A US congresswoman who was shot in the head seven months ago was cheered as she cast her first vote since the attack.
Gabrielle Giffords, a Jewish Democratic Party representative for Tucson, Arizona, was in Washington to vote on the debt-limit bill, which averted a financial disaster for the US with just hours to go.
Ms Giffords was accompanied by her astronaut husband Mark Kelly.
Although she required help to walk, her presence in the chamber was a reminder of her remarkable recovery since January's shooting. The attack left six people dead and 13 others with severe injuries.
