19 December

The US House of Representatives has voted to impeach President Donald Trump. 

The case will now shift to the Senate, where a trial to decide whether to remove him from office is expected early next year.

On Wednesday the Democratic-led House debated two articles of impeachment that were approved by the House Judiciary Committee.

The articles charged the president with abuse of power for pressuring Ukraine for personal political gain, and obstructing Congress by blocking investigations into his conduct.

Trump is the third president in US history to be impeached.

But no president has ever been removed from office as a direct result of impeachment.

A two-thirds majority is required to convict and oust the president. 

With the Republicans holding a majority of the chamber, the president is widely expected to be acquitted.

NHK