The impeachment trial of donald trump has started in the us senate. Its just the third time a president has gone on trial in us history. Heres how it began. Hearye, hearye, hearye. All persons are commanded to keep silent on pain of imprisonment. All the senate of the United States is sitting for the trial of the articles of impeachment exhibited by the house of representatives, against donald john trump, president of the United States. Mr trump is accused of abuse of power and obstruction of congress. Well go over those charges in more detail later. Mr trump is accused of abuse of power and obstruction of congress. But the debate at the moment is not about the president s guilt or innocence. Senators are arguing over the rules that will govern how the trial proceeds. The democrats are accusing the republicans of trying to rig the trial. Mcconnells resolution is nothing short of a national disgrace. And it will go down in history as one of the very dark days of the senate. This is the man who came up with the rules Mitch Mcconnell, the republican leader in the senate. The proposals published on monday night did not allow for the house of representatives inquiry to be included as evidence. Democrats were outraged. Heres Chuck Schumer again. Unlike the clinton rules, the mcconnell resolution does not admit the record of the house impeachment proceedings into evidence. So mcconnell seems to want a trial with no existing evidence and no new evidence. No evidence well, that complaint worked. Not long after the session started Mitch Mcconnell agreed to allow the house inquiry to be recorded as evidence. He also compromised on the schedule, giving democrats a slightly longer period to present their opening arguments. But democrats are still angry about the rules concerning witnesses. At this point theres no guarantee witnesses will be allowed, and a vote on that wont take place until midway through the trial. Mitch mcconnell insists thats fair. The senate agreeing to pick up and carry on the houses inadequate investigation, which set a new precedent that could incentivise frequent and hasty impeachments from future house majorities. It could dramatically change the separation of powers between the house and the senate if the senate agrees we will conduct both the investigation and the trial of an impeachment. Whats more, some of the proposed witnesses, including executive branch officials, whose communications with the president and with other executive branch officials, lie at the very core of the president s constitutional privilege. Just because Mitch Mcconnell is the majority leader doesnt mean hes guaranteed to get things his own way. Heres the current make up of the senate. There are 53 republicans, 47 democrats and two independents who usually vote with the democrats. There are 53 republicans, 47 democrats and two independents that means democrats need four republicans to switch sides if they want to change the rules. We have no confirmation at all that will get republican support. House democrat adam schiff is one of the prosecutors in the trial he issued this appeal at the start. The most important question is the question we must answer today will the president and the American People get a fair trial . Will there be a fair trial . I submit that this is an even more important question than how you vote on guilt or innocence, because whether we have a fair trial will determine when you have a basis to deliver a fair verdict. It is foundational. Lets hear from gary lets hearfrom gary odonoghue, whos been following the proceedings since the very start. The trial will start properly tomorrow. What you had today is like when you get legal arguments at the beginning of a trial. Not entirely similar, but this is the kind of thing that is going on here today. The problem is they vote on these legal arguments. So Chuck Schumer, the democratic leader in there, has just put down his First Amendment and seeks to get a hold of white house documents that display the communications with the ukraine like mick mulvaney, his chief of staff, and his subordinates. So that is the First Amendment. We are told there will be anything like 10 12 of those being put down today, like Chuck Schumer. It will be a pretty late night in the senate because they will all have to be voted on. And as you said later on in the trial, even if they dont get their way this time, democrats make get another opportunity to vote for things like witnesses after some of the arguments have been heard several days down the line. So quite complicated, but what is definitely true is that there are hours and hours of this trial to go. And a couple of minor concessions by Mitch Mcconnell at the outset. Donald trump is not in washington. Hes in davos at the World Economic forum. But hes offered this familiar defence from switzerland. The other is just a hoax. Its the witchhunt thats been going on for years. And frankly, its disgraceful. This is the man who will be leading Donald Trumps defence during the trial, pat cipollone. Hes the white House Counsel. Heres some of his opening remarks. Once you hear those initial presentations, the only conclusion will be that the president has done absolutely nothing wrong. And that these articles of impeachment do not begin to approach the standard required by the constitution and in fact, they themselves will establish nothing beyond those articles. You look at those articles alone, and you will determine that there is absolutely no case. Its still very early days in this trial, but were already getting a sense of how the democrats are going to make the case against the president. Theyre using a mix of powerpoint slides and video clips. Heres an example. He also declared that he will fight off subpoenas. Lets hear the president s own words. Then i have article two, where i have the right to do whatever i want as president. Well, were fighting all the subpoenas heres gary odonghue again. This is clips of mr trump being played in the