Thousands Rally Against Georgia’s Once Popular President

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Last year, Mr. Saakashvili and Parliament amended the Constitution to extend the Parliament’s term to next fall — officially, to align Parliament with the presidential election cycle — an act that the opposition said will make the legislature illegitimate when the term it was elected to expires in the spring.

Justice Nominee Gets 2 Key Votes From Democrats

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Initially welcomed by Democrats and Republicans alike when it was announced in September, Mr. Mukasey’s nomination appeared close to being derailed this week over his repeated refusal to declare to senators that the interrogation technique known as waterboarding was torture. Waterboarding simulates drowning and is reported to have been used by the C.I.A. against a few top leaders of Al Qaeda.