The directive follows President Donald Trump’s executive order Monday pausing new obligations and disbursements of foreign aid pending review.

"Engaging with our neighbors is a vital element in addressing migration, supply chains, and economic growth, which are key to Secretary Rubio's pursuit of foreign policy focused o

Wang Yi elaborated on China's principled position on the Taiwan question and urged the U.S. side to handle it prudently. Wang emphasised that Taiwan has been part of China's territory since ancient times, and we will never allow Taiwan to be split from China."

It is one of the first directives to be implemented after Trump signed a sweeping anti-trans executive order declaring only two sexes, male and female as assigned at birth.

State Department staff were instructed to “suspend any application requesting an X sex marker” and to “suspend any application where the applicant is seeking to change their sex marker.”

US secretary of state Marco Rubio has ordered an immediate halt to work on virtually all existing foreign aid programmes pending a review into whether they are consistent with President Donald Trump’s policies, according to an internal cable seen by the Financial Times.

The Senate has confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state, giving President Donald Trump the first member of his Cabinet. The vote was unanimous.

After taking the oath of office, Marco Rubio promised that every action taken by the State Department will be determined by the answers to three questions.

The new Secretary of State already has said the Hong Kong-based operator of Panama Canal-adjacent ports could be a “big national security and defense problem.”

A Taliban ambassador is warning new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio against making threats after he said he would place bounties on Afghanistan’s rulers for their continued detention of U.S. nationals.

Washington — The Senate on Monday confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state, making him the first of President Trump's Cabinet nominees to win the approval of the upper chamber. The Senate confirmed Rubio in a 99 to 0 vote as his former colleagues in the Senate touted his qualifications for the job.