹海峡都会受“严密封锁”，任何船只未经美国批准都将无法通过霍尔木兹海峡。

US to loosen marijuana rules in major shift for $47 billion industry

2026-04-23T12:39:06.65Z / Reuters

By Andrew Goudsward and Bhargav Acharya

April 23, 2026 12:39 PM UTC Updated 10 mins ago

节点运行失败

[1/5]A reveller smokes cannabis at the Mile High 420 Festival in Denver, Colorado, U.S., April 20, 2026. REUTERS/Cheney Orr Purchase Licensing Rights

• Summary
• Companies

• Justice Department to expedite broader marijuana rescheduling hearing
• Move expected to boost cannabis industry by easing taxes and funding access
• Prior classification equated it with drugs like heroin
• Marijuana still not fully legal across the United States

April 23 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Justice said on Thursday it would immediately loosen restrictions on some marijuana products and move quickly to reclassify the drug as less dangerous, in one of the biggest changes to U.S. drug policy in decades.

The move does not legalize marijuana across the United States, but it is likely to reshape the $47 billion industry, which has faced continued barriers at the federal level, even as all but two U.S. states have legalized it in some form for medical use and nearly half have legalized it for recreational use as well.

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State-regulated medical marijuana products now would be moved from a group of drugs classified as highly addictive, such as heroin, to a less restrictive category for products that have a low to moderate potential for abuse, including common painkillers, ketamine and testosterone. Marijuana products approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also would be moved to that category.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the U.S. government would also fast-track a broader effort that would reclassify all uses of the psychoactive plant as less dangerous.

The measures are likely to lower barriers for research, ease tax burdens and make it easier for firms to secure funding.

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“This rescheduling action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information,” Blanche said in a statement.

The move follows a December executive order from President Donald Trump directing the Justice Department to loosen marijuana restrictions.

The measure is expected to boost the growing cannabis industry in the United States, benefiting companies like Canopy Growth (WEED.TO), Tilray Brands (TLRY.TO), Trulieve Cannabis (TRUL.CD).

U.S.-listed shares of cannabis companies jumped between 6% and 13% following the decision.

“Today marks a pivotal moment for the United States. With President Trump’s action to reschedule cannabis, federal policy is finally aligning with science, medicine, and most importantly, patient needs,” Irwin Simon, the chairman and CEO of Tilray, said in a statement.

Marijuana’s status as a Schedule I drug, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, has been widely criticized as anachronistic, particularly as it makes inroads at the state level.

Some 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized it for recreational purposes, while 40 have fully legalized it for medical purposes and another eight allow some medical uses, according to the Congressional Research Service. Only two states – Idaho and Kansas – do not allow any legal use.

Legal sales are expected to top $47 billion in 2026, according to market researcher BDSA.

Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States and the world. Nearly one in five U.S. residents use it in a year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Millions of Americans have been arrested for possession of the drug, even while growing businesses listed on stock exchanges sell cannabis-related products.

The Biden administration embarked on a similar move in 2024 but it was not finalized when Trump returned to office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration scrapped the effort.

The Justice Department said it will begin proceedings on June 29 to gather evidence and expert opinion on reclassifying the drug.

Reporting by Andrew Goudsward and Bhargav Acharya; additional reporting by Mrinalika Roy; editing by Andy Sullivan, Susan Heavey, Michelle Nichols and Nick Zieminski

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Trump admin loosens regulations on state-licensed medical marijuana

April 23, 2026 8:34am EDT / Fox News

AG Todd Blanche’s order reclassifies marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III

By Anders Hagstrom, Fox News

President Donald Trump’s administration is reclassifying state-licensed marijuana as a “less-dangerous” drug, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Thursday.

Blanche signed an order reclassifying FDA-approved and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I – reserved for drugs like heroin – to the less strict Schedule III.

“The Department of Justice is delivering on President Trump’s promise to expand Americans’ access to medical treatment options,” Blanche said in a statement.

“This rescheduling action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information,” he said.

MIKE TYSON URGES TRUMP TO DELIVER ON CANNABIS REFORM AFTER BIDEN’S ‘FAILED’ PLEDGE

Attorney General Todd Blanche.(AG’s Office)

Blanche noted that the order does not yet apply to marijuana generally, but said the order initiates “a new, expedited hearing with set deadlines, to fully reschedule marijuana.”

Blanche’s order comes just days after President Donald Trump signed another executive order Saturday expediting the review of some psychedelic drugs as potential therapy treatments.

“The executive order I’m signing, we’re actually signing the executive order today, is really a moment,” Trump said. “These treatments are currently in the advanced stages of clinical trials to ensure that they’re both safe and effective for the American patients.”

VETERANS CROSS BORDER FOR FORBIDDEN PSYCHEDELIC TREATMENT THAT’S CHANGING LIVES AFTER COMBAT

President Donald Trump holds up an executive order giving Ibogaine drug clearance in the Oval Office of the White House, on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

The president said the executive order would implement “historic reforms to dramatically accelerate access to new medical research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs.”

“In many cases, these experimental treatments have shown life-changing potential for those suffering from severe mental illness and depression, including our cherished veterans,” Trump said, citing the veteran suicide rate.

DEMENTIA RISK COULD BE TIED TO YOUR MINDSET AND OUTLOOK ON LIFE, STUDY SUGGESTS

“And the nice part is we’re actually doing this early, but it has been going on. Research has been going on for quite some time. But, you know, usually with things like this, nothing ever happens, no matter how the research ends up, but we’re changing that. This order will clear away unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, improve data sharing among the FDA and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and facilitate fast rescheduling of any psychedelic drugs that become FDA approved,” Trump continued.

President Donald Trump speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The president said, “in 2024, a study from Stanford University, 30 special operation veterans with traumatic brain injuries underwent — it’s called ibogaine treatment, remember the name,” noting that they “experienced an 80 to 90% reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety within one month.”

A paper published in the journal Chronic Stress said ibogaine is a “psychoactive indole alkaloid which is extracted from the Tabernanthe iboga rainforest shrub and has been used for centuries in Central Africa for initiatory rituals.”

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“Ibogaine treatment is reported to alleviate a spectrum of mood and anxiety symptoms and is associated with self-reported improvements in cognitive functioning in individuals with substance-use disorders. During treatment, ibogaine allows the evocation and reprocessing of traumatic memories and occasions therapeutic and meaningful visions of spiritual and autobiographical content, which are of central relevance in addressing PTSD-related psychological content,” it added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on X: @Hagstrom_Anders.