US senate passes first gun control bill in decades

The US senate has passed a gun control bill, the most significant firearms legislation in nearly 30 years.

Fifteen republicans joined democrats in the upper chamber of congress to approve the measure by 65 votes to 33.

It follows mass shootings last month at a supermarket in buffalo, New York, and a primary school in Uvalde, Texas, that left 31 people dead.

The bill will now have to pass in the House of Representatives before President Biden can sign it into law.

The president called on members of the house to promptly vote on the bipartisan bill and send it to his desk.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has vowed to take the bill through the house quickly, despite republican leader Kevin Mccarthy urging his members to vote against the bill.

The reforms include tougher background checks for buyers younger than 21, $15bn in federal funding for mental health programs and school security upgrades and funding to encourage states to implement red flag laws to remove firearms from people considered a threat.