What drives US entrepreneurship

How does running a business differ around the world? In a new series, the BBC News Website is speaking to successful entrepreneurs from around the globe about the secrets of their success, and the challenges they have faced. In the first instalment, three US business people explore what drives American entrepreneurship.

Tom Ryan is just your typical, easy-going American entrepreneur - he wants to take over the world.

Mr Ryan is founder of restaurant chain Smashburger, one of the fastest-growing companies in the US.

From just one outlet in Denver in 2007, it now has more than 150 branches nationwide, and will later this year open its first foreign sites in Kuwait, Canada and Costa Rica.

Europe black friday sale and Asia are then due to follow.

Aiming to reach 500 black friday discount US branches within the next few years, Smashburger's current global ambition is for ultimately 2,000 international outlets.

Mr Ryan, a restaurant industry veteran, says: "Everyone said the burger industry in the US was too crowded for a new entry, but I was sure there was a place for a new chain offering much higher quality than the established players."

Backed by a private equity firm, Smashburger was immediately popular with American consumers, and its expansion quickly started.

Mr Ryan adds: "Obviously I'm delighted with how things have gone. I knew we had a strong concept, and therefore a fighting chance."

Search engine

Smashburger is far from unique in the US.

Continue reading the main story “Start Quote

The welfare states across Europe have not helped boost entrepreneurship, because governments have told people 'don't worry, we'll look after you' instead of 'you have a unique contribution to make'”

End Quote Julie Meyer Ariadne Capital Starting a business: Ask a question

The likes of Google, Twitter and Facebook may not make hamburgers, but all three were also just start-up businesses not too many years ago. Facebook was only established in 2004, and Twitter was not set up until 2006.

Facebook was first started in a university dormitory, and Google's early days were based in a garage.

But as the US continues to produce a wealth of start-up companies that quickly grow to dominate their marketplaces, what are the reasons behind America's continuing entrepreneurial success - and can they be copied?

And are successful entrepreneurs born or bred?

Californian Eric Ries may be just 33, but he's a Silicon Valley veteran.

With a number of technology sector start-ups behind him, "some successful ones, and some failures", he is now an in-demand start-up adviser, and author of The Lean Start-Up.

Mr Ries says that when it comes to supporting entrepreneurship, the US has some key advantages over Europe and other parts of the world.

"There are definitely cultural factors in the US's favour, perhaps most importantly a willingness to tolerate failure," he says.

"In Europe if you fail in business you are going to find it very difficult to borrow money the next time around, but in the US it is almost seen as a useful experience to have gone through."

Mr Ries adds that this all makes American entrepreneurs more willing to take risks.

Smashburger has 150 outlets across the US

"On top of this, some European countries have very high personal liability levels for entrepreneurs, which is a terrible mistake," he says.

"Regulations are also lower in the US for smaller firms. Add all these together, and you can see the advantage the US has.

"But it is not all one-sized, there are still some great firms in Europe."

'Smaller governments'

Julie Meyer is a US entrepreneur who lives and works in London, where she is chief executive of investment fund Ariadne Capital.

This invests £55m per year in early stage technology businesses.

Ms Meyer agrees that more Americans are willing to take a chance on starting up their own company, which she says is a "cultural thing".

"But I don't want to stress the US market too much. I believe we have excellent entrepreneurs in the UK, it is just the available financing and tax policies that lag behind.

"The UK government needs to cut taxes for small firms to help spur growth and act as an incentive.

Eric Ries says entrepreneurship is a teachable quality

"Overall this would mean more successful small firms and therefore more tax revenues."

Looking across Europe in general, Ms Meyer says generations of left-leaning governments have held back entrepreneurship.

"The welfare states across Europe have not helped boost entrepreneurship, because governments have told people 'don't worry, we'll look after you' instead of 'you have a unique contribution to make'," she says.

"Instead governments need to be much smaller, with more focus on individuals. And we are now heading in that direction, because European governments suddenly realise they cannot afford to be so large."

'Right stuff'

But if European nations want to copy more of American-style entrepreneurship, how easily can this be achieved? Or is it simply that more entrepreneurs are born in the US?

Mr Ries says: "I'm definitely not one of those people who say that entrepreneurs are born with the 'right stuff'.

"It is teachable, but countries have to change their cultures and rules to help support successful start-ups. That's the US's cultural advantage."

Julie Meyer also says she doesn't believe entrepreneurs are born.

"You aren't born, rather I think entrepreneurs are nurtured," she says.

Julie Meyer says the UK has excellent entrepreneurs, but finance is an issue

"My father was an entrepreneur, so I realised it was not the easiest choice to make. But I knew it was what I wanted to do, and I had that experience to draw upon."

Smashburger's Tom Ryan says that while entrepreneurs may have "a little bit of creativity that is not inherent in others", the first two key factors to success in business are your product and your business model.

He adds: "The third is work with great people, you need these to make everything come together. Entrepreneurs can't work on their own."

Kicking Off the Holidays with the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation

Timberland volunteers with Mark and Jim Wahlberg

A group of Timberland volunteers gave up a Sunday morning during this busy holiday season to share some joy with kids from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Boston.  Each year, the directors of the various clubs identify the kids with the highest needs, and they receive an invitation to attend a very special holiday party hosted by the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation (MWYF).  Timberland has been a part of this event for the past three years, providing our iconic yellow boots to the children that attend.

Timberland boots are just one of many gifts given at the party.  This year, the kids let out a raucous scream of excitement when they learned that they would all be going home with a brand new Play Station Vita.

As Jimmy Wahlberg, director of the MWYF told the Timberland Mens Chukka Timberland volunteers, the party is held in the spirit of the Wahlberg family’s Christmas and the notion of ‘paying it forward.’  While theirs was a family of limited means, Jimmy says that his parents always made sure that their nine kids had presents under the tree on Christmas morning.

A special treat for the kids and volunteers alike this year was that Mark Wahlberg himself attended the party.  While carrying one of his own children, he reminded the young group of party-goers, “when all you guys grow up and become successful, make sure you give back to the kids that need it, ok?  Don’t forget about the kids in the community.”

The video below showcases some timberland damesshoenen of the highlights from the day.  Our thanks to Anchor Line Web & Screen Works for capturing the experience in video and photos, and to the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation for giving us the opportunity to be a part of this memorable holiday tradition.

Turning Trash into Sustainable Treasure

There are plenty of media reports today about the lack of progress in Haiti … and it’s true that 6 months after the country was rocked by a devastating earthquake, there are still too many people suffering and too many critical needs that continue to be unmet.  But there are also many organizations working hard to help Haitians get back on solid ground and, importantly, prepare for the future.

Earthship Biotecture designs and builds self-sufficient houses that:

are constructed using natural and recycled materials (such as cans, bottles and tires), heat and cool themselves naturally via solar and thermal dynamics, collect their own power from the sun and wind, harvest their own water from rain

“Earthships” have been built all over the world – and just a few weeks ago, a small team from Earthship Biotecture traveled to Haiti to start a project there.  What started as a reconnaissance mission turned into full-fledged construction, with the following Earthship built in just four days:

The entire building was constructed from garbage found within a mile of the build site; 40 Haitians from the nearby tent city helped to build the earthquake and hurricane-resistant structure, and learned the skills they’ll need to replicate the construction on their own.

The Earthship Biotecture team will return in October to integrate Earthship systems into the structure (water harvesting, solar / wind power, heating and cooling, etc.).

To learn more about the good work Earthship Biotecture is doing, both in Haiti and in other parts for the world, please visit their website.

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So long as you are here.

In your house you remained
Like one dull deaf and dumb
And stay free from the influence
Of the worldly atmosphere.

Be careful you may fall down
At any moment here
O my dear, just remain silent
Despite all mistreatment.

Come UGG SHORT out from your house, O my dear
When your Master calls you in your house
He is there in the heart to rescue.

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US Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter dies at 88

Scott Carpenter, one of the original members of the lulu lemon outlet canada Mercury 7 - Nasa's first group of astronauts - has died aged 88, his family has announced.

In 1962 Mr Carpenter became the second American to orbit the earth, piloting the Aurora 7 spacecraft through three revolutions of the earth.

After retiring in 1969 he took up oceanographic activities.

John Glenn, who flew the first orbital mission, is the last surviving member of the Mercury team.

Scott Carpenter's wife, Patty Barrett, said her husband had suffered complications following a stroke in September and died in a Denver hospice.

He lived in Vail, Colorado.

Mr Carpenter, who was born in Boulder, Colorado, was commissioned in the US Navy in 1949 and served as a pilot during the Korean War.

Overshot landing

In April 1959 he was selected as one of the original seven Mercury astronauts and underwent training with Nasa, specialising in communication and navigation.

