welcome to newsday. reporting live from singapore, i'm arunoday mukharji. the headlines. as politicians consider new laws in the wake of the texas shooting, actor matthew mcconaughey makes this appeal at the white house. can both sides rise above? can both sides see beyond the political problem at hand and admit that we have a life preservation problem on our hands? borisjohnson tells his cabinet it's time to focus on the issues they were elected on, a day after winning the confidence vote. the us and south korea hold military exercises amid warnings of a nuclear test by the north.

and the belgian king makes a historic visit to congo, the scene of atrocities committed by his colonial ancestor. live from our studio in singapore... this is bbc news. it's newsday. it's seven in the morning in singapore and six in the evening in washington, where, three weeks after the school shooting in texas, there are signs that some — very limited — gun control measures could be adopted by congress. the senate republican leader mitch mcconnell says he hopes for a deal addressing mental health and school security. so, what are the proposals on gun control that congress is looking at? the potential measures being discussed include further incentives

for states to introduce their own red flag laws, more investment in school security, and access to mental health. there is a proposal to change the background checks for people younger than 21 — and an idea, which looks something like a cooling—off period for 18—year—old s who want to buy a like a cooling—off period for 18—year—olds who want to buy a semi—automatic weapon — the kind that were used by 18—year—old shooters in buffalo and uvalde. we've heard many people speak out in the aftermath of the shooting. the latest person is the actor matthew mcconaughey, who is also a former resident of uvalde, texas, and a campaignerfor gun reform. he spoke emotionally about the need for new regulations. this should be a nonpartisan issue. this should not be a partisan issue. there is not a democratic or republican value in one single act of these shooters.

there's not. but people in power have failed to act, so we're asking you — and i'm asking you to please ask yourselves — can both sides rise above? can both sides see beyond the political problem at hand and admit that we have a life preservation problem on our hands? i'm joined now by our correspondent david willis, who's in los angeles. david, thanks for coming up for us. it's been a coordinated day of campaigning by the democrats to put gun control in the spotlight. what can we expect in the days ahead? perhaps more than we expected a couple of weeks ago. the white house is saying that it is cautiously optimistic that some sort of agreement may be reached between those members of democrat and republican bipartisan groups. they

have been meeting of the wake —— in the wake of this terrible massacre two weeks ago. it's led by democrat, chris murphy, who made an impassioned speech on the floorjust hours after 19 schoolchildren lost their lives in texas. republicans as well are joining that group, their lives in texas. republicans as well arejoining that group, and it seems that there is some sort of movement that could lead to a tightening and some way of gun—control laws in this country, a subtle one. not all changes of the sort that some in this country would like to see. polls continue to show that the majority of people in this country are in favour of tighter gun control laws, although 44% of republican voters seem to accept that these board of massacres are a part of life if one is to retain the

freedom to bear arms in the us. david, you mentioned republicans, that some of them are willing to engage, but how likely is a deal? really good question. we have in the state of texas alone senatorjohn cornyn, who's been leading this bipartisan discussion group, and senator ted cruz. 160 miles separate these two lawmakers geographically. quite some more distance ideologically when it comes to this issue of gun control. senator ted cruz believes that the answer to these short of shootings lies in greater mental health checks and greater mental health checks and greater security at schools, and mr cornyn, however, is nonetheless carrying on in an attempt to get

some sort of agreement, and it seems an agreement if it comes will be on so—called federal red flag laws, the sort that we seek to identify. people who should it be allowed to possess guns and remove them. all possess guns and remove them. all right, david willis, thank you very for your input. the uk prime minister, borisjohnson, has told his cabinet that it's time to "draw a line" under the controversies and internal wrangling that resulted in a confidence vote on his leadership on monday. the prime minister said the government should focus on dealing with the aftershocks of the covid pandemic. he saw off a leadership challenge, but with a much smaller majority than many had expected, prompting speculation that his position is far from secure. here's the latest from our political editor, chris mason. the prime minister took his jack russell dilyn out first thing this morning on a day when the biggest word in westminster is loyalty, or the lack of it.

a few hours later, another outwardly loyal bunch gathered, the cabinet. thank you, by the way, to everybody for all your good work yesterday because it was a very important day because we are able now to draw a line under the issues that our opponents want to talk about. desk thumping. down the road from here, a bus stop, which it turns out, was on to the result last night before the rest of us. the 211 destined for keeping borisjohnson in office and 148 keen on a new driver. so, where is the party going now? the former cabinet minister andrea leadsom had criticised the prime minister. the party gave its views yesterday and today is another day, we move on. the former health secretaryjeremy hunt has needed a helmet for more than a bike ride recently. i don't have any comments to make. are you still running for the leadership? i'll try not to run you over. thanks _ boris johnson's allies were really riled yesterday by what they saw as him manoeuvring towards a leadership bid with his criticism

of the prime minister. and talking of other possible contenders to replace borisjohnson at some point, they insist their attention, for now, is on the dayjob. my 100% focus is on my role as foreign secretary. there is a lot to do. we need to carry on supporting ukraine, we need to make sure that russia is driven out of ukraine. the prime minister visited ukraine in april. he said boris, thank you. dyakuyw _ and today received an endorsement from the country's leader. president zelensky described mrjohnson as a real friend but a former conservative party leader said trying to carry on when 40% of your mps want rid of you isn't sustainable.

