Source : Reuters / 04 Apr 2014

Global food prices rose to their highest in almost a year in March, led by unfavorable weather for crops and political tensions over Ukraine, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday.

The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) price index, which measures monthly price changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar, averaged 212.8 points in March, up 4.8 points or 2.3 percent from February.

Source : Presstv / 28 Mar 2014

A leading charity says the poor are the hardest hit by the economic crisis in Europe and the consequent austerity measures.

In a report published on Thursday, Caritas Europa said austerity measures taken by governments in Europe have led to an increase in child poverty and put people's health at risk.

Source : Presstv / 2 Nov 2013

Official data shows eurozone’s unemployment rate has risen to a new record high in September as major states struggle to recover from a recession-hit economy by implementing tough austerity measures.

The EU statistical office, Eurostat, said on Thursday that the jobless rate in the eurozone rose to 12.2 percent in September from 12 percent in August, marking a sharp rise compared to last year when the unemployment rate was 11.6 percent.

Source : Reuters / 20 May 2013

Islamabad has authorized the export of 100,000 tons of wheat to Iran in trade not jeopardized by Western sanctions, to settle dues for electricity supplied to Pakistan’s energy-starved border areas, the Commerce Ministry said on Friday.

The shipment of 100,000 tons was to have been delivered to Iran in mid-February but was delayed by preparations for Pakistan’s May 11 election.

By Saifur Rahman / 15 Apr 2013

Unemployment rate among young people in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region is the highest in the world, said a latest World Bank report which warned of a ‘high levels of vulnerability’ if governments do not take urgent steps to create jobs and ensure inclusive growth.

By Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad | Kuala Lumpur | 24 Jan 2012

1. Ever since the Europeans and this includes the Americans, lost to the Eastern countries in the manufactured goods markets, they have switched to the financial market. Through the many products they created in this market they seem to be able to grow and maintain their wealth and prosperity as shown by such indices as the GDP and Per Capita income.

Source: By Nathan Schneider/Religious Dispatch.org/ January 26/2009

         Governments worldwide are struggling to manage the global financial crisis, with no end to the downturn in sight. But at least so far, one sector has been unscathed: the $1 trillion-and-growing business of Sharia-compliant banking.

By : Tarek Fatah : Huffington Post | 17 Oct 2011

The leading promoter of Sharia banking in Canada, UM Financial Inc. has gone into receivership without much fanfare. None of the nation's newspapers have bothered to report the development, despite the fact it could possibly affect hundreds of homeowners. Had it not been for a tweet by an affected Muslim homeowner looking for a lawyer, the story of UM Financial going broke would have escaped even the scant attention the news received on social media.

By : Dan Hind | Al Jazeera / 16 Oct 2011

We spend a lot of time thinking about money, one way or another. We think about how to get our hands on it, how to keep it safe and how to spend it. When we aren't asleep, there's a good chance that we're paying attention to money. But while money is never far from our thoughts, there is something curious about our relationship with it. For all that we use it to get through the day, most of us don't know what it is.

By David Crary | AP | 16 Oct 2011

She’s a 40-year-old mother of eight, with a ninth child due soon. The family homestead in a Burundi village is too small to provide enough food, and three of the children have quit school for lack of money to pay required fees.

“I regret to have made all those children,” says Godelive Ndageramiwe. “If I were to start over, I would only make two or three.”