He was the backup pilot for John Glenn during preparation for the first US manned orbital space flight in February 1962, and gave the historic send-off to his teammate: "Godspeed, John Glenn.''

During his own flight, Scott Carpenter's capsule landed 288 miles away from where it was meant to, leaving Nasa and the nation waiting anxiously to see if he had survived.

The Navy recovered him from the Caribbean, floating in his life-raft with his feet propped up.

In a joint lecture with John Glenn 49 years later at the Smithsonian Institution, Mr Carpenter recalled his feelings from that time.

"You're looking out at a totally black sky, seeing an altimeter reading of 90,000ft and realise you are going straight up. And the thought crossed my mind: What am I doing?''

Scott Carpenter did not go back into space but later joined the US Navy's SeaLab II programme and in 1965 spent 30 days under the ocean off the coast of California.

After retirement COACH TOTE sale he founded his company Sea Sciences, working closely with diver and researcher Jacques Cousteau.

The Princess Bride to be adapted for the stage by Disney

Cult hit film The Princess Bride is to be adapted for the stage by Disney Theatrical Productions, according to Variety.

A decision has not yet been reached on whether the comic fantasy-romance will be a play or a musical.

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The film, directed by Rob Reiner, was based on William Goldman's book and the cast included Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin and Billy Crystal.

Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn was behind the deal, Variety said.

Disney has already successfully adapted The Lion King for the stage and it celebrated its 5,000th stage performance in London's West End in 2011.

The Princess Bride is one of several films being developed for the stage with Disney, including Shakespeare in Love, Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo and Freaky Friday, Variety added.

It said that Disney's stage version of Aladdin recently began a preview run in Toronto, Canada prior to travelling to Broadway in LULULEMON JACKET the spring.

Obama agonising on America's global role, continued

President Barack Obama's speech to the United Nations was in some ways a distillation of his policy swerves of the last month, a continuation of his public agonising about America's role in the world.

And that is not necessarily a bad thing.

It won't be what is most talked about, for there were enough headlines:

His demand for a "strong" UN resolution with "consequences" if Syria fails to act on chemical weapons His urging that Iran and Russia should abandon Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Putting the Middle East peace process on equal footing with Iran's nuclear programme in the list of US diplomatic concerns His warm words of hope towards Iran, and the possibility of a negotiated solution to the crises that have loomed over the world

There is a lot of red meat to be chewed over in that little lot.

Multiple-choice speech

But he also asked the question that frequently lies behind the use of American, and Western, military might, but goes beyond the question of national interest.

On the one hand there was the choice of "standing callously by" as children are gassed. On the other, "embroiling ourselves in someone else's civil war".

“Start Quote

Treating people like grown-ups is not always good politics”

End Quote

He asked if the world would allow another Srebrenica or Rwanda, or stand by and allow the "cold logic of mass graves".

He asked if Libya would be better off with Gaddafi still in charge, mired in dreadful civil black friday for sale war.

Rhetorical flourishes, you might think.

He argued that there was no such thing as an American Empire, but that the country was exceptional, acting not just in its own interests, but those of others.

He said the danger for the world was not a US too eager to engage, but one that might disengage and leave a vacuum of leadership.

But he provided no fast rule, no easy measure for the hard decision of when to use its muscle. And he has not really answered his own question on Syria.

It is easy to mock his multiple-choice speech. Treating people like grown-ups is not always good politics.

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But he is urging Americans, and the rest of the world to answer the question, when to intervene and when to leave well alone, and to think what that choice implies.

It is an odd, conflicted style of leadership: a philosopher king in a world that doesn't like, but at least understands, the cowboy who shoots from the hip.

"We live in a world of imperfect choices," Mr Obama said.

That line seems more like a conclusion than a passing phrase on the way to greater certainty.

Fish and chip suppers gift after Peterborough soup kitchen theft

Homeless people in Cambridgeshire were treated to a fish and chip supper on Friday after a restaurant came forward to help a twice-burgled charity.

Keys, money, food and three new hobs were taken from the Peterborough Soup Kitchen in Rock Road on 29 October.

The Boundary in Market Deeping, Lincolnshire, provided 40 portions of fish and chips.

Co-owner Bill Shaw said: "We just wanted to help." Soup kitchen users were said to be "hungry and surprised".

'Spring in my step'

Since thieves struck twice in one night the charity's chairman, Ian Davies, said he had been "overwhelmed by the immense public support".

The charity feeds about 400 people in Peterborough each week

The soup kitchen is run by volunteers and feeds up to 400 people each week.

After thieves left the charity with just one hob to heat food, members of the Bharat Hindu Samaj temple next door were the first to step in and help, cooking their own food in the temple kitchen and donating it to the city's homeless.

A new hob and drinking water heater were also donated, meaning the kitchen can now make hot drinks without the need for multiple kettles, and an anonymous donor gave the charity £1,000.

A company also offered to foot the bill for replacing all the locks.

"The support from the local community, and people and businesses from further afield has been immense," Mr Davies said.

"It's put a spring black friday sale back in my step after what was quite a stumble."

For Peterborough's homeless people, a surprise fish and chip supper was "the icing on the cake" on a cold and wet Friday night, vice-chair Kevin click for more surprise Dawson said.

"They could not believe their eyes when the Boundary van turned up and the smell of fish and chips wafted across."

Heatwave How are you coping with the summer temperatures

As north-west England becomes the latest area of the UK to be put on Beats By Dre Black Friday a level 3 heatwave alert by the Met Office, the hot spell is predicted to continue into next week.

With the UK experiencing its most prolonged spell of hot weather in seven summers, officials are advising people to stay cool, drink lots of cold fluids and keep an eye on the elderly and young children.

So how are people coping with the long, hot summer of 2013?

Hannah Ashton, teacher, Southend School for Girls, Southend-on-Sea Teacher Hannah Ashton says teaching in the heat is a challenge

It is definitely a challenge trying to teach when the weather is this hot, especially so close to the end of term. It's hard keeping pupils' attention on the lesson when they can see the sun outside - all they want to do is sunbathe!

As a school we try to help students keep cool as best we can. Rooms with computers in have air-conditioning which really helps learning by keeping the room at a comfortable temperature.

We also adjust the uniform policy. Pupils don't have to wear their blazers in this heat. They are also reminded about drinking lots of water, and wearing suncream, which was especially important yesterday when we were all outside for sports day.

Yolanda Luca, retail manager, Luca's Ice Cream, Edinburgh Ice cream is the ideal treat on a sunny day

We just can't remember weather like this at all. Everywhere I look there's a customer demanding ice cream. I go to bed dreaming of ice cream and get up thinking about it.

We're busy from the morning till night, but from 2pm to 10pm there is a queue.

It's such a novelty. When the sun shines, everybody rushes to ice cream parlours. We are now practically operating 24 hours to make the ice cream and there are an extra six members of staff in the factory. It's just been non-stop.

Sally Colwill, manager, Chatsworth Care Home, Plymouth

It makes them [the residents] very lethargic. They're not very energised to do anything. They can't sit outside because they get breathless and too hot, but at the same time they don't want the doors and windows open because they believe there'll be a cold wind out there.

We've got parasols out on the patio and we've got trees that shade them but it still affects their breathing and things like that and they can get quite panicky. So it is better that they're staying indoors at the moment.

You have to take lots of things into account. Even just for getting somebody dressed in the morning, because they are used to all their layers… trying to explain to someone with dementia that they don't need to wear as much as they usually do is quite difficult.

Leila and Ola, BBC school reporters, Southend High School for Girls, Southend-on-Sea Leila and Ola enjoy being out of their stuffy classroom

Although we love summer and the hot weather we are having at the moment, working and trying to concentrate in school is quite hard. Most students don't concentrate as well in class when it is hot because all we are thinking about is how stuffy it is and how we long to be outside in the sunshine.

Most lessons carry on as normal. However, teachers of creative subjects such as art are keener to let us spend lessons outside because we can take inspiration for our drawings from nature.

Matt Bolton, student nurse, London

I was looking after some people in hospital last week. The patients were confused and needed a lot of attention. When looking after elderly click for more surprise people, when it's hot, a lot of them need encouragement to drink.

If care is individualised, you get to know what they're like and you know how to talk to them, how to approach them, how to encourage them to drink more. It's increasingly difficult in hospitals, with lack of staff, targets and so on. Focus has shifted from individualised patient care to ticking boxes and meeting targets.

No 'official' heatwave warnings in Scotland

Heatwave warnings will not be issued for Scotland by the Met Office even if temperatures continue to soar as there is no official warning system in place.

In parts of England the warning has been raised to "level three" but Scotland is not covered by the same procedures.

However, walkers and climbers have been urged to consider the dangers of heatstroke and wildfires.