this is like trying to drive along the m1 with two flat tyres. and, you know, you can say you are at the steering wheel but is it really viable? you're not going to get to the end of the motorway. and just off the m1, mrjohnson soon faces the verdict of voters. there are two by—elections this month in seats the conservatives did hold. one of them is here in wakefield in west yorkshire. i don't trust borisjohnson at all. i think what he's been doing recently is just terrible. i think he's been incredibly unlucky, and now it would appear that his own team are out to get him. the opposition parties are delighted. this is catastrophic - for the prime minister. but i think what's more important, i actually, is the overwhelming public opinion that borisjohnson broke the rules and shouldn't - be prime minister. getting rid of a prime minister who doesn't want to go is not easy. and those who want to turf borisjohnson out have had a go and failed, and so they will now bide their time. losing two by—elections later this

month, if that were to happen, could bring conservative mps�* anxieties back to the boil. but even then, dislodging borisjohnson will not be easy. what we have is an awkward stalemate. the prime minister's internal critics have squashed at least some of his authority. but while thejubilee bunting is being removed in downing street, the man who lives here is not. chris mason, bbc news, at westminster. north korea could conduct a seventh nuclear test at any time. that's the warning from the us special representative, sung kim, who says the north has shown no interest in returning to the negotiating table. on tuesday, the us and south korea conducted joint exercises involving around 20 warplanes over the waters around the korean peninsula. the drills come after pyongyang fired a barrage of short—range ballistic missiles from multiple locations while conducting in its own tests on sunday.

earlier, a senior us diplomat said there would be a swift and forceful response if north korea conducted a nuclear test. speaking after a meeting with her south korean counterpart, the deputy secretary of state, wendy sherman, said she expected the entire world to react. any nuclear test would be in complete violation of un security council resolutions. there would be a swift and forceful spots to and forceful response to such a test because, as the international atomic energy agency itself has said, there is concern that they may conduct a nuclear test. this would be very destabilising to the world's security, and i believe that not only the rok and the united states and japan, but the entire world will respond in a strong and clear manner. well, for more on this, i'm now joined by professor leszek buszynski from the australian national

university, strategic and defence studies centre. thank you very much, professor, for your time. just off the back of that morning we heard from miss wendy sherman, what could be the consequences for north korea if it does go ahead with that test? if consequences for north korea if it does go ahead with that test? iii it does go ahead with that test? if it does go ahead with that test? if it does go ahead, i think that it certainly bring china and the us together again. certainly bring china and the us togetheragain. if certainly bring china and the us together again. if we go back to 2017, when conducted its sixth nuclear test, that really rattled the chinese because it also has launched a series of tests that threatened that the us, on the last thing the chinese wanted was instability on the korean peninsula. so the chinesejoined instability on the korean peninsula. so the chinese joined the us instability on the korean peninsula.

so the chinesejoined the us in imposing strict and very severe un sanctions on north korea, and that brought north korea to a halt for a while. i think much of the same would happen again if they were to do this test, because the last thing the chinese want is for north korea to disturb the balance on the korean peninsula. the americans with their and the response, which would be very, i think, and the response, which would be very, ithink, disturbing and the response, which would be very, i think, disturbing for the chinese. what the chinese want is simply everything to stay as it is, the status quo, and no further movement on the part of the north koreans. i think it would disturb the chinese considerably. you talk about maintaining _ the chinese considerably. you talk about maintaining balance - the chinese considerably. you talk about maintaining balance in - the chinese considerably. you talk about maintaining balance in the l about maintaining balance in the region. do these developments have the potential to escalate in the region? the potential to escalate in the reuion? . , ~ the potential to escalate in the reuion? . , . ., ., region? certainly. we have to understand — region? certainly. we have to understand what _ region? certainly. we have to understand what north - region? certainly. we have to

understand what north korea | region? certainly. we have to - understand what north korea wants, what he's been trying to do since the days prior, and that is to get american recognition of north korea as a nuclear power, which would have consequences for security throughout the northeast asian region —japan, south korea, china — and if the north koreans can do that, then it will be achieved in objective. so, this is what they want to do. of course, the americans have been resisting this. they understand what the consequences will be an the consequences for the south, for japan as well. so, those of us who have been watching the korean situation since many decades have been expecting something like this. the predicament that they found themselves in after china and the us came together to impose sanctions on

