America's National Rifle Association has defended its call for armed guards to be stationed at schools. The gun lobby is rejecting calls for gun reform in the wake of a school shooting that killed 26 people, 20 of them young children. 

 

 

 

Back home, Catholic Cardinal George Pell has used his Christmas message to apologize to those who've been sexually abused by fellow Christians. Cardinal Pell says he's shocked and ashamed by the abuse suffered at the hands of priests and teachers.

 

 

 

More firefighters will be brought in this morning to help battle a bushfire burning in the southeast of South Australia. The blaze is now within containment lines after earlier burning out of control. It's burnt out more than 5,000 hectares of scrub and grassland since midday yesterday. And in Victoria, fire authorities say a 300-hectares-grass fire, which was threatening the town of Langkoop in the state's west , is under control.

 

 

 

Shoppers will be out in force across the country today to get in their last-minute Christmas shopping. Some shopping centres have been open all night to cash in on the final pre-Christmas buying spree. The Australian Retailers Association is predicting consumers will spend more than 40 billion dollars in the lead-up to Christmas.