The allies named envoys last month to launch early talks for a new deal to take effect in 2026. South Korean media said the aim was for an agreement before any November election comeback by former President Donald Trump, who during his presidency accused Seoul of “free-riding” on U.S. military might.

Ahead of a first round of talks in Hawaii from Tuesday to Thursday on a so-called 12th Special Measures Agreement (SMA), chief U.S. negotiator Linda Specht said Washington was seeking “a fair and equitable outcome.”

In a brief statement on Friday, Specht said: “The United States and Republic of Korea outlined their respective visions for the 12th SMA … We will continue to consult whenever necessary to further strengthen and sustain the Alliance under the 12th SMA.”

A senior Biden administration official told Reuters last month the talks were on track and ahead of schedule but the U.S. did not see November as a “hard deadline.”

More than 28,000 American troops are stationed in South Korea as part of efforts to deter nuclear-armed North Korea.

South Korea began shouldering the costs of the deployment, used to fund local labor, the construction of military installations and other logistics support, in the early 1990s.

During Trump’s presidency, the sides struggled for months to reach a deal before Seoul agreed to increase its contribution by 13.9% over the previous 2019 pact under which Seoul had paid about $920 million annually. It was the biggest annual rise in nearly two decades.

Trump had demanded Seoul pay as much as $5 billion a year.

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, from 2016 through 2019, the U.S. Defense Department spent roughly $13.4 billion in South Korea to pay military salaries, construct facilities, and perform maintenance, while South Korea provided $5.8 billion to support the U.S. presence.

The current deal expires in 2025, with negotiations on a successor pact usually held just before the end of the existing one.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Sandra Maler)

The allies named envoys last month to launch early talks for a new deal to take effect in 2026. South Korean media said the aim was for an agreement before any November election comeback by former President Donald Trump, who during his presidency accused Seoul of “free-riding” on U.S. military might.

Ahead of a first round of talks in Hawaii from Tuesday to Thursday on a so-called 12th Special Measures Agreement (SMA), chief U.S. negotiator Linda Specht said Washington was seeking “a fair and equitable outcome.”

In a brief statement on Friday, Specht said: “The United States and Republic of Korea outlined their respective visions for the 12th SMA … We will continue to consult whenever necessary to further strengthen and sustain the Alliance under the 12th SMA.”

A senior Biden administration official told Reuters last month the talks were on track and ahead of schedule but the U.S. did not see November as a “hard deadline.”

More than 28,000 American troops are stationed in South Korea as part of efforts to deter nuclear-armed North Korea.

South Korea began shouldering the costs of the deployment, used to fund local labor, the construction of military installations and other logistics support, in the early 1990s.

During Trump’s presidency, the sides struggled for months to reach a deal before Seoul agreed to increase its contribution by 13.9% over the previous 2019 pact under which Seoul had paid about $920 million annually. It was the biggest annual rise in nearly two decades.

Trump had demanded Seoul pay as much as $5 billion a year.

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, from 2016 through 2019, the U.S. Defense Department spent roughly $13.4 billion in South Korea to pay military salaries, construct facilities, and perform maintenance, while South Korea provided $5.8 billion to support the U.S. presence.

The current deal expires in 2025, with negotiations on a successor pact usually held just before the end of the existing one.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Sandra Maler)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Kristi Noem, a contender to become Republican Donald Trump’svice presidential running mate, defended herself on Friday against Democratic attacks over her account of shooting a dog on her family farm.

Noem, the governor of South Dakota, describes killing an “untrainable” dog called Cricket which she “hated” in an upcoming memoir, excerpts of which were first published by The Guardian on Friday. She also said she shot to death a goat.

Noem said the dog ruined a hunt and later attacked chickens owned by a local family, behaved like a “trained assassin,” and was “dangerous to anyone she came in contact with.”

“I realized I had to put her down,” Noem writes.

The Democratic National Committee seized on the excerpts, calling them “horrifying” and “disturbing” and tried to make a 2024 election argument about the shooting of the animals.

“If you want elected officials who don’t brag about brutally killing their pets as part of their self-promotional book tour, then listen to our owners – and vote Democrat,” the DNC said in a statement, giving voice to the dogs.

