Bahrain, the alleged Amish Bernie Madoff and the man who inspires revolutions

As sea levels rise, the inhabitants of Kiribati are struggling to stay on their island home. (Richard Vogel/AP)

International news: State of emergency in Bahrain

Protests continue to swell in the Middle East. In Bahrain police clamped down on the anti-government demonstration. Two people were killed and others injured. From The Post's Janine Zacharia, "Tanks rumbled into Manama as Apache helicopters flew overhead. Military vehicles and police blocked roads, and some areas were blocked off with barbed wire. In what longtime observers said was turning into an unusually severe crackdown here, the Bahraini national security council met and declared a state of emergency." An ABC reporter was beaten during the protests.

National news: Meet the Amish Bernie Madoff

From The Post's David Hilzenrath: "The personal assets of Monroe L. Beachy, a 77-year-old Amish man, included a horse, buggy and harness. According to the Securities and Exchange Commission, his skills included financial fraud." Read more here.

National news: The man who inspired revolution

"Few Americans have heard of [Gene] Sharp. But for decades, his practical writings on nonviolent revolution -- most notably "From Dictatorship to Democracy," a 93-page guide to toppling autocrats, available for download in 24 languages -- have inspired dissidents around the world, including in Burma, Bosnia, Estonia and Zimbabwe, and now Tunisia and Egypt," the New York Times reports.

Need-to-see: "Casteller"

From Vimeo user Mike Randolph: "In the city of Tarragona, Spain, castellers gather every two years to see who can build the highest, most intricate human castles. This uniquely Catalan tradition requires astonishing strength, finesse, and balance. Not to mention courage."

(Via Boing Boing)