Scotland's biggest health board has encouraged people to "be sensible".

Many parts of the country are experiencing some of the best summer weather seen in recent years.

On Friday temperatures reached 29.3C in Prestwick in Ayrshire and 27C in Glasgow and Aviemore in the Highlands.

In England, the Met Office operates a heat health warning system and issues alerts in association with the Department of Health.

There are four levels of response based upon threshold maximum daytime and minimum night-time temperatures. These thresholds vary by region, but an average threshold temperature is 30C by day and 15C overnight.

Even if the temperatures in Scotland soar to those similar in England over the weekend - heatwave warnings will not be issued by the Met Office.

'Take precautions'

Fraser Ralston from the Met Office in Scotland said: "The heatwave alert out for England is based on an average temperature of 30C for two successive days with a very warm night in between.

Continue reading the main story “Start Quote

We would advise people to ensure they drink plenty of water and stay well hydrated during this hot spell”

End Quote Prof George Crooks NHS 24

"We don't actually have that service. It is just the English part of the NHS that takes it. Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have opted out of that.

"These sort of temperatures, around 30C, are fairly rare black friday deals for Scotland. It is more common across England and if we do get it, it tends to just be for a day or two, whereas across England it might last for a week or so and there can be a big rise in hospital admissions for the elderly etc."

A Scottish government spokesman said: "NHS England pay for this commercial service given the higher temperatures down south.

"Year round, quality assured, health and care advice is provided by NHS Inform for the people of Scotland - this includes information on summer and heat related health issues."

NHS 24 medical director, Prof George Crooks, added: "We haven't seen any significant increase in call volumes this week due to the warmer weather, but would advise people to ensure they drink plenty of water and stay well hydrated during this hot spell.

"Make sure you use sun cream of at least SP factor 15 or above if you or your family are going to be outside and during the hottest parts of the day try to stay in the shade, especially if you have young children or care for elderly relatives."

Walkers and climbers have been warned about heatstroke and wildfires

In the Glasgow area, health chiefs called on people to "take precautions" while enjoying the warm weather, and warned of the risks of sunburn, dehydration and hay fever.

Alastair Ireland, clinical director of emergency care and medical services at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, said: "This weekend is expected to one of the warmest we have had for a number of years.

"We want everyone to enjoy their time in the sun but people need to be sensible and take precautions which will ensure they stay healthy while enjoying the weather."

"People should try to avoid being in direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day between 12:00 and 15:00. Replenishing fluids is really important as everyone runs the risk of becoming relatively dehydrated in this heat and everyone should be particularly careful to take Black Friday vans shoes extra liquids - cold tap water is ideal - at regular intervals."

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCoS) has already urged climbers and walkers to be careful on the hills during the warm weather this weekend.

Brough to Elvington journey for Buccaneer XV168 aircraft

A Cold War aircraft has been driven across Yorkshire to its new home.

BAE Systems donated the Buccaneer XV168 to the Yorkshire Air Museum because it no longer has space for it in Brough, where it was built in the 1960s.

It had been at the East Yorkshire site since 1993, when it was retired from service.

The aircraft joins two other Buccaneers at the museum in Elvington, near York, which said it would be holding a re-dedication ceremony for the XV168.

'Last true Blackburn'

The aircraft was transported on a lorry along the M62 to West Yorkshire before heading north up the A1.

But it suffered a minor setback at the start of its journey through a residential area in Brough when a parked car blocked its path. It was eventually towed away.

Residents had been asked not to park their cars on certain roads on Sunday morning to allow the aircraft to get past.

BAE Systems recently sold its Brough site but said it would be maintaining a presence there.

Aircraft manufacturing began in the village in 1916 when aviation pioneer Robert Blackburn opened a factory for his Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company.

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Air Museum said: "The Buccaneer was the last true Blackburn aircraft to be designed and constructed at the historic site... before the company merged with Hawker Siddley and then British Aerospace/BAE Systems.

"It became the company's most successful and longest serving type, with 35 Hollister Black Friday years of service to its credit."

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Mixed feelings in defence after Syria vote

There are mixed feelings in defence this morning.

Many in Whitehall worry that the vote in Parliament leaves the prime minister and the British government unable to act quickly to deploy UK forces should they need to in the future, and that this has set a precedent making it far harder to use the armed forces without giving Parliament a decisive say.

Others claim it could potentially prove a fatal blow to the "special relationship" with America.

For some in defence, there is a real fear that the vote makes the UK look like a less reliable military and political ally, while, in contrast, France is again in step with the US on military action.

'Strain'

Some at Nato found the vote deeply "depressing", saying the UK emerges a lesser nation today in terms of its role as a global player.

However, inside the Ministry of Defence, many believe the US and UK's security interests are too deep and too intertwined for this vote to prove any kind of fatal blow, though insiders admit there will be many phone calls taking place by British officials and senior officers to their US counterparts today.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has made clear his belief that the vote against action in Syria would "place some strain" on the special relationship with the US, though others have termed it a "disappointment", but nothing stronger.

They point out that both France and Germany avoided taking part in the Iraq War, yet their relationships with the US remain strong.

Analysts say that the UK and US have taken separate paths in the past, not least over Vietnam.

The Cold War may long since be over, but both nations retain an ongoing and deep intelligence relationship, which is unlikely to be affected by Thursday night's events in Parliament.

'No bad thing'

And many British former senior officers are relieved that Parliament has - certainly for now - prevented any deeper UK involvement in Syria, following fears that the "end game" and the longer-term consequences of a punitive strike had not been thought out well enough in strategic terms.

Earlier "war-gaming" scenarios of western military action in Syria did not end well.

Others say that if the government continues to cut its black friday sale funding for the armed forces, it must also reduce its appetite for action, making this parliamentary brake "no bad thing".

What many will be looking at today inside the MoD is what this means in policy terms for the present and the future.

For example, if the UK wants to deploy special forces in the Middle East, how can that be squared with the parliamentary vote?

And what will happen if the UK wants to deploy forces abroad while keeping an element of surprise?

In Syria, President Assad has now had ample warning and plenty of time to move his commanders and forces - already changing the potential impact of any US strike.

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Khodorkovsky's mother 'Contempt' for Kremlin

Moscow's Leningradsky Vokzal is the best known railway station in Russia.

It is the terminus where the heroine of Leo Tolstoy's 19th Century novel Anna Karenina watches a man being cut in two by a train - a warning of the tragedy to come.

Today the station is still a busy place, with long-distance trains setting off for St Petersburg and the Arctic.

This month, on a Tuesday night, well after midnight, an elderly woman made her way through the crowds and bustle to board the "Arktika" express to Murmansk. It was the start of a long journey in a two-bed sleeper compartment.

Marina Khodorkovskaya was not heading for Murmansk. She was planning to alight a few stops earlier at Segezha - a scruffy town close to the Arctic Circle, known for its pulp and paper factory and for the gulag of the Stalin era.

These days there is still a prison in Segezha - Penal Colony No 7.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky urged Russians to "tell the truth and speak out"

That is where Mrs Khodorkovskaya was heading to visit her son Mikhail Beats By Dre Black Friday Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, and now seen by many as its longest serving political prisoner.

'Frozen lips'

She makes the journey every three months, and this month she agreed that we could travel with her.

She told me she had lost count of the number of times over the last 10 years that she had made the journey either to Segezha or to Eastern Siberia where her son use to be held.

"I used to collect tickets," she recalled. "But then I threw them all away."

Continue reading the main story “Start Quote

Khodorkovsky got what he deserved according to the Russian criminal code”

End Quote Vyacheslav Nikonov Duma deputy

When she described the visiting room, it sounded more suited to violent criminals than those convicted of economic crimes.

"It is a long room divided into two with prisoners on one side and relatives on the other," she explained. "Then there are partitions - each with a little desk and a phone set on either of the thick glass. If somebody talks loudly next to you, you can hardly hear anything."

The journey to Segezha takes 20 hours in each direction. The three-monthly visits last four hours.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky is also allowed a 15-minute weekly phone call from a booth outside.

"It's very cold there in winter," Mrs Khodorkovskaya said. "Once we thought he was ill, because he was speaking very strangely. But it turned out that his lips were frozen, and he couldn't speak with his normal voice."

'Questionable business'

Khodorkovsky was a billionaire who made his money in the 1990s by building Russia's biggest oil company Yukos.

When Vladimir Putin became president he told the oligarchs to stay out of politics, but in 2003 Khodorkovsky started challenging that, pushing back against the increasing authoritarianism and - according to some ministers of the time - buying influence in the Duma.

Eventually he was arrested and put on trial for tax evasion and fraud.

