Pussy Riot members go on trial in Moscow - BBC News
Pussy Riot band in court
All three members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot have pleaded not guilty to charges of hooliganism over an anti-Vladimir Putin protest at Moscow's main cathedral.
The women were taken into custody in February after the protest at Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral.
The case has divided Russia and inflamed the religious establishment, correspondents say.
The song outraged the Russian Orthodox Church. It accused them of blasphemy.
Supporters say the case reflects the state's growing intolerance of government opponents.
At the scene
We watched as the three young women were led down the concrete stairs and into the courtroom.
Their handcuffs were only removed once they were locked inside the bullet-proof cage.
As so often in this case, they were smiling despite their imprisonment. But their relatives sitting only a couple of metres away looked nervous.
The trial is getting widespread publicity both in Russia and overseas, and there were too many reporters to fit in the courtroom.
Cameras were allowed in briefly before proceedings, but the judge arranged a live internet broadcast from inside the court.
International superstars from the world of music have backed Pussy Riot. But their supporters believe the Kremlin could be much more influential on the outcome of this case.
In a written statement, band member Mariya Alekhina said the performance was an administrative offence, but had become a criminal case "as a result of the influence of political, law-enforcement and spiritual elites".
At the start of the trial, the three women, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Ms Alekhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich, were led into court in handcuffs, and locked into a cage of bullet-proof glass.
In court, Ms Tolokonnikova said that although they were pleading not guilty, that did not mean they were not prepared to apologise for the pain their performance in the cathedral had caused.
They each stood up and answered a series of questions from the judge in turn, which included their educational level, citizenship and the birth dates of their children.
The women are facing the charge of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred or hostility and could face up to seven years in prison.
In an interview with UK newspaper The Times, which was also broadcast on Russian TV, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said it is up to the court to decide whether the women have committed a crime.
"This case is a high-profile one because it really is about our understanding of the rights and freedoms of an individual.
"However, there will always be differences in the perception of what is permitted and what is not permitted from a moral point of view and of where moral misdemeanours transform into criminal offences."
Bail deniedThe women caused outrage when they stormed on to the altar of Christ the Saviour Cathedral, and sang an obscenity-laced song that implored the Virgin Mary to "throw Putin out".
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has said the act amounted to blasphemy.
The case has divided Russia, with many feeling the women have been too harshly treated, and are being made an example of as part of attempts to clamp down on the opposition, the BBC's Daniel Sandford reports from the court.
Two of the women have young children, and all three have repeatedly been denied requests to be given bail while awaiting trial.
Pussy Riot made headlines around the world late last year when footage of their controversial public performances at Moscow landmarks such as Red Square attracted millions of viewers on the internet.
More than 100 prominent Russian actors, directors and musicians have urged the authorities to release the three.
Western musicians such as Sting and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have also criticised the women's arrest.
Activists have said the case indicates that President Putin, now serving a third term in office, is not heeding calls for him to be more tolerant of political opponents.
Plan B scores second number one album - BBC News
Plan B has gone straight to the top of the UK album chart with Ill Manors, the soundtrack to his directorial film debut of the same name.
It is the London rapper's second number one album following his 2010 hit The Defamation of Strickland Banks.
The record beat US rockers Gaslight Anthem's fourth album, Handwritten, which entered the chart at two.
Last week's number one, Sir Elton John's Good Morning To The Night, fell nine places to number 10.
The next highest new entry was Jennifer Lopez's greatest hits collection, Dance Again - The Hits, at four.
Joss Stone's The Soul Sessions - Volume 2 was the only other new entry in the top 10.
The highest climber was Hans Zimmer's soundtrack to The Dark Knight Rises, which rose from 36 to 19.
Meanwhile, an album containing music from the London 2012 opening ceremony has sold more than 10,000 copies within 24 hours of going on sale.
The compilation, named Isles of Wonder, includes music which featured in Friday night's event with tracks from Dizzee Rascal, Emeli Sande, Arctic Monkeys, David Bowie and U2.
