Scott Simon

As with so much else about this war, there are conflicting accounts of what happened. Israeli military officials say the troops fired warning shots, quote, near a few individual suspects, but Israel says they did not fire at crowds. Airstrikes continued overnight in Gaza as Israel expands its military campaign and continues to restrict aid into the enclave.

As with so much else about this war, there are conflicting accounts of what happened. Israeli military officials say the troops fired warning shots, quote, near a few individual suspects, but Israel says they did not fire at crowds. Airstrikes continued overnight in Gaza as Israel expands its military campaign and continues to restrict aid into the enclave.

As with so much else about this war, there are conflicting accounts of what happened. Israeli military officials say the troops fired warning shots, quote, near a few individual suspects, but Israel says they did not fire at crowds. Airstrikes continued overnight in Gaza as Israel expands its military campaign and continues to restrict aid into the enclave.

And I'm Steve Inskeep. Your next listen can be Consider This from NPR News. Up First gives you the three big stories of the day. Consider This goes deep into a single story in less than 15 minutes. Listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

And I'm Steve Inskeep. Your next listen can be Consider This from NPR News. Up First gives you the three big stories of the day. Consider This goes deep into a single story in less than 15 minutes. Listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

And I'm Steve Inskeep. Your next listen can be Consider This from NPR News. Up First gives you the three big stories of the day. Consider This goes deep into a single story in less than 15 minutes. Listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Well, Secretary Hegseth was speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, which is the region's main annual security forum. A friend described it to me as Davos for men in uniform. And he said that China is intimidating and harassing its neighbors, including Taiwan. It's using gray zone tactics that are short of war but are coercive. And at the same time, he insisted that the U.S.

Well, Secretary Hegseth was speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, which is the region's main annual security forum. A friend described it to me as Davos for men in uniform. And he said that China is intimidating and harassing its neighbors, including Taiwan. It's using gray zone tactics that are short of war but are coercive. And at the same time, he insisted that the U.S.

Well, Secretary Hegseth was speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, which is the region's main annual security forum. A friend described it to me as Davos for men in uniform. And he said that China is intimidating and harassing its neighbors, including Taiwan. It's using gray zone tactics that are short of war but are coercive. And at the same time, he insisted that the U.S.

does not seek to strangle or humiliate China. But he said that China's threat is real. Let's hear what he said.

does not seek to strangle or humiliate China. But he said that China's threat is real. Let's hear what he said.

does not seek to strangle or humiliate China. But he said that China's threat is real. Let's hear what he said.

Interestingly, he also complained that China has great economic leverage over its neighbors, and this complicates defense calculations for the U.S., How were his remarks received by those there? Well, you know, Scott, U.S. officials have been reassuring China for many years that they don't want to contain it or strangle it.

Interestingly, he also complained that China has great economic leverage over its neighbors, and this complicates defense calculations for the U.S., How were his remarks received by those there? Well, you know, Scott, U.S. officials have been reassuring China for many years that they don't want to contain it or strangle it.

Interestingly, he also complained that China has great economic leverage over its neighbors, and this complicates defense calculations for the U.S., How were his remarks received by those there? Well, you know, Scott, U.S. officials have been reassuring China for many years that they don't want to contain it or strangle it.

China has never really been convinced, and I think they're even less convinced this time. China did not send its defense minister this year, perhaps because they feel the atmosphere is too hostile. The U.S. wants other nations to ramp up defense spending, and many of them are doing that, but perhaps not to the levels that Washington wants.

China has never really been convinced, and I think they're even less convinced this time. China did not send its defense minister this year, perhaps because they feel the atmosphere is too hostile. The U.S. wants other nations to ramp up defense spending, and many of them are doing that, but perhaps not to the levels that Washington wants.

China has never really been convinced, and I think they're even less convinced this time. China did not send its defense minister this year, perhaps because they feel the atmosphere is too hostile. The U.S. wants other nations to ramp up defense spending, and many of them are doing that, but perhaps not to the levels that Washington wants.

Another country that's very concerned is South Korea, because the new alignment could see the U.S. withdraw troops from that country, basically leaving it to North Korea, and they see North Korea as the threat, not China. Is the focus on China going to affect U.S. military presence in the region? Yes, it is doing that. Already the U.S.

Another country that's very concerned is South Korea, because the new alignment could see the U.S. withdraw troops from that country, basically leaving it to North Korea, and they see North Korea as the threat, not China. Is the focus on China going to affect U.S. military presence in the region? Yes, it is doing that. Already the U.S.