TODAY: Pussy Riot’s call for extra time on charges rejected, British politicians add their support to the cause; Putin to watch judo, discuss Syria with Cameron in London; President sees flaws in NATO Afghanistan withdrawal plans; deputies push foreign property ban; Gudkov faces scrutiny; BP and Rosneft experience second quarter turbulence; farmers and the WTO. 

Despite investigators adding another 100 pages to the case, the court where anti-Putin punks Pussy Riot are on trial has rejected a plea by the trio for extra time to read charges against them.   Suzanne Moore sees the trial as reflective of a ‘slide into dictatorship’.  In an open letter, two former British foreign ministers call on President Putin to free all political prisoners, including the women.  British Prime Minister David Cameron will apparently attempt to persuade Vladimir Putin to toughen up on Syria when the latter visits the London Olympics.  The widow of murdered spy Alexander Litvinenko has urged Londoners to wear a white ribbon in protest at Putin’s visit to the games.  Putin has expressed discontent about NATO’s plans for a withdrawal from Afghanistan.