The Official Charts Company said sales from Friday and Saturday earned it the number five spot in this week's compilation albums chart.
In the singles chart, Florence and the Machine held on to the number one spot for a third week with Spectrum.
Maroon 5 also remained at two with Payphone, while Stooshie's Black Heart rose two places to three.
Teen singer Conor Maynard was the highest new entry at four with Vegas Girl, while Karmin's Brokenhearted made its debut at six.
UPDATE 2-Lufkin cuts FY outlook on labor unrest in Argentina - Reuters
* Cuts FY EPS view to $3.00-$3.20, from $3.75-$4.05
* Trims FY rev view to $1.25-$1.27 bln, from $1.25-$1.30 bln
* Q2 adj. EPS $0.66 vs est. $0.82
* Q2 rev $305.6 mln vs est. $307.7 mln
* Shares fall as much as 20 pct
July 30 (Reuters) - Oilfield services provider Lufkin Industries Inc sharply cut its earnings forecast for the year as labor unrest continues to disrupt its manufacturing operations in Argentina, driving its shares down as much as 20 percent.
The company, which runs an oilfield equipment manufacturing plant in the city of Comodoro Rivadavia in Argentina, has been hit by shipment delays over the last year as pay-related labor strikes become more prevalent in the South American country.
"Argentina will continue to be an area of risk so long as the labor unrest and political uncertainty loom around the oil and gas industry in that country," Chief Executive John "Jay" Glick said in a statement.
The "current operational challenges" in Argentina have impacted customers' ability to accept deliveries, he said.
Argentina, which in April nationalized Spanish-controlled oil company YPF SA, has an energy investment plan that intends to tighten control over private companies. Petrobras , Exxon Mobil Corp and Royal Dutch Shell Plc are some top energy companies operating there.
Labor disruptions hurt production in Argentina and a newly negotiated labor contract led to higher costs in the region, a company executive said on a conference call with analysts.
"We made significant headway managing the issues under our control in Argentina. The situation with the oil and gas sector will remain very uncertain for the foreseeable future," another executive said on the call.
Until natural gas prices strengthen to support higher development work, the company would continue to be impacted by weak demand in North America, he said.
Several oilfield services companies have been hit by disruptions caused due to the industry-wide shift to lucrative oil drilling from natural gas drilling, prompted by decade-low prices for the fuel.
Lufkin shares, which have fallen more than a quarter in the last year, were down 20 percent at $47.37 in afternoon trade on Monday on the Nasdaq. They touched a month-low of $47.14 earlier in the session. More than 2.0 million shares changed hands by 1300 ET, nearly 4 times their 10-day average volume.
Lufkin, which sells and services oilfield pumping units and power transmission products, slashed its full-year earnings expectation to a range of $3.00 to $3.20 per share, from $3.75 to $4.05 per share it forecast earlier.
The company trimmed its full-year revenue forecast to between $1.25 billion and $1.27 billion from $1.25 billion to $1.30 billion.
Third-quarter earnings are expected to be between 70 cents and 80 cents per share, on revenue of between $330 million and $340 million.
Analysts on average were expecting earnings of $1.09 per share and revenue of $341.21 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Lufkin's second-quarter net income rose more than 4 percent to $19.3 million, or 57 cents per share.
Adjusted earnings of 66 cents per share fell short of estimate of 82 cents.
Revenue rose 35 percent to $305.6 million but was below analysts expectations of $307.7 million.
United strike Chevrolet shirt deal - Football
Published: 30 Jul 2012 - 16:17:07
Manchester United have announced a seven-year shirt sponsorship deal with General Motors.
Chevrolet, the club's official car partner, will become only the fifth shirt sponsor in the club's 134-year history from the 2014-2015 season, in an agreement that has been signed for an undisclosed amount.
