Mourners began gathering today for the funeral of Evel Knievel, the motorcycle daredevil whose death-defying stunts and near fatal crashes made him an international icon and helped put his mining hometown on the map.

Children had to be evacuated from a day-care centre when a gunman walked into a US cathedral and opened fire.

A FIVE-YEAR-OLD girl who was abducted and murdered in California has been remembered as "America's little girl" at an emotional funeral attended by thousands of mourners.