WASHINGTON (AP) — Markwayne Mullin, President Donald Trump’s pick for Homeland Security secretary, appears before senators on Wednesday for his confirmation hearing and will face questions over his vision for a department tasked with carrying out the Republican administration’s push for mass deportations.

Mullin, an Oklahoma senator, has spent 13 years in Congress and has emerged as a close ally of the president’s. If confirmed, he would replace outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem, who was fired earlier this month amid mounting criticism of her leadership of the Department of Homeland Security.

The hearing will be the first opportunity for lawmakers and the public to hear directly from Mullin about how he intends to run the third-largest department in the Cabinet. The sprawling department, with a workforce of roughly 260,000 employees, oversees a diverse mission set of responsibilities ranging from protecting the president from a bullet to helping states recover from disasters to deporting people in the country illegally.

Mullin is a former mixed martial arts fighter who ran a plumbing business in Oklahoma before running for Congress. He has in the past indicated support for immigration operations, and he’s expected to be a faithful ally for Trump’s agenda if he is confirmed for the top job at DHS.

“Whether it be protecting the homeland from bad actors, stopping dangerous drugs from flowing into American communities, or removing the worst-of-the-worst criminal illegal aliens, Senator Mullin will work tirelessly to implement the President’s agenda,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in an emailed statement Tuesday.

The president’s immigration agenda and how Mullin intends to execute on it is expected to be a key line of questioning as Democrats drill down into Mullin’s views. The hearing comes as the president’s mass deportations agenda is at a crossroads, and Mullin will face pressure to reach the president’s lofty deportation goals when the public mood has soured over the aggressive way immigration enforcement operations have been carried out.

Anger over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics has prompted Democrats to refuse to fund DHS until it makes a series of changes to its officers’ conduct.

In an opening statement released ahead of the hearing, Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, the ranking member on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said the Democrats were asking for “straightforward” reforms in line with rules police departments follow. Peters underlined the challenges that Homeland Security is facing from threats from Iran to criminal hackers and said the department needed someone with a “steady hand.” But Peters said he had “reservations” about whether Mullin was ready to assume such a significant role.

As the latest partial government shutdown drags on, there have been long security lines at a growing number of U.S airports as security screeners go into another month without pay. Republicans have repeatedly charged that Democrats are risking the nation’s national security by blocking funding to the department.

Under Noem, intense enforcement operations were launched in places including Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis, where immigrants were rounded up in arrest sweeps and protesters clashed with federal officers.

Activists and politicians accused DHS officers of smashing car windows, roughing up bystanders who tried to record their activities and detaining immigrants in squalid conditions. The shooting deaths of two protesters — Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis — contributed to swelling criticism of Trump’s immigration agenda.

Homeland Security has said that its officers are responding with force only when necessary and have blamed activists and politicians, who they say are dialing up the rhetoric against their officers.

Mullin also will likely face questions about the future of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, which is in the middle of a tumultuous reform process after Trump said he wanted to overhaul it, if not eliminate it.

Noem led a Trump-appointed FEMA Review Council that was set to recommend sweeping changes to how the federal government helps states, tribes and territories prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. The reforms had the potential to drastically reduce federal support for disasters and put more responsibility on local jurisdictions.

Meanwhile, under Noem’s leadership, all contracts above $100,000 had to wait for her approval. That led to long delays for states desperate for reimbursements for money they’d already spent on things like storm debris removal.

After two acting administrators left FEMA during Noem’s tenure, the agency is still without a permanent head.

Trump said he was making Noem a special envoy for a new security initiative that would focus on the Western Hemisphere. Noem thanked Trump for the appointment and touted her accomplishments as secretary, saying she made “historic accomplishments” at DHS to make America safe.

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Associated Press writer Gabriela Aoun Angueira contributed.

In its ruling to award Morocco the title, Caf also “partially upheld” an appeal against an incident involving ball boys in the final, and reduced the Moroccan FA’s fine for the incident.

