Thousands of people joined a rally for gun control in the US capital Washington, just days before the Senate begins debating new measures proposed by President Barack Obama.

Prominent gun rights advocates in the US government are now calling for a national discussion about curbing gun violence - signalling that the Connecticut primary school massacre could be a tipping point in a debate dormant for years.

With more than 130m Americans heading out to vote and some queuing for hours, reports of polling problems in key battleground states as well as the flood effected areas of post-Sandy New York and New Jersey caused some concern for both parties.

US President Barack Obama will travel to Copenhagen to support the bid by the city of Chicago to host the 2016 Olympic Games.

President Barack Obama steered clear of politics in a pep talk to students that sparked controversy among conservatives, who accused him of trying to indoctrinate America’s children.