-Reuters The Indian joint venture of Wal-Mart Stores Inc has suspended its chief financial officer and other employees as it investigates alleged violations of US anti-bribery laws, a development that could hamper India's efforts to open its domestic supermarket sector to foreign investment. Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, said last week it has opened internal inquiries or investigations into bribery allegations in Brazil, China and India, which follows an earlier probe in...

-The Hindustan Times An uneasy combination of the BJP, the Left and the estranged UPA ally, the Trinamool Congress, is set to provide fireworks during the winter session of Parliament beginning next week. The issue: The government’s decision to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail sector through an executive decision. At least 15 MPs belonging to the BJP-led NDA, Trinamool and Left parties had till late Wednesday evening served notices under...

-The Business Standard Turning the country's food procurement agency into an international trader will fan inflation and hunger At a time when the Global Hunger Index 2012 ranks India 65th among 79 countries, K V Thomas, minister of state for food and public distribution and consumer affairs, has revealed that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) will soon trade wheat in the futures market. Seeking clearance from the Forward Markets Commission, the...

-Live Mint The ministerial committee will formulate policy on the distribution of iron ore and other minerals  Orissa is forming a ministerial committee to formulate a policy on the distribution of iron ore and other minerals, suggesting supplies might get tightened further after a mining ban in Goa and negligible availability in Karnataka.   A notification on this was issued late on Tuesday. The committee has to “suggest measures of making iron ore, manganese ore,...

-The Economist A new form of radical centrist politics is needed to tackle inequality without hurting economic growth BY THE end of the 19th century, the first age of globalisation and a spate of new inventions had transformed the world economy. But the “Gilded Age” was also a famously unequal one, with America’s robber barons and Europe’s “Downton Abbey” classes amassing huge wealth: the concept of “conspicuous consumption” dates back to 1899....