Responding on X, Noem said, “We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm. Sadly, we just had to put down 3 horses a few weeks ago that had been in our family for 25 years.”

Noem is on a list of candidates being considered by Trump to be his vice presidential running mate, friends and allies of Trump have told Reuters. Trump faces a general election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden on Nov. 5.

(Reporting by Tim Reid, editing by Ross Colvin and Sandra Maler)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Kristi Noem, a contender to become Republican Donald Trump’svice presidential running mate, defended herself on Friday against Democratic attacks over her account of shooting a dog on her family farm.

Noem, the governor of South Dakota, describes killing an “untrainable” dog called Cricket which she “hated” in an upcoming memoir, excerpts of which were first published by The Guardian on Friday. She also said she shot to death a goat.

Noem said the dog ruined a hunt and later attacked chickens owned by a local family, behaved like a “trained assassin,” and was “dangerous to anyone she came in contact with.”

“I realized I had to put her down,” Noem writes.

The Democratic National Committee seized on the excerpts, calling them “horrifying” and “disturbing” and tried to make a 2024 election argument about the shooting of the animals.

“If you want elected officials who don’t brag about brutally killing their pets as part of their self-promotional book tour, then listen to our owners – and vote Democrat,” the DNC said in a statement, giving voice to the dogs.

Responding on X, Noem said, “We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm. Sadly, we just had to put down 3 horses a few weeks ago that had been in our family for 25 years.”

Noem is on a list of candidates being considered by Trump to be his vice presidential running mate, friends and allies of Trump have told Reuters. Trump faces a general election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden on Nov. 5.

(Reporting by Tim Reid, editing by Ross Colvin and Sandra Maler)

Tyler Wenrich was taken into custody after officials allegedly found two bullets in his backpack April 20 as he was about to board a cruise ship.

Possessing a gun or ammunition is prohibited in Turks and Caicos, but tourists were previously often able to just pay a fine. In February, however, a court order mandated that even tourists in the process of leaving the country are subject to prison time.

The Virginia EMT and father now faces the potential of a mandatory minimum prison sentence of up to 12 years.

“I feel like, as a very honest mistake, that 12 years is absurd,” his wife, Jeriann Wenrich, told CBS News Friday.

Wenrich says her husband had been on the island for less than a day when the arrest occurred.

“My son’s only 18 months old, and I just don’t want to him to grow up without a dad,” Wenrich said.

There are now at least four American tourists facing the possibility of lengthy prison sentences for similar charges, including a 72-year-old man, Michael Lee Evans, who was arrested in December and pled guilty to possession of seven rounds of ammo. He appeared before the court on Wednesday via a video conference link. Currently on bail in the U.S. for medical reasons, Evans has a sentencing hearing in June. A fifth person, Michael Grim of Indiana, served nearly six months in prison after he pleaded guilty to mistakenly bringing ammo in his checked luggage for a vacation.

Ryan Watson, a 40-year-old father of two from Oklahoma, was released from a Turks and Caicos jail on $15,000 bond Wednesday. Following a birthday vacation with his wife, he was arrested April 12 when airport security allegedly found four rounds of hunting ammo in his carry-on bag earlier this month.

His wife, Valerie Watson, flew home to Oklahoma Tuesday after learning she would not be charged. However, as part of his bond agreement, her husband must remain on the island and check in every Tuesday and Thursday at the Grace Bay Police Station while his case moves forward.

In an interview Friday from the island, Ryan Watson told CBS News that he checked the bag before he packed it.

“I opened it up and kind of give it a little shimmy, didn’t see anything, didn’t hear anything,” he said.

TSA also acknowledged that officers missed the ammo when Watson’s bag was screened at the checkpoint on April 7 at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.

In a statement provided to CBS News Friday, a TSA spokesperson said that “four rounds of ammunition were not detected” in Watson’s bag “during the security screening.”

The spokesperson said that “an oversight occurred that the agency is addressing internally.”

“It was my mistake,” Ryan Watson said. “It was very innocent. And I just pray that, compassion and consideration, because there was zero criminal intent.”

In a statement Friday, the Turks and Caicos government said that it “reserves the right to enforce its legislation and all visitors must follow its law enforcement procedures.”