In torrential rain, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy regularly dried his gloves, but the ball boys repeatedly tried to discard his towel.

At one point Senegal reserve goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf was tackled to the ground by three ball boys and dragged around on the floor when he tried to intervene.

A fine for fans shining lasers at players on the pitch was also reduced by Caf.

Caf’s former head of disciplinary, Raymond Hack, questioned the decisions made by African football’s governing body and suggested there is a perception of “political interference” as “the president of the Moroccan Football Association [Fouzi Lekjaa] is the first vice-president of Caf”.

“The circus continues,” Hack told BBC World Service.

“A lot will depend on the referee’s written report, but the fact that the referee allowed the game to continue and they went into extra time gives the impression that he was satisfied that the game will continue.

“He is the only person who can call an end to the game. Not the authorities, not the governing bodies, only the referee.

“Otherwise you’re going to have situation worldwide where every time someone disagrees with a decision, they’re going to go on appeal or take it to court or something ridiculous like that.

“The game should be won on the field of play not in a boardroom.”

Hack, a lawyer and a member of Fifa’s disciplinary committee, said the Morocco players should have informed the referee they were playing under protest if they intended to challenge the result.

He also said it could take six months for Cas to rule on Senegal’s appeal.

Moroccan journalist Jalal Bounar told Newsday that Caf’s decision had been welcomed “with great excitement and joy across the country”.

“Morocco appealed the decision to the confederation of African football because they believed that Senegal had broken the rules during the match, and that’s why Moroccans went out to celebrate,” he said.

“If they give it to Senegal, it won’t be the end of the world. We will accept because we are satisfied that we reached the final.”

However, north African journalist Maher Mezahi said such a sentiment is not matched across the continent.

“It does seem like the rest of Africa feels outraged by this because it seems like, once again, the Confederation of African Football has almost disgraced the sport,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Mezahi cited Caf’s decision to ban Togo from two Africa Cup of Nations for quitting the 2010 competition following a gun attack on their team bus in Angola two days before the tournament.

Referring back to Caf’s decision on the 2025 final, he said: “They have, unfortunately, come up with a habit of releasing decisions like this – whether it’s the disciplinary committee or the appeals board – that eventually do get shot down at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but it makes the entire thing look very amateurish.”

From now on daytime will be longer than night-time

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Longer days have officially arrived. Depending on where you live in the UK, yesterday and today mark the Spring equilux, the precise moment when sunlight and darkness are evenly split at 12 hours apiece.

From this point onwards, daylight hours will exceed night-time hours, reports the Liverpool Echo, a much-anticipated development for millions following a prolonged and dreary winter. However, two significant calendar milestones in the coming days promise even brighter prospects. First, the Spring equinox arrives on Friday, March 20, signalling the beginning of astronomical spring. Then next Sunday (March 29), the clocks spring forward, delivering considerably longer and brighter evenings for everyone.

What is the Spring equilux?

Whilst most people are familiar with the Spring equinox, fewer understand the Spring equilux – arguably the occasion we ought to be marking. At the equinox, occurring this year on Friday, March 20, a measurement is recorded when the centre of the Sun aligns with Earth’s horizon and we experience 12 hours between sunrise and sunset, meaning day and night are equal lengths.

But the upper edge of the Sun actually becomes visible before that, initially at sunrise. And there remains illumination for a brief period even after the sun disappears from view, adding slightly more time to daylight hours. This means that the date when day and night are genuinely equal occurs prior to the equinox. For the northern half of the UK it was yesterday, March 17, while for the southern half it is today, March 18.

What is the Spring equinox?

The Spring equinox consistently falls between 19-21 March. This year, it’s set to occur on 20 March, precisely at 2.45pm. The event takes place simultaneously worldwide – however, in the northern hemisphere it signifies the commencement of Spring, whilst in the southern hemisphere it heralds the onset of Autumn.

