Iranian parliament chooses new interior minister

Iran's parliament has chosen a close ally of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the new interior minister after his predecessor was dismissed over a fake university degree, State radio reported Tuesday. The report said lawmakers chose 49-year-old Sadeq Mahsouli by a slim majority of those present for the vote. Mahsouli was serving as an adviser to Ahmadinejad before Tuesday's vote. The interior minister's office is in charge of holding elections and local administrations in Iran. Parliament dismissed the former interior minister, Ali Kordan, earlier this month over a fake degree from Oxford University.