National / International News

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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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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In the Sistine Chapel, cardinals will begin voting. It takes the votes of two-thirds (77 cardinals) to become pope. If no one gets that many on the first ballot, the cardinals will be "busy murmuring in each others' ears over coffee and pasta" as they form alliances, NPR's Sylvia Poggioli says.

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Her decade since the bombs fell in Iraq

The three main parties could soon strike a deal on how to implement Lord Justice Leveson's recommendations on regulating the press, reports suggest.

A new plan to deal with waste from 11 councils in Northern Ireland could see an incinerator built at a quarry near Mallusk in County Antrim.

Ex-Smiths singer Morrissey reschedules another US show as he suffers from double pneumonia following ongoing health problems.

The opening day of the Cheltenham Festival will go ahead despite overnight frost but racing is delayed by 35 minutes.

Today, the Senate Banking Committee considers President Obama's pick to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mary Jo White was a former federal prosecutor, but she was also a private defense attorney who, among other cases, represented JPMorgan Chase against charges stemming from the financial crises. Her defense work raises questions about whether she would have to recuse herself from some SEC prosecutions.

The SEC Commission is made up of five members. If Mary Jo White has to recuse herself that would leave four votes.

“So to the extent that there is a 2-2 tie, that could very much hamper the commission’s ability to prosecute cases,” says former SEC Assistant Regional Director Robert Heim.

Most SEC prosecutions are unanimous votes but Heim says, “there can be controversial cases that could be impacted by Whites’ requirement to recuse herself from voting.”

But St. Johns University law professor Michael Perino says there is a much bigger obstacle to prosecuting individuals for their involvement in the 2008 financial crisis:

“The simple fact is that time is fast running out,” Perino says.

On Februrary 27, the Supreme Court ruled in a 9-0 decision that financial crimes cannot be prosecuted more than five-years after they are committed.

“For anything that happened in 2008 we’re almost out of time no matter how much Mary Jo White wants to pursue these cases,” says Heim.

White will no doubt have to answer questions about her close ties to the financial industry when her confirmation hearing begins today.