Spaniard to head European Parliament

The 732-member assembly chose Josep Borrell, a relatively unknown Spanish Socialist, to its top job. The parliament vote was the first for hundreds of lawmakers from the 10 new member states - many from the former Soviet bloc - that joined the European Union in May. Borrell received 388 votes and easily defeated two other contenders. The 57-year old, who comes from the Catalonia region of Spain, succeeds outgoing president Pat Cox. Taking up the presidential gavel, Borrell asked members to support him during his 2 1/2-year-term as head of the EU assembly and to push ahead with European integration.