Marco Rubio says negotiators from the United States and Iran may reach an agreement as early as Monday, describing ongoing talks as having “a pretty solid thing on the table”.

Speaking during a visit to India, Rubio said discussions were still continuing but progress had been made.

The remarks came after Donald Trump said he had instructed negotiators “not to rush into a deal”, despite earlier suggesting an agreement was close.

According to reports, the proposed arrangement would include a 60-day ceasefire extension, the reopening of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, and further negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.

Rubio said the discussions involved Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global shipping route through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass.

Markets reacted positively to the reports, with oil prices falling sharply while Asian stock markets rose amid hopes of easing tensions in the region.

However, Rubio cautioned against assuming an agreement was guaranteed, noting that Washington was still awaiting a formal response from Tehran.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said over the weekend that both sides were simultaneously “very close and very far” from reaching a deal.

US media reports suggest the proposed agreement would not represent a final settlement but rather a temporary framework, leaving major issues for later negotiations. These include sanctions relief, the release of frozen Iranian assets and US demands aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear activities.

The reported deal has also exposed divisions among Republicans in Washington.

Ted Cruz criticised the proposal as “a disastrous mistake”, while Roger Wicker argued that a ceasefire would undermine the impact of Operation Epic Fury.

Lindsey Graham, a longtime Trump ally, also voiced concerns about any agreement that could leave Iran appearing dominant in the region.

“It makes one wonder why the war started to begin with,” Graham said.

At least 90 people have died following a massive gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China, according to state media reports.

The blast occurred on Friday evening at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Shanxi province and is being described as China’s deadliest mining disaster since 2009.

Officials said 247 workers were on duty when the explosion happened at about 19:29 local time. More than 100 miners were reportedly rescued, while hundreds of emergency personnel were deployed to the site.

Xi Jinping called for every possible effort to be made to treat the injured and continue the search for survivors.

China’s State Council later announced that a “rigorous” investigation would be launched and warned that anyone found responsible for the disaster would face severe punishment.

Authorities said 27 people remain in hospital, including one in critical condition. Most survivors are believed to have suffered from inhaling toxic gas, although officials have not confirmed the exact substance involved.

One injured miner, Wang Yong, told state media he saw smoke suddenly spread through the tunnel moments after the explosion.

“I smelled sulphur, the same smell you get from blasting,” he said. “I shouted at people to run. As we were running I could see people collapsing from the fumes. Then I blacked out too.”

He added that he regained consciousness about an hour later and escaped with another worker.

State media reported that several members of the mine’s management team have been detained as investigations continue into the cause of the explosion.

Officials said dangerous levels of carbon monoxide — a highly toxic and odourless gas — had been detected inside the mine after the incident.

China’s Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched 345 rescuers from six specialist teams to assist with recovery operations.

Rescue efforts have reportedly been complicated by flooding near the blast area, making some sections inaccessible. Authorities also said mine blueprints provided to rescue teams did not accurately reflect the underground conditions, creating further challenges during the operation.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has cancelled its planned pre-World Cup training camp in Kinshasa because of the worsening Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the country.

Preparations for the tournament will instead take place in Belgium as authorities respond to an outbreak that has reportedly killed more than 130 people.

The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern”, although it has stopped short of classifying it as a pandemic.

Jerry Kalemo, spokesperson for the national football team, said planned warm-up matches in Europe would still go ahead as the team prepares for its first FIFA World Cup appearance since 1974.

DR Congo are scheduled to face Denmark in Belgium on 3 June and Chile in Spain on 9 June before opening their World Cup campaign against Portugal in Houston on 17 June.

Team officials said the decision to cancel the Kinshasa camp was linked to travel restrictions introduced by the United States in response to the Ebola outbreak.

Under the restrictions, non-Americans who have recently visited DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the previous 21 days are barred from entering the US.

Because all DR Congo players and head coach Sébastien Desabre are based outside the country, they are not expected to be affected by the rules now that the training camp has been relocated.

Some support staff based in DR Congo reportedly left the country on Wednesday before the 21-day travel restriction window came into effect.

The planned Kinshasa camp had been expected to attract supporters and senior officials, including President Felix Tshisekedi.

Although Kinshasa lies around 1,800km from Ituri province — the centre of the outbreak — no Ebola cases have yet been reported in the capital.

The WHO said on Wednesday that 139 people were believed to have died from around 600 suspected cases, while Congolese health minister Samuel Roger Kamba later stated on national broadcaster RTNC TV that authorities had recorded 159 deaths.