Tillerson overruled his own staff?s assessments on the use of child soldiers in both countries and rejected the recommendation of senior diplomats in Asia and the Middle East

US to drop Iraq, Myanmar from list of worst child soldier offenders

The call, held at Tillerson's request, came after he on Friday urged Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to ease their blockade of Qatar

US, Turkey discuss Qatar row, Syria on phone call: Sources

'A response is likely' if nuclear-armed states like North Korea pose a danger, said the US?Secretary of State

Tillerson: Syria strike a message to others, including North Korea

'They have a choice. They can choose to live together in one state, or they can separate into two states,' he said

Two states only way to secure Israeli-Palestinian peace: Kerry

There will probably be contentious confirmation hearings over Rex Tillerman's ties to Russia

Trump to pick ExxonMobil chief as secretary of state: US media

Like Trump, Tillerson, 64, has no formal foreign policy experience whatsoever, but has built close relationships with many world leaders

Trump appoints Exxon Mobil chief Rex Tillerson US state secretary

Kerry said more than 50 per cent of the ministers in the current government have publicly stated they are opposed to a Palestinian state

John Kerry accuses right-wing Israelis of sabotaging peace process with Palestine

Trump may also pick former US House of Representatives speaker Newt Gingrich for Hillary Clinton's former job

Giuliani, Bolton leading candidates for next US secretary of state

Kerry said a peace deal signed last month by Hezb-i-Islami group's chief was a 'model for what might be possible'

Kerry urges Taliban to choose 'honourable' peace

But in a gentle reminder, he also says 'people should be allowed to protest in peace' and 'people should not be jailed for things they say'

Kerry calls India net security provider, talks of its expanding global role

Waterlogged roads left hundreds of commuters, including US secretary of state John Kerry, stranded for hours

Heavy rains in Indian capital trigger massive traffic jams, bring city to standstill

Swaraj stressed on the need for Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai and Pathankot terrorist attacks to justice

Pakistan must dismantle terrorist safe havens, assert India, US

If you're planning coup, you don't advertise it to your partners in NATO: John Kerry said when asked how US intelligence missed this

No one saw Turkey coup bid coming: US envoy

US secretary of state seeks concrete, near-term steps from Moscow

Kerry meets Putin about cooperating against Islamic State in Syria