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This date is dictated by the Earth’s axial tilt as it orbits the Sun. During the equinox, the tilt is neither towards nor away from the Sun, resulting in equal sunlight reaching both the northern and southern hemispheres (the term “equinox” originates from Latin, where ‘equi’ means “equal” and ‘nox’ translates to “night”).

When is the first day of Spring?

Many of us are likely accustomed to considering 1 March as the inaugural day of Spring, with March, April and May constituting the Spring months. This is also the perspective adopted by weather forecasters. However, this year’s Spring equinox on 20 March additionally marks the advent of astronomical Spring.

When do the clocks go forward in 2026?

For those who relish extended evenings, increased daylight and the general arrival of Spring and Summer, the date when the clocks spring forward is a significant occasion. In 2026, the clocks will advance at 1am on 29 March.

Following a winter that has seemed particularly lengthy and damp, this will be a much-anticipated day for millions. This shift also denotes the conclusion of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and the start of British Summer Time (BST).

Whilst this will initially result in darker mornings for early risers, the trade-off will be evident later in the day as the evenings become noticeably brighter.

The group of Scouts from the region have been selected to head to the prestigious global event – and surprised climbers on a local slope with a special coffee spot..

Hillwalkers taking on a chilly early spring walk on a Stirling peak enjoyed a special treat on Sunday as a troop of local Scouts offered hot drinks at the summit.

The pop-up coffee shop is the first of several appearances being planned by the Scouts from Stirling and Dunblane over the coming months at Dumyat as part of their fundraising efforts to help with the costs of representing Stirlingshire at the World Scout Jamboree.

The Jamboree will see 50,000 Scouts from all over the world gather in the Polish city of Gdansk in July 2027, with the event representing the highlight of the calendar.

Fourteen Scouts from the region have come through the tough selection process to make the trip and a group of Scouts and helpers scaled the local peak to serve ramblers a selection of hot drinks, soft drinks, biscuits and cakes.

Seven further days are planned throughout the spring on various Sundays.

Paula Connar, unit leader for the central Scotland region said: “The World Jamboree is a fantastic experience in building confidence in young people and in building connections between Scotland and Scout groups all over the world so it will be a fantastic experience for these local young people.

“We do need your support to get there though, so please do look out for the group on future Sundays up Dumyat through the spring and treat yourself to a well-earned coffee and cake, and any donations to the GoFundMe will be hugely appreciated too.”

Thomas Pankhurst of Riverside, who is also doing ironing and odd jobs to support his fundraising, added: “I’m so excited to be representing Stirling and Trossachs at the World Jamboree.

“I’m most looking forward to meeting the other Scouts from all over the world, and swapping our Scottish neckies for ones from other countries.”

Anyone wanting to support the youngsters without scaling Dumyat can also donate to their GoFundMe atwsj2027.abct.net.

Wallace High student Oliver Taylor, who is also washing cars to support his fundraising, said: “I’m excited to meet new people, make new friends and to be part of something that doesn’t happen very often.

“I feel quite lucky to have been chosen to go.”

The car left North Brink and entered the River Nene

Cambridgeshire Police are searching for two people after a car left the road and entered the River Nene near Wisbech. The car was travelling southbound on North Brink, in Wisbech St Mary’s, at around 8.20pm on Tuesday, March 17, before it left the road.

The car contained five people aged between 16 and 18. Two were male and three were female.

Three people, two female and one male, are known to have got out of the vehicle. They have been taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn with non-life threatening injuries.

A male and a female have not been accounted for and police are continuing to search for them. North Brink is likely to be closed for the remainder of the day.

Police are now appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage of the incident. Anyone with information about the incident should use the reference incident 515 of 17 March and report it through the Cambridgeshire Police website. Anyone without access to the internet should call 101.

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If you’re struggling with your sleep and you can’t work out why, a sleep tracker might help. On its own, it won’t solve your problems, but it can show patterns and provide useful information for doctors as part of a diagnosis.

