Wal-Mart failed to get approval for a bank. But the giant discount chain is effectively building one anyway. Read more..

By MICHAEL BARBARO and ERIC DASH - The New York Times

The Chinese legislature plans a review next week of the Finance Ministry’s plans for a bond issue to raise money for a new state-run foreign investment fund, the government said. Read more..

By KEITH BRADSHER - The New York Times

The choice among new S.L.R. cameras from Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus and Sony comes down to price, features and your existing lens collection. Read more..

By DAVID POGUE - The New York Times

Sony is kicking things up a notch with its Vaio CR series of fashion-forward, customizable laptops in five colors. Read more..

By JOHN BIGGS - The New York Times

Deutsche Telekom agreed with the Ver.di union on terms to transfer 50,000 workers to jobs that pay less, paving the way to end five weeks of strikes at the company. Read more..

By BLOOMBERG NEWS - The New York Times

The world economy may be tough on your industry but look on the bright side: you could be French. Read more..

By AUSTAN GOOLSBEE - The New York Times

Taking a page — albeit a tinier one — from the iPhone’s design is a new test version of the Opera Mini browser for cellphones. Read more..

By JOE HUTSKO - The New York Times

A growing cluster of companies in the Northwest are looking to capitalize on educational needs. Read more..

By JAMES FLANIGAN - The New York Times

T.G.I. Friday’s is finding that less food translates into more customers and, perhaps, bigger profits. Read more..

By ANDREW MARTIN - The New York Times