The prison's watchtowers are strangely reminiscent of a World War II movie

There is little doubt that some of his business practices in the 1990s had been questionable.

The pro-Putin Duma deputy Vyacheslav Nikonov told me: "I don't consider Khodorkovsky to be a political prisoner. He got what he deserved according to the Russian criminal code. There is no-one saying that he paid his due share of taxes."

But no other oligarch was put on trial, and when Khodorkovsky's eight year sentence was drawing to a close he was put on trial again and given a further six years in prison.

The US and EU called it "selective justice." The Russian opposition insists he is a "political prisoner", and it is hard to argue with that.

Contempt

As the seemingly endless birch forests and lakes of northern Russia trundled past the window of the "Arktika" express, I asked Mrs Khodorkovskaya if she still got angry.

"You know, it's not anger", she replied.

"It's contempt - contempt towards people who are ready to destroy the lives of people, and their wives and children, just for money. Lives destroyed, and why? Only because of money."

We were not able to go in with Mrs Khodorkovsky to visit her son.

The colony's governor told me to my face that if the BBC team came within 50m of the prison we would be arrested.

But what we saw from the road is a dilapidated compound surrounded by rusting barbed-wire fences and guard dogs.

Giant spotlights can be seen on top of some of the buildings, and all around the perimeter stand wooden watchtowers strangely reminiscent of a World War II movie. It is not a high-tech prison, but it is strangely intimidating.

'Not afraid'

Khodorkovsky's incarceration has become relevant this year, partly because it is his 10th year in prison, but also because there has been an acceleration recently of what seem to be "political trials."

Amnesty International has declared two imprisoned women from the punk protest group Pussy Riot to be "prisoners of conscience".

A group of street protesters who demonstrated on the day before President Putin's inauguration have been in jail for almost a year, and are still awaiting trial.

The most charismatic leader to emerge from the new opposition, Alexei Navalny, is on trial for embezzlement - in what he claims is a political prosecution. The maximum prison sentence he faces is 10 years.

Ahead of her visit Marina Khodorkovskaya agreed to ask her son a question on our behalf. What were his thoughts about those standing trial today?

Through his mother, Khodorkovsky sent his reply.

"Because our courts are unfair, it is hard to stay strong. But people need to be honest, tell the truth and speak out. They should not be afraid."

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Q&A Mers - the new coronavirus

A new respiratory illness similar to the Sars virus that spread globally in 2003 and killed hundreds of people has been identified.

It has been named the Mers (Middle East respiratory-syndrome) coronavirus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says MERS appears "increasingly" likely that novel coronavirus can be passed between people in close contact.

What is this new virus and should we be concerned?

What is this new virus?

The new virus is a type of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, which includes the common cold and Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome). The new virus is not Sars.

As of July 5th, there have been 77 confirmed cases of the infection around the world and 41 deaths. The first fatality was recorded in June 2012 in Saudi Arabia.

Most have come from an unidentified animal source - but there have been cases where the virus has spread between two people.

Cases have been confirmed in Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia and the UK.

What does it do?

Coronaviruses cause respiratory infections in humans and animals. Patients have presented with fever, cough and breathing difficulties.

It causes pneumonia and, sometimes, kidney failure. Most of the people who have been infected so far have been older men, often with other medical conditions. Experts say they are not sure why we are seeing this pattern and if it will change over time.

It is also unclear how often people might develop mild disease.

How is it spread?

It is not known for certain. It is possible the virus is spread in droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

The fact that close contacts appear to have been infected suggests that the virus does have limited ability to pass from person to person.

How dangerous is it?

Experts believe the virus is not very contagious. If it were, we would have seen more cases.

Coronaviruses are fairly fragile. Outside of the body they can only survive for a day and are easily destroyed by usual detergents and cleaning agents.

Public health experts in the UK have stressed that the risk to general population remains very low.

The greatest global concern, however, is about the potential for this new virus to spread far and wide. So far, person-to-person transmission has remained limited to some small clusters. There is no evidence yet that the virus has the capacity to become pandemic.

Can it be treated?

Doctors do not yet know what the best treatment is, but people with severe symptoms will need intensive medical care to help them breath. There is no vaccine to prevent.

What can I do to protect myself?

It's not known exactly how people catch this virus. However, some general measures may help prevent its spread - avoid close contact, when possible, with anyone who shows symptoms of illness (coughing and sneezing) and maintain good hand hygiene.

Where did it come from?

Experts do not yet know where the virus originated from. It may have been the result of a new mutation of an existing virus. Or it may be an infection that has been circulating in animals and has now made the jump to humans.

Is there any travel advice?

At the moment the WHO says there is no reason to impose any travel restrictions. Travel advice will be kept under review if additional cases occur or when the patterns of transmission become clearer.

What about related viruses?

Coronaviruses are common viruses that most people get some time in their life. Their name comes from the crown-like spikes that cover their surface.

Human coronaviruses were first identified in the mid 1960s.

Other variants infect many different animals, producing symptoms similar to those in humans.

Most coronaviruses usually infect only one animal species or, at most, a small number of closely related species.

Sars was different: being able to infect people and animals, including monkeys, cats, dogs, and rodents.

Novel coronavirus doesn't seem to get passed from person to person easily, while the SARS virus did.

What impact did Sars have?

Sars is thought to have infected more than 8,000 people, mainly in China and South East Asia, in an outbreak that started in early 2003. The illness spread to more than two dozen countries in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia http://www.beatsbydrefriday.com/ before the global outbreak was contained.

Experts established that Sars could spread by close person-to-person contact.

According to the WHO, 774 people died from the infection. Since 2004, there have not been any known cases of Sars reported anywhere in the world.

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Russian arms 'to deter foreign intervention in Syria'

Russia says it will go ahead with deliveries of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Syria, and that the arms will help deter foreign intervention.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the missiles were a "stabilising factor" that could dissuade "some hotheads" from entering the conflict.

Russia also criticised an EU decision not to renew an arms embargo on Syria.

The decision came as the BBC heard evidence that 200 people were killed in a massacre in western Syria this month.

More than 80,000 people have been killed and 1.5 million have fled Syria since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad began in 2011, according to UN estimates.

Continue reading the main story Analysis Jim Muir BBC News

While lifting the EU arms embargo is theoretically good news for the fractious Syrian opposition, it is clearly going to be some time before it has any effect on the battlefield balance. Its authors hope the decision will send a strong enough signal to the Assad regime that it is time to hand over power. That is extremely unlikely. It is hard facts on the ground that count for a regime that has shown determination to fight to the end to stay in power.

While European arms supplies remain for the moment theoretical, the step has stirred an angry reaction - possibly even an escalation - from the Russians. They've said the move jeopardises efforts to convene a peace conference, and that they plan to honour a prior contract to supply Syria with advanced S-300 air defence missiles. Israel sees that as a threat to its own security, and has warned that it "would know what to do".

The stakes are clearly getting higher. But for the rebels, at least the eventual possibility of carefully-controlled arms deliveries is there, in what looks like being a bloody, long-haul struggle.

'No deadline'

On Monday, the EU said member states would be able to decide their own policy on sending arms to Syria, after foreign ministers were unable to reach the unanimous decision required to extend the current arms embargo past Saturday.

However, in a declaration announced after 12 hours of talks, it agreed not to "proceed at this stage with the delivery" of equipment.

The EU's Foreign Affairs Council is to review this position before 1 August, in light of fresh developments to end the conflict including the ongoing US-Russia peace initiative.

Speaking to the BBC, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the 1 August date did not represent a deadline, and that the UK could start arming Syrian rebels from now, although it had no active plans to do so.

A US state department spokesman said the US supported the EU's move.

The Syrian foreign ministry said the decision showed the EU's "obstruction of international efforts to contribute to the achievement of a political settlement".

Continue reading the main story Syria's Russian-made military Nearly 5,000 tanks; 2,500 infantry fighting vehicles; 2,500 self-propelled or towed artillery units 325 Tactical aircraft; 143 helicopters Nearly 2,000 air defence pieces 295,000 active personnel; 314,000 reserve personnel

Statistics: IISS

Why Russia sells Syria arms

Russia says the move directly harms the prospects of an international peace conference proposed by Moscow and Washington that would be held next month.

"A whole range of actions that have been undertaken, not without the participation and not without the support of our Western partners including the United States and France... are serving to undermine the idea of calling a conference," Russian media quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Tuesday.

Russia has repeatedly blocked efforts to put more pressure on Mr Assad. Along with the US, Moscow has been leading efforts to organise an international peace conference on Syria next month.

Continue reading the main story “Start Quote

The sabre-rattling is growing louder, and the West is making fierce faces at Bashar al-Assad”

End Quote Mark Mardell North America editor Read more from Mark

Mr Ryabkov said the contract for the S-300 missile systems had been signed several years ago.

