US President Donald Trump has announced that the proposed civilian nuclear agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia will only be approved if Riyadh recognizes the State of Israel by joining the Abraham Accords. Trump stated that the deal, which is limited to non-military civilian nuclear energy and prohibits uranium enrichment, is "totally subject" to Saudi Arabia becoming part of the Abraham Accords. The remarks have raised fresh questions over the future of US-Saudi relations and Middle East diplomacy, especially since the text of the agreement has not yet been released. Saudi Arabia has not officially responded to Trump's latest statement.

Trump makes Saudi Nuclear deal conditional on Israel recognition | Abraham Accords back in Focus

West Asia tensions continue to intensify as Iran claims control over the Strait of Hormuz and halts multiple oil tankers while a Saudi-linked tanker catches fire after an attack in the Red Sea. US President Donald Trump says Iran is not yet ready for a deal but believes Tehran will eventually agree to negotiations. Meanwhile, the United States and Saudi Arabia sign a landmark civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with safeguards against proliferation.

In Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discusses renewed peace efforts with US officials. In Africa, at least 21 people are killed in fresh attacks in Nigeria's Zamfara State. In business, Alphabet surpasses market expectations as Google Cloud and AI drive strong revenue growth, prompting a significant increase in capital spending for 2026.

Stay tuned for the latest international news, geopolitics, business updates, and breaking developments from around the world.

Iran Blocks Strait of Hormuz | Saudi Tanker hit in Red Sea | Trump says Iran will agree to deal 

North Korea has branded the US diplomacy as "spurious", dismissing the idea of talks with Washington a day after the Biden administration said it was open to diplomatic negotiations on denuclearization.

North Korea accuses the US of using 'spurious' diplomacy

North Korea branded US diplomacy "spurious" on Sunday, dismissing the idea of talks with Washington a day after the Biden administration said it was open to diplomatic negotiations on denuclearization, state media reported.

Diplomacy was a "spurious signboard" for the United States to "cover up its hostile acts," the North Korean foreign ministry said in a statement run by the KCNA news agency.

It also warned President Joe Biden that he had made a "big blunder" with his "outdated" stance towards the country.

In a separate statement also run by KCNA, the foreign ministry accused Biden of insulting Kim Jong-Un, and added: "We have warned the US sufficiently enough to understand that it will get hurt if it provokes us."

Biden had said in his first address as president to Congress on Wednesday that he would use "diplomacy as well as stern deterrence" to contain North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

The White House said Friday that its goal remains "the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula."

US policy will see "a calibrated, practical approach that is open to and will explore diplomacy" with North Korea, Biden's press secretary Jen Pskai told reporters.

Psaki gave little indication of what kind of diplomatic initiative this could entail, but suggested that Biden had learned from the experience of previous administrations, who have struggled for decades to deal with the dictatorship in North Korea or, in recent years, its growing nuclear arsenal.

She said Washington would not "focus on achieving a grand bargain," apparently referring to the kind of dramatic over-arching deal that former president Donald Trump initially suggested was possible when he met with North Korea's leader.

Neither would the White House follow the more standoff approach called "strategic patience," espoused by Barack Obama, Psaki said.

In April, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is due to visit the White House on May 21, urged Biden to engage directly with Kim on denuclearization.

Moon told the newspaper he favoured "top-down diplomacy."

North Korea branded US diplomacy "spurious" on Sunday, dismissing the idea of talks with Washington a day after the Biden administration said it was open to diplomatic negotiations on denuclearization, state media reported.

