Around the World: Iraq

Shoe-thrower trial delayed

The trial of a journalist who has been hailed as a hero in the Arab world after throwing his shoes at US President George W. Bush was postponed yesterday pending a review of the case by a higher court, a spokesman for Iraq's Higher Judicial Council said.

The trial of Muntadhar al-Zeidi was to begin today on charges of assaulting a foreign leader, which his defense team said carried a maximum sentence of 15 years. But court spokesman Abdul-Sattar Bayrkdar said that the trial was been postponed pending an appellate court ruling on what charges the journalist should face.