04/14/09 | Breaking Tweets

April 14, 2009

Featured TwitPic: Rainbow in Pakistan

"rainbow over lahore" (Posted by @stolidimran, Lahore, Pakistan)

Hawaii experiences moderate earthquake

Per KHNL in Hawaii, an earthquake with a 5.1 magnitude shook the island of Hawaii, Hawaii, today at 12:44 p.m. local time.

Here were some tweets from the affected area in chronological order, beginning with the first to break the news of the quake to Twitter:

allentenn (Hilo, Hawaii) big time earthquake!!!!!! 14 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck

dcb97 (Hilo, Hawaii) Whoa just felt an earthquake in Hilo. Small kine but it rocked and rolled a bit. 14 Apr 2009 from web

808blogger (Puna, Hawaii) whoa.... we just had a good sized quake 14 Apr 2009 from web

bknykanaka (Hilo, Hawaii) MY FIRST EARTHQUAKE! 14 Apr 2009 from web

castleinhawaii (Pahao, Hawaii) HUGE earthquake in Pahao 14 Apr 2009 from web

Paraguay's president admits having child while bishop

Per the Christian Science Monitor, President Fernando Lugo of Paraguay has admitted to having a child with a 16-year-old while he was a Catholic bishop.

While the news was a surprise, "most people [in Paraguay] would take the news in stride," sources told Christian Science Monitor.

Indeed, most Twitterers in Paraguay and elsewhere in Latin America seemed to support Lugo, pointing out he is human, with some calling for an end to the Catholic Church's celibacy policy.

Acertijo (Asunción, Paraguay) No nos rasguemos las vestiduras! Lugo no es más que un ser humano. Y no conozco directa ni indirectamente ni uno solo que no tenga errores. (We do not tear their hair out! Lugo is just a human being. And I do not know directly or indirectly, not one that has no errors.) 13 Apr 2009 from TwitterFon

crodas (Asunción, Paraguay) Sinceramente, no creo que en este tiempo, algún mortal pueda morir casto, el celibato es una religiosidad sin sentido. #lugo (Frankly, I do not think that at this time, a mortal can die chaste, celibacy is a religious nonsense. #lugo) 14 Apr 2009 from TwitterFox

lfds (Port Alegre, Brazil) o jornal que acha o celibato uma convenção ultrapassada é o mesmo que vê "constrangimento" no fato de Fernando Lugo assumir seu filho! (the paper finds that the celibacy is an outdated convention that sees the same "constraint" in fact take his son Fernando Lugo!) 14 Apr 2009 from TwitterFox

Cynega (Argentina) Todavía estoy pensando en la frase del monseñor paraguayo que dijo que "Lugo fue muy valiente, porque dijo la verdad". Aplausos. (I'm still thinking about the sentence that said Monsignor paraguayo "Lugo was very brave, because he said the truth." Applause.) 14 Apr 2009 from TwitterFox

flavioperez13 (Brazil) Fernando Lugo é o cara. Assumiu a bronca e entrou na mira, mais uma vez, o bispado (Fernando Lugo is the man. Took the hole and came in sight, again, the diocese) 14 Apr 2009 from web

Alexsander_pe (Lima, Peru) El caso de Lugo se complica por haber mantenido una relación sentimental (y tal vez sexual) con la madre de su hijo cuando está tenía16 años (Lugo's case is complicated by having had an affair (and perhaps sexual) with a woman becoming a mother to a son at 16 years) 14 Apr 2009 from web

Trial begins for American journalist in Iran

Per The New York Times, the trial of Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, 31, has begun and a verdict is expected in the next three weeks. She is being accused of spying for the United States.

The Web site Free Roxana Saberi has had an active presence on both Twitter and Facebook, advocating for Saberi's release. Here are a few of its latest tweets and responses to the account:

freeroxana LA Times reporter Borzou Daragahi discusses Roxana’s case http://tinyurl.com/dgqwux 14 Apr 2009 from twitterfeed

freeroxana Roxana at top of NYT homepage: http://www.nytimes.com/ 14 Apr 2009 from web

WritersKitchen (Hudson Valley, N.Y.) RT @noelleee: Here’s a great one for #followfriday: @freeroxana. Keep abreast of how you can help free journalist from Iranian detainment 10 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck

michaelluo (New York, N.Y.) NYT on Roxana Saberi, Iranian-American journalist, held in Iran on espionage charges. http://is.gd/smEd Follow @freeroxana for latest. 14 Apr 2009 from twhirl

samtaylormusic (New York, N.Y.) RT: Following @freeroxana to support Roxana Saberi, American journalist detained in Iran. 14 Apr 2009 from web

Here's some other reaction from the Twitterverse regarding these latest developments in Iran:

reginajmc (St. Petersburg, Fla.) Can't believe journo (and fellow Cobber) Roxana Saberi now charged with espionage: http://tinyurl.com/ckua8p 08 Apr 2009 from TwitterFox

wajobu (New England) @nprpolitics Oh, and I think that the fact that Roxanna Saberi is being held hostage by Iran can't get enough airplay. 10 Apr 2009 from web in reply to nprpolitics

jenniferhdaniel (N.C./S.C.) Think about Roxana Saberi and your rights to free speech today. 14 Apr 2009 from web

GeorgeJobson (Kalamazoo, Mich.) @HuffNewswire Iran should let Roxana Saberi go! 14 Apr 2009 from web in reply to HuffNewswire

jth (Minneapolis, Minn.) An Iranian judge (!) charges Saberi with espionage. http://is.gd/sowv I don't think this will end well. 14 Apr 2009 from twitterrific