The US House of Representatives began debating the charges facing President Donald Trump ahead of a historic impeachment vote later on Wednesday.
The Republican president faces two articles of impeachment - abuse of power and obstruction of Congress - in the Democratic-controlled chamber, which is expected to back the charges in a party-line vote.
The articles were read aloud by the House reading clerk in advance of the debate.
The votes in the Democratic-controlled House are expected to fall almost entirely along party lines, underscoring the deep divide in Congress over the Republican president's conduct and the larger political schism within the United States.
The vote, expected in the early evening, would set the stage for a trial expected next month in the US Senate on whether to convict Trump and remove him from office. While the House twice previously has voted to impeach presidents - Bill Clinton in 1998 and Andrew Johnson in 1868 - no president has ever been removed from office via impeachment.
(Source: Reuters)