North Korea branded US diplomacy "spurious" on Sunday, dismissing the idea of talks with Washington a day after the Biden administration said it was open to diplomatic negotiations on denuclearization, state media reported. Diplomacy was a "spurious signboard" for the United States to "cover up its hostile acts," the North Korean foreign ministry said in a statement run by the KCNA news agency. It also warned President Joe Biden that he had made a "big blunder" with his "outdated" stance towards the country. In a separate statement also run by KCNA, the foreign ministry accused Biden of insulting Kim Jong-Un, and added: "We have warned the US sufficiently enough to understand that it will get hurt if it provokes us." Biden had said in his first address as president to Congress on Wednesday that he would use "diplomacy as well as stern deterrence" to contain North Korea's nuclear ambitions. The White House said Friday that its goal remains "the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula." US policy will see "a calibrated, practical approach that is open to and will explore diplomacy" with North Korea, Biden's press secretary Jen Pskai told reporters. Psaki gave little indication of what kind of diplomatic initiative this could entail, but suggested that Biden had learned from the experience of previous administrations, who have struggled for decades to deal with the dictatorship in North Korea or, in recent years, its growing nuclear arsenal. She said Washington would not "focus on achieving a grand bargain," apparently referring to the kind of dramatic over-arching deal that former president Donald Trump initially suggested was possible when he met with North Korea's leader. Neither would the White House follow the more standoff approach called "strategic patience," espoused by Barack Obama, Psaki said. In April, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is due to visit the White House on May 21, urged Biden to engage directly with Kim on denuclearization. Moon told the newspaper he favoured "top-down diplomacy."

North Korea accuses the US of using 'spurious' diplomacy to 'cover up hostile acts'

President Joe Biden vowed to repair alliances through diplomacy and restore Washington’s leadership position on the global stage.

U.S. President Joe Biden vows to repair alliances through diplomacy

US President Donald Trump has managed to pick another victory for US diplomacy in west Asia ahead of his re-elections bid in November. Trump's 2nd deal with Israel and Bahrain is the new US diplomacy.

Victory for Trump’s diplomacy: Two west Asia peace deals in a month

The United States respects India`s democratic institutions and will continue to observe the active political debate, parliamentary discussions, and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/wion-edit-citizenship-amendment-act-when-actors-turned-activists-269216">protests</a> over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, a senior State Department official said on Thursday.

"We are seeing the active political debate, the discussions in Parliament, the protests by people who are espousing their views on that law. We are also fully aware that there is a judicial process that`s underway," the official said.

"And we respect India`s democratic institutions and India`s democratic practices, and we will continue to observe it on an ongoing basis,` the official added.

The senior State Department official said that Washington would talk to New Delhi "about the fact that as democracies, issues around minority rights, religious freedom, human rights are important pillars of democratic societies", and encourage India and the other democracies alike to adhere to those principles.

The official also said that the US recognises India as a vibrant democracy and holds regular conversations with the country "about a full range of issues".

Similar remarks were made by US Secretary of State Michael <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-was-on-the-call-says-pompeo-on-trump-call-to-ukraine-leader-253318">Pompeo</a> yesterday, when he said that his country cares deeply about protecting minorities and religious rights everywhere but honours "Indian democracy as they have a robust debate" on the issue of CAA.

"We care deeply and always will about protecting minorities, protecting religious rights everywhere. We honour Indian democracy and they have a robust debate in India on the issue. The US will be consistent in its response to these issues, not only in India but all across the world," Pompeo said during the joint presser with US Defence Secretary Mark Esper, India`s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-us-commence-22-ministerial-dialogue-in-washington-dc-269125">2+2</a> India-US ministerial dialogue.

His remarks came after being asked whether he thinks "it is appropriate for a democracy to use faith as a determining criterion for citizenship."Last week, the Indian Parliament had passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and it became an Act after receiving assent from President Ram Nath Kovind.

The Act grants Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

Commenting on the Kashmir issue, the senior State Department official said that Washington has spoken publicly of concerns about prolonged detentions in the region after the Indian government`s decision to revoke <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/article-370-abrogation-foreign-medias-india-bias-249191">Article 370</a> of the Constitution on August 5.&nbsp;

The United States respects India`s democratic institutions and will continue to observe the active political debate, parliamentary discussions, and the protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, a senior State Department official said on Thursday.

