Student gang-raped, thrown off bus

A security guard walks as buses meant for use during the Commonwealth Games are parked at a depot in New Delhi in 2010. Picture: AP Source: AP

INDIAN police are searching New Delhi for the men who gang-raped a 23-old-student and threw her off a bus in an attack that has sparked fresh concern for the safety of women in the city.

The woman accompanied by a male friend boarded a bus on Sunday night and was attacked by at least four men and gang-raped, police said.

Some media reports said the attackers also included staff of the bus.

The victim's companion was battered with iron rods before the men took turns and raped her, police officials said.

The couple were then thrown off the moving bus, seriously injuring the woman, they said.

"When they boarded the bus, there were a few other men as well in the vehicle," area police chief Chhaya Sharma told reporters.

"As of now, we can confirm the involvement of four men," she said, adding police artists have drawn sketches of the attackers from descriptions given by the victims.

Mr Sharma said the female victim was in intensive care in a city hospital where her companion is also being treated.

The attack sparked new calls for greater security for women in New Delhi, which registered 568 rapes in 2011 compared to 218 in India's financial capital Mumbai the same year.

"This is a shocking incident. I hope that the guilty are punished for the heinous crime," said Kiran Walia, a minister in the Delhi state government.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit promised "precautions" to prevent such attacks in the future but did not elaborate.

New Delhi's shiny new metro has reserved a carriage in every train for woman while several police stations in university and other areas have all-female staff to try and stem rising crime against women.

Rape cases in India more than doubled between 1990 and 2008, according to official data.
 

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Aussies bunker down in Fiji

WATCH the view from a hotel room on Denarau Island in Fiji as Brisbane couple Joanne Foster and Brendon Taylor wait for the cyclone to hit

CYCLONE Evan has battered the South Pacific island state of Fiji with 200km/h winds, cutting power and water supplies in the northern region.

Thousands of people took refuge in evacuation centres and airlines suspended flights in and out of the country.

The military government warned that Evan could be the most destructive cyclone since 1993 to hit the island, one of the Pacific's biggest tourist centres.

Fiji government spokeswoman Sharon Smith-Johns says the cyclone was moving towards Nadi and had intensified a little, with winds of up to 200km/h.

Ms Smith-Johns said 3500 people are sheltering in evacuation centres after people had earlier been warned to prepare for the worst.

Heavy thunder and rain as Fiji battens down in preparation for the cyclone. Pictures: Joanne Foster from her hotel room on Denarau Island, Fiji

She said the lack of early casualties was encouraging but people could not become complacent.

"We've had a week to prepare for this, so we're as prepared as you can be," she told Radio New Zealand.

"The extent of the damage, I don't think we're going to know until tomorrow morning when we wake up and see how badly it has hit."

Fiji's second-biggest city Lautoka, near the closed international airport at Nadi, was severely battered by the cyclone, with resident Janet Mason telling RNZ that an empty house had "flown through the air" and landed beside hers.

Heavy thunder and rain as Fiji battens down in preparation for the cyclone. Pictures: Joanne Foster from her hotel room on Denarau Island, Fiji

The bulk carrier ship Starford, believed to be carrying equipment for a Chinese firm constructing a highway, dragged its anchor and was pushed on to the reef in Suva Harbour, the Fiji Times reported.

Meanwhile, New Zealand searchers looking for 10 fishermen missing off Samoa since the cyclone hit the island nation believe they have found one of four missing boats.

The upturned fishing boat hull is being towed to Apia by a Samoan police launch after being found by a New Zealand Air Force Orion searching for the fishermen.

Four people have already died and more casualties are feared, as damage to the Samoan island of Upolu appeared to be worse than from a 2009 earthquake and tsunami that killed 135 people, according to aerial surveillance, a spokeswoman for the prime minister told RNZ.

Cyclone Evan has ripped through Fiji with flooding and structural damage.

New Zealand Red Cross has deployed a specialist team and an emergency grant of $NZ10,000 ($A8,098) to help deal with the damage.

Air NZ is allowing all passengers flying from Auckland to Apia between December 17 and December 30 to take one extra piece of checked luggage, up to 23kg, free of charge.

