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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Noor Rahm. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke at an Asian defense summit in Singapore today. It comes at a time of heightened concerns over China's intentions for the region. NPR's Jennifer Pack has more.
Chapter 2: What did Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth say about China's regional intentions?
His message, and he said it to a room full of military defense officials and diplomats, is for Asian allies to ramp up their defense spending to counter China. Overall, this is a more toned down message from last year when he called out China for its aggressive policies, continual harassment of Taiwan, which Beijing protested against.
So far, the Chinese delegation has applauded Secretary Hegseth for repeating China's line that the two countries need to maintain a constructive strategic stability.
NPR's Jennifer Pack reporting from Singapore. The United Nations has added Israel and Russia to a list of countries credibly suspected of patterns of sexual violence in conflict zones. NPR's Jane Araf has details.
The UN Secretary General's latest annual report to the Security Council on conflict-related sexual violence adds Israel and Russia to the list of countries credibly suspected of patterns of rape and other sexual violence. Both countries deny the allegations.
The UN says it documented last year multiple incidents of sexual violence by the Israeli military and security forces, including as a form of torture against men, women and children from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The militant group Hamas was previously added to the list, but the UN said it could not verify many of the claims. because Israel denies access needed to investigate them.
Jaina Raff, NPR News, Beirut.
A federal prosecutor has stepped aside in the criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey. As NPR's Bobby Allen reports, the charges center on a photo Comey posted to social media depicting seashells.
A North Carolina grand jury charged Comey last month with threatening President Trump based on an Instagram post of seashells spelling out 8647. 86 is slang for getting rid of something. Trump is the 47th president. The indictment said the image was, quote, a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the president.
Now, Matthew Petraca, the lead federal prosecutor on the case, has stepped aside, according to a court filing. It shows he has been replaced. It didn't explain why. Comey says his post wasn't a call to violence, saying to him, 86 was an expression of wanting to be done with something. Comey's lawyers have said they intend to file a vindictive prosecution motion. Bobby Allen, NPR News.
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Chapter 3: What allegations did the UN make against Israel and Russia?
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