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SEOUL, May 14 (Reuters) - The possibility that an entity other than Iran was responsible for the ‌attack against a South Korean cargo vessel near ‌the Strait of Hormuz is low, a senior official in Seoul ​was quoted as saying by the Yonhap news agency on Thursday.

South Korea is analysing intelligence shared by the U.S. on the May 4 attack against South Korean shipper ‌HMM's Namu vessel, ⁠which caused a fire and damaged the lower stern hull, Yonhap quoted a senior foreign ⁠ministry official as telling reporters.

"Once we go through the investigation and present the evidence, I trust that the ​Iranian side ​will respond in an ​appropriate way," the official ‌said.

South Korea's foreign ministry could not immediately confirm the official's comments.

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Seoul has sent teams of experts to Dubai, where the Namu is being inspected ahead of planned repairs, to conduct a forensic investigation of the damage to ‌the vessel.

Iran has previously denied ​responsibility for the attack that ​involved a strong impact ​on the side of the vessel and ‌has since refrained from commenting ​further as ​Seoul continued its probe.

U.S. President Donald Trump said soon after the incident that Iran had fired at ​the South Korean ‌vessel, and urged Seoul to join U.S.-led efforts ​to secure shipping through the strait.

(Reporting by ​Jack KimEditing by Ed Davies)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Polls have closed across Nebraska, where the fate of the state's “blue dot” — a small, but significant factor in presidential politics — took center stage Tuesday as Democrats selected a congressional nominee in thestate's high-profile 2nd District.

Election 2026 Nebraska

State Sen. John Cavanaugh and political activist Denise Powell were seen as the top contenders in the Democraticprimaryas their party looks to the Omaha-area district, where RepublicanU.S. Rep. Don Bacon is retiring, as one of its top targets in the November general election.

The winner will face Republican Brinkner Harding, who ran unopposed in the GOP primary. The Omaha City Council member is endorsed by President Donald Trump.

The district draws national attention because Nebraska is one of just two states that splits its electoral votes in presidential elections. The 2nd District has gone to Democratic presidential candidates three out of five times since 2008 — a “blue dot” in an otherwise sea of red.

Some Democrats contended that the very survival of the “blue dot,” a point of intense local pride, was at stake on Tuesday.

Some argued that a Cavanaugh primary victory would jeopardize the district's special status because he'd be leaving his valuable state legislative seat, making it easier for Republicans in the Nebraska Legislature to change the law that allows the state to split its electoral votes.

The issue has defined the primary contest, where the leading candidates have much in common ideologically, perhaps more than any other.

Outside an Omaha polling place, Beth Pepitone said she voted for Powell because she wanted someone who would stand up to Trump.

“I just think we’re going in the wrong direction and it’s very sad,” said Pepitone. “I want to preserve the ‘blue dot.’”

Opponents say the ‘blue dot’ is in danger

The Democratic argument against Cavanaugh has little to do with his politics or policies.

His opponents and groups backing them have flooded mailboxes, airwaves and social media warning that if he wins the congressional primary, Nebraska's Republican governor would appoint a conservative Republican to replace him in the Legislature.

That move, they say, could give state Republicans enough votes to enact a conservative wish list that includes stricter limitations on abortion and transgender rights.

It could also empower Republicans to enactmidcycle redistrictingor change the state's unusual system of splitting presidential electoral votes, some Democrats argue. Republicans failed in 2024 to pass a bill that would have made Nebraska the 49th state to award its Electoral College votes on awinner-take-allbasis.

“Our Blue Dot. We fought hard for it. But if John Cavanaugh goes to Congress, it could all fall down,” cautions one TV ad by the super PAC New Democrat Majority.

EMILY’s List, a national group that supports women running for office, has put its reach and money behind Powell, calling Cavanaugh’s candidacy “a gift to MAGA Republicans.”

Republican groups also target Cavanaugh

Republican groups have sent out mailers and social media posts claiming Cavanaugh “is in agreement with President Donald Trump” and showing a photo of Cavanaugh overlaid on a photo of the president, making it appear as if the two are standing together.

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“Clearly, the Republicans know that I’m the strongest general election candidate,” Cavanaugh said. “And so they’re trying to hurt me.”

The attacks on Cavanaugh show Democrats and Republicans believe he has the best chance of winning the general election, said Paul Landow, a former Nebraska Democratic Party executive director.

