gasps

Gasps were heard during a meeting of Republican lawmakers when the nomination for America's top US prosecutor was announced, Axios reported, citing sources in the room.

On Ukraine’s frosty battlefields, in bustling urban cafes in Europe and Asia, on Middle Eastern street corners, there were gasps and widened eyes as the news flashed on televisions and smartphone screens.

There were gasps in the Commons committee room where the result was announced.

The crowds at the venues were supposedly filled with Republicans and undecided voters, although the questions were pre-selected and the audience response - nods of understanding and gasps of shock at details of Trump’s political misdeeds and transgressions - suggested they were mostly friendly.

Former Prime Minister Sir John Major drew more gasps from families watching his testimony when he described the scandal as "bad luck".