"We consider these supplies a stabilising factor and believe such steps will deter some hotheads from considering scenarios that would turn the conflict international with the involvement of outside forces," he was quoted as telling journalists, in a coded reference to the use of Nato warplanes in Libya.

The S-300 is a highly capable surface-to-air missile system that, as well as targeting aircraft, also has the capacity to engage ballistic missiles.

It is broadly comparable to the US Patriot system which has been deployed by Nato to guard Turkish air space against attack from Syria.

Israel's warning

There had previously been a reluctance to mention the sophisticated weapons system by name, and the BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says the latest Russian statements could be seen as an escalation.

Continue reading the main story RUSSIAN S-300PMU SYSTEM Type: Surface to air missile system, capable of hitting aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles Special feature: Fires two missiles at a time, vertically, making it versatile and accurate Origin: S-300P dates from the 1960s but current state-of-the art export versions are S-300PMU-1 and 2 which were developed in the late 1990s Manufacturer: Almaz-Antey Cost: $900m for full system although it is not clear whether this is what Russia is supplying to Syria Specification: Each launcher vehicle [left] carries four missile containers (two missiles per target). A full battalion is six launcher vehicles with a total of 24 missiles plus command and control and long range radar detection vehicles Capability: Russian 48N6 are the standard missiles fired from S-300PMU launchers. They have a range of 5-150km at an altitude of up to 30km Response time: Vehicle stopping to missile firing is 5 minutes

Source: Royal United Services Institute

Indeed, some analysts see confirmation of the arms sale as a "game changer" for the Syrian crisis.

Continue reading the main story EU timberland herenshoenen press review

Le Figaro, France: The 27 reached a lame compromise under the threat of the imminent collapse of the sanctions imposed on the regime in Damascus two years ago... The disunion also testifies to the paralysis which Europe's rule of unanimity imposes, at the worst point of the Syrian crisis.

WirtschaftsBlatt, Austria: The domestically damaged governments of Britain and France are playing with fire. The British-French initiative risks repeating in Syria the mistakes of Afghanistan's Cold War. Cameron and Hollande should not promote chaos in the Middle East by possibly arming terrorists, in order to polish their image at home. Therefore: Geneva convention instead of weapons for an intangible war party.

El Mundo, Spain: The inability to reach a unanimous agreement on this crucial issue of foreign policy has prompted some legal ingenuity: the partial lifting of the arms embargo was signed in an intergovernmental agreement, ie outside EU community legislation. This is an important caveat, because it leaves it up to each member state to take the final decision on whether or not to arm the Syrian opposition.

"It virtually ensures that the US-Russian talks will be meaningless, sends warning signals about similar arms transfer to Iran, can drag Israel into the Syrian fighting, and would sharply alter US and allied 'no fly' capabilities," said Anthony Cordesman of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

There had been reports that Moscow was holding back on delivering the arms, in exchange for an Israeli commitment not to carry out further air raids over Syria, our correspondent says.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said the Russian missile systems had not yet left Russia.

"I hope they will not leave, and if, God forbid, they reach Syria, we will know what to do," he said.

The EU embargo, first imposed in May 2011, applies to the rebels as much as the Syrian government.

Britain and France had been pressing for the ability to send weapons to what they call moderate opponents of President Assad, saying it would push Damascus towards a political solution to the two-year conflict.

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Amid the diplomacy, opposition activists told the BBC they had documented the deaths of more than 200 people in a massacre earlier this month

Other EU states had opposed sending arms.

George Jabboure Netto, a spokesman for the opposition Syrian National Council said the dropping of the arms embargo was a "step in the right direction", though a spokesman for another grouping, the Syrian National Coalition, said the move might be "too little too late".

The Syrian opposition has not said whether it will attend next month's peace conference, and was on Tuesday locked in talks in Istanbul, Turkey, as an unofficial deadline to decide on its attendance passed.

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Sepsis lives can be saved, says ombudsman

More must be done to save the lives of patients with sepsis, says a report from the Health Service Ombudsman.

It found significant failings in treatment of the condition, which is caused when the body's immune system overreacts to infection.

It focused on 10 patients who were not treated urgently enough and died.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence will produce guidance for GPs and clinicians to help them recognise sepsis at an early stage.

Around 37,000 people are estimated to die of sepsis each year, accounting for 100,000 hospital admissions.

The Ombudsman, who investigates complaints from people who have received poor service from the NHS in England, said diagnosing and treatment presented some real problems because the condition was hard to spot and treat.

Continue reading the main story 'Sepsis was taking over his body'

Jem Abbotts was 37 years old and recovering from a routine operation when he became ill.

He started vomiting and feeling feverish so the GP prescribed antibiotics and he went to bed to recover.

But a few days later he woke up vomiting and was rushed to hospital in a coma, as his organs began to fail.

He had contracted a bacterial infection which had entered his bloodstream, causing a condition known as sepsis.

'My husband thought he had flu - it was sepsis'

Sepsis can lead to swelling and blood clotting - and cause internal organs to stop working.

The most common causes of severe sepsis are pneumonia, bowel perforation, urinary infection, and severe skin infections.

Julie Mellor, the Health Service Ombudsman, said it was time for the NHS to act.

"In the cases in our report, sadly, all patients died. In some of these cases, with better care and treatment, they may have survived.

"We have worked closely with NHS England, NICE, UK Sepsis Trust and Royal Colleges to find solutions to the issues identified in our report. NICE and NHS England have already agreed to take forward the recommendations of our report.

Continue reading the main story “Start Quote

We know it is not easy to spot the early signs of sepsis, but if we learn from these Timberland Womens 6 Inch complaints... then lives can be saved ”

End Quote Julie Mellor Health Service Ombudsman

"We know it is not easy to spot the early signs of sepsis, but if we learn from these complaints and work to improve diagnosis and provide rapid treatment, then lives can be saved."

The report recommended improving the recognition and treatment of sepsis by providing medical staff with clear clinical guidance.

She also recommended that NHS England launch a public awareness campaign which targets vulnerable groups of patients, such as those who are weak or in hospital.

Clinical staff should attach more importance to listening to the relatives of patients since they can be the first to recognise the patient's deterioration, she said, and more senior doctors should be involved in patient care.

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Charles Turton, clinical advisor with the Health Service Ombudsman: "Patients in the early stages can look quite well"

Simple life-savers

Dr Ron Daniels, chairman of the UK Sepsis Trust, said there was a straightforward solution.

Continue reading the main story Facts about sepsis Sepsis is a more common reason for hospital admission than heart attack - and has a higher mortality. The most common causes of severe sepsis are pneumonia, bowel perforation, urinary infection, and severe skin infections. The most common signs of sepsis are a high fever, violent shivering, fainting, cold and pale hands, rapid breathing, confusion or delirium. 37,000 people are estimated to die of sepsis each year in the UK. From the time sepsis first takes hold, healthcare workers have just hours to deliver the right care. UK Sepsis Trust

"The best hospitals have achieved better outcomes from sepsis by adopting a simple set of life-saving measures, collectively known as the Sepsis 6, and ensuring that a culture of awareness around sepsis has been created.

"We now need to spread this awareness to other health professionals and to the public, and to underpin this with guidance from NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence."

He said the recommendations would potentially save 12,500 more lives every year.

Dr Mike Durkin, NHS England's director of patient safety, said the NHS would use the findings to work with GPs and hospitals to reduce deaths from sepsis.

"This report and guidance will help us to build on the work that is already in place to emphasise the importance of education, early detection and prompt treatment.

"We all need in every setting to understand the importance of identifying deterioration in both adults and children, in reducing the admission of full-term babies to neonatal care and identifying problems in vulnerable older people in the first 48 hours of acute illness."

Dr Peter Carter, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, said the report showed the tragic consequences of sepsis.

"It is vital that all staff are provided with training and support to enable them to recognise the signs and symptoms of sepsis, and crucially to know how to act quickly when sepsis is diagnosed."

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Green Apple Festivalgoers Get a Lift

Those of you planning to attend the Green Apple Festival in Washington, DC over the next few days, rest easy: Timberland is offering free pedicab rides to anyone taking part in the Earth Day weekend activities on the National Mall.  It’s all in the name of greener travel (and supporting weary Earthkeepers at the end of a long service day).

If you’re not a pedicab person, at least ride your own bike to the event and bring it to our Bike Valet on the Mall — we’ll keep your ride safe and even give it a complimentary tune-up while you’re off Earthkeeping.

Not planning to spend your weekend in the DC area?  Other Green Apple Festival hubs timberland sale include Boston, New York,  Miami, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco.  Go forth and green!