senate, the United States senate. It is extraordinary thing, if you like. Bear in mind, senators are also sitting there, theyre not allowed to say anything, as you heard the sergeant at arms saying under the pain of imprisonment, they have to shut up. They are not allowed to take any documentation that doesnt relate to the trial itself. And there sat there and listening to clips of donald trump being played by adam schiff. We havent seen the audiovisuals from the president s side of the floor as yet, but anything could happen in this trial. Gary, give us an idea of the sense of occasion there today . Well, weve had a few of these in the last few days. And i think, you know, only the third president in history and all that to be impeached, and people are feeling their way through this process , are feeling their way through this process, not surprisingly because it doesnt happen. The last time it happened was 21 years ago in different servants dashed circumstances. And thats really been the model of this. Bear in mind, the americans fought a war of revolution, of independence breaking on from the whole rule of a king, the pomp and circumstances. That was pa rt the pomp and circumstances. That was part of the things they were breaking off from. In the last couple days and certainly today, weve got a very big sense of occasion, some pretty archaic language, as we heard at the top. And the prospect of a president on trial, potentially with the outcome being his removalfrom office. Debate is continuing in the senate. This is congressman zoe laughlin speaking, one of the impeachment managers for the democrats. Lets listen to what shes saying. And finally, important for the American People who expect a quest for truth, fairness, and justice. History people who expect a quest for truth, fairness, andjustice. History is watching, and the house managers urge that you support the amendment. And i reserve the balance of my time. Thank you counsel. Mr sue pallone. Mr philbin . Thank you, mr chiefjustice. Majority leader mcconnell, democratic leader schumer, senators. It is remarkable that after taking the actions of the breathtaking gravity of voting to impeach the duly elected president of the United States, and after saying for weeks that they had overwhelming evidence to support their case, the first thing that the house managers have done upon arriving finally in this chamber, after waiting for 33 days, is to say, well actually, we need more evidence. We arent ready to present our case. We need to have subpoenas and do more discovery because we dont have the evidence we need to support our case. This is stunning. It is a stunning admission of the inadequate and broken process that the House Democrats ran in this impeachment inquiry that failed to compile a record to support their charges. It is stunning that they dont have the evidence they need to present their case, and that they dont really have a case. If a litigant showed up at any court in this country on the day of trial and said to the judge, actually, your honour, we arent ready to go, we need more discovery, we need to do similar subpoenas induce more work, they would be thrown out of court and the lawyers would be sanctioned. This is not the sort of proceeding that this body should condone. Now, wevejust heard that this is so important lets consider whats really at issue in the resolution here in the amendment. It is a matter of timing, amendment. It is a matter of timing, a matter of when this body will consider whether there should be witnesses or subpoenas for documents. Why is it that the managers are so afraid to have to present their case remember, theyve had weeks of a process that theyve had weeks of a process that they entirely controlled, they had 17 witnesses who testified first in secret, then in public, theyve compiled a record with thousands of pages of reports, and there a p pa re ntly pages of reports, and there apparently afraid to just make a presentation based on the record that they compiled, and then have you decide whether there is any they are there, whether there is anything worth trying to talk to more witnesses about why is it that they cant wait a few more days to make the presentation on everything theyve been preparing for weeks, and then have that issue considered . Because they dont think that there any democrat is any they are there, and they want to rend us through now. And they want to rend us through now when it is something that they themselves failed to do. Soi that they themselves failed to do. So i want to unpack a couple of the aspects of what they are asking this body to do. Part of it relates to the broken process in the house, and how that process was inadequate and invalid, and compiled and inadequate record. Part of it has to do with accepting their request to have this body to do theirjob for them, and what that would do to this institution going forward, and how it would alter forever the relationship between the house and the senate in impeachment proceedings. So first, as to the process in the house what the house managers are asking this body to do now is to do theirjob for them. Because they didnt take the measures to pursue their documents in the house proceedings. And there have been a number of statements made about how they tried to get the documents and no executive privilege was exerted, and things like that. Lets look at what actually happened. They issued a subpoena to the white house, and the white house explained and we were told a few minutes ago that the white house provided no response or rationale thatis provided no response or rationale that is not true. In a letter on october 18, white House Counsel explained in three pages of legal argument why that subpoena was invalid. And that subpoena was invalid. And that subpoena was invalid because it was issued without authorisation. Weve heard a lot today about how the constitution assigns the sole power of impeachment to the house. Thats right, that is what article