Basic sleep trackers collect data like sleep duration and time spent in each stage (light, deep and REM). More advanced models may track heart rate, stress levels and body temperature. Often, these stats are combined to calculate a sleep score and accompanying apps may suggest adjustments to your routine.

We’ve reviewed dozens of fitness trackers and accessories for their sleep tracking capabilities, but only eight made the cut here. Prices range from £100 for Amazon own-brands to over £2,500 for an Eight Sleep pod system. Remember to factor in running costs and rolling subscription fees.

The best sleep trackers of 2026: At a glance

How we test sleep trackers

Our experts test the trackers for at least two weeks. Some are purely for sleep, while others incorporate the technology as part of their broader offering. We score each tracker against the following criteria:

• Design and build: The tracker should look good and feel well-made. If it is wearable, we consider whether it feels comfortable over several hours of use and whether it’s sufficiently discreet to wear during the day.
• User experience: We navigate the app interface to make sure it offers insightful, personalised recommendations in a user-friendly fashion.
• Accuracy: Where possible, we try using multiple sleep trackers at the same time (or back to back) to see whether the results are consistent.
• Results: We consider whether the results align with how we perceive our own sleep quality. We award bonus points for trackers that help you to get better sleep as well as monitoring your current sleep.
• Value for money: We compare the upfront cost to similar models, factoring in any running costs or subscription fees.

How to choose the best sleep tracker

“Trackers generally fall into three categories: rings, smart watches, and bedside or under-mattress sensors,” says Kerry Davies, certified cognitive behavioural therapist for insomnia and founder of The Sleep Fixer. “Rings tend to be less obtrusive, so they’re popular with people who don’t like wearing a watch at night.”

A big consideration is the data that you would like to see. “For some people, a simple overview of sleep duration and consistency is enough,” Davies says, “while others enjoy exploring trends over time. Smart watches like Apple Watch or Fitbit offer broader health tracking but can feel bulky for some sleepers.”

“Price-wise, a sensible range is usually £100 to £300, depending on features,” Davies continues. “Some of the more premium devices also charge a monthly subscription.”

“Ultimately, the best sleep tracker is one that feels comfortable, doesn’t disrupt sleep and is used as a guide rather than a judgement tool. The data should support better sleep habits and not create pressure or perfectionism.”

‘I hear the same question from farmers, shopkeepers and families across rural Wales. ‘Why does government never listen when the countryside speaks?’

Victoria Bond is director of Country Land and Business Association Cymru

I hear the same question from farmers, shopkeepers and families across rural Wales. “Why does government never listen when the countryside speaks?”

It’s not shouted or waved on placards. More often, it is asked with a tired patience. The kind that comes after years of raising the same concerns and watching them get ignored.

Across rural Wales, that patience is beginning to wear thin.

There is a growing sense that the great promise of devolution has somehow passed the countryside by. That the project meant to bring power closer has instead left many communities feeling just as distant from it as before.

Power changed its address. The countryside still feels just as far away from it.

More than half of rural Welsh voters believe devolution has made things worse for the countryside. Not better. Worse.

And this is not a complaint confined to one corner of politics. The sentiment cuts across party lines. Even among Labour voters, 44 percent say the same.

That should make politicians stop and listen for a moment. Because the debate in Wales is moving firmly in the other direction. Welsh Labour is pressing for more powers for the Senedd. In England, the same party is championing a wider programme of regional devolution.

Yet in the only nation where Labour has governed under devolution since the beginning, a large part of the countryside is asking a much simpler question.

What, exactly, has it delivered for us?

For too many communities the answer feels uncomfortably thin.

Decisions about farming are made by people who rarely set foot on a working farm. Planning systems move at a pace that suffocates rural enterprise. Policies arrive wrapped in good intentions but often written with an urban imagination of how life works.

Meanwhile, the countryside is treated less like a working economy and more like a backdrop. A landscape to admire. Somewhere picturesque to visit at the weekend. Beautiful, yes. Important, apparently. But rarely understood.