He called the “blue dot” attacks disingenuous, noting Republicans already have a filibuster-proof majority in the Legislature but have still failed to pass key elements of their agenda because it is unpopular even among GOP lawmakers. The argument that a Cavanaugh win could weaken the state’s “blue dot” also assumes Democrats won’t pick up additional legislative seats this year, he said.

“There’s so many things that have to fall into place for this alleged danger to the ‘blue dot,’” Landow said. “It’s just wild speculation.”

The Democratic primary grows contentious

While all the Democratic contenders cite affordability and opposition to Trump administration policies — from immigration and healthcare to military actions — the top contenders began attacking one another more aggressively in the days leading up to the primary.

Powell co-founded Women Who Run Nebraska, a political action committee that supports progressive female candidates, and she has a decade of Democratic political activism. She's never held office but said her deep connections have helped her with independents and third-party voters who make up nearly 30% of the district's electorate.

“My name recognition has increased dramatically,” Powell said, adding that "people are really connecting with my message.”

The winner of Tuesday's primary will head to a highly competitive general election.

Trump won the district in 2016, and the retiring Bacon, who has clashed with Trump, has held the House seat for five terms.

At an Omaha polling place, independent Hayden Kephart said her biggest concern is inflation.

“Obviously the price of everything has really gone up,” she said. “And the price of oil can be a factor in everyday life and travel plans.”

Other Tuesday contests

U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts won Tuesday's GOP primary in his bid to seek a full term following his2023 appointmentand 2024 special election victory toreplaceRepublicanBen Sasse.

Ricketts was alreadylooking aheadto an expected general election contest against independent candidateDan Osborn, an industrial mechanic and military veteran whocame within 7 pointsof defeating Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer inher 2024 reelection bid. Cindy Burbank won the Democratic primary.

In the race for governor, incumbent Republican Gov. Jim Pillen won his party’s primary, while former state Sen. Lynne Walz won the Democratic nomination.

Peoples reported from New York. Associated Press writer Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.

The Viewco-hosts have condemned Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s new road trip reality TV venture amid ongoing travel chaos for Americans.

Duffy and his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, announced Friday onFox Newsthat they arelaunching a YouTube series with their nine children calledThe Great American Road Tripto promote tourism in honor of the country’s 250th birthday — marking a reunion for Duffy and the producers who helped make theReal Worldseries that made him famous.

While discussing the new show onThe View, co-host Whoopi Goldberg pointed out thatTSA agents have been working without payduring the Department of Homeland Security shutdown,Spirit Airlines shuttered suddenlyandgas prices are risingdue to the war in Iran.

“But Sean was doing another reality show,” Goldberg quipped. “Tax payers pay his salary. Is this really what he should be doing?”

Panelist Ana Navarro said: “This entire government is a reality show.”

“The conflict of interest here is glaring,” she said. “I don’t know how many Americans, how many average Americans, will be able to go on a road trip when I’m paying $5.99 for a gallon of gas. It just seems that the tone deafness has no limits.”

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Duffy said on social media that all production costs for the show are covered by a nonprofit group called The Great American Road Trip Inc. instead of taxpayers. He said he and his family did not receive salaries or production royalties from the show.

The show was sponsored by Boeing, Toyota, Shell, Royal Caribbean and United Airlines, which has sparked criticism fromThe Viewpanelists and others due to the fact that some of those companies are groups that Duffy’s department oversees.

Chasten Buttigieg, the husband of former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, similarly blasted the Duffys for being “out-of-touch”while many Americans are struggling with a cost-of-living crisis.

“The same Duffys who threw endless fits on national television when Pete was working from our son's ICU bedside are now bragging about their multi-month, taxpayer-funded family road trip while gas and grocery prices soar for American families because of Trump's war of choice,” Chasten wrote on X.

“How much more unfocused, unserious, and out of touch can you be?”

Campos-Duffy wrote in response on X: “All production costs were paid for by the non-profit, The Great American Road Trip, Inc. No one in my family - including my husband - were paid to do this. We did it for FREE to celebrate America 250 & encourage other Americans to get off couches & screens and spend time together seeing our country. It was filmed in small one and two day stops over the course of seven months.”

Duffy’s office did not immediately returnThe Independent’s request for comment.

Katy Perry shares her reaction to ex Josh Groban getting engaged.

Key Points

• The singer shared a video of herself pretending to sob and drink after reading about his engagement to Natalie McQueen.

• The TikTok was set to her song, "The One That Got Away," which is supposedly about her 2009 relationship with Groban.

Sometimes it's hard to find the right song for your specific heartbreak. Lucky forKaty Perry,she has her own discography to choose from.

