Francois Hollande Officially President
Newly elected President Francois Hollande has officially been given the reigns of French leadership. Hollande was sworn in at the Elysee Palace in central Paris, becoming the country’s first socialist President in seventeen years. Topping the agenda for his five-year term? Hollande will soon select a prime minister, and then head off to Berlin to seek a compromise on austerity measures with German chancellor Angela Merkel.

Rebekah Brooks Charged
London’s Metropolitan Police have charged Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and her husband Charlie with perverting the course of justice. Four others have also been charged. The former head of Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper empire is accused of concealing evidence from police, including computer and other electronic data. The six accused are the first to face formal charges since the police investigations began last year.

EU Naval Forces Take On Somali Pirates
European Union naval forces have taken the fight against Somali pirates to the air. On Tuesday, helicopter and aircraft strikes off Somalia’s central coastline targeted pirate speed boats, fuel depots, and weaponry, marking the first air attacks against pirate targets on shore. No injuries or deaths were reported in the assault. The EU has been the biggest contributor to Somalia’s transitional government, providing government troops with training and supplies.

Soyuz Spacecraft Launched
A Soyuz spacecraft successfully launched from the Baukonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday. The crew, consisting of one American and two Russian astronauts, was en route to the International Space Station after more than a month’s wait. The delays came about after the Soyuz capsule was damaged during a round of pressure tests.

WWF Claims World Is Over Consumed
The earth’s resources are being stripped away faster than we’re able to renew them. That’s according to a new report from the World Wildlife Fund, which says it now takes the planet a year and a half to restore what humanity burns through over the course of 12 months. The WWF says this over-consumption has decreased the world’s biodiversity by 30 percent since the 1970s.

John Travolta To Fight In Private
New reports claim John Travolta has agreed to fight one of his sexual misconduct civil complaints in private. Sources say the ‘Pulp Fiction’ actor and a male massage therapist will argue their cases in a private hearing, with the agreement that all transcripts be kept sealed. The unidentified man claims the actor made sexual advances while receiving professional massage services back in late January.