That misunderstanding has real consequences.

Rural Wales produces food, sustains small businesses, attracts visitors from across the world and cares for landscapes that define the nation itself. Around a third of the population live outside the main towns and cities.

Yet, productivity in rural Wales now sits roughly 35% below that of urban areas. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here

Behind that number is a story that people in the countryside know all too well. Businesses that want to grow and cannot. Young people who leave because opportunity lives somewhere else. Communities that feel their ambition is quietly discounted before it is even heard.

Talk to people across rural Wales and you hear something very different from the polite pastoral image often projected onto the countryside.

You hear ambition.

You hear farmers talking about innovation and food security. Business owners talking about building enterprises that keep wealth in their communities. Young families talking about the future they want to build where they already live.

What you rarely hear from government is a vision that matches that ambition.

That is where the real test of devolution now lies. Not in constitutional debates about who holds which powers, but in whether those powers are used to unlock the potential of the whole country.

There is a clear place to start. As Wales heads towards the May Senedd election, we are calling for a rural economic strategy that finally treats the countryside as a serious part of the Welsh economy.

The priorities are straightforward. Let rural businesses build and expand without years trapped in planning. Give farmers long-term certainty so they can invest with confidence. Back tourism as the year-round industry it already is.

The countryside is not asking for sympathy, it’s asking to be heard. Increasingly, we’re asking how much longer we’ll have to wait.

We’ve found where to shop the exact ‘sensational’ Rixo midi dress loved by Holly Willoughby, with all sizes still available

Holly Willoughby recently launched an Instagram series titled “Stories from my wardrobe”, where she highlights one of her favourite brands and all the pieces she loves from said brand. Her latest post is focused on Rixo, the female-founded UK label known for vintage-inspired pieces full of colour and print.

And we’ve found where to shop for one of Holly’s favourite midi dresses that is still in stock in all sizes. The exact piece is the Maura printed satin midi dress, priced at £295, and available in sizes 6 to 20 on the Net-a-Porter site.

Cut from jacquard and featuring bold butterfly patterns throughout, this gorgeous halterneck dress is perfect for maximalist fashion lovers and is a real statement wardrobe buy.

READ MORE: Marks & Spencer’s £60 alternative to Sézane’s sold-out £245 trench coat is back in stock

READ MORE: Stacey Solomon has this exact £22 Amazon Essentials cardigan in ‘every colour’

The vintage-style dress also features tie detailing at the halterneck, which helps create a gorgeous, flowing movement when worn. Whether you’re heading to a summer wedding, spring garden party or milestone birthday, this silky midi will have you standing out from the crowd, in the best possible way.

To tie in with the vibrant red shade, Holly teamed her dress with a pair of red heels, which appear to be the Prada Suede Triple-Strap Wavy Sandals, available from second-hand sites for £259.

If you’re after similar buys without the hefty price tag, the Red Halter Neck Marceline Midi Dress from Nobody’s Child is currently on sale for £128 down from £160. This softly textured chiffon dress features a similar halterneck design as the Rixo one, but without the butterfly print, making it ideal for those who prefer a subtler look. It also features a flattering fitted waist that creates a figure-hugging silhouette.

Alternatively, the V Neck Slip Midi Dress in Red Polka Dot from Abercrombie & Fitch, priced at £72, is the perfect choice for those looking to hop on the popular polka dot trend. With its adjustable straps and shirred back, it’s as comfortable as it is stylish.

Donald Trump told reporters on board Air Force One on March 15 that his relationship with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is “extraordinary”. Netanyahu has been rather less effusive, saying in recent days that their relationship is one of “dialogue, shared concepts, consultation and joint work”.

These comments come as reports are circulating of rifts between the two leaders over the war in Iran, which Trump has rejected as “fake news”. The reported tensions underline not only Trump and Netanyahu’s very different war aims but also the character differences that have shaped their relationship.