An Australian in lockdown at a hotel on Denarau Island, in Fiji's west, has told of the wait for the worst of Cyclone Evan to hit.

Fiji residents have been evacuated as category four tropical cyclone Evan hits the Pacific islands.

Joanne Foster, who is holidaying in Fiji with partner Brendon Taylor, said the hotel had sandbagged along the seafront and warned guests to stay in their rooms.

"I would like the sandbagging to be a little bit higher than it is, but they can't be that concerned," said Ms Foster, of Brisbane.

"We are OK at the moment, it's just like a normal storm in Brisbane, but it's starting to pick up.

"It's mainly wind and rain. The hotel is fairly confident we will be OK, it's one of the more modern hotels. They are a little bit concerned about a storm surge on the ground floor."

She said there was no television reception in their room and radio was intermittent, but they were still able to use the internet.

The couple arrived in Fiji on Saturday for a well-needed break, only to fly into a storm.

"We have essentially come to Fiji for a cyclone, we leave on Thursday," she said.

"It's supposed to get worse here by the afternoon so the hotel is waiting to see if they will serve dinner in the ballroom or bring food to our rooms."

At the Sofitel on Denarau Island, all guests have been evacuated into the ballroom with bedding.

Erica Greg, of Brisbane, said they were told it was the only safe refuge in the hotel.

"People have made up beds and are making themselves comfortable, playing cards and singing," she said.

"No one is allowed to stay in their rooms. I was worried before but I feel safe now."

While the break is far from ideal for these Australians, they are faring better than most with power outages and flooding reported on the main island of Viti Levu.

Thousands of people have fled to evacuation centres in Fiji as authorities warn to "prepare for the worst'' from the powerful category four cyclone.

Earlier, Australian Schoolie revellers were evacuated as a potentially catastrophic cyclone closes in on the island nation.

Unleashed Travel, which organises school leavers' trips to the tropical paradise, announced on its Facebook page the last of its Schoolies guests had secured flights out of Nadi Airport after 6pm  yesterday.

"We can now confirm that all schoolies are on a flight out of Fiji. Thanks for everyone's patience and understand in these trying times,'' the Facebook post reads.

Relieved parents took to the social media website to thank the travel company for organising the swift exit.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said a mass SMS was sent to 2100 Australians registered in Fiji advising them follow advice from local authorities.

"High Commission staff are also in contact with island resorts where Australians are likely to be and have indicated that those resorts are evacuating guests to the mainland in advance of the stormfront.

"Those travelling to or from Fiji should check with airlines first to ensure that flights are still operational,'' the spokesperson said in a statement.

Australia has pledged to assist the Fijian Government if required.

At least four people were killed by Cyclone Evan after it smashed through Samoa, leaving a path of destruction on the Pacific island nation.

Budget airline Jetstar has cancelled its flights to and from Fiji.

"Safety remains Jetstar's number one priority. We will continue to monitor the activity of Cyclone Evan to assess its impact on flight operations and provide further updates as soon as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience,'' a statement on the airline's Facebook page said.

The New Zealand Air Force will continue its search for eight fishermen missing off Samoa after Cyclone Evan hit, as people in Fiji brace themselves for the severe storm.

Four people died and eight fishermen from three boats are still missing after the cyclone ripped through Samoa last week.

Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand says the P3 Orion and French Navy will continue to search for the men today.

"Damaging" swells will hit some northern coastal areas and flooding is expected, it says.

At the centre of the cyclone winds are reaching 170km/h with gusts of more than 230km/h.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is urging Aussies to stay alert and informed.

''We encourage Australians in Fiji to follow the instructions of local authorities and monitor the media for the latest developments,'' DFAT said in its latest travel advice.

It also urged them to review and follow hotel or cruise ship evacuation plans.

''You should carry your travel documents at all times or secure them in a safe, waterproof location,'' it said.

''We also suggest that you contact friends and family in Australia with updates about your welfare and whereabouts.''

The government is urging people worried about loved ones in Fiji to contact the Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135.

The Fijian government fear it could prove as devastating as Cyclone Kina, which killed 23 people and left thousands homeless in 1993.

