W O R L D

Hollande sworn in as new French President
Paris, May 15
Francois Hollande was sworn in as France’s first Socialist President in 17 years in a brief ceremony today ahead of a dash to Berlin to challenge German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s austerity prescription for Europe.

Outgoing French President Nicolas Sarkozy (left) waves goodbye to new President Francois Hollande at the Elysee Palace after the handover ceremony on Tuesday. — AP/PTI
 

Jean-Marc Ayrault named as PM
French President Francois Hollande named Jean-Marc Ayrault, the head of the Socialist bloc in Parliament and mayor of Nantes, as his Prime Minister on day."The president of the republic has named Jean-Marc Ayrault as the PM and tasked him with forming a new government," the Elysee Palace said in a brief statement.

NATO invites Zardari to Chicago Summit
Islamabad, May 15
NATO today invited Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to its crucial upcoming Chicago summit, a day after Foreign Minister Khar publicly indicated Pakistan's willingness to end its six-month blockade of supplies for foreign troops in Afghanistan.

Special plane brings Pak scientist to his homeland
Pakistani scientist Dr Khalil Chishti, who was freed by the Indian Supreme Court on bail after 20 years in jail, flew into Islamabad on a special plane sent by President Asif Ali Zaradri to New Delhi. Interior minister Rehman Malik, PPP workers and Chishti's relatives received him at the airport.

Indian-Americans rally behind Ravi
	Hundreds of supporters rally in front of the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton in support of Dharun Ravi, the former Rutgers University student convicted for using a webcam to see his roommate kissing another man. He was convicted in March and faces up to 10 years in prison. — AP/PTI

Hollande sworn in as new French President
Takes power as eurozone teeters towards crisis

Paris, May 15
Francois Hollande was sworn in as France’s first Socialist President in 17 years in a brief ceremony today ahead of a dash to Berlin to challenge German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s austerity prescription for Europe.

In his inaugural speech to some 400 guests, Hollande said he would seek to amend a European pact to add growth-boosting measures to deficit-cutting policies that critics say are dampening the bloc’s growth prospects.

In a veiled swipe at outgoing President Nicolas Sarkozy, who some faulted for being all-controlling and too impulsive, Hollande said he would run a “dignified”, “simple” and “sober” presidency and ensure Parliament plays its full role. “I will set the priorities but I will not decide for everyone, on everything and (be) everywhere,” Hollande said.

Sarkozy and his wife, singer and ex-model Carla Bruni, left the Elysee Palace under a bright sky but dark clouds blotted out the sun and rain poured down when the new President left for the traditional inauguration drive in an open-topped car.

Soaked to the skin, Hollande grinned at bystanders as his car crawled up the Champs Elysees avenue to the Arc du Triomphe, where he relit the flame at the memorial of the Unknown Soldier and laid a wreath. — Reuters

Jean-Marc Ayrault named as PM

French President Francois Hollande named Jean-Marc Ayrault, the head of the Socialist bloc in Parliament and mayor of Nantes, as his Prime Minister on day."The president of the republic has named Jean-Marc Ayrault as the PM and tasked him with forming a new government," the Elysee Palace said in a brief statement.

Ayrault is expected to name his government on Wednesday, ahead of its first cabinet session, likely on Thursday.

Like Hollande, 62-year-old Ayrault has never held a senior government post and has little experience in top-level governing, but is a longtime ally of the President.

Brooks, husband face trial
Charged with perjury in phone-hacking case

London, May 15
Rebekah Brooks, a former confidante of media baron Rupert Murdoch, was today charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice along with her husband and four others, the first criminal charges filed in a wide-ranging probe into the phone-hacking scandal in Britain.

Brooks, 43, joined News International in 1989 and soon rose to editorships and Murdoch’s top management team while forging “friendships” with Prime Ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

After editing the News of the World and the Sun, she became the Chief Executive Officer of the company that has the largest share of newspaper market in Britain.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) today confirmed that three charges were being brought against Brooks, her racehorse trainer husband Charles Brooks, who, with four others, are the first to face charges in the multiple investigations related to the phone-hacking scandal.

The last high-profile Briton to be charged with perverting the course of justice was novelist Jeffrey Archer, who was convicted and sentenced for four years in 2001.

The maximum sentence that a judge can impose on a defendant convicted of perverting the course of justice is life imprisonment.

Brooks and her husband termed the CPS charges “weak and unjust,” while her long-time personal assistant Cheryl Carter, who also faces similar charges, vigorously denied committing any offence.

Meanwhile, Scotland Yard arrested two more persons - a man, 50, and a woman, 43, in relation to Operation Elveden, which is investigating allegations of illegal payments to public officials by journalists for information to be used in news stories.

Brooks has been charged with three charges of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, including the alleged removal of seven cases of material from the archive of News International and the concealing of documents and computers from officers investigating phone-hacking. — PTI

NATO invites Zardari to Chicago Summit

Islamabad, May 15
NATO today invited Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to its crucial upcoming Chicago summit, a day after Foreign Minister Khar publicly indicated Pakistan's willingness to end its six-month blockade of supplies for foreign troops in Afghanistan.

NATO Secretary-General Rasmussen telephoned Zardari in the afternoon and invited him to the NATO summit in Chicago beginning from the 20th of this month.

President's spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that the invitation by NATO Secretary-General for the NATO summit "was unconditional and not linked to the reopening of ground lines of communication for NATO or to any other issue".

President Zardari informed the NATO Secretary-General that he would consider the invitation in the light of the guidelines of the Parliament and the advice of the government.

However, official sources told PTI that the government had decided in principle to accept the invitation as part of efforts to reset relations with the US and NATO, which had plunged to a new low after 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a cross-border NATO air strike in November last year.

Following the attack, Pakistan closed all NATO supply routes and forced American personnel to vacate Shamsi airbase, considered a hub for CIA-operated drones. — PTI

Special plane brings Pak scientist to his homeland
Afzal Khan in Islamabad 

Dr Khalil Chishti

Pakistani scientist Dr Khalil Chishti, who was freed by the Indian Supreme Court on bail after 20 years in jail, flew into Islamabad on a special plane sent by President Asif Ali Zaradri to New Delhi. Interior minister Rehman Malik, PPP workers and Chishti's relatives received him at the airport. 

Prior to his departure, Chishti said he has great respect for the Indian apex court and would return to India in October as directed by the court. 

He is accused of involvement in the murder of a man during a brawl in Ajmer in April 1992. At the time, Chishti was visiting India to meet relatives and to offer prayers at the Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.

In January last year, Chishti was awarded life imprisonment after an 18-year-long trial and after the sentencing, he was detained in Ajmer Jail. Human rights activist Ansar Burney while welcoming Chishti's release has sent a mercy petition to Zardari to free Indian citizen Sarabjit Singh languishing in a Pakistani jail.