Walmart paid millions of dollars as bribe in India: WSJ

Oct 20,

A US government investigation is said to have found evidence of Wal-Mart Stores allegedly paying thousands of small bribes to local officials in India to get customs clearances and obtain real-estate permits.

Wall Street Journal reported that vast majority of payments were below 200 dollars and some were as low as 5 dollars but together totalled millions of dollars.

The Journal reported that three-year federal probe found evidence of widespread bribery in India.

Wall Street Journal said investigators found similar payments in Mexico, but the bulk of such activity seemed to be in India.

Wal-Mart is likely to face charges of violating the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act due to these payments.

The world’s largest retailer entered India in 2007 through a supermarket joint venture with Bharti Enterprises but split up in 2013. Since then, it is mostly focused on wholesale business.

OCTOBER 20, 2015 EDIT

A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE INNOVATIVE SWEDISH SME?

1. Metrum Sweden AB – Offers next generation module based systems and power quality solutions.(www.metrum.se)
2. Mimer Energy – Develops Geothermal Systems for commercial and industrial applications (www.mimerenergy.com)
3. Opcon – Offers low grade waste heat recovery system for power generation (www.opcon.se)
4. PPAM SOLKRAFT – Develops high quality photovoltaic modules that can be used on buildings instead of glass panels (www.ppamsolkraft.se)
5. Regin – Regin offers smart energy solutions for all kinds of applications including energy efficient building automation, advanced SCADA systems, sensors and transmitters. (www.regincontrols.com)
6. S-Solar – Offers Swedish-engineered, high quality photovoltaic modules that can be used on buildings instead of glass panels (http://en.ssolar.com)
7. Torkapparater AB – Designs and sells turnkey systems with rotary dryers, kilns and coolers for thermal processing of solid materials. (www.torkapparater.se)
8. World Thermal Service AB – Manufacturing company, specialized in wood powder combustion solutions. (www.wtsab.se)

OCTOBER 20, 2015 EDIT

Reply Reply to All Forward More

OCTOBER 20, 2015 EDIT

Nksagar -I’m excited to share some news with you.

Nksagar —Greetings from New York! I’m excited to share some news with you. Food Tank and the James Beard Foundation, along with a prestigious advisory group of more than 70 food system experts, developed the second annual Good Food Org Guidefeaturing nearly 1,000 food related nonprofits across the United States. Download the brand new guide HERE and SHARE this news with your social network! This definitive Guide highlights nonprofit organizations that are doing exemplary work in each of the 50 States including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam, in the areas of food and agriculture, nutrition and health, hunger and obesity, and food justice. At least 10 organizations were chosen from each of the 50 states so that wherever people live they can find the organizations nearest to them that are cultivating a better food system. The first annual 2014 Good Food Org Guide was released as the definitive guide to organizations—national and state-by-state—who are making an impact with their work. The 2014 Guide was viewed and downloaded by more than 100,000 individuals. This year’s guide will be released at the James Beard Food Conference on October 19, 2015. Only nonprofit, scholarly, and municipal initiatives have been selected in order to spotlight efforts that are focused on community building and engagement, advocacy, and service. The vision and objective of this annual publication is to focus attention on the hundreds of organizations (listed in alphabetical order, not ranked) who are working in fields, kitchens, classrooms, laboratories, businesses, town halls, and Congress to create a better food system. The list was determined by distinguished experts, including past recipients of the James Beard Leadership Award and food and agriculture leaders. This year’s guide has tripled in size and includes new features such as categories and an online interactive mapping and search tool. This brand new website allows users to search by keyword, location, and category in order to explore the organizations they are most interested in. Every organization has its own unique profile page including contact information, description, logo, social media links, directions, and photos. “This year’s Guide highlights the exemplary work being done by hundreds of organizations in the U.S. and it is more user-friendly, allowing anyone to search for organizations in a simple, practical way. We hope this Guide will become the go-to place for finding the good food organizations nearest you,” says Susan Ungaro, President of the James Beard Foundation. These groups include organizations who combat childhood obesity, malnourishment, and physical inactivity; prevent food waste; educate consumers on healthy, nutritious food choices; create networks of social entrepreneurs; protect food and restaurant workers; highlight solutions for restoring the health of people and the planet; work with indigenous communities to preserve traditions, culture, and biodiversity; inspire and educate individuals to cook more of their own food; and protect public health, human health, and the environment. “We were thrilled to collaborate with the James Beard Foundation in creating this helpful and practical tool that will shed light on all the great organizations working to improve the food system,” says Danielle Nierenberg, President of Food Tank. Download the 2015 Good Food Org Guide HERE!  SHARE this guide with your friends and colleagues and don’t forget to check out our brand new website HERE! Do you know about an organization that didn’t make it into this year’s guide? SUBMIT your suggestions for the 2016 Good Food Org Guide HERE. All the best, Danielle Nierenberg President, Food Tank foodtank.com Connect with Food Tank Food Tank and the James Beard Foundation Present the Second Annual Good Food Org Guide The James Beard Foundation and Food Tank developed the second annual Good Food Org Guide featuring nearly 1,000 food related nonprofits across the United States. Become a Food Tank Member Today! Click HERE REGISTER NOW! Food Waste: Managing a Solvable Problem at the Food, Water, and Energy Nexus The next installment of Food Tank’s Exclusive Webinar Series will feature Dana Gunders, staff scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Sarah Vared, associate at MissionPoint Partners at 12pm ET on Wednesday, October 28th. Connect with us on Facebook! To End Poverty, We Must Empower Rural Women One Acre Fund’s program helps rural women increase their incomes and farm their way out of hunger and poverty. Connect with us on Twitter! Exclusive Food Tank Event on The Real Cost of Cheap Food Food Tank will host an exclusive event in concurrence with the release of a new report on True Cost Accounting. Connect with us on Instagram! Snout-to-Tail and Farm-to-Table: An Interview with Chef-Owner Duskie Estes At zazu kitchen + farm in Sebastopol, California, Chef-Owner Duskie Estes features produce and livestock from her own farm. Please connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest

OCTOBER 20, 2015 EDIT

Liberal JustinTrudeau clinches Canadian election

OCTOBER 20, 2015 | EDIT

Sky NewsVerified account ‏@SkyNews 

Liberal @JustinTrudeau clinches Canadian election, ending 10-year Conservative government http://trib.al/j1nMMiQ 

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5,000 migrants reach Slovenia from Croatia

OCTOBER 20, 2015 | EDIT

Naresh Kumar Sagar

3 mins ·

Some 5,000 migrants reached Slovenia on Monday from Croatia, with another 1,200 on their way by train, Reuters quoted a Slovenian Interior Ministry official as saying. He also accused Croatia of ignoring efforts to contain the flow, Reuters reported. The ministry’s state secretary Bostjan Sefic said Germany was accepting fewer arrivals and Austria was asking Slovenia to stem the flow. “Croatia is ignoring our pleas, our plans,” the official said.