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Desperately Seeking NH Service Projects

Twice a year, Timberland organizes large-scale service events for our employees worldwide so they can pull on their boots and make a difference.  Earth Day is one of these two annual global celebrations of service.

As our corporate headquarters are in New Hampshire, we’ve got a pretty robust employee population there that is both talented and passionate about creating a positive impact in their own backyard.  The challenge is, after more than a decade of serving in our own backyard we’re running a little short on service opportunities!

And so – we’re seeking proposals for Earth Day service projects in New Hampshire.  We’re looking specifically for projects that can accommodate a minimum of 50 volunteers and contribute to the regreening of our communities (examples of regreening projects include creating and/or improving public greenways or trail systems, community gardens, playgrounds, green roofs, edible gardens for schools, etc.).

All of our Earth Day projects will be selected and executed according to Timberland’s GREEN standard.  GREEN is an acronym for:

Grassroots – Projects which address pressing community needs.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Projects that allow us to use recycled or repurposed materials.

Engagement – Projects that engage relevant timberland herenshoenen community stakeholders, to support and sustain our service efforts.

Education – Projects that foster education and awareness, both among our employees and the community.

Neutrality – Projects that allow us to be as energy- and resource-efficient as possible, in support of our corporate goal to reduce our carbon emissions.

To submit your Earth Day project proposal, please complete our Earth Day RFP form timberland damesshoenen and e-mail it to Brianne Wood bwood@timberland.com by Friday, January 28, 2011.

Store Your Stuff in Style Earthkeepers Stratham Series

Heading back to school isn’t the only good excuse for buying a great new bag or backpack this fall; our new Earthkeepers™ Stratham Series includes bags perfect for laptop lugging, day tripping, hiking, commuting and all-around exploring.  See?

Stratham Series Messenger Bag

Stratham Series Backpack

The Stratham Series is part of Timberland’s Earthkeepers™ Collection, which features products made with recycled and organic materials and/or leathers from tanneries that have been Silver-rated for improved energy, water and waste management. Our Stratham bags feature 55% organic cotton canvas, antiqued brass hardware and premium nubuck leather trim – inspired by packs of earlier eras, but incorporating modern-day materials and functionality.

This beautiful collection of bags has gained quick popularity around the globe, and depending on where you shop, supplies are temporarily limited!  US more about timberland shoppers will find Timberland Womens Stratham bags in retail stores only until November (then you’ll also be able to buy them on Timberland.com); bag buyers in the rest of the world may find them on your country’s Timberland website or in stores.

Stratham Series Small Goods Bag

Stratham Series Lumbar Pack

Got the bag, need a boot?

Even accessories need accessories; pick a pair of our Stratham Heights boots to complement your Stratham bag, and you’re good to go!

Isle of Man bus strike Drivers reject government offer

Bus drivers on the Isle of Man have started a 12-day strike, their fifth since December.

Unite union bosses rejected a final offer from The Department of Community, Culture and Leisure on Friday afternoon.

Nick Black, DCCL chief executive officer said contingency plans are in place to prevent transport disruption during the island's TT Races.

Unite blamed "unreasonable" timetable expectations not pay for the strike.

Bobby Morton, National Transport Officer of Unite, said: "We are ready for further talks, I don't think the two sides are that far apart."

Bus Vannin, run by the DCCL, has been affected by government cuts and is aiming to save about £1m a year.

A series of cost-saving measures were implemented when the UK brought an end to a VAT-sharing agreement, which left a £75m-a-year hole in the island's income.

Minister for Community, Culture and Leisure, Graham Cregeen said: "Striking will not change the necessity for the department to meet its financial obligations.

The strike could also 2013 black friday disrupt students as it coincides with GCSE and A-Level examinations.

Southend Tesco store plan scrapped

Plans to build a four-storey Tesco Extra, that would have created 450 jobs in Southend, have been scrapped.

The store would have been built on the town's former B&Q site on Short Street next to Victoria railway station.

A Tesco spokesman said the decision came after "careful consideration" and reflects the company's plans to build "fewer larger stores".

Rob Tinlin, chief executive for Southend Borough Council, said he was "disappointed" at the withdrawal.

He added: "We have worked exceptionally hard with Tesco over a number of years to help bring these plans forward for a development which would have been a huge boost to the town.

"We regret that the company, in reviewing its strategy, decided not to proceed with this new Southend store."

Tesco announced in April it would be developing fewer superstores due to changes in customer behaviour Beats By Dre Black Friday and the continued rise of online shopping.

'Key site'

Speaking to the BBC in April, group chief executive Philip Clarke, said: "The large stores we have are great, but we won't need many more of them because growth in future will be multichannel - a combination of big stores, local convenience stores and online."

Dawn Jeakings, chair of Southend Business Improvement District, which helps town centre traders work together, said: "A lot of people do shop online, but people still like to come and shop on the high street.

"The news is disappointing as it would have created more jobs and the increased footfall would have been a benefit, but it's a key site so I can't see it being left idle."

E-fit released after Southampton girl abduction attempt

An e-fit has been released of a man suspected of trying to abduct a schoolgirl in Hampshire.

The 11-year-old was in Basset Crescent West in Southampton on Friday morning when a black car pulled up and a man in his late 40s asked her to get in.

He is described as having ginger, almost shaved hair, ginger stubble and eyebrows, and a scar on his Adidas Rose Black Friday forehead.

He was wearing a navy blue short-sleeved polo black friday discount shirt and was wearing a silver watch.

He is thought to have been driving a black "sporty-looking" Jaguar or a similar car with a sandy-grey interior and slightly tinted rear windows.

Hampshire police are also hoping to trace the driver of a white car who may have spoken to the suspect shortly after the incident.

Officers carried out road checks on Monday morning, stopping motorists and pedestrians. They are also monitoring CCTV, carrying out extra patrols and house-to-house enquiries.

Barnes & Noble founder to buy back bookstores

Leonard Riggio, founder of the Barnes & Noble bookstore chain, has said he plans to offer to buy back its retail operations, but not its Nook e-reader.

Mr Riggio, who owns almost 30% of the company, notified US regulators that he would seek to purchase the loss-making firm's stores and online business.

The news sent Barnes & Noble's share price 11.5% higher in Monday trading.

Like book retailers worldwide, the firm has struggled to compete with cheap online vendors and downloads.

Main rival Borders was liquidated in 2011, after it succumbed to the pressure from digital competitors.

Barnes & Noble has sought to stay ahead of the game with its Nook product, which seeks to compete for readership with Amazon's Kindle and with tablet computers.

The e-reader attracted significant investments from Microsoft and UK media group Pearson last year, leaving Barnes & Noble with a 78% share in the product, which Mr Riggio does not propose to buyback.

There was talk early last year of spinning off the Nook, along with its successful digital college business, into a separate joint venture.

However, the firm's sales of both Nook products and of traditional books have both struggled.

Barnes & Noble reported a $39m loss for the last six months, and said sales through its stores and online platform over the critical Christmas period fell 11% from a year earlier.

The firm plans to shut a third of its stores by the end of the Black Friday vans shoes year.

Mr Riggio's offer follows similar moves by Michael Dell of http://www.beatsbydrefriday.com/ Dell computers and Richard Schultze of electrical retailer Best Buy to buy out the struggling firms they founded.

Barnes & Noble was originally a New York bookstore, which Mr Riggio bought out the branding rights to in the 1970s, before building out a successful US-wide chain.

E. coli victim Mason Jones' mother Sharon Mills wins Tesco Mum of the Year

A mother whose five-year-old son died in Wales' largest E. coli outbreak has won an award for improving food safety.

Sharon Mills was named Tesco Campaigning Mum of the Year for her work leading to a "scores on the doors" system forcing Welsh restaurants and takeaways to display hygiene ratings.

Mason Jones, from Deri, near Bargoed, Rhymney Valley, died in 2005.

Helen Wynne, from Wrexham, also won one of the Tesco awards for setting up a special needs child-minding service.

Miss Mills told BBC Wales she was proud of what she and her family had achieved.

'Tragic consequences'

"Food safety has improved significantly since the outbreak. It's a huge achievement for us," she said.

"I'm mostly proud of my son. Without the tragic consequences this would not have been achieved."

Continue reading the main story HELEN WYNNE'S AWARD

Helen Wynne, 40, from Wrexham, won the Tesco Achieving Mum of the Year award after setting up her own special needs child-minding service following the birth of her son Dyfan.

The seven-year-old suffers from genetic disorder so rare that he is the only sufferer in the UK, and one of just five in the world.

Mrs Wynne, who also has a daughter Meg, 12, miscarried six times before becoming pregnant with Dyfan. He was born in 2004 but diagnosed with meningitis at a week old.

Doctors also discovered he had the disorder affecting his chromosome 8, which meant he would never walk or talk.

