World Bank executive directors have appointed U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz as the bank's new president. The bank's executive board met in Washington today (Thursday) and approved President' Bush's nomination of Mr. Wolfowitz. He is scheduled to assume the post June first. Mr. Wolfowitz passed a major hurdle Wednesday when European Union officials said they had no objections to his nomination. The issue had been controversial in Europe because of his strong support for the war in Iraq. In talks with European officials this week, Mr. Wolfowitz acknowledged he is a controversial figure, but said he believed in the bank's mission and its nature as a multilateral institution. Washington traditionally nominates World Bank presidents while Europe chooses the head of the International Monetary Fund.