Embattled Georgian Prez Sets Elections

Georgia President Mikhail Saakashvili today announced a special early presidential election for Jan. 5, an apparent attempt to end the massive civil unrest in Tbilisi, the capital of the former Soviet republic. It was an abrupt about-face for Saakashvili, who had refused even to consider elections; January's vote could shorten his term by a year, the New York Times reports.

Saakashvili—pro-West and backed by the US—declared a state of emergency yesterday, closing TV stations and banning all assembly in Tbilisi. Opposition leaders are incensed at what they're calling a brutal crackdown on protesters. "The authorities have used weapons against the peaceful demonstrators, and therefore the authorities will get what they deserve from the people,” one opposition legislator said. (More Georgia stories.)