Fiji's military leader Frank Bainimarama warned the storm is an ''impending disaster'' as his government moved to open more than 200 evacuation centres.

After crossing Samoa, Evan intensified as it ploughed through the Pacific and forecasters said destructive winds could reach nearly 300km/h by the time it hits Fiji early Monday.

Government officials fear it could be as devastating as Cyclone Kina, which killed 23 people and left thousands homeless in 1993.

Tourists in luxury resorts on outlying islands were being ferried to the mainland, while Fiji's main airline, Air Pacific, said it had either cancelled or rescheduled its Monday flights.

Philip Duncan, head analyst with the WeatherWatch.co.nz meteorological service, said Fiji could expect to be walloped by the storm, with the prospect of flash flooding and mudslides.

"Gusts may end up climbing to 280km/ per hour or greater around the centre of Evan," Duncan said.

"Some small, low-lying communities and resorts may suffer catastrophic damage and some small islands may be entirely submerged as the storm and storm surge roll by."

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr said Canberra was offering financial aid as well as expert personnel and supplies.

"We're going to work with other nations including New Zealand and France, in doing what we can to save lives, and support search and rescue," he said.

Meanwhile, it could be some days before the full extent of the cyclone damage in Samoa is known because of the difficulty reaching outlying islands.

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Lost fishing group 'ate friend to survive'

Russians lost on a fishing expedition in one of the country's most remote regions ate one of their group to survive. Picture: Flickr.com Source: Supplied

TWO Russians who were rescued in November after four months lost in the taiga wilderness of the Far East ate the corpse of a companion in order to survive, reports say.

A group of four men had disappeared in August on a river-fishing expedition to the vast Yakutia region in the Russian Far East, one of the most remote and inhospitable places in the world.

Only two of the men were finally helicoptered to safety at the end of November and the discovery of fragments of a human corpse at their campsite prompted investigators to open a murder case amid rumours of cannibalism.

The two survivors have not been arrested but are being treated as witnesses in the murder case. However it appears investigators are now certain cannibalism took place.

"During questioning, one of the witnesses testified that cannibalism did indeed take place," a source in the investigation told the Komsomolskaya Pranda daily on Monday.

"It was not murder.

"They ate the man after he died from being unable to cope with the conditions."

Yakutia newsite NVPress.ru also quoted local investigators as saying that the fisherman named Alexander Abdullayev confessed that he and the other survivor Alexei Gorulenko ate the corpse of Andrei Kurochkin.

"According to Abdullayev, Kurochkin died a natural death - he froze to death - and he and Alexei Gorulenko fed themselves with his flesh for weeks," NVPress.ru said.

Investigators from Yakutsk, the capital of Yakutia, confirmed officially for the first time last week that they were looking at cannibalism as a possible explanation.

The local branch of the Investigative Committee (SK) said they had flown out one of the fishermen - apparently Mr Abdullayev - last week to look for the fourth man named as Viktor Komarov.

They found the fishermen's UAZ jeep - in which they had driven deep into the taiga - half submerged in a frozen river but the "corpse of the fourth fisherman was not found".

Rescuers had found the two survivors by the Sutam River about 250km from the nearest town of Neryungri in the south of Yakutia.

According to Komsomolskaya Pravda they had covered about 150km on foot after the breakdown of their jeep triggered their problems.

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Baby bump hints at North Korean heir

This TV screen grab shows leader Kim Jong-Un (C) and his wife Ri Sol-Ju at an official function on December 16. Picture: AFP / North Korean TV Source: AFP

THE wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un appeared on state television on Monday looking heavily pregnant and fuelling expectations of an imminent addition to the ruling Kim dynasty.

Ri Sol-Ju was shown standing by her husband at a sombre memorial service to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Mr Kim's father and former leader, Kim Jong-Il.

Ms Ri, who caused quite a stir when she emerged on the national scene back in July, had swapped her normal designer outfit for a funereal black hanbok, the traditional Korean dress.

But even the high-waisted, loose-fit dress couldn't hide a visibly swollen belly, that was swiftly picked up by the South Korean media.

