US President Donald Trump's choice for secretary of state, former Exxon Mobil Corp Chairman Rex Tillerson, narrowly won approval from a Senate committee on Monday, but is expected to be confirmed by the full Senate. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 11-10 to approve Tillerson, with every Republican backing the former oil executive and every Democrat opposing him. Tillerson's confirmation by the 100-member Senate, where Republicans hold 52 seats, is not expected before next week. Rubio's backing had been in doubt after his tough questioning during Tillerson's confirmation hearing, focusing on issues including concerns about Tillerson's support for human rights. The Senate confirmed only two of Trump's Cabinet nominees on Friday, his Inauguration Day, a relatively low number among recent presidencies.

Source: The Star January 24, 2017 19:27 UTC