Politics

• Tuesday, February 28th 2012 - 19:07 UTC

  Argentine government takes over train line involved in tragic accident

  

  The Argentine government announced on Tuesday it was taking over two train lines, one of which was involved in last week’s tragic accident in a downtown Buenos Aires terminal which killed 51 people and left another 704 injured.

• Tuesday, February 28th 2012 - 17:49 UTC

  Judge Garzón cleared of investigation into murders by Franco forces

  

  Spain's Supreme Court cleared former judge Baltasar Garzón of overstepping his authority when he ordered an investigation into the murders of more than 100,000 people by forces loyal to late dictator Francisco Franco.

• Tuesday, February 28th 2012 - 17:33 UTC

  A quarter of people in England support Scotland becoming independent

  

  Just over a quarter of people in England support Scotland becoming independent, a new survey has found. The latest NatCen Social Research British Social Attitudes Survey found 26% of English residents favoured ending the union between the two countries, the highest figure yet in such a survey.

• Tuesday, February 28th 2012 - 17:23 UTC

  Chavez recovering from cancer surgery but no official work on his condition

  

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez came out of cancer surgery overnight in Cuba and is recovering in a hospital, two sources said on Tuesday, but there was still no official word on the leader's condition.

• Tuesday, February 28th 2012 - 05:14 UTC

  CFK confirms Argentina will attend London Olympics “with our flag up high”

  

  President Cristina Fernández rejected the possibility that a delegation of Argentine sportsmen may not fly to London to attend the 2012 Olympics as part of an Argentine boycott in response to the United Kingdom’s refusal to discuss the Malvinas Islands sovereignty.

• Tuesday, February 28th 2012 - 05:12 UTC

  Forty million Argentines need to know “what happened and who was responsible”

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernández reappeared in public on Monday and for the first time talked about the Buenos Aires train station accident in which 51 people were killed and 703 others were injured. She assured that she would make “any decisions necessary” once the matter is resolved in court.

• Tuesday, February 28th 2012 - 05:02 UTC

  Brazil will cut the benchmark interest rate “to less than 10%” this year

  

  Brazilian central bank survey showing interest rate levels are inconsistent with the country’s inflation target won’t alter policy makers’ strategy of lowering borrowing costs further, bank President Alexandre Tombini said.

• Tuesday, February 28th 2012 - 04:18 UTC

  President Correa, in lead case, pardons newspaper publishers and former columnist

  

  Ecuador's populist president, Rafael Correa, on Monday pardoned three newspaper publishers and a former columnist who had been sentenced to jail and ordered to pay 40 million dollars damages in a libel case that angered media freedom advocates.

• Tuesday, February 28th 2012 - 04:16 UTC

  Switzerland asks banking system s to prevent un-taxed assets in their accounts

  

  Switzerland has asked its banks to tighten due diligence process to prevent un-taxed assets in their accounts without violating client confidentiality. The measures come on the back of growing international pressure on Swiss authorities to act against any possible hoarding of illicit and untaxed money in Switzerland-based banks.

• Tuesday, February 28th 2012 - 01:51 UTC

  YPF feeling the noose from Argentina; Madrid doing its best to defend Spanish interest

  

  Foreign Affairs minister Jose Manuel García-Margallo assured that the Spanish government “is doing what must be done” to defend the interests of Spanish companies in Argentina, but has avoided releasing details.