Iraqi who threw shoes at Bush released from prison

BAGHDAD: The brother of an Iraqi reporter who threw his shoes at former President George W. Bush in a stunning act of protest that made him a hero around the Arab world says the journalist has been released from a Baghdad prison.

Uday al-Zeidi says his brother, Muntadhar al-Zeidi, left an Iraqi army base where the prison is located on Tuesday and was accompanied by several members of parliament.

Al-Zeidi, a little-known reporter for a small Iraqi TV station, gained instant hero status in the Arab world last December when he hurled his shoes at Bush as he stood next to Iraq's prime minister at a Baghdad news conference.

The reporter spent nine months in jail. He was to have been released Monday, but that was held up because of delays in processing paperwork.

Website closes down for prayer

JEDDAH: While the debate on stopping all commercial activity during prayer times continues, one local online newspaper in Hail province has decided to advocate for this pause by taking down its site for 20 minutes, five times a day.
If visitors to Aen Hail (“Hail’s Eye” ) visit the site during prayers, they be met with a message “Closed for Prayer” in Arabic along with a countdown to the end of the prayer break at the bottom of the page.
The site shutdown, which was unveiled this month, is automated and linked to local prayer times, according to the site’s online editor, Majid Al-Mismar.
“The page is built with integration of a software that replaces the index page with another,” he said. “We believe that prayers come first. The electronic newspaper is off during Hail prayer times and is back on after the prayer is done.” Many online commentators to the website have praised the decision, expressing their support of a similar nationwide system.
Professor at Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University’s High Judiciary Institute and member of International Islamic Fiqh Academy, Mohammed Al-Nojaimi, called the newspaper’s decision “noble.”
“Closing a Saudi website for half-an-hour during obligatory prayers is a noble Islamic act,” he said. “It’s free from any search for fame or unacceptable rigidness. It contributes to reviving the habit of individuals praying on time.”
Others called the measure superficial. “You are focusing on appearances and presentation rather than the original principles of the religion,” said one of the commentators at the site. “What if the person wishing to surf the page is a non-Muslim?” Al-Watan newspaper columnist Amal Zahid wrote in an editorial piece published on Friday that putting a website on hold during prayer does little to encourage people to pray. “As if we haven’t already accumulated issues and problems to deal with,” he said in his column.
“Praying is a sacred act of worship that connects human beings to God throughout the day… Encouraging people to pray on time isn’t going to be achieved by closing websites.”
An online commenter to the opinion piece who called himself Mohammed Al-Saggaf called the measure an act of “stupidity” and said posting local prayer times was sufficient. “All those who are familiar with the website will know when to go for prayer,” he wrote.
“That does the job. Closing down the page is an act of backwardness and stupidity. Just like closing gas stations, pharmacies, and stopping service at airport immigration; it’s a disruption of interest with no positive benefit.”

BBC may broadcast 2012 Olympics in 3D

BBC: Following on from all the 3D tech we saw at IFA last week, the BBC is hopping on the bandwagon with the announcement it could screen some of the 2012 London Olympics in 3D.
Director of the Beeb's 2012 Olympics operation Roger Mosey, said the corporation was investigating new technologies that will help viewers get the most from their experience.
Speaking at the IBC technology conference in Amsterdam: "We could, and I believe should, capture some of the games in 3D.
"Nobody would expect the games of 2012 to be comprehensively in 3D because the technology will be nothing like widespread enough; but it would be a shame not to have any images of London that were part of an experiment with what will be one of the next big waves of change".
Mosey went on to say that the Olympic stadium could only exist in its 80,000+ capacity for a short time, and so not to capture it in 3D would be a "major gap" in the archive.
Another technology Mosey said the Beeb was considering was "super high definition", but that both this and 3D were currently posing "questions and opportunities rather than solutions".
"Now's the time to start examining seriously whether there are answers that could make 2012 even more of a landmark year," he added.
Sky has already shown a number of sporting events in 3D to good reception, so it would be a great move by the Beeb to document such an important occasion in an extra dimension.
Let us know what you think to the Beeb's plans below.

