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Marco Rubio

The latest news on Marco Rubio, American politician and 72nd United States Secretary of State, including US politics news and updates.

Born

28 May 1971

Industry

Politics

Job title

US Secretary of State

Italy

Italy’s Meloni scores diplomatic ‘win’ by bringing US, EU to same table

Meloni said she was ‘very proud’ to host US Vice-President J.D. Vance and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to ‘start a dialogue’.

4 hours ago

Ukraine war

Trump to speak to Putin, Zelensky by phone after Ukraine-Moscow talks in Turkey

17 May 2025 - 11:20PM

Israel-Gaza war

Dozens more die in Gaza as Israel intensifies assault

16 May 2025 - 8:24PMvideocam

Ukraine war

Russia, Ukraine talks for peace end in under two hours

The officials present in Turkey – including Ukraine’s defence minister – sat together around a table, but the two sides are far apart in their conditions for ending the war.

16 May 2025 - 9:02PMvideocam

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are in Turkey for talks about Vladimir Putin’s war, which began in February 2022. Photo: Handout via EPA-EFE

Pope Francis

J.D. Vance, Marco Rubio to attend Pope Leo’s inaugural Mass

Pope Leo had been critical of Trump and Vance before taking leadership of the global Roman Catholic Church.

15 May 2025 - 11:54PM

Ukraine war

Ukraine peace breakthrough unlikely as Putin declines to meet Zelensky in Turkey

‘We can’t be running around the world looking for Putin,’ Zelensky said after meeting Turkish President Erdogan in Ankara.

16 May 2025 - 4:50AM

Ukraine war

Putin not on Kremlin list for Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Turkey

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky had challenged the Russian leader to meet him in person in Istanbul.

15 May 2025 - 11:15AM

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks in Moscow on Wednesday. Photo: AP

India-Pakistan tensions

Pakistan denies India’s ceasefire violation accusations

The ceasefire, announced on Saturday, followed four days of intense fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

12 May 2025 - 6:04PMvideocam

Israel-Gaza war

Hamas says will free Israeli-American hostage held in Gaza

The announcement comes ahead of US President Donald Trump’s Middle East trip this coming week.

12 May 2025 - 10:44AM

China-India relations

China’s call for peace comes hours before India, Pakistan agree to ceasefire

Beijing expresses ‘deep concern’ over escalation, with Donald Trump posting hours later about ‘full and immediate ceasefire’ mediated by US.

10 May 2025 - 10:25PMvideocam

Women walk towards their damaged home following Pakistan’s military operation against India, in Rehari, Jammu, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

Iranian nuclear enrichment ‘red line’ for US ahead of new talks

Trump has voiced hope for reaching a deal with Tehran to avert an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear programme that could ignite a wider war.

10 May 2025 - 8:28PM

US President Donald Trump congratulates his Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff during Witkoff’s swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE

United States

Opinion | Trumpism is waning but leaders still need to address voter frustrations

In recent elections across three continents, Trumpism mainly backfired – but democracies still need to understand why it resonates.

9 May 2025 - 8:30PMvideocam

India-Pakistan tensions

US ‘can’t control’ India-Pakistan war, it’s ‘none of our business’: Vance

The US vice-president urged both sides to show restraint, hoping the fighting does not spiral into a ‘nuclear conflict’.

9 May 2025 - 10:29AMvideocam

China-India relations

China ‘will back’ Pakistan, ‘expects’ US to support India amid rising tensions

While the two powers are unlikely to get directly involved, each one has deepening ties on either side of the conflict.

8 May 2025 - 5:59PMvideocam

Protesters in Peshawar shout anti-India slogans after the missile strikes on Pakistan, which followed a terrorist attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Photo: EPA

Americas and the Caribbean

Venezuela denies opposition members left country in rescue operation

Venezuela’s interior minister says exit of opposition staffers from embassy was negotiated.

8 May 2025 - 12:51PM

The 2024 Venezuela election results sparked protests across the country. File photo: AP

United States

US judge temporarily blocks deportation of Asian migrants to Libya

Sending deportees to Libya would mark a major escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to offload unwanted migrants.

8 May 2025 - 10:41AM

India

‘It’s terrible’: as India and Pakistan clash, Trump adopts cautious diplomacy

Trump aims to balance US influence while prioritising de-escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

8 May 2025 - 10:29AMvideocam

Americas and the Caribbean

Venezuela opposition members who hid in embassy flee Caracas with US help

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says group now in the US after a ‘rescue’ operation.

7 May 2025 - 3:25PM

Police at a roadblock on a street leading to Argentina’s embassy in Caracas, Venezuela. Photo: AP

US Politics

Meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s siblings Mario, Barbara and Veronica

Marco Rubio’s brother Mario Rubio is an army veteran who also worked in government, while their sister Barbara’s husband worked for zookeeper Mario Tabraue and served 12 years in jail.

7 May 2025 - 5:00AMvideocam

Donald Trump

From Trump’s rival to one of his top aides, the surprising rise of Rubio

Rubio is the first person since Kissinger in the 1970s to hold the positions of secretary of state and national security adviser simultaneously.

4 May 2025 - 11:55AMvideocam

Donald Trump

‘Clowning around’: Trump rebuked for posting AI image of himself as pope

The image, shared during the official mourning period for Pope Francis, was described as shameful and offensive in Italy and the US.

4 May 2025 - 2:10AMvideocam

The image was shared on US President Donald Trump’s Truth Social site on Friday and later reposted by the White House on an official social media account. Image: Truth Social/realDonaldTrump

US-China trade war

For US-China trade stand-off to ease, negotiators must be agreed upon: analysts

As Washington is said to favour Trump dealing directly with Xi and Beijing rejects the idea as too risky, possible envoys are being explored.

3 May 2025 - 7:02AMvideocam

Advisers to Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump seek to break an impasse in bilateral trade issues. Photo: AFP

United States

Palestinian student released after being arrested at US citizenship interview

Mohsen Mahdawi is out on bail as he challenges the Trump administration’s efforts to deport him for taking part in Gaza protests.

1 May 2025 - 4:39AM

Donald Trump

Trump says US ships should travel through Panama and Suez canals for free

The US president says he has asked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to ‘immediately take care of’ the matter.

27 Apr 2025 - 6:46AMvideocam

US-China relations

Unpredictable Trump leaves China struggling to respond to US foreign policy

American leader’s erratic approach to Ukraine and Middle East means challenges for stability-fixated Beijing amid its shifting Moscow ties.

25 Apr 2025 - 1:06AMvideocam

Ukraine war

Zelensky cuts South Africa trip short after deadly Russian missile strikes

The aerial attacks raise ceasefire doubts amid the ongoing conflict, despite US president Trump saying a peace deal was “very close”.

24 Apr 2025 - 8:52PMvideocam

A Russian ballistic missile explodes in the sky over the city in Kyiv on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

China-Asean relations

China calls on Indonesia to jointly oppose protectionism as US trade war deepens

Call from China’s top diplomat Wang Yi follows first ‘2+2’ talks between the two countries’ foreign and defence ministers.

22 Apr 2025 - 5:31PM

Donald Trump

US lawsuit challenges revocation of visas for international students

The suit represents over 100 students from China, India and elsewhere, after many lost their legal status in a Trump administration crackdown.

19 Apr 2025 - 3:28PMvideocam

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