Early release for Iraqi shoe thrower

A lawyer says the Iraqi journalist jailed after hurling his shoes at the former president George W Bush will be released next month after his sentence was reduced. Muntadhar al-Zeidi's act during Mr Bush's last visit to Iraq as president in December turned the 30-year-old reporter into a folk hero across the Arab world amid anger over the 2003 invasion. He was initially sentenced to three years after pleading not guilty to assaulting a foreign leader, then the court reduced it to one year because the journalist had no prior criminal history.

Defence attorney Karim al-Shujairi told AP today that the court said al-Zeidi will now be released on Sept 14, three months early. Court officials could not immediately confirm the decision. * AP

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EDITOR'S PICKS

Israel rejects Jewish extremist group's terrorist tag, despite hate crimes

epa03744220 A Palestinian man walks past graffiti left on a wall outside a house in Hebrew reading 'price tag' near to where two vehicles were torched overnight by unknown vandals in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, 14 June 2013. Media reports state that the police have opened an investigation into what is thought to have been a racially motivated attack. EPA/ABIR SULTAN *** Local Caption *** 03744220.jpg

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Djindo Armin, supervisor of the reconstruction of the Ferhadija mosque, explains the reconstruction efforts for the mosque in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, May 2013. Credit: Ferry Biedermann/The National

While a famous mosque in Bosnia's second largest city has been restored, Muslims from the city remain scattered. Ferry Biedermann reports from Banja Luka. Banja Luka Muslims harbour no illusions of return to life before Yugoslav wars

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Some warn of a return to the dark days of 2006 and 2007, but Sunni political pragmatism may show a peaceful way forward. Analysis by Iraq historian Reidar Visser How Iraq can pull back from the brink

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America's hidden agenda in Syria's war

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Exclusive: Influential Syrian rebel commander claims US intelligence officers are trying to enlist rebels to fight their fellow insurgents, the Al Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat Al Nusra, instead of helping them overthrow Bashar Al Assad. Phil Sands reports America's hidden agenda in Syria's war