Ever feel like somebodyrsquo;s watching you? If yoursquo;ve traveled to the UK recently, chances are somebody has. An article from Sundayrsquo;s New York Times: ldquo;Britons Weary of Surveillance in Minor Casesrdquo; details some troubling surveillance tactics being used in Britain. According to Londonrsquo;s Evening Standard, more than 10,000 cameras have been set up around the city at a cost of $326 million. These cameras are being used to monitor comings and goings along the streets, nbsp;and to help solve a range of crimes ndash; from pickpocketing and loan-sharking to failing to clean up after a pet. A controversial law enacted in 2000 allows the authorities to install the cameras. The costs are tangible, both in dollar terms and loss of privacy, but the benefit is less clear: The parts of London with the most cameras have a below-average rate of solving crimes, the Evening Standard says. Read ldquo;Britons Weary of Surveillance in Minor Casesrdquo; All opinions ...

Brooklyn could soon have itself a new Russian billionaire patron, as Mikhail Prokhorov has reportedly made an offer to own the New Jersey Nets, helping real estate developer Bruce Ratner with a $700 million bond to move the team and build a new arena in the New York City borough.Prokhorov, who has been developing an increasingly well known public profile as a Russian Richard Branson (see him jump his jet ski here), announced the news on his blog.  In one translation of his statement, Prokhorov says he is interested in bringing the "technology" of the NBA business model back to Russia, to build a sustainable and profitable professional league, and to give Russia a rightful place in the world of elite U.S. sports.This move will put Prokhorov right up there next to Chelsea-owner Roman ...

The Central Bank has cut its key refinancing rate to 10.5%, the sixth such cut since April.  Russia could borrow less than $18 billion abroad next year if oil prices stay high.  Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin has defended BRIC as a 'locomotive of the global economy'.  Apparently Opel will be sending less funds to Russia than initially reported: €170 million rather than €600 million.  Sberbank has insisted that the operations of Opel will not be directly influenced by the government.  Almost 5,000 Avtovaz employees face redundancy, according to ITAR-TASS.  Mikhail Prokhorov has complained that his charitable foundation has been forced to leave the city of Norilsk because of threats from 'feudal lords'.  Billionaire Alexander Lebedev has offered to give away shares in some of his firms to 'big western names' to bring them ...