President Cristina Takes Charge

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, the first woman to be elected president of Argentina, took office today with ominous promises about the Argentine economy and the sovereignty of the disputed Falkland Islands. The crowd chanted "Viva, Cristina!" as the country's First Lady succeeded her husband, Nestor, as head of state, reports the Times of London.

In her inaugural address she said she would not listen to calls for Argentina's rapidly growing economy to slow. “Every time that has been said, Argentina ended up in recession,” said the Social Democrat. She also described Argentinian sovereignty in the Falklands, or Malvinas, over which Argentina and Britain fought a war in 1982, as "non-negotiable." (More Argentina stories.)