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Funerals, sadness, and haunting memories for Newtown

In the aftermath of one of the worst shootings in U.S. history, a small Connecticut town tries to remember those they lost

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- The magnitude of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre continued to bear down on this small town Wednesday as eight families held services for victims.

Across Newtown and surrounding areas, makeshift memorials grew and police lights, dark hearses, and long funeral processions -- now a familiar sight —passed through town for a third straight day. Police also continued to dig into what led to the tragedy.

Near Sandy Hook Elementary, Gene Rosen, 69, recalled the victims and the time he spent with six children who he believes witnessed the murder of their teacher, Victoria Soto.

"Two boys started crying furiously and saying 'We can't go back to school, we can't go back to school -- our teacher is gone,' " said Rosen who brought the children inside his home after finding them on his front lawn shortly Friday morning. "I was so overwhelmed I could not take in what they were saying."

Adam Lanza, 20, carried out a shooting attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School that left 20 students and six adults dead. He also killed his mother earlier in the day.

Wednesday, mourners attended funerals and burials for Soto, 27, and students Charlotte Bacon, 6, Caroline Previdi, 6, and Daniel Barden, 7. The families of students Benjamin Wheeler, Catherine Hubbard, Allison Wyatt, all 6, and school principal Dawn Hochsprung, 47, also held calling hours.A mourner displays a program for the funeral of slain teacher Victoria Soto, 27, at the Lordship Community Church on Wednesday in Stratford, Conn.(Photo: John Moore, Getty Images)

The horror of the day remains with Rosen, who said he had just fed his cats and was getting ready to drive to Sandy Hook diner when he spotted two boys and four girls as he walked down his driveway.

"They looked mortified," Rosen said. "They seemed out of breath as if they had been running and they were crying."

After walking them inside his home, he gave the tiny survivors his grandchildren's toys to play. Soon, the details of what they witnessed came pouring out.

"A boy said, 'He had a big gun and a little gun,'" Rosen recalled. "A girl said 'There was blood in her mouth and she fell to the ground.'"

Working with a bus driver, Rosen called the children's parents who later came to his home. He's hoping when the time is right he will be reunited with the children and their parents who still face days of funerals.

Fourteen miles away from the school, in Woodbury, hundreds of mourners including Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, paid their respects to Principal Hochsprung, who officials say tried to confront Lanza.

Outside Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home, cool air kicked up dust as frigid weather kept those waiting in line shivering. Some cried as they huddled together in jackets and under shared quilts. Others sipped hot chocolate and ate donuts passed out under a nearby tent.

Many passed the time talking about Hochsprung's love of children, her years of experience in Connecticut school systems, and her and her husband's plans to retire in a home they recently built.

Up and down Woodbury's Main Street, crowds of people formed lines in anticipation of a threat by Westboro Baptist Church to protest at the principal's funeral.

Crystal Bogart, 34, drove one hour from her home in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. to help protect the services. "When I found out they were coming I couldn't stay at home," she said. "There's no room in this situation for the hate those people bring."

Westboro Baptist Church has become notorious for picketing the funerals of military personnel, calling their deaths God's punishment for U.S. tolerance of homosexuals. There were no of protests at funerals Wednesday.

Meanwhile, police continued their investigation into what caused Lanza to carry out the killings. Officials are focusing some of their attention on a damaged computer recovered from his Newtown home.

However, it could take weeks to determine if the computer will yield any clues to what prompted the attack, a federal law enforcement official said.

The hard-drive, seized in a weekend search of the home, has been sent to an FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Va., for examination. The official, who has been briefed on matter but is not authorized to comment publicly, said authorities were only "mildly optimistic'' that the examination could answer could answer crucial questions about the 20-year-old activities in the days before the assaults and why he targeted the school, students and staffers.

Two federal law enforcement officials said that there was an initial surge of hope that the computer could answer a number of questions about the attack, but that was almost immediately tempered when the extent of the damage was assessed.

Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance, while not addressing what specific evidence was found, has said a "great deal'' of material was seized from the home, adding that he was "confident'' that investigators would ultimately answer "every question.''

Tomorrow, memorial services for nine victims are scheduled.

