Four former heads of Israel 's internal security criticise the policies of the Right WingLikud -led government of Ariel Sharon towards Palestinians and say the policies if not changed would see Israel "headed for (an) abyss". The four headed the security services for two decades between 1980 and 2000 . {Link without Title}
Attempting to calm fears that the recent takeover of oil giant YUKOS will mean a return to the era of a state-managed economy, Russia n president Vladimir Putin tells Russian businessmen that the government is not planning to take control of the economy. {Link without Title}
The US trade deficit with the People's Republic Of China hit a record USD $12.7 billion in September, with imports from mainland China also a record at $14.8 billion. For the first nine months of this year, the total trade deficit was $89.7 billion. At this pace, it will surpass the record of $103 billion set in 2002 . {Link without Title}