"Ri appeared to be in the late stages of pregnancy," Yonhap news agency said, while the Chosun Ilbo newspaper on its website predicted that birth "was not far away."

The fact that Kim Jong-Un even had a wife was only revealed in July when pictures emerged of a young woman accompanying the new young leader at official events.

A terse statement from Pyongyang's state television that month confirmed her identity and the fact that the couple were married.

According to intelligence reports cited by the South Korean media, the couple were married in 2009 and already have one child, although that has never been confirmed.

North Koreans bow before the statues of late leaders Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il, right, in honour of the first anniversary of the latter's death. Picture: AP

Rumours started to circulate when she suddenly dropped from public view in September, only to reappear a month later wearing a long coat in photos that hinted at a possible pregnancy.

Ms Ri's state media profile marks a departure for North Korea whose intensely secretive regime has previously kept the private lives of its rulers tightly under wraps.

North Korea unveiled the embalmed body of Kim Jong Il, still in his trademark khaki jumpsuit, on the anniversary of his death on Monday as mourning mixed with pride over a recent satellite launch that was a long-held goal of the late authoritarian leader.

Mr Kim lies in state a few floors below his father, national founder Kim Il Sung, in the Kumsusan mausoleum, the cavernous former presidential palace. Kim Jong Il is presented lying beneath a red blanket, a spotlight shining on his face in a room suffused in red.

Wails echoed through the chilly hall as a group of North Korean women sobbed into the sashes of their traditional Korean dresses as they bowed before his body. The hall bearing the glass coffin was opened to select visitors - including The Associated Press - for the first time since his death.

North Korea also unveiled Kim's yacht and his armored train carriage, where he is said to have died. Among the personal belongings featured in the mausoleum are the parka, sunglasses and pointy platform shoes he famously wore in the last decades of his life. A MacBook Pro lay open on his desk.

North Koreans paid homage to Kim and basked in the success of last week's launch of a long-range rocket that sent a satellite named after him to space.

The launch, condemned in many other capitals as a violation of bans against developing its missile technology, was portrayed not only as a gift to Kim Jong Il but also as proof that his young son, Kim Jong Un, has the strength and vision to lead the country.

The elder Kim died last December 17 from a heart attack while traveling on his train. His death was followed by scenes of North Koreans dramatically wailing in the streets of Pyongyang, and of the 20-something son leading ranks of uniformed and gray-haired officials through funeral and mourning rites.

The mood in the capital was decidedly more upbeat a year later, with some of the euphoria carrying over from last Wednesday's launch. The satellite bears one of Kim Jong Il's nicknames, Kwangmyongsong, or "Lode Star," a moniker given to him at birth according to the official lore.

To honor Kim's father, North Koreans stopped in their tracks at midday and bowed their heads as the national flag fluttered at half-staff along streets and from buildings.

Pyongyang construction workers took off their yellow hard hats and bowed at the waist as sirens wailed across the city for three minutes.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans gathered in the frigid plaza outside, newly transformed into a public park with lawns and pergolas. Geese flew past snow-tinged firs and swans dallied in the partly frozen moat that rings the vast complex in Pyongyang's outskirts.

"Just when we were thinking how best to uphold our general, he passed away," Kim Jong Ran said at the plaza. "But we upheld leader Kim Jong Un. ... We regained our strength and we are filled with determination to work harder for our country."

Speaking outside the mausoleum, renamed the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the military's top political officer, Choe Ryong Hae, said North Korea should be proud of the satellite, calling it "a political event with great significance in the history of Korea and humanity."

Much of the rest of the world, however, was swift in condemning the launch, which was seen by the United States and other nations as a thinly disguised cover for testing missile technology that could someday be used for a nuclear warhead.

The test, which potentially violates a United Nations ban on North Korean missile activity, underlined Kim Jong Un's determination to continue carrying out his father's hardline policies even if they draw international condemnation.

Some outside experts worry that Pyongyang's next move will be to press ahead with a nuclear test in the coming weeks, a step toward building a warhead small enough to be carried by a long-range missile.

Despite inviting further isolation for his impoverished nation and the threat of stiffer sanctions, Kim Jong Un won national prestige and clout by going ahead with the rocket launch.