The United States respects India`s democratic institutions and will continue to observe the active political debate, parliamentary discussions, and the protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, a senior State Department official said on Thursday. "We are seeing the active political debate, the discussions in Parliament, the protests by people who are espousing their views on that law. We are also fully aware that there is a judicial process that`s underway," the official said. "And we respect India`s democratic institutions and India`s democratic practices, and we will continue to observe it on an ongoing basis,` the official added. The senior State Department official said that Washington would talk to New Delhi "about the fact that as democracies, issues around minority rights, religious freedom, human rights are important pillars of democratic societies", and encourage India and the other democracies alike to adhere to those principles. The official also said that the US recognises India as a vibrant democracy and holds regular conversations with the country "about a full range of issues". Similar remarks were made by US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo yesterday, when he said that his country cares deeply about protecting minorities and religious rights everywhere but honours "Indian democracy as they have a robust debate" on the issue of CAA. "We care deeply and always will about protecting minorities, protecting religious rights everywhere. We honour Indian democracy and they have a robust debate in India on the issue. The US will be consistent in its response to these issues, not only in India but all across the world," Pompeo said during the joint presser with US Defence Secretary Mark Esper, India`s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh after the 2+2 India-US ministerial dialogue. His remarks came after being asked whether he thinks "it is appropriate for a democracy to use faith as a determining criterion for citizenship."Last week, the Indian Parliament had passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and it became an Act after receiving assent from President Ram Nath Kovind. The Act grants Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. Commenting on the Kashmir issue, the senior State Department official said that Washington has spoken publicly of concerns about prolonged detentions in the region after the Indian government`s decision to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5.

Respect India's democratic institutions; will continue to observe parliamentary discussions: US State Dept official on CAA

The House Judiciary Committee said Tuesday it would begin&nbsp;hearings&nbsp;on December&nbsp;4&nbsp;in the&nbsp;next&nbsp;phase&nbsp;of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-must-comply-with-impeachment-subpoenas-court-264495">impeachment&nbsp;inquiry</a> into Donald&nbsp;Trump, inviting the US president and his lawyer to attend.

Lawmakers in the Democratic-led House of Representatives spent the last two weeks publicly questioning witnesses including White House officials and diplomats over allegations&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;abused the power of his office when he pressured Ukraine to launch investigations that would help him politically.

With that stage complete, chairman Jerry Nadler of the Judiciary Committee, which is tasked with considering whether to draft articles of&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;against the president, said the first public hearing before his panel would begin at 10.00 am.

"The committee looks forward to your participation in the&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;inquiry as the committee fulfils its constitutional duties," Nadler said in a letter to&nbsp;Trump.

The&nbsp;hearings&nbsp;will address "the historical and constitutional basis of&nbsp;impeachment," and "whether your alleged actions warrant the House's exercising its authority to adopt articles of&nbsp;impeachment," he added.

Under procedural rules passed by the House last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-democrat-says-more-testimony-hearings-possible-in-trump-impeachment-264258">Trump&nbsp;is invited to attend the judiciary committee&nbsp;hearings</a>, and "the president's counsel may question any witness called."

Nadler in his letter reminded&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;that if he continued to refuse to allow administration personnel to testify or turn over documents sought by the inquiry, the chair may "impose appropriate remedies," including denying presidential requests to question witnesses.

Watch: Hill and Holmes sworn-in for impeachment hearing testimony

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hill-and-holmes-sworn-in-for-impeachment-hearing-testimony-263760/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Democrats leading the probe said ahead of Tuesday's announcement that they could present their report detailing presidential wrongdoing as early as&nbsp;next&nbsp;week when Congress reconvenes after the Thanksgiving break.&nbsp;

House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff presided over two weeks of dramatic public&nbsp;hearings&nbsp;that he said uncovered a "massive amount of evidence" despite efforts to obstruct the investigation by&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and his administration.

Schiff said the evidence "conclusively shows" that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;conditioned a White House meeting with Ukraine's new president and critical US military assistance on Kiev announcing investigations that would help&nbsp;Trump's 2020 reelection campaign.

Those include a probe of a Ukrainian energy company where Hunter Biden, the son of&nbsp;Trump's potential election rival Joe Biden, sat on the board.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/senior-democrat-says-next-step-underway-in-trump-impeachment-probe-264274">Trump&nbsp;in recent months</a> has repeatedly described the Bidens as "corrupt" despite no evidence of the family committing any wrongdoing related to Ukraine.

The remaining transcripts from closed-door&nbsp;impeachment&nbsp;interviews were released on Tuesday -- including testimony from Mark Sandy, a career official in the White House's budget office, who said an attorney at the office had resigned in part due to concerns over the hold on military aid to Ukraine.

The House Judiciary Committee said Tuesday it would begin hearings on December 4 in the next phase of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, inviting the US president and his lawyer to attend.

