NNA - The U.S. Senate on Monday unanimously confirmed Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a China hawk and staunch backer of Israel, as President Donald Trump's secretary of state.

The Senate backed Rubio by a vote of 99-0, days after the long-term member of the Senate foreign relations and intelligence committees sailed through his friendly confirmation hearing.

Rubio became the first of Trump's cabinet nominees to be confirmed by the Senate, just hours after the president was sworn in for a second White House term.--Reuters 

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