"The first few days, all you heard were helicopters," said Dr. Joseph Young, an optometrist who attended one funeral and would go to several more. "Now at my office all I hear is the rumble of motorcycle escorts and funeral processions going back and forth throughout the day."

The Rhode Islander became the first Miss USA to win the title since 1997.

The Rhode Islander became the first Miss USA to win the title since 1997.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A 20-year-old beauty queen from Rhode Island was crowned the new Miss Universe on Wednesday, beating out 88 other women during a televised competition at the Planet Hollywood casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

Olivia Culpo took the crown from Leila Lopes of Angola after strutting in a purple and blue bikini and a red velvet gown.

In the final stages of the competition, she answered a question about her regrets by saying she wished she hadn't picked on her siblings.

Miss Philippines, Janine Tugonon, came in second, while Miss Venezuela, Irene Sofia Esser Quintero, placed third.

Contestants from 89 countries on six continents spent the past two weeks in Sin City, where they posed in hardhats at a hotel groundbreaking, took a painting lesson, and pranked hotel guests by hiding in their rooms.

The beauty queens took the stage in tight, pleated mini-dresses with glittering sequin bodices and sky high platform shoes, strutting to the hit Live While We're Young, by English-Irish boy band One Direction.

Later in the two-hour show, they walked a stage decked with white Christmas trees and snow flurry effects, throwing off gauzy white wraps to show off tie-dye bikinis in purples, pinks and blues.

For the third elimination round, they strutted in evening gowns as band Train and Australian singer Timomatic performed. Miss Venezuela's straight-cut, emerald-colored gown was perhaps the most distinct, its long sleeves virtually invisible but for the navy blue, garland-like trim encircling them. Miss USA's red velvet number was full-skirted and wintery, except for the deep, plunging neckline. Miss Australia's gown evoked a wedding dress — pure white with sparkles at the waist and a corset-style bodice.

Culpo, from Rhode Island, was trying to end a long losing spell for the U.S. in the competition. An American had not won the right to be called Miss Universe since Brook Lee won the title in 1997.

The contestants voted to give the Miss Congeniality crown to Miss Guatemala.

The pageant aired live on NBC and was streamed to more than 100 countries.

Andy Cohen of the Bravo network and Giuliana Rancic of E! News returned to host the pageant, which was back in Las Vegas after being held in Sao Paulo last year.

The panel of 10 judges included singer Cee Lo Green, Iron Chef star Masaharu Morimoto and Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants.

Asked on the red carpet whether he found playing in the World Series or judging the beauty pageant to be more difficult, Sandoval said both were hard.

Angola sported a low-cut sequined gown and said she expected this night to be the worst part of her year. The 2011 winner offered some advice to the women vying for her crown.

"Be calm and smile," she said. "Smiling helps a lot. Even though they are not relaxed, the judges will think that they are."

Sharply dressed women and men, including a large contingent from South America, held banners and cheered on their favorite contestants.

"I've seen them and they are absolutely gorgeous," said Donald Trump, a co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization. "They're very nervous and they should be. It's a billion people (watching)."

Organizers had considered holding the 61st annual Miss Universe in the popular Dominican Republic tourist city of Punta Cana, but Miss Universe Organization President Paula Shugart said that country's financial crisis proved to be too much of an obstacle.

Contestants in the pageant cannot have been married or have children. They must be younger than 27 and older than 18 by Feb. 1 of the competition year.

The winner of the crown receives an undisclosed salary, a wardrobe fit for a queen, a limitless supply of beauty products, and a luxury apartment in New York City.

The pageant started as a local revue in Long Beach, Calif., organized by Catalina Swimwear. It is not affiliated with the Miss America pageant and unlike that contest, does not include a talent section.

Revenge insane: They ran the show and gave the journalist and his assistant fire

Revenge insane: They ran the show and gave the journalist and his assistant fire

It happened in Bolivia, where four men entered over a journalist in radio, in the studio. Criminals have them sprayed with gasoline and set on fire.

Assailants threw homemade bombs in the building more radio. Then they attacked the moderator and another employee of the radio that they sprinkled petrol and set fire to them.

