PARIS, May 14, SPA -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy appointed reform-minded conservative Francois Fillon as his new prime minister on Thursday. Fillon was to take over formally from outgoing PrimeMinister Dominique de Villepin at 11 a.m. (0900 GMT). Fillon, 53, a member of Sarkozy's Union for a PopularMovement, is credited with pushing through a trickyretirement reform as social affairs minister from 2002 to2004. He served as education minister from 2004 to 2005, the Associated Press reported.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/450573