At a memorial service on Sunday, North Korea's top leadership not only eulogized Kim Jong Il, but also praised his son. Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of North Korea's parliament, called the launch a "shining victory" and an emblem of the promise that lies ahead with Kim Jong Un in power.

The rocket's success also fits neatly into the narrative of Kim Jong Il's death. Even before he died, the father had laid the groundwork for his son to inherit a government focused on science, technology and improving the economy. And his pursuit of nuclear weapons and the policy of putting the military ahead of all other national concerns have also carried into Kim Jong Un's reign.

In a sign of the rocket launch's importance, Kim Jong Un invited the scientists in charge of it to attend the mourning rites in Pyongyang, according to state media.

- with AP

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Amy Winehouse inquest to be reheard

Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London home in July 2011 at age 27. Source: AFP

OFFICIALS in London say the inquest into the death of soul singer Amy Winehouse was overseen by an Australian-trained coroner who lacked the proper qualifications and will be re-heard next month.

Camden Council says a new hearing will take place on January 8.

Winehouse was found dead in her London home in July 2011 at age 27. An inquest in October 2011 found the "Back to Black" singer had died of accidental alcohol poisoning.

Assistant deputy coroner Suzanne Greenaway, who oversaw the inquest, resigned the next month after her qualifications were questioned.

The Tasmanian had served as a lawyer for a decade in Australia but she had not met the British requirement of having served five years as a solicitor in the UK when her husband appointed her to hold inquests.

Her husband, Andrew Reid, was suspended, and resigned from his position as the coroner for inner north London earlier this month.

Mitch Winehouse (L), father of Amy, leaves the Saint Pancras Coroner's Court in central London, following the announcement of the results of the inquest into the death of his daughter. Picture: AFP

"I appointed my wife as an assistant deputy coroner as I believed at the time that her experience as a solicitor and barrister in Australia satisfied the requirements of the post," he said in February.

"In November of last year it became apparent that I had made an error in the appointment process and I accepted her resignation."

Winehouse family spokesman Chris Goodman said today that family had not requested a new hearing.
 

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Final farewell to radio hoax victim

Jacintha Saldanha, pictured centre with her children Junal and Lisha / Pic: Mangalore Media Company Source: Supplied

Benedict Barbosa, husband of late Indian nurse Jacintha Saldanha, arrives to inspect the preparations of her grave at The Shirva Church Cemetery / Pic:  AFP Source: AFP

2Day FM DJs Michael Christian and Mel Greig / Pic: Channel 9 Source: The Daily Telegraph

THE grieving family of nurse Jacintha Saldanha - who took her own life after falling prey to a Sydney radio prank call - laid her to rest in her homeland of India yesterday.

Police reinforcements were dispatched to the sleepy south Indian town of Shirva yesterday as media descended on the Our Lady of Health Church, where more than 1000 mourners gathered for the late afternoon funeral liturgy.

Ms Saldanha hanged herself in the nurses' quarters at King Edward VII hospital, two days after she was tricked into transferring a call from 2DayFM radio DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian to the hospital ward of the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge.

The body of the 46-year-old London-based nurse arrived on Sunday in Mangalore, the tropical town on the edge of the Arabian Sea where she was born and raised, and taken to the family home of her husband Benedict Barboza, for a blessing.

It was the final quiet moment her husband and two children, Junal, 16, and Lisha, 14, shared with her. A public viewing in the airy gothic cathedral was cancelled because of the mayhem.

As they carried her coffin into the place of worship, Mr Barboza and Junal, along with the other pall bearers, struggled for balance amid the crowds of media and curious locals.

Hours before the service yesterday the family of Mr Barboza appealed for privacy as the stricken widower inspected the church and the grave site.

A young male relative said the family had been devastated by the degree of intrusion, particularly a frenzied scrum at Mangalore airport in which media jostled for pictures of Ms Saldanha's children.

Benedict Barboza carrying the coffin of his wife into the Our Lady of Church in Shirva / Pic: Graham Crouch Source: The Daily Telegraph

"We're simple people," he said. "The family are very upset by the media. They really need their privacy."