Fernando Vidal spoke moderator trafficking networks on the border with Argentina, when he was attacked. The journalist said that more border agents have been charged with drug smuggling fuel. His condition is stable now, as informed the doctors at the hospital where emergency has been waterway.

Vidal, former mayor of the village where the attack took place, urged colleagues not to succumb to media attacks. "I thank my colleagues, friends and all journalists for continued work and they bring abuses to the public. Defenseless if people are not committed journalists on their side," he sent Vidal.Police opened an investigation in this case. According to local media three men were arrested and a fourth is being sought.

Trust: A 3-year-old father shot dead

          

        Trust: A 3-year-old father shot dead

Thus, a child of only three years managed to grab his father's gun, wanting to play with "tool" deadly. Gun went off and the bullet hit exactly the baby's father. Fatal shooting was accidental father.

33 year old man watching television with his two children. In an unguarded moment, his son 3 year old found his father's gun. The child began playing with the gun and it went off accidentally.

"There are still many unanswered questions! Now, the only thing we know is that the boy had access to the gun, the gun went off and caused him a deadly wound by Michael Bayless," said one of the investigators.

Family tragedy devastated the city. "It's very sad boy is sad for dad, for mom! ... For other children in the family is terrible!", Told a television station a neighbor family in which the tragedy.

Police are now trying to determine how the boy managed only three years to find his father's gun.

Hallucinatory testimony of a mother: My son is the Antichrist. A month goes as an adult

Hallucinatory testimony of a mother: My son is the Antichrist. A month goes as an adult

Motherhood is the most wonderful thing in a woman's life, but there are isolated cases where things go all natural. A woman from Colombia argues that brought the world the devil in person, and its neighbors are downright terrified.

Feria Ana Santos argues that her son started to go to only four weeks, spewing flames and have a look intimidating and downright evil, what makes you think that is the very Antichrist. "Working as an adult, sometimes hiding under a bed in a bag in the washing machine or refrigerator," says Ana.

Stories have reached the ears of the neighbors, who are simply afraid of what they hear. Ana and her family since become the target of violent attacks from others in the community. In an attempt to drive them out, the neighbors attacked them with stones house several times, afraid that they could live among them the devil himself.

Read: sick Imagination: A pregnant Brazilian saw his dead mother in her womb GALLERY

She told that her son not only can stand and walk, but

And its neighbors in Lorica, a village on the Caribbean cosata, fear that the boy might be possessed by an evil spirit.

Most of the Child Protection are watching Ana family, given that all the data you have going with the thought of a possible abuse of baby, whose striking resemblance to the story of the movie The Omen (1976). Authorities believe that the story could be told by a woman to cover the possible abuse of boy, whose hands hold the burn marks were found.

Android apps scam revealed. How can steal people's money

Android apps scam revealed. How can steal people's money

People complain about how restrictive is the Apple Store. In contrast, the concept of "open" the Google Play Store for Android does not protect you at all. One of the biggest scams applications was recently discovered. The whole scam was made by a guy in his parents' basement, according electricpig.

A French hacker crooks over 400,000 pounds from Android users in good faith. Hacker spent a year falsifying known Android apps and loading them into Google Play Store, after you add a piece of code. Code SMS sent to premium rate numbers and turn hacker's money was in the account.

To avoid such scams, check that all the applications that you download to be original.

Painting hidden behind the painting "Woman trampling" by Picasso was brought to light with infrared technology

Painting hidden behind the painting "Woman trampling" by Picasso was brought to light with infrared technology

According to art historians, behind the painting "Woman trampling" of Picasso, there is another hidden picture. Trying out what is behind the painting could mean destruction of the original, which of course is not designed, reports Ubergizmo.

Well, thanks to technology, hidden painting was finally unveiled (photo above) using infrared imaging. This was done by John K. Delaney, Principal Scientist in Imaging at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, which used two infrared cameras - one hyper-spectral and multi-spectral one that helped to compose a detailed picture of hidden painting.

The New York Times published a story hidden painting and even created an image interactive, where users can "scratch" the surface to discover the painting behind her.

