Children who escaped the Connecticut massacre are returning to classes today in a refurbished school named after their old one.

A mournful Barack Obama has told Newtown the United States is failing to keep its children safe, pledging that change must come after an elementary school massacre left 20 children dead.

One of the worst school shootings in US history has left 20 children and eight adults dead. The children were all aged between five and 10.

“There is not a parent in America who does not feel the same overwhelming grief as I do,” said US President Barack Obama after the mass shooting.

A gunman killed 26 people, including 20 young children, at a US school where his mother worked today in one of the worst school shootings in the country’s history.

A freak October storm knocked out power to more than 3.1 million homes and businesses across north-east America, with close to 2ft of snow falling in some areas.

A weakened but still dangerous Hurricane Irene slammed into the New Jersey shore with 75mph winds today after dumping a foot of rain on North Carolina and Virginia, killing nine people and knocking out power to at least two million homes.