The House Judiciary Committee said Tuesday it would begin hearings on December 4 in the next phase of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, inviting the US president and his lawyer to attend. Lawmakers in the Democratic-led House of Representatives spent the last two weeks publicly questioning witnesses including White House officials and diplomats over allegations Trump abused the power of his office when he pressured Ukraine to launch investigations that would help him politically. With that stage complete, chairman Jerry Nadler of the Judiciary Committee, which is tasked with considering whether to draft articles of impeachment against the president, said the first public hearing before his panel would begin at 10.00 am. "The committee looks forward to your participation in the impeachment inquiry as the committee fulfils its constitutional duties," Nadler said in a letter to Trump. The hearings will address "the historical and constitutional basis of impeachment," and "whether your alleged actions warrant the House's exercising its authority to adopt articles of impeachment," he added. Under procedural rules passed by the House last month, Trump is invited to attend the judiciary committee hearings, and "the president's counsel may question any witness called." Nadler in his letter reminded Trump that if he continued to refuse to allow administration personnel to testify or turn over documents sought by the inquiry, the chair may "impose appropriate remedies," including denying presidential requests to question witnesses. Watch: Hill and Holmes sworn-in for impeachment hearing testimony Democrats leading the probe said ahead of Tuesday's announcement that they could present their report detailing presidential wrongdoing as early as next week when Congress reconvenes after the Thanksgiving break. House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff presided over two weeks of dramatic public hearings that he said uncovered a "massive amount of evidence" despite efforts to obstruct the investigation by Trump and his administration. Schiff said the evidence "conclusively shows" that Trump conditioned a White House meeting with Ukraine's new president and critical US military assistance on Kiev announcing investigations that would help Trump's 2020 reelection campaign. Those include a probe of a Ukrainian energy company where Hunter Biden, the son of Trump's potential election rival Joe Biden, sat on the board. Trump in recent months has repeatedly described the Bidens as "corrupt" despite no evidence of the family committing any wrongdoing related to Ukraine. The remaining transcripts from closed-door impeachment interviews were released on Tuesday -- including testimony from Mark Sandy, a career official in the White House's budget office, who said an attorney at the office had resigned in part due to concerns over the hold on military aid to Ukraine.

Next phase of Trump impeachment hearings set for December 4

US President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s call to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif could &quot;upset the delicate balance&quot; of India-Pakistan ties, the New York Times said as it sounded a critical tone of him breaking decades of diplomatic practice in freewheeling calls with foreign leaders.

&quot;President-elect Donald J Trump has broken with decades of diplomatic practice in freewheeling calls with foreign leaders,&quot; the New York Times said as the next leader of the US upset the status quo in his conversations with world leaders.

In an unprecedented break from diplomatic practice and a move that could irk China, Trump spoke with Taiwan&#39;s President Tsai Ing-wen, becoming the first president or president-elect to speak with a Taiwanese leader since at least 1979, when Washington had severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan as part of its recognition of China.

On November 30, Trump spoke with Sharif, who according to a Pakistani government readout of their call, invited Trump to visit the south Asian country. The readout said Trump had called Pakistan a &quot;fantastic&quot; country full of &quot;fantastic&quot; people that he &quot;would love&quot; to visit as president. He had also called Sharif as &quot;terrific&quot; and Pakistanis &quot;are one of the most intelligent people&quot;, according to the Pakistani readout which added that Trump said he is &quot;ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems&quot;.

&quot;Should Trump follow through, he risks alienating India, which sees Pakistan as a major antagonist, and appearing to reward Pakistan&#39;s behaviour; should he renege, he risks upsetting Pakistani leaders who are sensitive about perceived American intransigence. Either way, the call could upset the delicate balance of India-Pakistan ties, which the US has struggled to manage amid a history of wars and recent skirmishes,&quot; the New York Times said.

On Trump&#39;s conversation with Ing-wen, NYT said the call &quot;risks infuriating China&quot;, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province governed by Chinese rebels.

&quot;By honouring the Taiwanese president with a formal call, Trump&#39;s transition team implicitly suggests that it considers Taiwan an independent state,&quot; it said, noting that the US has declined to recognise Taiwan since 1979, when it shifted recognition to the government in Beijing. Taiwan itself has yet to declare formal independence.