Berlusconi: There will be consequences. I feel compelled to remain in politics to reform the justice Planet

Berlusconi: There will be consequences. I feel compelled to remain in politics to reform the justice Planet

Berlusconi's prison sentence: There will be consequences. I feel compelled to remain in politics to reform the justice Planet

Former head of Italian government Silvio Berlusconi said Saturday, on one of his television stations, TG5, he feels "obligated" to stay "policy to reform the judiciary planet", a day after being sentenced to prison tax fraud, Mediafax.

"There will be consequences. I feel obliged to remain in the (political) justice to reform the planet." Some "people did not understand what happened to me," said "Il Cavaliere" for TG5.

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was sentenced Friday to four years in the first instance by imprisonment for tax fraud in Mediaset case and that he prohibited the exercise of public office for three years, according to AFP. Sentence was reduced to one year because Berlusconi has a three-year amnesty, said the Court of Milan, at the initial sentencing. Sentence reduction was achieved by virtue of a law dating from 2006 aministierii which was promulgated by the leftist government of that time to reduce overcrowding in prisons

These penalties are still not performed until a final judgment will be pronounced - after appeal and the Court of Cassation. However, until then, facts sufficient time be prescribed.

Wednesday, Il Cavaliere, aged 76 years, announced solemnly that give you longer present legislative elections stipulated in the spring of 2013. He said however that he would not give up any political activity. "Raman with more young people need to play to score," he said.

His lawyers have already announced that they will file an appeal on appeal on 9 and 10 November.

A ship with 11 sailors on board disappeared in Okhotsk Sea

A ship with 11 sailors on board disappeared in Okhotsk Sea

A ship with 11 sailors on board disappeared in Okhotsk Sea (Russian Far East), RIA Novosti said Sunday, quoting an official of the rescue services.

Amurskoie ship "disappeared Sunday in the Okhotsk Sea, after sending a warning."

"We launched the search, but still gave no results," he added quote, stating that the board were 11 crew members.

"Today is a storm in the area where the boat disappeared: it rains and snows, which complicates search operations," he said.

7.7-magnitude earthquake off Canada. TSUNAMI caused by the earthquake arrived in Hawaii

7.7-magnitude earthquake off Canada. TSUNAMI caused by the earthquake arrived in Hawaii

Canadian authorities released on Saturday evening, a tsunami alert after a "major earthquake" of 7.7 magnitude offshore the west coast of the country, said Minister of Natural Resources.

Tsunami caused by the earthquake in Canada arrived in Hawaii (United States), on the night of Saturday to Sunday (Sunday, GMT), said an official at the center in case of tsunami alert, AFP reports.

"Tsunami is aseptically to go right now," said Gerard Fryer, a geophysicist at the center. "Enough talk when", he added.

Television broadcast images of island of Oahu shows relatively small waves moving towards the beaches of Hawaii.

But Gerad Fryer warned residents should not be deceived by appearances. "The first wave is never the greatest," he said. Following waves could be much stronger and could cause indundaţii.

"If the waves are high, it will take six or seven hours" before it can raise the alert, the expert added.

UPDATE 10:40 - Approximately 80,000 people live in areas covered by the evacuation of Hawaii

"People are leaving the area, traffic congestion to some extent. I had too much time as it was with other tsunami warning and it came during the night, which slowed down the process somewhat as "Shelly told CNN Kunishige from Hawaii State Civil defense.

UPDATE 10:10 - Three small seismic waves

At least three seismic waves hit the coast of the Canadian province of British Columbia, after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake occurred in the night of Saturday to Sunday near Haida Gwaii, CBC News television channel reported on the website.

The waves did not cause damage, but many people were evacuated in Haida Gwaii and Port Edward, near Prince Rupert. Officials say it is unclear at the moment who is their total number.

Kelly Kryzanowski Management Center for Emergency Situations of British Columbia said the evacuation center was installed in Haida Gwaii.

"In some areas there were blackouts. Having problems with the telephone network. We have no information on the occurrence of damage," said Kryzanowski.

Dennis Sinnott Canadian Institute for Ocean Science said that a 69-centimeter wave was recorded Langara Island off the north-east of Haida Gwaii. Another wave of 55 centimeters Winter Harbour struck the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, while another 12 centimeters was recorded in Tofino, on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Situation "seems to be stabilizing," said Sinnot. "This does not mean that we have another small wave," he added.