Mrs Wynne said: "I was absolutely stunned - how do you deal with that? But we knew we had to get on with it and give Dyfan the best care possible - so we did."

With no childcare services in the area able to look after Dyfan, Mrs Wynne re-trained and set up her own. In 2004, Blythswood Childcare Services was launched.

She and her husband, Dean, care for 12 children at any one time, and also offer respite care.

Mrs Wynne said: "Being mum to Dyfan has given me a different journey to the one I expected but I wouldn't change a thing."

A further 157 people, mostly children, became ill during the outbreak.

A butcher was prosecuted for breaking food safety laws and was jailed for a year in 2007.

He supplied meat to another 44 other schools in the south Wales valleys.

Miss Mills won the Campaigning Mum of the Year for her work following the tragedy

The "scores on the doors" hygiene grading scheme enables people to see if a food outlet's standards are below par.

Miss Mills cheap lulu lemon worked closely with the Food Standards Agency and Consumer Focus Wales to make the improvements.

Consultation ends in March on the Food Hygiene (Wales) Bill, which will make it compulsory for food businesses in Wales to display information on their hygiene standards by late 2013.

Liz Jarvis, from Tesco, who made the award, said Miss Mills was an "incredible campaigner" and a "fantastic mum".

The judging panel included choreographer Arlene Philips and Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis.

Miss Mills will be presented with her award at a ceremony in London in March.

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Q&A Grangemouth - What now

Owners Ineos have announced that the petrochemical plant at the giant Grangemouth complex in central Scotland is to close. The neighbouring refinery will remain open.

About 800 people are directly employed by the petrochemical plant, with more employed as sub-contractors.

Union leaders have now said they are prepared to make concessions to try to save the petrochemical plant and are due to meet company managers.

What's the problem with the petro-chemical plant at Grangemouth?

Grangemouth's petro-chemical plant has used the by-products from refining oil across the road at the refinery. That's been used to manufacture a wide range of products, including plastics and pharmaceuticals.

The oil coming down the pipeline from the Forties network in the North Sea has less of the ethane content, meaning the petro-chemical plant has been operating at less than 60% of capacity.

To source new gas 'feedstock', Ineos planned to import it from the US, where the shale gas boom has driven down prices. It said earlier this month that its 'survival plan' would require more than £300m of Ineos investment to re-equip the Forth Valley plant.

The firm also said it would require government loan guarantees and big cuts in costs, primarily the pay and pensions of the refinery and petro-chemical plants' joint workforce of 1,370. Without that agreement, it said the petro-chemical plant would close by 2017.

How has this industrial dispute led to closure?

Unite, the trade union, started industrial action 16 days ago over a separate dispute involving alleged victimisation.

It then gave notice of a 48-hour strike from Sunday to Tuesday. Management responded by shutting down the plant. There were talks last week at arbitration service Acas. They broke down, but the union withdrew its strike threat.

Ineos moved swiftly to require staff to accept changes to their contracts. The union urged members not to accept but to demand a return to negotiations. Two-thirds of Unite members took that advice, or half of the total workforce.

Ineos said on Wednesday morning that the union response led it to close the plant, much faster than it had previously indicated. Liquidators are to be appointed within a week.

Could it have a future?

There may still be value to the assets, though Ineos recently reduced its asset valuation from COACH BABY bags nearly £400m to zero, saying there is no realistic prospect of future profit.

A liquidator could seek a buyer. What that buyer would require is necessary funds for re-equipping it. It would have to source the feedstock, probably from the USA.

If Ineos figures are correct, it would also require a lower cost base, so similar problems of reduced pay and pensions could arise, without industrial relations tensions being resolved.

Could it be nationalised?

The Scottish government has become involved in trying to find a buyer for Grangemouth, ahead of the decision on petro-chemical closure. It hasn't ruled out the possibility of taking over the plant itself.

Neither ministers nor the civil service have expertise in running a complex petro-chemical plant, and would have to appoint an operator, and pay for it. It would also have to find funds for investment, when its capital budget is already severely squeezed.

If Ineos's figures are correct, the Scottish government would face losses for the foreseeable future. It would also have to address the industrial relations challenge.

What future for the refinery?

The finances of the neighbouring refinery have been helped by selling feedstock to the petro-chemical plant. Without that outlet for its by-product, it will have to flare off excess gas, losing income and raising issues about excessive emissions.

It could seek to ship out its by-products, but transportation would raise costs, and would be in competition with American shipments. On them, Ineos says gas is available at quarter of the European price.

Jim Ratcliffe, the boss of Ineos, has warned that if the petro-chemical plant closes, then it is likely to lead to the demise of the refinery as well.

The refinery market is suffering from significant global over-capacity, with more new refineries being built in the Middle East and Asia. They are more efficient and better suited to modern demand patterns for diesel instead of the high petrol output for which older European refineries were designed.

There have been several recent refinery closures across Europe, where owners have been unable to find buyers. The big oil producers have been exiting the market for both refining and petro-chemicals over recent years, because they get better return on their capital from focussing on upstream exploration and production.

So the buyers for assets such as Grangemouth are more likely to be strategic investors, taking the long view. One of them could be PetroChina, which has 49.9% ownership of the refinery. (It's pointing out that the majority lies with Ineos, and therefore the decision on its future lies there too.)

However, state-controlled PetroChina has made colossal losses on its refining in recent years, and its management are focussed on handling a major corruption scandal in China.

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Apparel Competitors Unite

These days, there are countless apparel manufacturers and labels out there that make their own unique eco-conscious claims. Problem is, nobody’s really on the same page on what truly constitutes an environmentally-friendly product. So what’s a consumer to believe? How can they make informed purchasing decisions when every company uses a different scorecard?

The answer is collaboration. Toward this end, an industry-wide group of leading brands, retailers, manufacturers, non-profits, academic experts and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency came together to create the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) . The SAC is working to reduce the environmental and social impacts of apparel and footwear products around the world by developing common measurements and a common environmental understanding of products’ impacts across our industry.

To accomplish this, the SAC built on the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) ’s Eco Index™, a standardized tool for measuring the environmental impacts of outdoor products (things like boots, clothing, tents, and more). The Eco Index™ evaluates impacts in six key areas of a product’s lifecycle: Materials, Packaging, Product Manufacturing and Assembly, Transport and Distribution, Use of Service and End of Life.

The SAC adapted the Eco Index™ for apparel in an effort to give brands like Timberland more control over reducing environmental impacts right from the outset, rather than relying on factories. Factories, too, will benefit from the Index, by having only one standard of measurement to respond to, rather than a different set of standards more info timberland for each and every brand. In this way, suppliers will be able to focus more on solutions, rather than audits and testing.

The SAC’s adapted Eco Index™ is now being pilot tested in factories.  The ultimate goal is to develop a tool that can be used by brands and factories to improve the environmental sustainability of their industry, and by consumers to make more informed decisions about the products they buy.

To learn more about the ways in which Timberland is working to create its products with processes and materials that cause less harm to the environment, please visit the Responsibility section of our website.

It’s Green Gift Monday! Gift Responsibly

Warm up your fingertips, it’s Cyber Monday — the biggest online shopping day of the year.  But it’s also Green Gift Monday — a campaign launched last year by our friends at the Nature Conservancy to encourage more meaningful and responsible holiday gift giving.  And  when it comes to giving — isn’t ‘meaningful’ the point anyway?

Consider these gift ideas from the Nature Conservancy:

DIY.  You don’t have to be a professional glue-gunner to make your own gifts.  A wreath made of recycled (read: too ugly to warrant closet space) neckties, a batch of homemade applesauce or soup can luminaries are thoughtful, personal and eco-awesome.

Charitable gifts.  Your mother is impossible to buy for?  So don’t.  Instead, make a donation to a nonprofit (preferably one that’s near and dear to her) in her name.

Green goods.  Surely there’s a kid on your list who would love a skateboard made from sustainable bamboo or colorful cloth dolls made from organic or reclaimed fabrics.  timberland uk And timberland kidsshoenen for the outdoor enthusiast,  may we humbly suggest a new jacket or pair of boots — using environmentally-preferred materials — from our Earthkeepers Collection?

For more gift-giving inspiration and ideas on how to green your holidays in other ways, visit the Green Gift Monday website.  You can also join the 1200+ who have already pledged to give green this holiday season by clicking the box below or going here.

Networking in New Hampshire NHBSR Event

Attention New Hampshire readers: NH Businesses for Social Responsibility (NHBSR) is hosting their annual member social at the end of the month, and you’re invited to attend:

NHBSR’s Member Social
Tuesday, November 30th, 5p-8p
Brady Sullivan Plaza, 1000 Elm Street, Manchester

NHBSR’s focus is on building and supporting a network of businesses (such as Timberland) committed to adopting socially-responsible business practices.  And as an ever-growing TIMBERLAND FEMME ROLL TOP number of businesses are discovering the integral link between social responsibility and the bottom line, organizations like NHBSR are more important than ever.