Trump had tweeted, &quot;The President of Taiwan CALLED ME today to wish me congratulations on winning the Presidency&quot;.

In a December 2 conversation with Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines, Trump invited him to visit Washington.&nbsp;

NYT said Duterte has been accused of gross human rights abuses, had used abusive language against President Barack Obama and declared his country&#39;s &quot;separation&quot; from the US during a recent trip to Beijing.

&quot;Honoring Duterte with a presidential invitation implies US approval of his behavior, which Obama&#39;s administration had been working to curb,&quot; NYT said.

Trump also praised Kazakhstan&#39;s leader Nursultan Nazarbayev for &quot;fantastic success&quot;, in tones that suggest approval for Nazarbayev&#39;s strongman rule.

According to the Kazakh government&#39;s readout of the call, Trump &quot;stressed that under the leadership of Nursultan Nazarbayev, our country over the years of independence had achieved fantastic success that can be called a miracle&quot;.

The NYT further said that after brushing off the United Kingdom, Trump offered a casual invitation to British Prime Minister Theresa May.

&quot;If you travel to the US you should let me know,&quot; he told her, far short of a formal invitation. Trump also met with Nigel Farage, former leader of the fringe UK Independence Party a &quot;slap to May&quot;, NYT said.

Trump later said that Farage should become the British ambassador to the US, though presidents typically avoid telling foreign counterparts how to staff their governments, NYT added.

In another break from diplomatic protocol, Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka Trump had joined his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

NYT said why such a move matters is that rather than inviting state department officials to staff his meeting with Abe, Trump invited his daughter.

&quot;The meeting alarmed diplomats, who worried that Trump lacked preparation after a long record of criticizing Japan. It also blurred the line between Trump&#39;s businesses, which (his daughter) helps run, and the US&nbsp;Government, with which she has no role,&quot; it said.

(PTI) 
&nbsp;

Those two calls, the paper said, could risk alienating India and China

US President-elect Donald Trump's call to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif could "upset the delicate balance" of India-Pakistan ties, the New York Times said as it sounded a critical tone of him breaking decades of diplomatic practice in freewheeling calls with foreign leaders. "President-elect Donald J Trump has broken with decades of diplomatic practice in freewheeling calls with foreign leaders," the New York Times said as the next leader of the US upset the status quo in his conversations with world leaders. In an unprecedented break from diplomatic practice and a move that could irk China, Trump spoke with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, becoming the first president or president-elect to speak with a Taiwanese leader since at least 1979, when Washington had severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan as part of its recognition of China. On November 30, Trump spoke with Sharif, who according to a Pakistani government readout of their call, invited Trump to visit the south Asian country. The readout said Trump had called Pakistan a "fantastic" country full of "fantastic" people that he "would love" to visit as president. He had also called Sharif as "terrific" and Pakistanis "are one of the most intelligent people", according to the Pakistani readout which added that Trump said he is "ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems". "Should Trump follow through, he risks alienating India, which sees Pakistan as a major antagonist, and appearing to reward Pakistan's behaviour; should he renege, he risks upsetting Pakistani leaders who are sensitive about perceived American intransigence. Either way, the call could upset the delicate balance of India-Pakistan ties, which the US has struggled to manage amid a history of wars and recent skirmishes," the New York Times said. On Trump's conversation with Ing-wen, NYT said the call "risks infuriating China", which considers Taiwan a breakaway province governed by Chinese rebels. "By honouring the Taiwanese president with a formal call, Trump's transition team implicitly suggests that it considers Taiwan an independent state," it said, noting that the US has declined to recognise Taiwan since 1979, when it shifted recognition to the government in Beijing. Taiwan itself has yet to declare formal independence. Trump had tweeted, "The President of Taiwan CALLED ME today to wish me congratulations on winning the Presidency". In a December 2 conversation with Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines, Trump invited him to visit Washington. NYT said Duterte has been accused of gross human rights abuses, had used abusive language against President Barack Obama and declared his country's "separation" from the US during a recent trip to Beijing. "Honoring Duterte with a presidential invitation implies US approval of his behavior, which Obama's administration had been working to curb," NYT said. Trump also praised Kazakhstan's leader Nursultan Nazarbayev for "fantastic success", in tones that suggest approval for Nazarbayev's strongman rule. According to the Kazakh government's readout of the call, Trump "stressed that under the leadership of Nursultan Nazarbayev, our country over the years of independence had achieved fantastic success that can be called a miracle". The NYT further said that after brushing off the United Kingdom, Trump offered a casual invitation to British Prime Minister Theresa May. "If you travel to the US you should let me know," he told her, far short of a formal invitation. Trump also met with Nigel Farage, former leader of the fringe UK Independence Party a "slap to May", NYT said. Trump later said that Farage should become the British ambassador to the US, though presidents typically avoid telling foreign counterparts how to staff their governments, NYT added. In another break from diplomatic protocol, Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump had joined his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. NYT said why such a move matters is that rather than inviting state department officials to staff his meeting with Abe, Trump invited his daughter. "The meeting alarmed diplomats, who worried that Trump lacked preparation after a long record of criticizing Japan. It also blurred the line between Trump's businesses, which (his daughter) helps run, and the US Government, with which she has no role," it said. (PTI)