While the tsunami alert level was reduced in British Columbia, attention turns to Hawaii, where the first wave is expected at around 08.28 GMT (10.28 pm Romania).

UPDATE 09:00 - Several villages were evacuated after earthquake off Canada

Several Canadian cities were evacuated on the night of Saturday to Sunday, following the tsunami alert triggered by a "major earthquake" of 7.7 magnitude offshore the west coast of the country.

UPDATE 08:30 - A tsunami threatens Hawaii

A tsunami threatens Hawaii (USA), announced Sunday center in case of tsunami alert.

"A tsunami has formed and could cause damage along the coast all the islands of Hawaii," adds center.

"We have taken emergency measures to protect human life and property," the center.

Tsunami is expected to arrive in Hawaii Sunday at 08.28 GMT (10.28 GMT).

UPDATE 8:20: "The alert is in effect for coastal areas of British Columbia to Alaska from northern Vancouver Island and Cap Decision in Alaska (137 miles southeast of Sitka)," the ministry said in a statement , asking residents in targeted areas to follow the instructions of local authorities on a possible evacuation to higher areas.

The quake struck at 03.04 GMT (05.04 GMT) Haida Gwaii archipelago region (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands). It was felt in northern British Columbia, including Prince Rupert, Quesnel and Houston, pecizat ministry, which argued that it had received no information on the occurrence of casualties or damage.

According to the American Institute of Geophysics USGS, the epicenter was located 139 kilometers south of Masset.

The quake was followed by at least nine aftershocks with magnitude much smaller than the initial quake, according to CNN.

Haida Gwaii Islands are an archipelago of about 150 islands located off the coast of British Columbia and are home to approximately 5,000 people.

Winona Ryder on 'Beetlejuice,' aging and that 'Heathers' TV show

Winona Ryder on 'Beetlejuice,' aging and that 

'Heathers' TV show

With "Heathers" getting an update on Bravo, it's fair if you're also hoping something will soon become of those "Beetlejuice" sequel rumors.

But for star Winona Ryder, her anticipation rests on whether director Tim Burton is committed to giving it another go.

"We were talking about it, and it's literally a situation of if something's being written and if it's interesting and good," Ryder, who played Lydia in the 1988 film, told CNN. "I mean, I would obviously do anything for Tim. Anything. And Lydia is actually one of my favorite roles."

"Dark Shadows" and "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" scribe Seth Grahame-Smith is tackling the script, and the writer told Collider.com in March that the expectation's on him to produce a worthy screenplay.

"I’ve met with Tim about it, I’ve met with Michael Keaton (who played Beetlejuice) about it," he said at the time. "There’s a lot of goodwill to want to do it from both of those guys; Tim from a producing aspect and Michael from returning to the character. Again, it’s on me."

If the stars do align and we all get the sequel we've been waiting for, Ryder's betting that her character Lydia hasn't changed. And judging from her recent appearances on red carpets, neither has 40-year-old Ryder.

"Yeah, everyone wondered what happened to baby Jane?" "The Iceman" actress joked before pointing to herself. "That's what happened."

Ryder also looks nearly the same as she did when she starred as the teen Veronica in 1988's "Heathers," which is being developed by Bravo as a scripted drama. The contemporary "Heathers" would see Veronica move back to Sherwood as an adult with a teen daughter who now has to face a group of girls called the "Ashleys."

Ryder's looking forward to checking it out, but she was curious about one thing ...

"Can they swear on that channel? Because I saw that on, like, Comedy Central once and it was like every other word was bleeped out. The language, that movie's brilliant," Ryder said. "And Veronica's very close to my heart. There's a territorial thing just because I love it so much and I love the peopl

Report: Sea piracy drops to lowest level in four years

Sea piracy has fallen to its lowest level worldwide since 2008, as policing by international naval forces has deterred pirates operating in the waters off Somalia, new figures from the piracy watchdog show.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said there were 233 actual and attempted attacks on vessels globally in the first nine months of 2012, compared with 352 in the corresponding period last year.