United's commercial director, Richard Arnold, told the club's official website, www.manutd.com: "This is a fantastic, long-term deal for the club. We have been partners with Chevrolet for only six weeks, but already they have produced some fantastic ideas that will benefit both the partnership and our 659 million followers around the world."
Arnold added: "They are a key partner on our current tour and I know they have enjoyed experiencing the buzz generated by our fanatical support and the sell-out crowds in South Africa, China, and Europe.
"It is a great thrill for those of us who work with partners all year round when an existing partner steps up to being one of our principal partners. This commitment to United and its fans will bring real benefits to everyone who cares about the club."
Chevrolet will replace Aon, whose partnership with United began in the 2010/11 season.
Alan Batey, General Motors' North America vice-president, US sales and service, said: "We are extremely proud to connect our brand, Chevrolet, with Manchester United and its passionate supporters all around the world.
"Manchester United's statistics are impressive, but this relationship goes far beyond the numbers - this relationship is about connecting our brand with the deep-seated emotion that surrounds the team everywhere it goes.
"When you consider the core values of Chevrolet, our passionate customers around the world, and our rich 100-year history, the partnership with Manchester United is a perfect fit.
"And, to be only the fifth name on the iconic red jersey is a genuine honour. We very much look forward to the road ahead and the opportunities we have in partnering with such a legendary club."
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Irish data watchdog to publish Facebook review by Oct - Reuters
VIENNA/DUBLIN, July 30 |
VIENNA/DUBLIN, July 30 (Reuters) - An Irish watchdog says it will determine by early October whether Facebook, the world's biggest social network, will face legal action under European privacy laws.
Ireland is the headquarters of Facebook's non-U.S. business, and the data regulator there is responsible for ensuring that the company complies with European and Irish data protection law, which is generally tougher than in the United States.
The Data Protection Commissioner denied on Monday it had frozen out an Austrian-based group of student activists, europe-v-facebook, which has succeeded in extracting some concessions on privacy from Facebook and had been working with the watchdog.
The pressure group's founder told Reuters he feared the watchdog was favouring Facebook, partly because Ireland prizes the fact that large U.S. IT firms like Facebook and Microsoft have made the country their international base.
"Our main concerns are about transparency and control," said Max Schrems, giving the examples that Facebook still held data that users believed they had deleted, and was also failing to provide users with their own raw data.
Facebook was the first American company to debut with a value of more than $100 billion in its initial public offering in May, buoyed by its global user base of almost 1 billion, but had shed one third of its value on its uncertain sales outlook.
The social network is under pressure to boost advertising revenues, but doing so is a delicate exercise as it must avoid giving users the impression it is invading their privacy.
The Irish watchdog has already carried out a privacy audit of Facebook, as a result of which it made recommendations about Facebook's policies on tagging photos, retaining and deleting data and the level of control users have over their information.
A second audit is designed to test Facebook's progress in implementing those recommendations, and to ensure that the company is complying with the law.
"Failure to comply with any such obligation could result in enforcement action," the Commissioner's office said.
"It's still all systems go, on getting this work with Facebook to an end, and from our perspective producing an output which ensures that Facebook is compliant with European data protection," Gary Davies, Deputy Data Protection Commissioner (DPC), told Reuters.
Europe-v-facebook earlier complained that the watchdog had stopped taking its calls and had sent a text message saying it would no longer speak to the organisation. It said it feared its concerns about Facebook were no longer being taken seriously.
The Irish data watchdog said in a statement on Monday: "Europe-v-facebook performed a useful public service in highlighting the specific issues raised in its complaints."
"We informed the organisation last week that we had nothing to add to the answers we had already provided both orally and in writing and that therefore senior staff members were not available to discuss such procedural matters any further."
Schrems said a delegation from europe-v-facebook planned to fly to Dublin next Monday to consult with their lawyers and to try to meet with the Commissioner.
The Commissioner's office said the purpose of its audit was not to address the complaints of europe-v-facebook, but that it would be happy to address any remaining complaints not resolved as part of the audit process.
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