US Senators have been meeting to decide whether to approve Jeff Sessions as the new attorney general.

Mr Sessions was grilled at a confirmation hearing three weeks ago, when he was forced to deny he had sympathies for the Ku Klux Klan.

He was quizzed for 10 hours and had to answer more than 700 written questions on his past and qualifications for the job.

As a result, the Republican Senator for Alabama is thought to be on track to win Senate Judiciary Committee approval, despite objections from some Democrats.

If he does win approval he will face a vote for final confirmation by the full Senate, which is held by the Republicans in a 52-48 majority.


Trump fires the Attorney General for defying him

It comes after Mr Trump sacked his acting attorney general Sally Yates, accusing her of betraying the Department of Justice by "refusing to enforce a legal order".

Ms Yates had ordered Justice Department lawyers not to enforce the President's immigration ban targeting seven Muslim-majority nations.

Speaking about Mr Sessions, Senator Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the committee, said in his opening remarks: "One consistent thread that ran through all of his answers is this: he will follow the law, regardless of whether he would have supported it as a law as a Senator.

"We heard from witnesses who have known Sen Sessions personally... for decades... All of those said the same thing: if you are concerned with securing the strong and equal enforcement of the laws, you should look no further than Senator Sessions."

Meanwhile, Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee boycotted confirmation votes for Treasury secretary-nominee Steve Mnuchin and health secretary-nominee Tom Price.

Protests against Trump take place across the UK

Following Ms Yates' dismissal, the White House said that she would be replaced by Dana Boente, who is currently US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

The President also sacked acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Daniel Ragsdale, without giving a reason why. Thomas Holman was announced as his acting replacement.

Press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement that Ms Yates "has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States".

Ms Yates, who had been appointed by former Democratic President Barack Obama, told Justice Department lawyers in a letter on Monday that they would not defend Mr Trump's travel order in court.

She said she did not believe the order would be "consistent with this institution's solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what's right".

She also said that she was not convinced of the legality of the order, which put a 120-day hold on allowing refugees into the country and barred citizens of seven countries.