Barker says this is a wake-up call to the international community, which was once welcomed in Afghanistan.

NPR: Afghans Have Mixed Feelings About U.S. Presence

"It's definitely not something to take lightly, " Ms. Barker says.

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On any given day, the firm would have 20 to 30 dogs and 450 to 550 employees working across a facility about the length of five to seven football fields, Barker says.

CNN: Barking mad: Can office dogs reduce stress?

Barker says Wal-Mart is swapping Sherwin for Akzo for three reasons: Akzo is probably supplying at a lower cost and Wal-Mart generally prefers more global suppliers--Sherwin has only 15% of its sales outside North America while Akzo has about 80%.

FORBES

This, says Miss Barker, will strengthen employers' hands in the large number of pay negotiations conducted during the autumn.

ECONOMIST: The economy

David Barker, a professor at the University of Iowa, says that despite its oil wealth, Alaska was so costly to develop that the Treasury has lost money on the deal.

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She also accompanied Mr Barker on official visits in place of civil servants, the newspaper says, and was cautioned by officials "against overstepping the boundaries of propriety or conflicts of interest".

BBC: David Cameron and Greg Barker