Following the CBS News report on Ryan Watson earlier this week, the State Department reissued a warning to American tourists traveling to Turks and Caicos to “carefully check their luggage for stray ammunition or forgotten weapons.”

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Tyler Wenrich was taken into custody after officials allegedly found two bullets in his backpack April 20 as he was about to board a cruise ship.

Possessing a gun or ammunition is prohibited in Turks and Caicos, but tourists were previously often able to just pay a fine. In February, however, a court order mandated that even tourists in the process of leaving the country are subject to prison time.

The Virginia EMT and father now faces the potential of a mandatory minimum prison sentence of up to 12 years.

“I feel like, as a very honest mistake, that 12 years is absurd,” his wife, Jeriann Wenrich, told CBS News Friday.

Wenrich says her husband had been on the island for less than a day when the arrest occurred.

“My son’s only 18 months old, and I just don’t want to him to grow up without a dad,” Wenrich said.

There are now at least four American tourists facing the possibility of lengthy prison sentences for similar charges, including a 72-year-old man, Michael Lee Evans, who was arrested in December and pled guilty to possession of seven rounds of ammo. He appeared before the court on Wednesday via a video conference link. Currently on bail in the U.S. for medical reasons, Evans has a sentencing hearing in June. A fifth person, Michael Grim of Indiana, served nearly six months in prison after he pleaded guilty to mistakenly bringing ammo in his checked luggage for a vacation.

Ryan Watson, a 40-year-old father of two from Oklahoma, was released from a Turks and Caicos jail on $15,000 bond Wednesday. Following a birthday vacation with his wife, he was arrested April 12 when airport security allegedly found four rounds of hunting ammo in his carry-on bag earlier this month.

His wife, Valerie Watson, flew home to Oklahoma Tuesday after learning she would not be charged. However, as part of his bond agreement, her husband must remain on the island and check in every Tuesday and Thursday at the Grace Bay Police Station while his case moves forward.

In an interview Friday from the island, Ryan Watson told CBS News that he checked the bag before he packed it.

“I opened it up and kind of give it a little shimmy, didn’t see anything, didn’t hear anything,” he said.

TSA also acknowledged that officers missed the ammo when Watson’s bag was screened at the checkpoint on April 7 at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.

In a statement provided to CBS News Friday, a TSA spokesperson said that “four rounds of ammunition were not detected” in Watson’s bag “during the security screening.”

The spokesperson said that “an oversight occurred that the agency is addressing internally.”

“It was my mistake,” Ryan Watson said. “It was very innocent. And I just pray that, compassion and consideration, because there was zero criminal intent.”

In a statement Friday, the Turks and Caicos government said that it “reserves the right to enforce its legislation and all visitors must follow its law enforcement procedures.”

Following the CBS News report on Ryan Watson earlier this week, the State Department reissued a warning to American tourists traveling to Turks and Caicos to “carefully check their luggage for stray ammunition or forgotten weapons.”

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New York’s highest court overturns Harvey Weinstein verdict

More than a dozen tornadoes touch down across Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Israel had no new proposals to make, although it was willing to consider a limited truce in which 33 hostages would be released by the Islamist movement Hamas, instead of the 40 previously under discussion.

“There are no current hostage talks between Israel and Hamas, nor is there a new Israeli offer in that regard,” the official said. “What there is, is an attempt by Egypt to restart the talks with an Egyptian proposal that would entail the release of 33 hostages – women, elderly and infirm.”

According to Israeli media reports, Israeli intelligence officials believe there are 33 female, elderly and sick hostages left alive in Gaza, out of a total of 133 still being held by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups.

There was no decision on how long any truce would last but if such an exchange were agreed, the pause in fighting would be “definitely less than six weeks”, the official said.

The visit by the Egyptian delegation came a day after the United States and 17 other countries appealed to Hamas to release all of its hostages as a pathway to end the crisis in Gaza. Hamas vowed not to relent to international pressure.

Hamas said it was “open to any ideas or proposals that take into account the needs and rights of our people”. However it stuck to central demands Israel has rejected, and said it criticised the statement for not calling for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The visit by the Egyptian delegation followed Israeli media reports of a visit to Cairo on Thursday by the Israeli army chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, and Ronen Bar, the head of Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence service.

