In the World

LAGOS, Nigeria - Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in Sunday for a four-year term as president of Nigeria and now faces the challenge of uniting a country that saw deadly postelection violence despite what observers called the fairest vote in more than a decade.

"You have entrusted me with your mandate, and I will never, ever, let you down," Jonathan said during his address. Vice President Namadi Sambo was also sworn in Sunday.

Observers heralded the April 16 vote as the fairest Nigeria had held since it became a democracy 12 years ago.

But the vote was marred by postelection riots that left hundreds dead, highlighting religious and ethnic fault lines in Africa's most populous country.

- AP

PARIS - A government minister accused of sexually assaulting two women he once worked with resigned Sunday in an apparent bid to spare the French government the kind of notoriety the opposition has faced since its leading man, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, was charged with attempting to rape a Manhattan hotel maid.

A preliminary investigation was opened last week against George Tron, who served as a junior civil service minister, after two women alleged that he had attacked them between 2007 and 2010.

One of the women said she was inspired to come forward after a housekeeper at a luxury Manhattan hotel claimed she was sexually assaulted by Strauss-Kahn, 62, a leading presidential candidate in next year's elections for the rival Socialist Party. He resigned his post as International Monetary Fund chief after charges were filed in New York.

Tron, 53, is a member of President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative party. Tron's resignation appeared to be damage control as Sarkozy primps for his reelection bid.

- AP

VALLETTA, Malta - Malta - a tiny, staunchly Catholic Mediterranean island - has voted in favor of legalizing divorce. Malta is the last remaining European Union nation that bans divorce.

Final results showed that 52.67 percent of people voted in favor of divorce, according to the Times of Malta.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, who had campaigned against divorce, said parliament would respect the will of the people in the nonbinding referendum and work on legislation to legalize divorce.

Malta which also bans abortion, has long Catholic traditions, and the church's influence on the nation's 400,000 citizens is still significant. The Catholic Church does not permit divorce but does allow annulments. - AP

About 30,000 people

protested in Athens' central Syntagma square Sunday evening against the government's tough economic-austerity policies. The demonstration, larger than many others that have taken place during Greece's economic crisis, appeared to be the first that resulted from spontaneous calls over social-media sites such as Facebook.