The number of attacks by Somali pirates has fallen dramatically, with 70 attacks by the end of September, down from 199 in the same time frame in 2011 and the lowest number since 2009, according to the report, which was released on Monday.

Pottengal Mukundan, director of the IMB, said the decline was a reflection of the pre-emptive and disruptive counter-piracy tactics used by international navies, as well as deployment of on-board security measures like armed guards.

"It's good news that hijackings are down, but there can be no room for complacency; these waters are still extremely high-risk and the naval presence must be maintained," he said.

The European Union, NATO and a multi-national naval force called Combined Task Force 151 have conducted anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia since 2009.

"There is no alternative to their continued presence as long as Somali pirates threaten major trade routes in this region," Mukundan added.Worldwide, pirates have killed six and taken 448 crew hostage in 2012, according to the report.

It noted piracy had increased in West Africa, off the coasts of Nigeria, Benin and Togo.

Pirates hijack Greek-operated tanker off Togo coast

Attacks there were often violent and targeted tankers carrying refined oil products that can be easily sold, it added.

"There continues to be a serious problem with under-reporting of attacks in this area," Mukundan said.

"This may be because of a fear of reprisals or a feeling that little will change as a result."

In Asia, the waters off Indonesia were most prone to pirate attacks, with 51 incidents, up from 30 in 2011.

The report said the attacks were usually opportunistic and targeted ships at anchor.

Jimmy Savile: National treasure in life, reviled 'sex abuser' in death

- The BBC is embroiled in a scandal that one of its veteran correspondents has called its worst crisis in nearly 50 years -- over its response to allegations that have turned a beloved on-air personality into one of the most reviled figures in the UK.

Since his death a year ago at age 84, Jimmy Savile, the popular TV host, disc jockey and charity fundraiser has been knocked off his perch as a national treasure, accused of being a predatory pedophile who used his fame and position to abuse youngsters, sometimes on BBC premises.

The corporation has been widely criticized for its handling of the crisis, which has grown in recent days. British police say more than 200 possible victims have now been identified in what one officer Commander Peter Spindler said was "alleged abuse on an unprecedented scale."

But who was Jimmy Savile and how did he become the eccentric star -- a cigar-smoking, jewel-encrusted, larger-than-life character who was rewarded with a knighthood for his charitable work?

He mixed with British high society, and his death was greeted with sadness by many, including Prince Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall. He was buried with customary glitz in a gold-colored coffin and with a green beret presented to him by the Royal Marines -- but his life began amid much humbler surroundings.

Savile was born in Leeds in northern England on Halloween in 1926 and as a teenager conscripted to work as a coal miner during World War II -- these young wartime miners were known as the Bevin Boys. He was one of the surviving Bevin Boys who received an award from the then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2008 for helping to keep the mines operational during the conflict.

Savile suffered serious spinal injuries in a mine explosion and left the colliery but it doesn't appear to have stopped him from lifelong participation in sport

Death toll at 4 as Israeli planes hit Gaza after Palestinians fire dozens of rockets

 As dozens of Palestinian rockets rained down on southern Israel, the country's air force carried out new raids on positions in Gaza on Wednesday. Two days of air strikes have so far killed four Palestinians.

Attacks and counter attacks between the two sides are a frequent occurrence but appear to have escalated in the past two days.

On Tuesday night, the Israeli military said its aircraft had targeted two rocket-launching squads in northern Gaza as they prepared to fire rockets into southern Israel. That attack killed two militants from Al-Qassam group, the military wing of Hamas, and wounded two others.

But the barrage of rockets continued, with more than 65 fired from Gaza in an eight-hour period, the military said Wednesday morning.

Israeli aircraft struck Gaza again early Wednesday, killing two people and seriously wounding nine others, said Ashraf al-Qidra, the spokesman of the health ministry in Gaza.

The strike targeted a rocket-launching site in northern Gaza, the IDF said, adding that its tanks had also shelled "terrorist targets."

The Palestinian rocket attacks wounded three Thai workers in Israel, hospital officials said..

Israeli areas around Gaza are under heightened alert amid fears that more rockets could be launched.