Egypt, concerned about a potential influx of Palestinian refugees from neighbouring Gaza if the war continues with the long-promised Israeli offensive into the southern city of Rafah, has taken an increasingly active role in the negotiations.

“The Egyptians are really picking up the mantle on this. Egypt wants to see progress, not least because it’s worried about a prospective Rafah operation,” the official said.

Israel was increasingly looking past Qatar as a main broker, according to the official, after it failed to respond to Israeli demands to expel Hamas leaders from its territory or curb their finances.

“Qatar is still involved but in a lesser capacity,” the official said. “It’s clear to everyone they failed to deliver, even when it came to expelling Hamas or even shutting down their bank accounts.”

However Hamas officials said they still considered Qatar a key mediator, alongside Egypt.

(Reporting by Dan Williams and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo, writing by James Mackenzie, editing by Mark Heinrich and Alex Richardson)

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Israel had no new proposals to make, although it was willing to consider a limited truce in which 33 hostages would be released by the Islamist movement Hamas, instead of the 40 previously under discussion.

“There are no current hostage talks between Israel and Hamas, nor is there a new Israeli offer in that regard,” the official said. “What there is, is an attempt by Egypt to restart the talks with an Egyptian proposal that would entail the release of 33 hostages – women, elderly and infirm.”

According to Israeli media reports, Israeli intelligence officials believe there are 33 female, elderly and sick hostages left alive in Gaza, out of a total of 133 still being held by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups.

There was no decision on how long any truce would last but if such an exchange were agreed, the pause in fighting would be “definitely less than six weeks”, the official said.

The visit by the Egyptian delegation came a day after the United States and 17 other countries appealed to Hamas to release all of its hostages as a pathway to end the crisis in Gaza. Hamas vowed not to relent to international pressure.

Hamas said it was “open to any ideas or proposals that take into account the needs and rights of our people”. However it stuck to central demands Israel has rejected, and said it criticised the statement for not calling for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The visit by the Egyptian delegation followed Israeli media reports of a visit to Cairo on Thursday by the Israeli army chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, and Ronen Bar, the head of Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence service.

Egypt, concerned about a potential influx of Palestinian refugees from neighbouring Gaza if the war continues with the long-promised Israeli offensive into the southern city of Rafah, has taken an increasingly active role in the negotiations.

“The Egyptians are really picking up the mantle on this. Egypt wants to see progress, not least because it’s worried about a prospective Rafah operation,” the official said.

Israel was increasingly looking past Qatar as a main broker, according to the official, after it failed to respond to Israeli demands to expel Hamas leaders from its territory or curb their finances.

“Qatar is still involved but in a lesser capacity,” the official said. “It’s clear to everyone they failed to deliver, even when it came to expelling Hamas or even shutting down their bank accounts.”

However Hamas officials said they still considered Qatar a key mediator, alongside Egypt.

(Reporting by Dan Williams and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo, writing by James Mackenzie, editing by Mark Heinrich and Alex Richardson)

The incident occurred about 9 a.m. ET Monday at Joint Base Andrews, the agency said, ahead of a planned visit by the vice president to Wisconsin.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement that the agent began “displaying behavior their colleagues found distressing.” The statement did not clarify what that behavior entailed.

“The agent was removed from their assignment while medical personnel were summoned,” Guglielmi said. Harris was at the Naval Observatory during the incident and there “was no impact on her departure” from the base.

“The U.S. Secret Service takes the safety and health of our employees very seriously,” Guglielmi said. “As this was a medical matter, we will not disclose any further details.”

Harris’ office did not immediately return a request for comment

The incident was first reported by the Washington Examiner.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com

The incident occurred about 9 a.m. ET Monday at Joint Base Andrews, the agency said, ahead of a planned visit by the vice president to Wisconsin.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement that the agent began “displaying behavior their colleagues found distressing.” The statement did not clarify what that behavior entailed.

“The agent was removed from their assignment while medical personnel were summoned,” Guglielmi said. Harris was at the Naval Observatory during the incident and there “was no impact on her departure” from the base.

“The U.S. Secret Service takes the safety and health of our employees very seriously,” Guglielmi said. “As this was a medical matter, we will not disclose any further details.”

