NPR News: 05-30-2026 1PM EDT
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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.
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.
A federal judge has reopened President Trump's lawsuit against the IRS over a leak of his tax returns for further investigation. The judge has questions about a settlement that, among other aspects, created a fund to compensate people who said they were wrongly targeted in the federal judicial system. This is NPR News. The search continues for two villagers trapped in a flooded cave in Laos. Four people were rescued today after another was brought out yesterday. They had reportedly been searching for valuable minerals in the cave but became trapped by flash flooding 10 days ago. One villager got out in time and alerted authorities. Rescue teams were joined by those from Thailand, Japan, and Malaysia.
Myanmar's new president is on a five-day trip to India, his first trip abroad as president since the former general took office in April amid a continuing civil war. Michael Sullivan reports from neighboring Thailand.
Senior General-turned-President Min Aung Hlaing led the coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. He became president after the recent general election won widely dismissed by Western governments and human rights groups as a sham, with the war denying millions the chance to vote. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy was also barred from contesting. Neighboring India was one of the few countries to recognize the election and says the visit is expected to, quote, further strengthen relations between the two countries.
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