Writing in the Sunday Times on March 15, the UK’s former ambassador to Israel, Matthew Gould, pointed out that both men are similar in “some respects”. Like Trump, Netanyahu is a “populist making his country more divided with crude fearmongering; a huge character who sucks oxygen from the entire political scene.”

However, there are some key differences. While Trump had five deferments to avoid serving in the Vietnam war, for example, Netanyahu distinguished himself in the Israeli armed forces. This included serving five years in the elite Sayeret Matkal unit from 1967 to 1972.

Such different backgrounds count especially as Trump and Netanyahu work together in the military confrontation with Iran. Trump has often been cavalier and brags about US military strength, whereas Netanyahu is far more measured. Trump is also regularly talking to journalists, while Netanyahu has been sparing in his interactions with the media.

At the same time, the war with Iran has a very different meaning for Israel and the US. Netanyahu has made the Iranian threat to Israel the most consistent theme of his political career. Since 2019, when it became clear that Iran was enriching uranium over the 3.5% to 5% level needed for peaceful purposes (it now has over 440 tonnes of uranium enriched to over 60%), Netanyahu has seen the threat to Israel as existential.

Trump’s grounds for launching the war have shifted, from wanting to destroy Iran’s military capabilities to toppling the regime in Tehran. But Netanyahu has consistently remained focused on removing what he sees as the threefold threat from Iran: its nuclear weapons programme, ballistic missile capacity and ability to support regional proxy groups like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

Trump knows the war is unpopular at home and among his allies and is creating instability in the world economy. Oil prices climbed to over US$100 (£75) a barrel on March 16 after Trump said the US had “totally demolished” most of Kharg Island, Iran’s most vital oil export hub. Facing midterm elections in October, he is likely to want to see the conflict end relatively soon.

Netanyahu, on the other hand, will not want to end the war without imposing a decisive defeat on Iran that ends the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes at the very least. Like Trump, he faces an election in October and will want to present himself not as the leader whose watch saw the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in 2023, but as the victor of the war with Iran.

Ending the war

How Trump and Netanyahu manage these differences will determine both the course of the war and its duration. We do know that while the two leaders frequently pay effusive compliments to each other in public, they have a rather more fractious personal relationship.

Six months ago, Trump strong-armed Netanyahu to accept his 20-point plan for a Gaza ceasefire. This involved Netanyahu making a humiliating phone call to the Qataris to apologise for an Israeli attack on Hamas leadership in Doha. The White House even published a picture of the US president and the Israeli prime minister making the call.

And while routinely praising Trump for his support for Israel, Netanyahu appears to be wary of their relationship. In his 2022 autobiography, Bibi: My Story, Netanyahu complained that Trump was slow to act on the Israeli government’s agenda in his first term as US president. He also described his relationship with Trump as “bumpy”.

Trump’s second term has been a rather mixed experience for Netanyahu. On the one hand, he convinced the US to bomb the Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025 and since February 2026 to collaborate in a major war against Iran. But on the other hand, he (like everyone else) is having to deal Trump’s capricious and unpredictable behaviour.

The war in Iran is now in a difficult phase. Israel and the US have an overwhelming firepower advantage over Iran and have eliminated numerous high-ranking Iranian leadership figures, most recently killing security chief and de facto leader of the country Ali Larijani. Despite these serious blows, the regime is still functioning and maintains significant military capacity.

For Israel, a new development in the war is coordinated Iranian-Hezbollah missile attacks. This demonstrates the very different pressures that the US and Israeli leaderships are under. Israelis are now in their third year of war. The US will be feeling the effects of the war in terms of higher gas prices and a spike in inflation, but the lives of Americans are not punctuated by air raid sirens and military service.

These differences will play out as Trump and Netanyahu envisage the war’s end. There are reports that the US administration is talking to Iran already about ending the conflict as the war enters its third week. Netanyahu will worry where these diplomatic moves might lead.

Trump and Netanyahu may have started a war together, but they are going to have difficulty ending it together.