National / International News

It's going to be a big budget week in Washington. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) released his spending plan today, and the Democrats are set to unveil their federal budget sometime in the next few days.

Juli Niemann, analyst at Smith Moore and Company, joins Marketplace Morning Report host Jeremy Hobson to discuss whether Washington's budget stalemate will be broken anytime soon.

Wales captain Ryan Jones is ruled out of the Six Nations title decider against England in Cardiff on Saturday.

The Iranian leader attended Hugo Chávez's funeral in Venezuela. Afterward, a photo surfaced that Iran's conservative clerics say shows him sinning — by touching a woman to whom he's not related.

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UK Prime Minister David Cameron calls on Argentina to respect the wishes of Falkland Islanders after they voted to remain a British overseas territory.

Wales' education minister says the "jury is out" on the qualifications system that Wales shares with England and Northern Ireland.

George Osborne describes his Labour counterpart Ed Balls as an economic "snake-oil salesman".

Twenty-four hours of news photos: 12 March

Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio is to open the 66th Cannes Festival in May.

Two social workers involved in the Baby P case lose their appeal against a tribunal ruling that found they were fairly sacked by Haringey Council.

Chancellor George Osborne announces the next Spending Review will take place on 26 June.

Imagine you’re traveling abroad. The to-do list can be long. Book your flight, pack a toothbrush -- and if you’re a musician like John Thomas, you may soon need a passport for your instrument.

Thomas is a law professor at Quinnipiac University, and the proud owner of a vintage 1943 Gibson guitar.

“It contains some rare and valuable materials, including this Brazilian rosewood,” says Thomas.

The wood is prized for guitars, but listed as threatened under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which is meeting in Bangkok this week.

Thomas says U.S. delegates have proposed passports for instruments made with exotic woods, old ivory or tortoise shell parts because, as it stands now, instruments can be seized if musicians don't have import and export permits for each country they visit.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service upholds the convention on endangered species. Assistant Director for International Affairs Bryan Arroyo believes the current system is too burdensome. For example, touring symphony orchestras traveling with priceless violins and cellos face reams of paperwork.

“It would drive them nuts,” says Arroyo.

Instrument passports are meant to ease the burden.

“You know, we want to make sure that we can facilitate the great musicians of the world to be able to move from country to country without fear of losing their precious instruments,” says Arroyo.

Countries are expected to vote on the passport plan this week.

The committee, controlled by Democrats, is likely to approve expanding background to private transactions and to debate a renewed assault weapons ban.

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The victims of a fatal car crash on the A90 near Laurencekirk are named as leading agricultural scientists.

The body of an Indian man charged over the gang rape and murder of a Delhi student is handed to his family after a post-mortem examination.

Rent arrears among tenants on a pilot project that pays housing benefit directly to recipients have seen a big increase, figures obtained by the BBC show.

E-books have been added to the basket of goods used to calculate the UK's rate of inflation, but champagne loses its fizz.

While "opponents will shout austerity," the Republican lawmaker says his plan would still let federal spending grow. It just wouldn't grow as quickly as now projected, he says, and would come into balance if the economy continues to expand and boosts federal revenue.

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Police failings in the Jimmy Savile case could happen all over again, a chief constable warns, after a report finds police forces mishandled complaints and missed opportunities.

It's international quiz time on the Marketplace Morning Report. Stephan Richter, editor-in-chief of the online international affairs magazine, The Globalist, brings us the question below. 

How many of the world's 3.1 billion workers live on just $1.25 per day -- the global poverty line as defined by the World Bank?

a. 50 percent
b. 25 percent
c. 10 percent
d. 3 percent

Scroll down to see the answer and click on the audio player above to hear more about the working poor around the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer: C, just over 10 percent or 384 million workers live on $1.25 a day.

Also: Sarah Palin is writing a book about Christmas; Rachel Aviv on the literary genius of Julian Jaynes; author Sarah Manguso on memoir.

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