The Iraqi journalist who became an instant media star for hurling his shoes at US President George W. Bush appeared on Wednesday before a judge investigating the incident, his brother said.
Muntazer al-Zaidi, 29, a television reporter whom relatives and colleagues said acted because he “detested” Bush and the US, was brought before the judge in the high-security Green Zone in the heart of Baghdad, the brother said.
Durgham al-Zaidi said he and another brother were told by the investigating judge that Muntazar had “cooperated well,” but that they were unable to attend the hearing and had no further details.
PHOTO: EPA
Under Iraqi law, Zaidi risks up to seven years in jail for “offending the head of a foreign state.”
Lead lawyer Dhiya al-Saadi said he had yet to see his client, but that he would apply for permission to see him and would also lodge a bail request.
The lawyer, who heads Iraq’s bar association, said he saw no reason for the bail application to be refused.
“The investigation is virtually complete and there is no risk of his absconding,” he said.
In a solidarity demonstration on Wednesday in the western city of Fallujah, a former insurgent stronghold, students hurled shoes at US marines at a local business school.
One student was hit by gunfire in the leg. It was unclear who fired the shot.
“About 200 people gathered outside the Fallujah Business School,” the US military said in a statement.
“The crowd began throwing rocks, sticks and shoes at coalition forces who were at the school for conducting a planned Economic Development-Education Development engagement with the dean,” it said.
“While leaving the school, the coalition forces heard a gunshot. They did not see who fired the shot and continued to leave the school,” it said.
Australians were downloading virtual private networks (VPNs) in droves, while one of the world’s largest porn distributors said it was blocking users from its platforms as the country yesterday rolled out sweeping online age restriction. Australia in December became the first country to impose a nationwide ban on teenagers using social media. A separate law now requires artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot services to keep certain content — including pornography, extreme violence and self-harm and eating disorder material — from minors or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$34.6 million). The country also joined Britain, France and dozens of US states requiring
Hungarian authorities temporarily detained seven Ukrainian citizens and seized two armored cars carrying tens of millions of euros in cash across Hungary on suspicion of money laundering, officials said on Friday. The Ukrainians were released on Friday, following their detention on Thursday, but Hungarian officials held onto the cash, prompting Ukraine to accuse Hungary’s Russia-friendly government of illegally seizing the money. “We will not tolerate this state banditism,” Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said. The seven detained Ukrainians were employees of the Ukrainian state-owned Oschadbank, who were traveling in the two armored cars that were carrying the money between Austria and
Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani on Friday after dissolving the Kosovar parliament said a snap election should be held as soon as possible to avoid another prolonged political crisis in the Balkan country at a time of global turmoil. Osmani said it is important for Kosovo to wrap up the upcoming election process and form functional institutions for political stability as the war rages in the Middle East. “Precisely because the geopolitical situation is that complex, it is important to finish this electoral process which is coming up,” she said. “It is very hard now to imagine what will happen next.” Kosovo, which declared
MORE BANS: Australia last year required sites to remove accounts held by under-16s, with a few countries pushing for similar action at an EU level and India considering its own ban Indonesia on Friday said it would ban social media access for children under 16, citing threats from online pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud and Internet addiction. “Accounts belonging to children under 16 on high-risk platforms will start to be deactivated, beginning with YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox,” Indonesian Minister of Communications and Digital Meutya Hafid said. “The government is stepping in so that parents no longer have to fight alone against the giants of the algorithm. Implementation will begin on March 28, 2026,” she said. The social media ban would be introduced in stages “until all platforms fulfill their
RSS