Harris’ office did not immediately return a request for comment

The incident was first reported by the Washington Examiner.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker‘s testimony marks the end of the second week of Trump’s hush money trial.

Since he took the stand Monday, Pecker has told jurors that Trump and his then-lawyer Michael Cohen had asked him to be their “eyes and ears” when it came to salacious stories that could undermine Trump’s candidacy.

When cross-examination began Thursday, Trump attorney Emil Bove immediately set out to poke holes in Pecker’s credibility, getting him to acknowledge times he had mixed up dates and that the passage of time could affect his memory.

“There are some gaps, correct? Because it was a long time ago?” Bove asked.

“Yes,” Pecker replied.

Bove also got Pecker, 72, to acknowledge that it wasn’t unusual for the paper to buy stories from sources that it wouldn’t print. Pecker said about half the stories it bought didn’t wind up getting printed, although some about celebrities were used as leverage to get other stories from those celebrities.

Pecker testified this week that he was involved in efforts to kill three stories that could have been damaging to Trump’s 2016 campaign. The first involved a doorman who claimed Trump fathered an illegitimate child. The paper paid the doorman $30,000 for his silence, even though, Pecker told the court, the claim was later determined to be “absolutely 1,000% untrue.”

The second story involved former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed to have had a monthslong affair with Trump that began in 2006. Pecker said he believed her account, in part because, he said, Trump had told him that she was “a nice girl.” Pecker wound up paying her $150,000 for the rights to her story, money he said he initially wanted Trump to pay back before he decided it could cause him legal problems if Trump did so.

Trump has denied McDougal’s claims of an affair.

Pecker added that in 2017 Trump invited him to the White House, where he thanked him for his help, saying the stories from the doorman and McDougal would have been “embarrassing.”

Pecker testified that he was less involved in the third story, which involved adult film actor Stormy Daniels. Daniels claims she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, which Trump denies. Pecker said he refused to pay her for her story but encouraged Cohen to do so.

Pecker told the court that one of his employees, Enquirer editor-in-chief Dylan Howard, helped negotiate the terms of their eventual $130,000 deal. Trump later repaid Cohen in payments that were listed as legal expenses, which prosecutors say was a sham.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker‘s testimony marks the end of the second week of Trump’s hush money trial.

Since he took the stand Monday, Pecker has told jurors that Trump and his then-lawyer Michael Cohen had asked him to be their “eyes and ears” when it came to salacious stories that could undermine Trump’s candidacy.

When cross-examination began Thursday, Trump attorney Emil Bove immediately set out to poke holes in Pecker’s credibility, getting him to acknowledge times he had mixed up dates and that the passage of time could affect his memory.

“There are some gaps, correct? Because it was a long time ago?” Bove asked.

“Yes,” Pecker replied.

Bove also got Pecker, 72, to acknowledge that it wasn’t unusual for the paper to buy stories from sources that it wouldn’t print. Pecker said about half the stories it bought didn’t wind up getting printed, although some about celebrities were used as leverage to get other stories from those celebrities.

Pecker testified this week that he was involved in efforts to kill three stories that could have been damaging to Trump’s 2016 campaign. The first involved a doorman who claimed Trump fathered an illegitimate child. The paper paid the doorman $30,000 for his silence, even though, Pecker told the court, the claim was later determined to be “absolutely 1,000% untrue.”

The second story involved former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed to have had a monthslong affair with Trump that began in 2006. Pecker said he believed her account, in part because, he said, Trump had told him that she was “a nice girl.” Pecker wound up paying her $150,000 for the rights to her story, money he said he initially wanted Trump to pay back before he decided it could cause him legal problems if Trump did so.

Trump has denied McDougal’s claims of an affair.

Pecker added that in 2017 Trump invited him to the White House, where he thanked him for his help, saying the stories from the doorman and McDougal would have been “embarrassing.”

Pecker testified that he was less involved in the third story, which involved adult film actor Stormy Daniels. Daniels claims she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, which Trump denies. Pecker said he refused to pay her for her story but encouraged Cohen to do so.

Pecker told the court that one of his employees, Enquirer editor-in-chief Dylan Howard, helped negotiate the terms of their eventual $130,000 deal. Trump later repaid Cohen in payments that were listed as legal expenses, which prosecutors say was a sham.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.

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