Parliament approved President Hamid Karzai’s nominee for chief justice of the Supreme Court on Monday, handing the U.S.-backed leader a victory after his first nominee for the top spot was rejected. Lawmakers also approved the nominees for five other positions on the nine-member court, which has great influence over the role of Islam in government and society in Afghanistan. The vote for the U.S.-educated Abdul Salam Hazami, 69, as chief justice also was vital to efforts to reform Afghanistan’s judiciary and dismiss corrupt judges. Full Story