the north. so, they're breaking out, and this is an opportunity for them to break out. mil and this is an opportunity for them to break out-— to break out. all right, professor leszek buszynski, _ to break out. all right, professor leszek buszynski, thank - to break out. all right, professor leszek buszynski, thank you - to break out. all right, professor| leszek buszynski, thank you very much for your time. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme — focus on ukraine and how three volunteers are helping evacuate the frail and the elderly from their homes. we follow them for a day. the day the british liberated the falklands, and by tonight, british troops have begun the task of disarming the enemy. in the heart of the west

german capital, this was gorbymania at its height. the crowd to pack to see the man who, forthem, has raised great hopes for an end to the division of europe. it happened as the queen moved toward horse guards parade for. the start of tropping the colour. the queen looks worried, but recovers quickly. - as long as they'll pay to go see me, i'll go out there and take him down the hills. what does it feel like to be the first man to go across the channel by your own power? it feels pretty neat. it feels marvellous, really. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm arunoday mukharji in singapore. 0ur headlines. us politicians are considering new laws in the wake of the texas shooting, including extra background checks for gun owners under 21.

borisjohnson tells his cabinet it's time to focus on the issues they were elected on, a day after winning a confidence vote. to ukraine now, and as russia continues to bombard parts of the eastern donbas region, civilians are being forced to flee from towns and cities that are being shelled. three british volunteers are helping to evacuate the frail and the elderly from areas near the shifting front lines. 0ur international correspondent, 0rla guerin, joined them for a day. the hard days are when you can't take everyone out. i have has phone calls with my mum where she has been in tears. but they are just really proud of what i'm doing out here. i don't feel like there's anything else i could be doing that's more important than this. a briefing before they head off into harm's way. we'll probably be stopping en route to pick up the patient. as they have done every day for months in a van driven over from england,

these volunteers from different walks of life teamed up here in ukraine. they fund themselves and prefer not to be named. the youngest is 21, a dog trainer from kent who has done a course in trauma first aid. when we're out on evacuations, we are very alert to what's going on. there have been a few moments you feel it's a bit close for comfort. as much danger as we are in, we also feel quite prepared and reliable as a team. it's a world away from her home in sussex and previous career in technology. it's hands—on. her own family knows this trauma. her grandmother had to flee poland

during the second world war. the team has helped around 150 ukrainians to flee... ..including anastasia, who's 96. we just want to get things done without any bureaucracy or red tape. we work every day because this is what we care about and do and this is what matters. because we are all europeans and an attack on ukraine by russia is an attack on all of us and we care about it. back in the uk, he was caring for sheep and cattle on a farm in cornwall. no preparation for aid work in a war zone in eastern ukraine. some people at home will say, "what are you guys doing? "why didn't you leave it to the ukrainians "or the big organisations?" good question. i didn't expect we would be needed

or wanted in this sort of role. but we are. the ukrainians that we're working with want to see us doing this in an ideal world, we would be redundant, but we're not. they brought anastasia to the train station for a journey away from the east. it has come to this for a survivor of world war ii who lived to see europe's newest war. tomorrow, the team will evacuate more ukrainians towards relative safety, but away from home. you hope that you're doing the right thing, taking them away. and you think about that for every person you evacuate. will they get to come back? ukrainians are tied to the lands, and i was told if you take

a ukrainian away from that, then they will die. that's why whenever i evacuate a woman, i will pick her a flower from outside her building. i can't give them anything else to take with them, but i can give them the flower to take. it's the only thing i can do. a volunteer helping evacuate elderly people from the front line in ukraine ending that report by 0rla guerin. let's take a look at some other stories in the headlines. the police in brazil have opened a criminal investigation into the disappearance of the british journalist dom philips, who went missing in a remote part of the amazon while he was with a leading indigenous expert. local people said the men had been threatened during their visit to the javari valley in north western brazil. thousands of rail workers across britain will go on a three—day strike later this month in a dispute over pay and jobs. the rmt union has predicted a complete shutdown of the rail network in what it describes

as the biggest industrial action in the sector for more than three decades. they're in dispute over pay freezes and job cuts. monkeypox is to be listed as a notifiable disease in england. what that means is doctors are now required to notify their local council or health protection team if they suspect a patient has the viral infection. around 30 countries where monkeypox is not endemic have reported outbreaks, with more than 900 confirmed or suspected cases so far, mainly in europe. belgium's king philippe and queen mathilde have arrived in the democratic republic of congo for a six—day visit, at the invitation of the country's president. here's the royal couple arriving in kinshasa. it's king philippe's first visit there since ascending to the throne in 2013. it's seen as a chance for reconciliation after the atrocities committed under belgian colonial rule.