The violence came after the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, visited Gaza on Tuesday, becoming the first head of state to visit since Egypt and Israel instituted a blockade in 2007.

Annual Qatari aid to Palestinians in Gaza will increase from $250 million to $400 million, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya told reporters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

In Washington, State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said U.S. officials "share Qatar's deep concern for the welfare of the Palestinian people, including those residing in Gaza."

But she expressed continuing concern over the "destabilizing role" of Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007.

Facebook stock pops 10% as ad sales surge

Highlights for Facebook's third quarter include a 26% yearly gain in monthly active users, who now number just over 1 billion.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Facebook's second earnings report as a public company came in just above Wall Street estimates, but that was enough for investors to give shares a nice boost.

The social network late Tuesday reported sales of nearly $1.3 billion for its third quarter, up 24% from the same period last year.

Facebook's shares fell 3% just after the announcement, but quickly boomeranged to rise more than 13% in premarket trading Wednesday.Facebook (FB) needs every stock boost it can get: Its shares had lost half their value since the company's May IPO.

Facebook's earnings for the quarter were complicated by a hefty tax bill related to the company's equity compensation for employees. The company took a $431 million income tax provision for the quarter, representing an eye-popping 116% effective tax rate.

The tax bill pushed Facebook to a net loss of $59 million, compared with a gain of $227 million in the year-ago quarter. Stripping out the tax bill and other equity compensation expenses, Facebook had net earnings of $311 million, slightly ahead of analysts' expectations.

On a post-earnings conference call with analysts, CEO Mark Zuckerberg struck a defensive tone about one of the company's biggest problems: itssluggish transition to mobile. The site wasn't built with mobile in mind -- it was created in 2004 -- and its first round of mobile apps were sluggish. An new iOS app launched in August , but Facebook still isn't showing mobile users as many ads as it would if accessed on a desktop.

Zuckerberg called the mobile problem overblown, saying "our opportunity on mobile is the most misunderstood aspect of Facebook today." He also complained that company watchers were looking at numbers from earlier in the year, "when we weren't really trying yet" on mobile.

A total of 14% Facebook's ad revenue came from mobile in the third quarter, the company said. Its mobile customer base rose 61% from last year, to 604 million active users.

Overall, monthly active users grew 26% over the year to just over 1 billion. Facebook pulled in $1.1 billion serving ads to those users -- up 36% from last year.

Zuckerberg and CFO Sheryl Sandberg spent much of the call discussing advertising and other ways that Facebook is monetizing its everyday users.

In September it unveiled Facebook Gifts, a feature that lets users send friends real, physical goods. Sandberg mentioned that in October -- which isn't part of the quarter Facebook is currently reporting -- it released a "Promote" feature to a small group of U.S. users. The experimental program lets Facebookers pay a fee, currently around $7, to promote important pictures or announcements.

Zuckerberg addressed another worry while on the call: Zynga (ZNGA), the game maker that accounts for a significant portion of Facebook's sales.

Earlier this month, Zynga scaled back its outlook for 2012, citing a bunch of problems including "reduced expectations" for certain games and delays in launching new titles. Tuesday afternoon -- during Facebook's earnings call -- Zynga announced plans to cut 5% of its roughly 3,000 employees.

Problems for Zynga means problems for Facebook. Zynga accounted for 14% of Facebook's revenue in the first six months of 2012, including payment processing fees, direct advertising, and outside ads shown on pages generated by Zynga apps.

Payments revenue from Zynga declined 20% in the latest quarter compared to last year, Zuckerberg said, but he shrugged it off, saying revenue from other games gained. Zynga is slated to report its earnings on Wednesday.

Also of concern in Tuesday's report: It's getting more expensive for Facebook to do business. Excluding some compensation expenses, Facebook's operating margin shrank to 42%, down from from 51% a year ago. 

Obama finds support among Chavez faithful in Caracas

Editor's note: Girish Gupta is a British freelance journalist based in Caracas, Venezuela. His work has appeared in TIME, Reuters, BBC and many other news outlets.

Caracas, Venezuela  -- Standing in his food shack under posters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in a Caracas slum, 70-year-old Miguel Bigello relays his backhanded support for Barack Obama.

