Baghdad, Dec. 16 : The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at US President George W. Bush has a broken arm and ribs after being struck by Iraqi security agents, his brother told reporters on Tuesday.

Durgham Zaidi was unable to say whether his brother Muntazer had sustained the injuries while being overpowered during Sunday''s protest against Bush''s visit or while in custody later.

Baghdad, Dec. 16 : The Iraqi television journalist who hurled his shoes at visiting US President George W. Bush in Baghdad on Sunday, is being feted around the Arab world for having the courage to showcase the rage in the region over a war that is still regarded as unpopular.

President Bush, on a surprise trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, got a taste of dissent at a Baghdad press event Sunday when an Iraqi journalist threw shoes at him, forcing him to duck.

Beirut- The Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah on Monday defended the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at US president George W Bush on Sunday.

"This is a goodbye kiss on behalf of the widows and orphans and people who have been killed in Iraq," a statement issued by Hezbollah read.

The statement echoed the words of Montasser al-Zaidi, 28, the reporter with the Cairo-based satellite broadcaster al-Baghdadiyia who threw his shoes at Bush in protest. As al-Zaidi threw his shoes, he said "this is a goodbye kiss, dog."

Baghdad - Seven members of a family of the Yazidi faith were killed by unidentified gunmen who attacked their home in the district of Sinjar, north-west of the northern Mosul city, a police source said on Monday.

The incident took place at a late hour on Sunday night when the gunmen opened fire at the people inside the house, killing three women and four men," the source told Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency.

Sinjar, 120 kilometres northwest of Mosul, is inhabited by Yazidis.

The Yazidi faith is a Kurdish religion with ancient Indo-European roots. Yazidis are primarily Kurdish speaking. Most live in northern Iraq.

London/Baghdad, Dec. 15 : An Iraqi boy who was beaten up at the age of 12 by British soldiers, has claimed that he was subjected to a mock execution.

In a case being prepared for the High Court, The Independent reports that lawyers for Bariq Abdul-Razzaq claim he was among a group of youths caught up in a demonstration in Basra who were dragged into a British Army compound and then kicked and punched for up to an hour.

After the beating, Bariq says he was handcuffed and forced to kneel facing a wall.

Baghdad - An Iraqi journalist has been elevated to hero status by some corners of Iraq for his "unprofessional" act of throwing his shoes at US President George W Bush at the latter's farewell visit to Baghdad.

"We congratulate him for his act," said the government critical Iraqi news agency INA on Monday, speaking of journalist Montasser al- Saidi.

The Sunni Council of Religious Scholars spoke of the demonstration as a "historic moment" in which Bush and the world were shown "what Iraqis think of the occupation."

Ziad al-Ajili, chairman of the Iraq's Organization for Press Freedom, however condemned al-Saidi's "unprofessional behaviour."