these images are from 1960 when the drc won its independence. belgium had controlled the country since the turn of the 20th century, when king leopold ii seized it as his personal possession. up to 10 million africans died during his reign. so, how are the people in kinshasa reacting to the royal visit? let's listen in. translation: i'm very happy about this visit, | because the country's been going badly since the belgians left. we don't understand anything any more. i wonder if this visit will be productive. in any case, we welcome him. translation: this is a visit - of reconciliation, for the blunder that the congolese lived through during the colonial era. translation: they left us isolated, abandoned, - they looted all our wealth, and today you invited - this belgian king again? we have important things to settle here, like free education, - teachers are not well— paid, but the president prefers .

to invite the belgian king. to do what? to loot us again? belgium's princess esmeralda spoke to the bbc�*s focus on africa programme. she says recent events including the george floyd killing have influenced her family's thinking. it was always, obviously, discussed, but obviously the international events put the whole of europe, i think, to realise that racism and discrimination was coming from colonialism and all those difficult, painfuland, let's say, horrible times, what the colonial powers — the european colonial powers — did in africa and elsewhere in the world. i think that, already, the first step, which was the regret of the king two years ago, was an important step. i think everybody is probably waiting for something more, like formal apologies,

and so we can open this new chapter and have a transparent relationship, looking back at history with, you know, the honesty and openness that it deserves, so we can move to the future. princess esmeralda, talking to the bbc a little earlier. and before we go tonight, a tale of sunken treasure at the bottom of the ocean. colombian naval officials have found two more historical shipwrecks, close to the remains of the sanjose galleon, a spanish ship laden with treasure that was sunk by the british in 1708. the new discoveries are believed to be from columbia's war of independence with spain. a remotely operated vehicle captured some of the clearest images yet of the treasures in the sanjose. they include gold ingots and coins.

you can find much more on our website. stay with bbc news. hello. umbrellas at the ready — we'll be dodging the downpours during wednesday. there's rain sweeping north and east overnight. a lot of that clears away for wednesday. that lingers in scotland, whereas elsewhere, you may get to see some sunshine. the showers will be heavy, possibly thundery with hail in places. this area of low pressure is pumping that rain north and east through the night and into the morning. it will be a very mild start in the morning. still some rain across eastern parts of england and into southern scotland. it'll be heavy in places. the eastern england rain will soon clear away, but in scotland, very slowly, the rain pushes northwards — not reaching the very far north. elsewhere, you get sunny spells and showers, some heavy, some thundery, a chance of hail. some of the beefiest ones in the afternoon could be across parts of southern scotland, into the far north of england. but with the showers dying away from wales and the southwest into the later stages

of the afternoon, a cooler day, certainly so in scotland. a windier one along the coast of wales and southern england, mayjust push across parts of north wales and northwest england overnight and into thursday morning. still some patchy, light rain and drizzle at this stage in scotland, though many places on thursday starting dry, not as mild. an area of low pressure, x tropical storm alex, moves to the northwest thursday, friday and into saturday. doesn't hit the uk, but we're close enough across northwestern areas for it to become very windy for a time, especially friday—saturday. though on thursday, winds will start to pick up in the west and from that weather system, we'll see cloud and outbreaks of rain through southern and western parts of england, wales and into northern ireland. northern and eastern scotland, down the eastern side of england, a few showers, but also warm, sunny spells around. turning very windy, particularly across the western isles on friday, some gusts 40—50 mph, blustery across scotland and northern ireland, where we'll see most of the showers.

breezy for england and wales, chance of a shower, many places staying dry but rather grey and drizzly perhaps first thing on friday towards the southeast. temperatures — high teens and into the low 20s. that area of low pressure keeping things very windy on saturday in scotland and northern ireland and just easing away northwards on sunday, so the winds will begin to ease at this stage. there may still be a few lingering showers around. actually, by sunday, it looks as if many places will turn a bit cooler, whereas throughout the weekend, the warmest and the sunniest weather's going to be across southeast england. that's your forecast.

this is bbc news. these are the headlines: three weeks after the school shooting in texas, there are signs that some limited gun control measures could be adopted by congress. the senate republican leader mitch mcconnell says he hopes for a deal addressing mental health and school security. a day after surviving a vote of confidence but losing the support of 40% of his mps, the british prime minister boris johnson has promised to focus on taking the country forward. critics say his authority has been fundamentally undermined. president volodymyr zelensky has said that russia's relentless bombardment has left two "dead cities" in the east of ukraine.

the ukrainian leader warns his troops in the eastern city