This annual event will attract 100+ business professionals and promises to deliver valuable education, networking and promotional opportunities.  And if that’s not enough, the evening will include delicious food and locally-made beer and wine.

For more information and UGG TALL to register for the event, click here.

Hoopers Carlisle store to shut

More than 20 people could lose their jobs after Hoopers announced it BARBOUR uk was to close its department store in Carlisle.

A spokesman for the company said it was "not viable in financial terms" for the store on Castle Street to remain open.

The Hoopers store originally closed in August 2012, due to "lack of profitability" and it was hoped a buyer would be found for the premises.

However, after negotiations to sell the store fell through, it was reopened as a discount outlet.

A spokesman for Hoopers said: "Alternative solutions continue to be investigated while we embark upon full consultation with all MONCLER WOMEN uk shop affected staff."

The store is likely to close in March.

Hoopers also has stores in Torquay, barbour outlet Wilmslow, Tunbridge Wells and Harrogate, which are unaffected by the closure.

McDonald's opens vegetarian-only restaurant

The standard-bearer of the hamburger, McDonald's, is bowing to local demand and is opening a meat-free restaurant in India.

The global chain, whose best-known product is the Big Mac burger MONCLER uk sale in a bun, says it will be its first vegetarian outlet.

McDonald's, the world's second biggest food outlet after Subway, increasingly adapts its range to local demand.

Both India's Hindu majority and Muslims can eat the same meat-free dishes.

Religiously observant Hindus see cows as sacred and avoid beef, while Muslims view pigs as unclean and avoid pork.

According to the AFP news agency, McDonald's will open the outlet in the middle of next year, near the Golden Temple in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar in northern India.

Religious authorities forbid consumption of meat at the shrine.

A spokesman for McDonald's in northern India, Rajesh Kumar Maini, told the news agency: "There is a big opportunity for vegetarian restaurants as many click for cheap coats Indians are vegetarian.

"At the moment, India is still a very small market - we just have 271 restaurants in India, and across the world, we have nearly 33,000."

The chain plans to open another vegetarian outlet in north-western India, near the Vaishno Devi cave shrine in Kashmir, which is a Hindu pilgrimage site that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.

McDonald's has moved to provide more salads and other healthier foods with less sugar, salt and fat in them, in response to public concerns about diet.

In India, its menu is typically 50% vegetarian.

Its signature dish in the country is the McAloo Tikki burger, which uses a spiced potato-based filling. It accounts WOMENS BARBOUR for 25% of total sales.

Globally, the company plans to open around 1,300 new stores this year.

A&E consultants Why we left the NHS to work abroad

A rising number of A&E consultants are leaving the UK and going abroad to work.

We asked some of them why they left and how working life compares with back home.

Dr Paul Atkinson moved to New Brunswick, Canada in 2010

"I am one of five colleagues who have moved from the East of England to the Atlantic coast of Canada to take up posts in emergency medicine in the past few years.

Dr Atkinson does not get a pension in Canada

I was fortunate to be a consultant at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, but even there I felt we were being constrained by the weight of patient numbers, a lack of resources and major time pressures.

Before emigrating to Canada three years ago, I felt I spent a lot of time just pointing people in the right direction and not doing much medicine at all.

Because of the constraints and time limits we had to adhere to, we were often asked to do things which were not best for the patient, but which would meet the target.

It wasn't about the medicine in the UK, it was more about the system, training, incentives and management.

My work here is busy but it's not as stressful because we have the resources.

For example, there is much more investment in emergency medicine as a speciality, the emergency department - which deals with 60,000 patients a year - is properly staffed with consultants who work across seven days a week, and the pay is better.

Continue reading the main story “Start Quote

Back in Cambridge, I had 10 junior doctors working under me whereas here it's one to one.”

End Quote Dr Paul Atkinson

I am actually paid to see patients, not to sit in my office or go to committees so the incentive is there to spend time on patients.

I don't get a pension in Canada though, which was quite a shock, but that means the onus is on me to manage my finances. We are well paid so I have to think of myself as a business and plan for my future.

Back in Cambridge, I had 10 junior doctors working under me whereas here it's one to one and that means they benefit from much better teaching, supervision and feedback.

Trainees in the UK have a much shallower learning curve - it takes them eight years to get to consultant level, but in Canada we push them through in three years.

If you are sick here and end up in emergency then you see someone who has a certificate and who's qualified - not someone who is still learning. Trainees in Canada are never left on their own.

Having said that, I do feel that doctors in the UK are well trained so there is no difference clinically between the two countries.

We've been able to bring some good things from the UK like awareness of systems management. It can be too individualised here, and we've helped people work together more.

Overall, my work as an emergency physician at St John Regional Hospital is more satisfying. There's more time to fix the patient and you don't feel like someone is looking over your shoulder with a stopwatch."

Dr Liz Paterson moved to Western Australia in 2009

"I took up a consultant post in Barnsley in 2006 and, while I loved working with my colleagues, my working life was miserable and I couldn't stop thinking about returning to Australia, where I'd done some of my training years earlier.

Working 80 hours a week with no recompense as well as being blamed for all the issues that the hospital suffered wore me down - I seem to remember coming home in tears on a regular basis.

Here, in Australia, I work a 40-hour week and if I work over that I get paid double time. In the UK any overtime would just be considered part of my COACH SHOULDER ONline salary and part of my job.

Even if I work evenings or weekends here, there are financial rewards.

I also have a pension here which is on a par with the NHS pension, but it's not so much about the money.

Continue reading the main story “Start Quote

Working part-time and being a doctor in Australia is not seen as a big issue - there's extreme flexibility.”

End Quote Dr Liz Paterson

I can still have a life and get out and enjoy other things. Knowing that the hours are shorter, the pay better and the weather sunnier makes it all the more manageable.

Working part-time and being a doctor in Australia is not seen as a big issue - there's extreme flexibility.

Here I know that at end of a shift I can walk away and another consultant will be taking over, but in the UK at the end of a shift I still felt responsible for what I left behind.

The work is pretty similar to what I did in the UK and the issues facing emergency departments are similar as well.

The main day-to-day differences are that we tend to hold on to patients until they have a diagnosis.

We still have the four-hour limit here on how long patients should wait to be seen in A&E. In fact, there are big issues about waiting times here.

In my view a bit of pressure is a good thing but we manage to decide all together how to make it work rather than being told from on high.

How long people have to wait for ambulances is also an issue which has been on TV recently so there's quite a bit of stress on the system.

But people make more use of the private health system here.

Four years on, I know the decision has been the right one. I feel guilty for not 'paying my due' for my medical education back in the UK, but I doubt I would still be working in medicine if the move had not happened."

Dr Gayle Farrell works as a consultant in Perth, Australia

"I did all my senior emergency training on the west coast of Scotland, in some amazing departments, with fantastic staff and fantastic exposure to trauma, surgical, medical and paediatric cases.

However, having to work sometimes in excess of 96 hours a week, covering weekend night shifts on your own after midnight and having to see more than 30 patients regularly in a shift, was extremely tiring.

On top of that, having to study for the hardest exams of my career - the fellowship exams, with no scope for study leave, LULULEMON BRA very little scope for attending courses, and virtually no scope for attending any teaching sessions due to shifts, was a recipe for a pretty miserable life.

Continue reading the main story “Start Quote

For the first time in 10 years, I don't have to drag myself out of bed and I actually have a bit of energy. ”

End Quote Dr Gayle Farrell

Add to that the poor wages, when you add up the hours and overtime you aren't paid for.

A lot of trainees are dropping out in the fourth or fifth year of their training because of the pressures it is putting on their home life and personal relationships, something which I also experienced.

I moved to a department in Perth, Australia, that sees around 65,000 patients a year. There are 18 consultants, more than 20 registrars and three or four juniors per team each shift.

The staffing levels are incomparable to the UK.

The wages are three to four times higher and my working hours have more than halved, meaning I actually get to spend time with my husband and don't feel exhausted.

For the first time in 10 years, I don't have this is a factory coach outlet to drag myself out of bed and I actually have a bit of energy.

I see the trainees here get so much structured teaching for their exams; something I wish I got even a fraction of.

I always said I wanted to work to live, not live to work; the latter of which I was doing in the UK.

It's sad, as the training in the UK is second to none, the doctors I think are some of the best emergency physicians you will ever get, but they are going to keep leaving the country in droves to seek a decent work-life balance. It just doesn't exist in the UK."