REGION
| Ahmadinejad urges Turkey to boost trade ties |
| TEHRAN - Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday urged Turkey’s visiting Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to increase trade ties between the two countries, the president’s office said in a statement. |
| School dropout high among Palestinian refugees |
| BEIRUT - The school dropout rate among Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is alarmingly high with 50 percent of 17-year-olds and 40 percent of 16-year-olds receiving no education, UN officials warned on Friday. |
| Iraq cleric’s aide urges end to political crisis |
| BAGHDAD — A top aide to Iraq’s Shiite spiritual leader is calling on the country’s fractious political blocs to solve a crisis over a key election law that threatens to delay national polls planned for January. |
| Israel supreme court bans private prisons |
| JERUSALEM - In a landmark decision, Israel’s supreme court has thrown out a law allowing privately-run prisons, arguing that running jails for profit would be a “grave” violation of inmates’ human rights. |
| Hezbollah chief Nasrallah re-elected |
| BEIRUT - Hassan Nasrallah was re-elected head of Hezbollah on Thursday following a congress that also adopted a new manifesto, which is to be revealed in coming days, the militant Shiite party announced. |
| Egypt recalls Algiers envoy after soccer loss |
| CAIRO - Cairo recalled its envoy to Algiers and Egyptians burned the Algerian flag on Thursday after Egypt’s soccer team lost to Algeria in a play-off to reach the World Cup finals, accusing its fans of post-match thuggery. |
| Iraq election impasse continues, veto contested |
| BAGHDAD - Iraqi lawmakers failed on Thursday to resolve differences over an election law, dampening hopes of holding a vote on time in January and throwing into doubt a partial U.S. troop withdrawal later next year. |
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