Other members of Ms Saldanha's family also expressed concern about the publicity in light of the fragile health of the nurse's 74-year-old mother. Carmine Saldanha has been inconsolable since her daughter's death.

The local parish was doing everything it could yesterday to grant the family's wishes, with police perimeters set up around the church and barricades established at the walkway leading from the church to the quiet, palm-lined graveyard.

But this was no ordinary small-town funeral.

District Bishop, the Right Reverend Gerald Isaac Lobo, delivered the funeral mass.

Parish priest Father Stany Tauro, who performed the graveside rites, said a family member gave a homily during the service.

In this most Catholic enclave of India, at this most important time of the year, her death has resonated with the community.

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Pro-gun lobby wavers after tragedy

Vowing to act on gun control, US President Barack Obama has told his nation 'these tragedies must end and to end them we must change'.

EVEN staunchly pro-gun politicians are conceding that it is time to rethink America's gun laws in the wake of the Newtown school massacre.

Democrats say meaningful action in the wake of the school shootings in Connecticut must include a ban on military-style assault weapons and a look at how the nation deals with individuals suffering from serious mental illness.

Several Democratic lawmakers and Independent Senator Joe Lieberman said it was time to take a deeper look into the recent spate of mass shootings and what can be done to prevent them. Gun control was a hot topic in the early 1990s, when Congress enacted a 10-year ban on assault weapons. But since that ban expired in 2004, few Americans have wanted stricter laws and politicians say they don't want to become targets of a powerful gun-rights lobby.

Gun-rights advocates said that might all change after the latest shooting that killed 20 children aged 6 or 7. Police say the gunman, Adam Lanza, was carrying an arsenal of ammunition and used a high-powered rifle similar to the military's M-16.

On Monday, Senator Joe Manchin, a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association, said it was time to discuss gun policy and move toward action on gun regulation. The conservative West Virginia Democrat said on Monday he agrees with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has advocated banning the sale of assault weapons.

Mr Manchin is the most prominent gun rights advocate to speak after the shooting, telling MSNBC that he is a "proud outdoorsman and hunter, but this doesn't make sense."

In a campaign video, Democrat Joe Manchin affirms his support for the constitutional right to bear arms, then loads up a rifle and puts a bullet through a piece of unpopular legislation. Picture: YouTube.com

At a Sunday night service in Newtown, Connecticut, the site of Friday's massacre, President Barack Obama did not specifically address gun control. But he vowed, "In the coming weeks I'll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens, from law enforcement to mental health professionals to parents and educators in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this."

He added: "Are we really prepared to say that we're powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard? Are we prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year after year after year is somehow the price of our freedom?"

Senator Chuck Schumer, a New York state Democrat, said the nation "could be at a tipping point ... a tipping point where we might actually get something done" on gun control. He and other Democrats, as well as Mr Lieberman, said they want to ban the sale of new assault weapons and make it harder for mentally ill individuals to obtain weapons. Mr Lieberman said a new commission should be created to look at gun laws and the mental health system, as well as violence in movies and video games.

"Assault weapons were developed for the US military, not commercial gun manufacturers," Mr Lieberman said before the Newtown vigil on Sunday night.

Democratic senator Joe Manchin, from West Virginia, is a lifelong member of the NRA but says it's time to act on gun regulation. Picture: Getty/AFP

"This is a moment to start a very serious national conversation about violence in our society, particularly about these acts of mass violence," said the Connecticut senator, who is retiring at the end of the year.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, said she will introduce legislation next year to ban new assault weapons, as well as big clips, drums and strips of more than 10 bullets.

"It can be done," Ms Feinstein told NBC's "Meet the Press" of reinstating the ban despite deep opposition by the powerful National Rifle Association and similar groups.

Mr Bloomberg said Mr Obama could use executive powers to enforce existing gun laws, as well as throw his weight behind legislation like Ms Feinstein's.

"It's time for the president, I think, to stand up and lead and tell this country what we should do - not go to Congress and say, 'What do you guys want to do?'" Mr Bloomberg said.

President Obama reads the names of the 20 children killed in the Newtown school shootings while addressing a memorial service for the victims

Gun-rights activists had remained largely quiet on the issue since Friday's shooting, all but one declining to appear on the Sunday talk shows.