"For all the deaths he's caused, he's not touched Latin America," he said. "The other guy [Mitt Romney] is too radical. He will fight here for the oil."

The elderly man is an avid supporter of Chavez, his "Comandante," and in the small wooden hut sits a carving of the face of Che Guevara as well as a poster depicting Latin American independence hero Símon Bolívar.Postcard: Why 'Obamagic' has worn off in Nigeria

Bigello shares the view of his president. "If I was from the U.S., I'd vote for Obama," Chavez said buoyantly on state television just a week before he won his third six-year term two weeks ago, potentially extending his tenure to two decades. "Obama is a good guy."

Venezuela is still hungover from its own presidential election and in this fervently political country — mostly thanks to Chavez's ubiquity, strength of personality and polarizing policies — the U.S. election campaign offers some light relief after a trying few months.

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The contest between Chavez and Henrique Capriles, the Venezuelan opposition's first real hope in 14 years, made the Romney-Obama matchup look like child's play. Chavez welcomed his opponent to the ring in February by calling him a "low-life pig" who would be "pulverized." There were no debates here as Chavez felt Capriles was below him. "The eagle does not chase flies," said a defiant Chavez.

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The self-styled socialist leader's supporters see Obama taking a leaf out of Chavez's book. "Obama is working for the people just like Chavez," said Gomez Darwin, 42, stood under a huge Che Guevara mural in a primarily Chavez-supporting Caracas barrio.

However, it is the contenders' world views which really matter here. Gloria Torres helped organize prayer vigils for Chavez as he suffered cancer last year. "Obama's policies towards Latin America haven't been aggressive," she said, offering her support for the U.S. incumbent before adding: "The other guy doesn't seem to have any friendly intentions towards us!"

Venezuela has come up a number of times in Republican rhetoric during the U.S. race. Mitt Romney branded the Venezuelan government a "threat to national security" earlier this year, adding that Chavez had spread "dictatorships and tyranny throughout Latin America."

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Romney's running mate, Paul Ryan, added: "In a Mitt Romney administration, we will not keep practicing this policy of appeasement ... We will be tough on [Cuban President Raúl] Castro, tough on Chavez. It's because we know that's the right policy for our country."

This antagonism from the Romney camp towards Chavez — compared to Obama's softer approach — has attracted some of Venezuela's more wealthy hard-line opposition.

"Romney named Chavez in his manifesto; Obama didn't," said Aixa Armas, eating breakfast at one of Caracas' high-end hotels. "Obama has closed his eyes to the problem, a regional problem, and he is too friendly with Chavez."

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The lubricant between Caracas and Washington is the world's highest oil reserves on which Chavez sits. It is that wealth that has kept Venezuela's economy from collapsing -- despite epic mismanagement which has led to the region's highest inflation rate and a severe shortage of U.S. dollars. America is Venezuela's biggest oil market and the Latin American country is among the top five exporters to the U.S..

"The U.S. remains the only actual customer paying cash and at full-price," said Russ Dallen, head trader at Caracas' BBO Financial Services. "Romney may want to use that leverage to stop subsidizing a thorn in America's side."

Dallen adds that Venezuela, or at least the Chavez government, needs oil prices to stay high, and Obama may be a safer bet for that. "Obama is more willing to tolerate high gasoline prices because gas at $4 a gallon makes people more willing to invest in alternative technologies and for those technologies to be more cost effective."

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Chavez is unlikely to be thinking in such depth. His support for Obama recently marks the apex of the 58-year-old strongman's relations with Washington since coming to power in 1999. The infamous nadir came in 2006 when Chavez stood at the United Nations lectern, theatrically sniffing the air. "The devil came here yesterday," he said, a day after former President George W Bush's speech. "It smells of sulfur still." He then went onto describe Bush's "domination, exploitation, and pillage of the peoples of the world."

Chavez quipped two weeks ago that Obama would support him too, had he been born in Venezuela's slums. After some shaky relations, Chavez is prepared to start again. "With the likely triumph of Obama, and the extreme right defeated both here and there [in the U.S.], I hope we can start a new period of normal relations."