Australia's new prime minister sworn into power

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Tony Abbott has been sworn in as Australia's new prime minister 11 days after he led his conservative opposition to a crushing election victory.

Abbott was the first of 42 government executives to be sworn in Wednesday by Governor General Quentin Bryce at a ceremony at Government House in the capital Canberra. He has been criticized for including only one woman in his 19-member Cabinet, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

Abbott's party defeated former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's center-left Labor Party on Sept. 7 elections.

Abbott has already announced that Australia's contentious new policy on asylum seekers that includes turning back their boats to Indonesia begins on Wednesday.