David Gregory, the host of "Meet the Press," said NBC invited all 31 "pro-gun" senators to appear on Sunday's show, and all 31 declined. All eight Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee were unavailable or unwilling to appear on CBS' "Face the Nation," host Bob Schieffer said.

Texas Republican Louie Gohmert was the sole representative of gun rights' activists on the various Sunday talk shows. In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," Mr Gohmert defended the sale of assault weapons and said that the principal at Sandy Hook Elementary School, who authorities say died trying to overtake the shooter, should herself have been armed.

"I wish to God she had had an M-4 in her office, locked up so when she heard gunfire, she pulls it out and she didn't have to lunge heroically with nothing in her hands. But she takes him (the shooter) out, takes his head off before he can kill those precious kids," Mr Gohmert said.

Mr Gohmert also argued that violence is lower in cities with lax gun laws, and higher in cities with stricter laws.

Barack Obama during a memorial service for the victims and relatives of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN

"The facts are that every time guns have been allowed - conceal-carry (gun laws) have been allowed - the crime rate has gone down," Mr Gohmert said.

Gun-control advocates say that isn't true. A study by the California-based Law Centre to Prevent Gun Violence determined that 7 of the 10 states with the strongest gun laws - including Connecticut, Massachusetts and California - are also among the 10 states with the lowest gun death rates.

"If you look at the states with the strongest gun laws in the country, they have some of the lowest gun death rates, and some of the states with the weakest gun laws have some of the highest gun death rates," said Brian Malte of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

On Sunday night, like a teacher reading the roster before class, US President Barack Obama sketched, in haunting, human terms, the horror of the Connecticut school massacre.

"Charlotte, Daniel, Olivia, Josephine, Ana, Dylan, Madeline, Catherine, Chase, Jesse, James, Grace, Emilie, Jack, Noah, Caroline, Jessica, Benjamin, Avielle, Allison, God has called them all home."

Deep, heartrending sobs broke the silence at a harrowing vigil service, as Obama voiced the names of 20 children - aged six and seven - shot multiple times in their classrooms Friday by a crazed gunman.

Mr Obama, called for the fourth time in his presidency to eulogise the dead of a mass gun crime, sought to offer solace to parents suffering unimaginable loss, as well as hints of a push for gun control reform.

Anguished moans from relatives also split the hush as Obama lauded six heroic teachers and support staff who sacrificed themselves trying to halt gunman Adam Lanza's rampage at Sandy Hook elementary school.

"This is our first task, caring for our children. It's our first job. If we don't get that right, we don't get anything right. That's how, as a society, we will be judged," Mr Obama said.

Toy gun buy-back: An Aussie mum's campaign to change the future

What the President said

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'Man with umbrella' sparks school scare

State Police spokesman Lt Paul Vance says schools in a town close to Sandy Hook have been put in lockdown after a reported sighting of an armed man. Picture: Getty/AFP Source: Getty Images

SCHOOLS were put in lockdown in Ridgefield, Connecticut, after a report of a man with a rifle in the nearby area.

However the scare was reportedly triggered by a man carrying an umbrella.

Ridgefield is about 30km by road from Sandy Hook, the scene of last week's school shooting tragedy, and the community is still on edge.

The Connecticut Post reported that the man was seen near the Branchville train station, 6km from the town of Ridgefield, and police were on their way to investigate.

Ridgefield Superintendent Deborah Low released a statement saying that town schools "have been put into lockdown ... due to a report of a possibly suspicious person."

Branchville Elementary school buses were diverted to East Ridge Middle School and BES students were in the auditorium. Schools in Redding were also put in lockdown.

At Newtown, Lt Paul Vance confirmed that police had been deployed after reports of an armed man.

However NewsTimes reporter Libor Jany said on Twitter "According to Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi, police have found the man and determined that he was, in fact, carrying an umbrella."

The police action was triggered by one female caller who told police she saw a "white male wearing all black" and carrying a rifle slung over his back, Jany said.

The police team included a sniper.

"Local authorities are understandably on edge," Jany Tweeted.

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