The "Firework" singer is sharing her candid — if unserious — reaction to learning that her exJosh Grobanjust got engaged. And what better song to mark the occasion other than the hit track that she supposedly wrote about him?

On Monday, Perry shared aTikTokvideo that begins with a news story about Groban'srecent engagement to actress Natalie McQueen. The Grammy winner then wanders into frame wearing a white robe and pretending to cry. She pours herself an absurdly tall glass of something orange, raises a toast, and then drinks it while mock-sobbing.

All the while, her 2010 hit "The One That Got Away" is blasting in the background.

Perry captioned the video, "Congrats."

The joking video comes just a few weeks after Groban and McQueen announced their engagement, which became official when the "You Raise Me Up" singer got down on one knee at Disneyland.

"MY BEST FRIEND SAID YES!!!," he captioned their April 21 announcement. "Sharing this life with you is my happiest place."

Perry and Groban were romantically linked way back in 2009 and, a year later, "The One That Got Away" hit the airwaves. At the time, there was some speculation about who the song referred to, which resurfaced in 2017 when Perry ranked her exes as part of a weekend-long livestream. While talking about Groban, she referred to him as "the one that got away."

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The following year, Groban was pressed about the song during a visit toWatch What Happens Live."I was not expecting that,”he admittedto hostAndy Cohen, of learning that the song was written about him. "That was a double take and a spit of my coffee when I saw that."

He added, "It’s very sweet of her to say that. I’m very flattered by it. But I was very surprised by it too."

He also explained that he initially didn't believe the song could be about him because of certain lyrics, explaining, "I never owned a Mustang. I don’t have a tattoo. Are you sure that’s about me?"

As for his relationship with Perry, he concluded by saying that the former couple remain on very good terms after their split. "We were both very private and we realized we were better as friends," he said at the time. "And we’ve been very, very good friends to this day. She’s the best."

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Despite her fake tears in the video, Perry's relationship with Groban is basically ancient history. She was married to Russell Brand from 2010 to 2012 and was in a long-term relationship with Orlando Bloom from 2016 to 2025. The "Teenage Dream" singer has most recently been romantically linked to former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The pop star and politician were first spotted together in Montréal last July. Months later, they werephotographed kissingon a yacht in Santa Barbara, Calif. By the end of the year, they wereready to make their relationshipInstagram official and have since shared several sweet snaps together.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

Hailey Bieber struck a pose in a cheetah print swimsuit with a huge torso-spanning cutout that was held together by string in a photo dump posted on May 11.

The Gist

• The Rhode founder paired the lace-up swimsuit with a straw hat and sunglasses in the sun-soaked selfie.

• Bieber also shared a sweet moment from her Mother's Day festivities in the Instagram carousel.

It’s no secretHailey Bieberis partial to someanimal print, whether she’ssporting a leopard spot-inspired manicureor making acase for tiger stripes in the tiniest bikini set. Her latest look shows she’s bringing the mob wife trend into the 2026 swimsuit season. In aMay 11 photo dumphighlighting her favorite moments from the past month, the Rhode founder stripped down to astrappy cheetah print swimsuit, which featured a large cutout held together by string, for a sun-soaked afternoon.

Bieber kicked off the week with a look through her April and early May camera roll, including a swimsuit selfie taken while reclining in a lounge chair. In the image, the beauty maven propped herself up on one elbow as she showed off her eye-catching, cheetah printed one-piece swimsuit. The swimwear bared some major skin with a plunging neckline and a huge torso-spanning cutout that covered her entire mid-section and chest.

The model’s swimsuit was held in place with matching string, which laced up her bare stomach and held her swimsuit top in place. Bieber accessorized the spicy look with a pair of black oval sunglasses, a natural matte flush on her lips and cheekbones, and a rattan-woven striped hat.

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Elsewhere in the photo dump, the social media personality posed in an espresso brown string bikini as she promoted Rhode’s pocket blush products. Tucking a matching pocket blush in the front of her string bikini top, Bieber layered on a forearm-length cardigan, pulling the strings down to show off her swimsuit set. She added some major sparkle with her multi-watt diamond engagement ring.

Bieber also appeared to share some sweet moments from her Mother’s Day festivities with her son Jack Blues, 1, posting a snap of a glitter-covered paper bouquet filled with painted hand prints as well as a sweet Mother’s Day card decorated with flowers. The entrepreneur hinted that herblonde-haired mini-meloves books in another image, holding the tot in her arms as they examined novels in a curated home library together.

Read the original article onInStyle