Europe

Damaged olives hang in the grove belonging to Augusto Spagnoli, an oil producer from Nerola, near Rome. Producers and experts declared Italy's 2014 olive harvest the worst in history, due to adverse climatic conditions that helped the olive fly proliferat

World News

Olive Oil Producers In 'Crisis' From Weather, Pests And Disease

6:15pm December 18, 2014

by NPR Staff

Global olive oil production is down. Italian groves have been especially hard hit by a disease that killed 1 million trees. Audie Cornish speaks with Curtis Cord, publisher of the Olive Oil Times.

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Michael J. Garcia, head of FIFA's investigatory chamber of the ethics committee, resigned Wednesday in protest.

FIFA Begins Meeting After American Lawyer's Angry Resignation

11:22am December 18, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

Soccer's governing body will, among other things, discuss preparations for the 2018 World Cup. But it's the resignation of Michael Garcia over his corruption report that is likely to draw attention.

Obama Expected To Impose New Sanctions On Russia

9:15pm December 17, 2014

by Scott Horsley

Aides say Obama will sign a bill authorizing new economic sanctions against Russia in retaliation for its ongoing interference in Ukraine. Russia's economy is reeling from earlier western sanctions.

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German Government May Say 'Nein' To After Work Emails

2:46pm December 17, 2014

by Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

In a country that strives to protect work-life balance, there are calls to ban employers from sending work email after business hours. Some big companies are already doing that.

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Ruble's Troubles Tied To Falling Oil Prices, International Sanctions

2:46pm December 17, 2014

by John Ydstie

The world benchmark for oil fell below $60 on Tuesday. Russia's Central Bank hiked interest rates in a bid to support the plummeting ruble, but had little success.

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Vatican Tries To Mend Fences With American Nuns

2:46pm December 17, 2014

by Sylvia Poggioli

The Vatican issued a report praising the work of U.S. nuns — a relief to those worried that a probe started in 2008 would be critical of a perceived liberal streak among American nuns.

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World News

Russia Could Be On Brink Of Full-Blown Currency Crisis

2:46pm December 17, 2014

by Corey Flintoff

The Russian ruble continued to drop in value against the U.S. dollar and the Euro on Tuesday — but the impact of its calamitous decline has yet to be seen on the streets of Moscow.

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Halal jamón products made with lamb and beef inside the Balkis Gourmet curing room in Cumbres Mayores in Andalusia, Spain.

At Last, Muslims Can Savor A Halal Spin On Spain's Famous Jamón

11:29am December 17, 2014

by Lauren Frayer

Authentic jamón ibérico from free-range pigs fed on acorns is a key Spanish food that observant Muslims can't enjoy. But a Tunisian emigre is now making halal ham from lamb and beef in southern Spain.

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Is Russia's Currency On Its Way To Collapse?

11:29am December 17, 2014

by Corey Flintoff

The Russian ruble hit new lows on Tuesday despite efforts by the country's central bank to stop the selling. The currency lost 11 percent of its value.

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Ruble's Drop Has Implications For Global Economy

11:29am December 17, 2014

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been conspicuously silent since the ruble's plunge. Renee Montagne talks to Russian business journalist Kirill Belyaninov about why the ruble is in freefall.

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