Hours before the first elected woman president takes office in Argentina, the preparations for the ceremony are underway. The preparations in Buenos Aires Colón Square, where the outdoors ceremony is due to take place, were finished on Thursday and foreign heads of state are currently arriving in Buenos Aires city to participate in Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's inauguration.
The European Central Bank left on Thursday interest rates unchanged at 4%, in line with analysts' expectations and in spite of strong short term upward pressure on inflation.
Bolivian President Evo Morales has called for a referendum on whether he and the country's nine regional governors should stay in office. Mr Morales said the vote should provide the final word on his reform program, which several governors oppose.
The Argentine Senate this week passed into law the 2008 budget and the Ministries bill, but delayed for next week's session the vote on the extension of the Economic Emergency bill and other tax bills.
Panama is moving to make the teaching of Mandarin compulsory in all schools, in recognition of China's growing importance in the world economy. The Panamanian National Assembly has given conditional approval to the bill in the first of three debates.
Headlines: Frankenstein and Dracula in love duel? It must be panto season!; 'FIG needs economic rethink' Former Economic Advisor urges: 'Take a longer term view; ' Fishing company's application fails; Battle Day parade and holiday.
A FALKLANDS artist who has spent three years of his life living in Buenos Aires is to stand for election to Falkland Islands government.
The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency this week praised Brazil's nuclear energy programme while visiting a uranium enrichment plant capable of producing fuel for nuclear reactors.
China should let its currency rise faster to help it counter overheating in its booming economy, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development suggested in a report this week.
An energy bill that would require the first rise in vehicle fuel efficiency in more than 30 years was passed this week by the United States House of Representatives.