Formula One: Barrichello, Button in Brawn 1-2 at Monza

MONZA: A beaming Rubens Barrichello made clear Sunday that he will push his Brawn GP team-mate and world championship leader Jenson Button all the way to the wire in this year's title race after winning the Italian Grand Prix.
The 37-year-old Brazilian, who produced a beautifully measured drive from fifth on the grid to grab his second win of the season, said he was looking forward to a close tussle with his team-mate in the closing four races.
"This win feels great," said Barrichello. "Whatever happens now, I feel like this is a winning year. Don't forget it was not so long ago that we thought we had no jobs, but now we have a fantastic car, a great engine and a fantastic team.
"I have to say I am feeling very good. Monza is always a great track for me and now I am going to give my best in a good and honest fight with this guy (Button) and I am really looking forward to it."
Barrichello's 11th victory in a 284-race career was one of his happiest as he came home 2.8 seconds ahead of Button to turn the title race into an almost-certain fight for glory between just the two of them.
"I think we can prove now that in Formula One nice guys can win," said Barrichello. "This is the end to that old saying that only the tough guys can win titles."
Button, winner of six of the seven opening races of the season, remains on top with 80 points, but Barrichello is now second with 66 points, having cut his team-mate's advantage from 16 to 14 points.
The Brawn pair look certain to deliver the constructors championship to their eponymous team-chief Ross Brawn in the outfit's first season.
Defending world champion Lewis Hamilton, who started from pole, looked certain to come home third for McLaren Mercedes, but crashed heavily at the Curva di Lesmo on the final lap and failed to finish.
This left Kimi Raikkonen to take the third podium place for Ferrari ahead of Adrian Sutil of Force India, two times champion Fernando Alonso, who was fifth for Renault, and Heikki Kovalainen in the second McLaren.
"Every lap I was pushing like a qualifying lap - it was to be expected. We didn't have the pace and I was pushing as hard as I could. I can only say I'm sorry to the team," said Hamilton.
Nick Heidfeld finished seventh for BMW Sauber and German compatriot Sebastian Vettel eighth for Red Bull, the young title challenger luckily grabbing his point after team-mate Mark Webber had crashed out following a collision with Robert Kubica's BMW on the opening lap.
The fans had seen Hamilton make a perfect start from his 15th pole position and led the field down and through the Rettifilio Tribune, Raikkonen storming past Sutil into second place and Barrichello advancing from fifth to fourth.
Hamilton continued his fast opening surge with a series of fastest laps before he pitted after 15 laps with a lead of more than seven seconds.
On lap 17, Sutil pitted from second behind Raikkonen who in turn came in after a further two laps.
All of this early action meant the drivers on a two-stop strategy were in command with the two Brawns in control, Barrichello ahead of Button by 2.4 seconds, with Hamilton third.
Debutant Vitantonio Liuzzi, on a presumed one-stop strategy in the second Force India, was fourth at this stage ahead of Raikkonen and Alonso.
Hamilton struggled to keep pace with the Brawns before their pit stops and the Force Indias were also proving a match for the Ferraris until Liuzzi suffered a mechanical failure on lap 22.
Button was the first Brawn to pit from second and a 12-sec advantage on Hamilton after 28 laps with Barrichello following a lap later.
With all of the leaders having pitted once, Hamilton led Raikkonen and Sutil ahead of Barrichello and Button, but the Briton's advantage was only 5.6 seconds.
Hamilton made his second stop after 33 laps when he led by more than 16 seconds, but he rejoined fifth behind the two Brawn men.
Raikkonen and Sutil then came in together after 36 laps, the Force India driver arriving with such velocity that he sent one mechanic flying.
He appeared to be unhurt. Raikkonen seemed to stall before rejoining, gifting Sutil an opportunity he was unable to take.
This left Barrichello leading ahead of Button by 5.4 seconds with Hamilton third a further 2.9 seconds adrift with 15 laps to go, with those placings remaining until Hamilton's last lap disaster.

Serena fined for outburst as probe launched

NEW YORK: Serena Williams was fined 10,500 dollars on Sunday for her angry outburst at a line judge that ended a US Open semi-final and the incident is being investigated by the Grand Slam Committee.
US Open tournament referee Brian Earley said in a statement Sunday that Williams has been levied the maximum possible fine for unsportsmanlike conduct, 10,000 dollars, plus a 500-dollar fine for racquet abuse.
Williams, in a statement Sunday after the fine was announced, issued no apology or comment on the punishment but stated she "let my passion and emotion get the best of me" and "handled the situation poorly".
The fine is a mere pittance, even at maximum strength, since Williams received 375,000-dollar for her semi-final run at Flushing Meadows, her matches among the top drawing cards for ticket buyers and television viewers.
But the probe underway could bring more penalties.
"The Grand Slam Rule Book also allows for an investigation to be conducted by the Grand Slam Committee administrator to determine if the behavoir of Ms. Williams warrants consideration as a Major Offence, for which additional penalties can be imposed," Earley said.
"This investigation has now begun."
US Open officials were reviewing videotapes of the confrontation and the bizarre ending to her loss to Belgium's Kim Clijsters. Williams and match umpire Louise Engzell were interviewed by Earley on Saturday night.
US television commentator Pam Shriver called for 11-time Grand Slam champion Williams to apologize for threatening the woman who called a foot fault upon the reigning champion to give Clijsters two match points.
Williams walked toward the woman who made the call, waving her racquet before her, and launching into a profanity-tinged tirade of threats that led to the unsportsmanlike conduct violation.
Because Williams had already received a warning after smashing her racquet following the last point of the first set, the penalty point she was assessed handed Clijsters a berth in Sunday's final.
"Last night everyone could truly see the passion I have for my job," Williams said in a statement.
"Now that I have had time to gain my composure, I can see that while I don't agree with the unfair line call, in the heat of battle I let my passion and emotion get the better of me and as a result handled the situation poorly.
"I would like to thank my fans and supporters for understanding that I am human and I look forward to continuing the journey, both professionally and personally, with you all as I move forward and grow from this experience."
Williams will return to Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday afternoon to join her sister Venus in the US Open women's doubles final against top seeds Cara Black of Zimbabwe and American Liezel Huber.
Grand Slam events fall under the purview of the International Tennis Federation, not the ATP and WTA tours, with the four major tournaments collaborating to form the Slam committee.