Trump cabinet: Rex Tillerson sworn in as top US diplomat

Rex Tillerson, the former chairman and chief executive of Exxon Mobil, has been sworn in as President Donald 
Trump’s secretary of state.

The Texas native, 64, was cleared for full Senate approval 
in a 56-43 vote.

The vote came after Senate Republicans changed the rules
 in order to approve Mr Trump's nominees for health and treasury, despite a Democratic boycott.

Mr Tillerson, who has never held political office, faced
 intense scrutiny over his ties to Russia.

As Mr Tillerson was sworn by the vice-president in the
 Oval Office, the president told him: "Your whole life has prepared you for this moment."

Mr Trump - who had just returned from a Delaware air
 base where he met the returning remains of a Navy SEAL killed in a weekend raid in Yemen, the first known US 
combat casualty since he took office - was sombre and subdued in tone.

America's new top diplomat thanked him and said: "As I
 serve this president, I will always represent the interests 
of the American people at all times."

The former oil chief forged multibillion-dollar deals with Russia's state oil company, Rosneft, and was awarded the Order of Friendship by the Kremlin in 2013.

In his Senate confirmation hearing, he admitted that the
 West had reason to be alarmed by Russian aggression,
 but he refused under questioning to label Mr Putin a war criminal.

As secretary of state, Mr Tillerson will handle relations
 with countries including China and Russia and negotiate matters such as climate change and human rights, on 
behalf of President Trump.

The Senate voted largely along party lines, despite 
speculation that some Republicans would not approve 
his nomination.

Though some critics suggested Mr Tillerson would not be
 able to give up his corporate interests, supporters 
contended his background as a global dealmaker would 
bring fresh perspective to the role.

Mr Tillerson's confirmation was more contentious than 
those of his predecessors.

The Senate confirmed President Barack Obama's selections John Kerry 94-3 and Hillary Clinton 94-2.

President George W Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice,was confirmed 85-13 while Colin Powell was approved
 by a voice vote.

One of Mr Tillerson's first challenges may be allaying fears
 at the State Department over President Trump's order to 
ban travel or immigration from seven mostly Muslim
 nations.

Nearly 1,000 US diplomats and Foreign Service officers 
signed a memo of dissent on Tuesday regarding the travel ban.

Mr Tillerson will be tasked with restoring relations with 
those affected countries as well as outraged European leaders.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, fresh off a US diplomatic visit, opposed the ban on Monday.

Also infuriated is Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto,
 who cancelled his planned Washington trip over Mr 
Trump's insistence that the neighbouring country would
 pay for a wall along the US border.

"He will start at a disadvantage and will have to play catch
-up to build trust with his foreign counterparts and with
 State Department employees," said John Bellinger, a State Department legal adviser under Republican President 
George W Bush.

Also on Wednesday, Republicans on a US Senate committee
pushed through the approval of Mr Trump's Treasury
 nominee Steven Mnuchin and Health and Human Services pick, Tom Pric.

After Democrats boycotted committee votes on both nominees, Republicans changed the rules to approve
 the candidates without their votes.

Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions was also confirmed as
 Mr Trump's attorney general, despite heated exchanges between Senate committee members.

But Senate Democrats managed to stall a confirmation for
 Mr Trump's pick to lead the Environmental Protection 
Agency by refusing to show up.