From Pak to Taiwan, Trump's phone calls upsetting diplomacy: NYT

The United States is using quiet diplomacy to persuade the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalise on an international court ruling that denied China&#39;s claims to the South China Sea, several US administration officials said on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;What we want is to quiet things down so these issues can be addressed rationally instead of emotionally,&quot; said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic messages. 
 
Some were sent through US embassies abroad and foreign missions in Washington, while others were conveyed directly to top officials by Defence Secretary Ash Carter, Secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials, the sources said. 
 
&quot;This is a blanket call for quiet, not some attempt to rally the region against China, which would play into a false narrative that the US is leading a coalition to contain China,&quot; the official added. 
 
The effort to calm the waters following the court ruling in The Hague on Tuesday suffered a setback when Taiwan dispatched a warship to the area, with President Tsai Ing-wen telling sailors that their mission was to defend Taiwan&#39;s maritime territory. 
 
The court ruled that while China has no historic rights to the area within its self-declared nine-dash line, Taiwan has no right to Itu Aba, also called Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys. Taipei administers Itu Aba but the tribunal called it a &quot;rock&quot;, according to the legal definition. 
 
The US officials said they hoped the US diplomatic initiative would be more successful in Indonesia, which wants to send hundreds of fishermen to the Natuna Islands to assert its sovereignty over nearby areas of the South China Sea to which China says it also has claims, and in the Philippines, whose fishermen have been harassed by Chinese coast guard and naval vessels. 
 
Unknown Quantity 
 
One official said new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte remains &quot;somewhat of an unknown quantity&quot; who has been alternately bellicose and accommodating toward China. 
 
Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that ahead of the ruling he had spoken to Carter, who he said that China had assured the United States it would exercise restraint, and that the US government made the same assurance. 
 
Carter had sought and been given the same assurance from the Philippines, Lorenzana added. 
 
China, for its part, repeated pleas for talks between Beijing and Manila, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi saying the it is time to get things back on the &quot;right track&quot; after the &quot;farce&quot; of the case. 
 
Today, the official newspaper of China&#39;s ruling Communist Party said China had shown it can fix territorial issues via talks, pointing to agreement reached with Vietnam over their maritime boundary in the Gulf of Tonkin and ongoing talks with South Korea. 
 
&quot;China is a faithful defender of the principle that countries large and small are equal and has consistently upheld using consultations to resolve border issues on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect,&quot; the People&#39;s Daily said in a commentary. 
 
Meanwhile, two Chinese civilian aircraft landed on Wednesday at two new airports on reefs controlled by China in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, a move the State Department said would increase tensions rather than lower them. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t have a dog in this fight other than our belief ... in freedom of navigation,&quot; State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing on Wednesday. &quot;What we want to see in this very tense part of Asia, of the Pacific, rather, is a de-escalation of tensions and we want to see all claimants take a moment to look at how we can find a peaceful way forward.&quot; 
 
Contingency Plan 
 
However, if that effort fails, and competition escalates into confrontation, US air and naval forces are prepared to uphold freedom of maritime and air navigation in the disputed area, a defence official said on Wednesday. 
 
Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said confrontation is less likely if the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries work with the United States rather than on their own. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think China wants a confrontation with the United States,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;They don&rsquo;t mind a confrontation with a Vietnamese fishing boat, but they don&rsquo;t want a confrontation with the United States.&quot; 
 
The court ruling is expected to dominate a meeting at the end of July in Laos of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.&nbsp;US Secretary of State John Kerry, and his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang, will attend the ministerial. 
 
Sino-American relations suffered two fresh blows on Wednesday as a congressional committee found China&#39;s government likely hacked computers at the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the United States challenged China&#39;s export duties on nine metals and minerals that are important to the aerospace, auto, electronics and chemical industries. 
 
(Reuters)

Confrontation is less likely if the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries work with the United States rather than on their own

The United States is using quiet diplomacy to persuade the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other Asian nations not to move aggressively to capitalise on an international court ruling that denied China's claims to the South China Sea, several US administration officials said on Wednesday. "What we want is to quiet things down so these issues can be addressed rationally instead of emotionally," said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic messages. Some were sent through US embassies abroad and foreign missions in Washington, while others were conveyed directly to top officials by Defence Secretary Ash Carter, Secretary of State John Kerry and other senior officials, the sources said. "This is a blanket call for quiet, not some attempt to rally the region against China, which would play into a false narrative that the US is leading a coalition to contain China," the official added. The effort to calm the waters following the court ruling in The Hague on Tuesday suffered a setback when Taiwan dispatched a warship to the area, with President Tsai Ing-wen telling sailors that their mission was to defend Taiwan's maritime territory. The court ruled that while China has no historic rights to the area within its self-declared nine-dash line, Taiwan has no right to Itu Aba, also called Taiping, the largest island in the Spratlys. Taipei administers Itu Aba but the tribunal called it a "rock", according to the legal definition. The US officials said they hoped the US diplomatic initiative would be more successful in Indonesia, which wants to send hundreds of fishermen to the Natuna Islands to assert its sovereignty over nearby areas of the South China Sea to which China says it also has claims, and in the Philippines, whose fishermen have been harassed by Chinese coast guard and naval vessels. Unknown Quantity One official said new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte remains "somewhat of an unknown quantity" who has been alternately bellicose and accommodating toward China. Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that ahead of the ruling he had spoken to Carter, who he said that China had assured the United States it would exercise restraint, and that the US government made the same assurance. Carter had sought and been given the same assurance from the Philippines, Lorenzana added. China, for its part, repeated pleas for talks between Beijing and Manila, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi saying the it is time to get things back on the "right track" after the "farce" of the case. Today, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party said China had shown it can fix territorial issues via talks, pointing to agreement reached with Vietnam over their maritime boundary in the Gulf of Tonkin and ongoing talks with South Korea. "China is a faithful defender of the principle that countries large and small are equal and has consistently upheld using consultations to resolve border issues on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect," the People's Daily said in a commentary. Meanwhile, two Chinese civilian aircraft landed on Wednesday at two new airports on reefs controlled by China in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, a move the State Department said would increase tensions rather than lower them. "We don't have a dog in this fight other than our belief ... in freedom of navigation," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing on Wednesday. "What we want to see in this very tense part of Asia, of the Pacific, rather, is a de-escalation of tensions and we want to see all claimants take a moment to look at how we can find a peaceful way forward." Contingency Plan However, if that effort fails, and competition escalates into confrontation, US air and naval forces are prepared to uphold freedom of maritime and air navigation in the disputed area, a defence official said on Wednesday. Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said confrontation is less likely if the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries work with the United States rather than on their own. "I don't think China wants a confrontation with the United States," he told reporters. "They don’t mind a confrontation with a Vietnamese fishing boat, but they don’t want a confrontation with the United States." The court ruling is expected to dominate a meeting at the end of July in Laos of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand. US Secretary of State John Kerry, and his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang, will attend the ministerial. Sino-American relations suffered two fresh blows on Wednesday as a congressional committee found China's government likely hacked computers at the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the United States challenged China's export duties on nine metals and minerals that are important to the aerospace, auto, electronics and chemical industries. (Reuters)

US launches quiet diplomacy to ease South China Sea tensions

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