US Secretary of State

Former US secretary of state dies of Covid complications

The former top military officer died on Monday morning, his family said. He was fully vaccinated.

Powell became the first African-American secretary of state in 2001 under Republican President George W Bush.

He also sparked controversy for helping garner support for the Iraq War.

"We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American," the family said in a statement, thanking the staff at the Walter Reid Medical Center "for their caring treatment".

Secretary of State fired by President Trump in Russia warning

He pointedly failed to thank Mr Trump or praise his policies.

The former ExxonMobil chief had a series of public rifts with the White House after being appointed last year.

Mr Trump officially fired Mr Tillerson via Twitter, naming CIA Director Mike Pompeo as his replacement.

Mr Trump also named Gina Haspel to become the CIA's first female director.

Speaking to reporters at the Department of State, Mr Tillerson said good work had been done to have better relations with China, and rein in North Korea's nuclear weapons programme.

Tillerson: Russia 'failure allowed Syria chemical attack'

Russia had agreed to ensure Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles were destroyed - and its failure to do this enabled the attack, he said.

G7 foreign ministers are preparing to meet in Italy later on Monday.

Talks will focus on how to increase pressure on Russia to distance itself from Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad.

On Tuesday, Mr Tillerson will continue from the G7 to Moscow, where he will meet his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.

Russia is the Syrian government's main ally, and helped facilitate a 2013 agreement to destroy Syria's chemical arsenal.

Military action against North Korea an option 'on the table': Tillerson

Mr Tillerson outlined the tougher strategy to confront North Korea's nuclear threat while visiting South Korea on his three-country tour of Asia.

He also closed the door on talks with Pyongyang unless it denuclearised and gave up its weapons of mass destruction.

When asked about the possibility of using military force, Mr Tillerson told a news conference in the South Korean capital: "All of the options are on the table".