one, section two says. It assigns the sole power of impeachment to the house, not to any member of the house. And no committee of the house can exercise the authority to issue subpoenas until it has been delegated the authority by a vote of the house. There was no vote from the house. There was no vote from the house. There was no vote from the house. Instead, Speaker Pelosi held a press conference, and she purported by holding a press conference on 2a september to delegate the authority of the house to manager adam schiff and several other committees, and have them issue subpoenas. Although subpoenas we re issue subpoenas. Although subpoenas were invalid. And that was explained to the house and to manager adam schiff and the other managers of the committee at that time in the 18 october letter. Did the house take any october letter. Did the house take a ny ste ps october letter. Did the house take any steps to remedy that . Did they try to dispute that, did they go to court . Did they do anything to resolve that problem . No. Because as we know, all that they wanted to do was issue a subpoena and move on. They just wanted to was issue a subpoena and move on. Theyjust wanted to get was issue a subpoena and move on. They just wanted to get through was issue a subpoena and move on. Theyjust wanted to get through the impeachment process as quick as possible and get it done before christmas. That was their goal. So those subpoenas were unauthorised. Now what about some of the other things that they brought up . The witnesses . Witnesses who were directed not to testify . And part on this, weve heard adam schiff say several times at the white house never asserted executive privilege. Let me be clear on this, that is a lawyer cosmic trick. Because it is technically true that the white house didnt assert executive privilege, because there is a particular situation in which you do that, and a particular way in which you do that. But theres another doctrine of immunity, of senior advisers to the president that is based on the same principles as executive privilege, and has been exerted by both Political Parties since the 19705 at least. And this i5 since the 19705 at least. And this is what one attorney general explained about that. The immunity 5uch explained about that. The immunity such as visors ofjoy from testimonial compulsion by Congressional Committee is absolute and may not be overborne by competing congressional intere5t5. That was attorney generaljanet reno. This is Patrick Philbin explaining the proceedings on day one of the impeachment trial of donald trump, which is taking place in the us senate. We will have extensive coverage of this through this programme and through many programmes to come, as well. I should mention the story that we will be coming to detail in a few minutes. The first case of this new coronavirus that has originated in wuhan in china, the first cases have been confirmed in china, korea, taiwan andjapan. Been confirmed in china, korea, taiwan and japan. We will give you full details on that in the coming minutes. The labour backbencher, je55 phillips, has dropped out of the partys leadership conte5t, leaving four candidates in the race to succeed jeremy corbyn. In a message to supporters, the birmingham mp 5aid she was not the person to unite the Labour Movement. The next leader will be announced in early april. Je55 Phillips Campaign chairman, we5 streeting, says he was disappointed but thought shed made the right decision. The truth is that, having gone through the mp nomination stage, and now going to the union nomination of the stage, the truth is she just hasnt been able to build up enough support behind her candidacy to mean that if she were to become the leader of the labour party, that shed be able to pull the whole Labour Movement together in the way needed to face up to the scale of the challenge. And rather than go into the next stage, which is Constituency Labour Party meetings and going directly to the members, i think shes just decided that at this stage, its just better now to have a reduced choice of those candidates remaining in the race who do have the opportunity. This is outside source live from the bbc newsroom. Our lead story. The opening se55ion of the impeachment trial of donald trump has begun. But republicans and democrats first need to agree how it should proceed. Here are some of the other stories from the bbc world service. A5 harry and meghan begin their new life in canada theyve threatened legal action against photographers who they say are hiding in bushes outside their home near vancouver. Photos of the duchess walking the dogs and carrying their son archie have been published in newspapers and online. Brazils Prosecutors Office has accused the americanjournalist Glenn Greenwald of cybercrime. Greenwald lives in brazil, and last year he published hundreds of mobile phone messages between judges and prosecutors involved in a major anti corru ption investigation. Thats from bbc brazil. Cu5tom5 officers in turkey say theyve cracked an attempt to smuggle more than 5,000 tiny turtles from georgia. They discovered the creatures when they x rayed a car at a border crossing. Theres a multi Million Dollar illegal trade in turtles that centres on Southeast Asia where theyre popular as pets. Thats on bbc. Com new5. The us centers for Disease Control says a passenger whos arrived in seattle from china has been diagnosed with the new respiratory viru5. This means infections have now been reported in six countries. So far, six people have died from illnesses relating to the virus, all in china where it originated. This means infections have now been reported in six countries. There are 291 confirmed cases across a number of cities including beijing and shanghai. Most patients are in wuhan thats where the first cases were reported in december. The small number of other cases reported abroad all involve people whove recently been in wuhan. Two are in thailand, one injapan, one in south k