Bahrain convicts 6 of Twitter insults

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — A lawyer says Bahraini courts have sentenced six people to a year in prison on charges of making Twitter posts deemed offensive to the Gulf nation's king.

The convictions Wednesday are part of wider crackdowns across Gulf Arab states against perceived dissent expressed on social media, including imposing tougher media laws.

Lawyer Shahzalan Khamis says the prosecution claimed the six suspects violated laws with posts critical of Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. No other details on the posts were made public.

Bahrain has been gripped by more than two years of unrest between the Sunni-led government and the kingdom majority Shiites seeking a greater political voice.

Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

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President Obama's Twitter Account Retweets Photo of John Lennon's Bloody Glasses

The Twitter account @BarackObama tonight retweeted Yoko Ono's picture of John Lennon"s bloody glasses from the day he was murdered.

The arresting photo, which includes text that more than a million people have been killed by guns since Lennon was shot in 1980, has been retweeted more than 11,000 times since it was posted Wednesday.

A retweet by the account associated with President Obama forwarded it to his more than 28 million followers. Retweets aren't always endorsements in Twitter etiquette, but Ono's activism comes at a time when President Obama and Democrats' push for more gun control after the Sandy Hook tragedy seems to be struggling.

A proposed assault weapons ban was stripped from a bill headed to the Senate floor. And that bill, which would universalize background checks, doesn't have the bipartisan support many backers would like.

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Bahrain activist acquitted over Twitter post

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — A lawyer in Bahrain says a human rights activist has been acquitted over allegations that he posted false news on Twitter.

Mohammed al-Jishi told The Associated Press on Monday that Yousef al-Muhafedha — acting president of the Bahrain Human Rights Center — was found not guilty of posting inaccurate news about some anti-government protests.

This was the third time a court dismissed cyber-related charges, indicating a possible softening of an Internet crackdown in the Sunni-ruled Gulf nation, which has faced nearly two years on non-stop unrest over demands by majority Shiites for a greater political voice.

Al-Muhafedha was detained for two months before being released on bail in January. He is one of dozens in the Gulf nation who faced charges for posting things on social media.

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Rep. Jose Serrano Praises Hugo Chavez on Twitter and in Statement

After the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Democratic Rep. Jose Serrano had this to say on Twitter:

Hugo Chavez was a leader that understood the needs of the poor. He was committed to empowering the powerless.R.I.P. Mr. President.

- Jose E. Serrano (@RepJoseSerrano) March 5, 2013

Serrano, whose New York district covers part of the Bronx, also released a lengthy written statement praising Chavez and recounting an invited visit to his district in 2005.

"I met President Chavez in 2005 when he came to my district at my invitation," Serrano wrote. "His focus on the issues faced by the poor and disenfranchised in his country made him a truly revolutionary leader in the history of Latin America. He understood that after 400 years on the outside of the established power structure looking in, it was time that the poor had a chance at seeing their problems and issues addressed. His core belief was in the dignity and common humanity of all people in Venezuela and in the world."

Serrano recounted that Chavez offered discounted home heating oil to struggling residents in his district. He acknowledged that Chavez was a controversial figure, while noting that "it is important to remember that he was democratically-elected many times in elections that were declared free and fair by international monitors."

Read: Hugo Chavez, Venezuelan President, Dead at 58

Serrano wrote, "At his core he was a man who came from very little and used his unique talents and gifts to try to lift up the people and the communities that reflected his impoverished roots. He believed that the government of the country should be used to empower the masses, not the few. He understood democracy and basic human desires for a dignified life. His legacy in his nation, and in the hemisphere, will be assured as the people he inspired continue to strive for a better life for the poor and downtrodden."

The Republican National Committee pounced on Serrano's comments Tuesday evening.

"It's simply insulting that a Democrat Congressman would praise the authoritarian ruler Hugo Chavez," RNC spokeswoman Alexandra Franceschi wrote in a statement emailed to reporters. "Chavez systematically cracked down on the basic freedom and liberties of Venezuelans, nationalized private industries, and befriended anti-American dictators like Castro, Ahmadinejad, and Assad. Americans should stand together with the freedom loving people of Venezuela as they hope for a peaceful transition to a democracy, instead of praising the former dictator."

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