it's six in the morning in singapore, and one in the morning in st petersburg — where president putin on wednesday warned that russia will respond immediately, to any country attempting to interfere in the war in ukraine. speaking to parliamentarians in st petersburg, mr putin said he had all the tools to respond, and that he'd already chosen his likely approach. during the day, the european union accused moscow of economic, and of escalating the war, by cutting off russian gas supplies to poland and bulgaria. our russia editor steve rosenberg reports the venice of the north, they call it. it was peter the great who built st petersburg, to make russia look and feel european. today, though, the gulf between russia and europe is growing ever wider. in the st petersburg palace, the president... vladimir vladimirovich putin. ..vladimir putin was addressing lawmakers. from them, a sign of loyalty, the letter z, symbol of russia's offensive in ukraine. from him, a warning to ukraine's western allies. translation: if anyone from the outside intends to interfere in what's happening, then they should know this — if they create threats for us, threats of a strategic nature, our retaliation, our counter—strike, will be instantaneous. we have all the necessary instruments, ones that no one else can boast of. all the decisions on this have already been taken. across town, another decision announced. state energy giant gazprom had shut off gas supplies to poland and bulgaria, an escalation condemned across europe. the european union has accused russia of using gas as an instrument of blackmail. it said that was unjustified and unacceptable. but russia is unrepentant. in fact, the speaker of parliament here said, "good, let's cut off the gas now to all countries who are hostile to russia." talking of hostile... ..russia continued to attack ukraine. here, with cruise missiles. there are russians who oppose this operation, but public protest is dangerous. sasha skochilenko knows that. she has been charged with spreading fake news about the russian army. she is accused of replacing supermarket price tags with anti—war messages. for that, she faces up to ten years in prison. sonia, her partner, believes it is a case that says so much about russia. translation: what this tells us is that freedom of speech - in our country is being stamped out, political repression has got worse, and that people who are against the war are being persecuted and put in prison. what those in power here demand is unflinching support for the offensive in ukraine, and for russia's confrontation with the west. steve rosenberg, bbc news, st petersburg. the us has been watching the situation with russian natural gas supplies to europe closely — and has accused moscow of using them as a weapon. here's white house spokespersonjen psaki. this is the type of step, the type of almost weapon rising energy supplies that we have predicted that russia could take in this conflict. that is why we've been in touch with europe including with these countries, including over the last 24—hour mess with readers in poland and bulgaria and we have been working, for some time now, four months, with partners around the world to diversify natural gas supply to europe in anticipation of and also to address long—term needs and also to address long—term needs and replace volumes that would otherwise have come from russia. i'm joined now by professor amy myers jaffe, an expert in global energy policy at tufts university in boston. it is wonderful to have you on the programme, professor. iwant it is wonderful to have you on the programme, professor. i want to start by asking you how serious the situation do you think this is in terms of countries that depend on russia for energy?— terms of countries that depend on russia for energy? well, i think the interestin: russia for energy? well, i think the interesting first _ russia for energy? well, i think the interesting first step _ russia for energy? well, i think the interesting first step is _ russia for energy? well, i think the interesting first step is that - russia for energy? well, i think the interesting first step is that both i interesting first step is that both poland and bulgaria had their contracts with russia ending this year and so they were preparing to go to zero russian gas anyway so this is less pressing, i think, for those countries. they have alternatives and they are prepared but, as a signal to those who thought energy may not be part of the escalation of the conflict i think it was a very threatening day. showing that, you know, we are on that path, where escalation is going to affect energy markets increasingly over time. how much worse could _ increasingly over time. how much worse could it _ increasingly over time. how much worse could it get? _ increasingly over time. how much worse could it get? how - increasingly over time. how much worse could it get? how serious l increasingly over time. how much l worse could it get? how serious are we taking the statement from president putin in terms of other countries that could be affected? welcome as you know, the united states has its own exports of natural gas that have been increasingly targeted to europe and the biden administration have done a sort of fact—finding tour out what countries might be able to, age and other locations, might be able to divert cargo they were expecting. back to europe. and so i do think there is a considerable volume of liquefied natural gas that can flow to europe butjust to give you an order of magnitude, i mean, maybe your buys about 150 or hundred and 55 billion cubic metres a year of natural gas in some form, pipeline or liquefied natural gas. and, you know, we are talking about the international market providing about a third of that so there is a lot of other gaps that would have to be filled if we went to a full ban, either europe decided to just stop using russian gas of russia decided to cut your path substantially and i do that the country probably most at risk are the two countries are germany and to a lesser extent slovakia. so germany, being the engine of economic activity for europe faces some real uphill challenges if indeed the conflict were to extend to the energy supply. and, professor, you know, even these are the supplies coming in from the international market, it will take some time for those supplies to be mobilised, so to speak, won't it? we are in a situation now where the weather is not to enter, people don't need gas supplies as much as they might do further along in the year. how concerning a situation is that if the conflict continues into the winter for european economies? well, you know, it is different depending on you sit geographically. poland, quite wisely, still has very high inventory is of natural gas. they are well situated, they have negotiated to get a new pipeline opening by october, november, to bring in more supply from norway. norway is working hard to increase its exports of natural gas by pipeline to europe. so there are some countries that were be able to come up with solutions by next winter. i think the real question is, you know, longerterm... winter. i think the real question is, you know, longer term... what are the strategies going to be? which countries will switch on? what is the role of energy efficiency which no one likes to talk about, seems a little bit boring but actually could be a big contributor to making the problem less bad. so i do think right now we have this immediate problem that is the announcement of the event because the stock market to go up 20% and that puts some inflationary pressure. that puts some inflationary pressure-— that puts some inflationary ressure. ., ,. ., that puts some inflationary ressure. ., , , pressure. indeed. fascinating stuff. thank ou pressure. indeed. fascinating stuff. thank you so _ pressure. indeed. fascinating stuff. thank you so much _ pressure. indeed. fascinating stuff. thank you so much for— pressure. indeed. fascinating stuff. thank you so much forjoining - pressure. indeed. fascinating stuff. thank you so much forjoining us i pressure. indeed. fascinating stuff. thank you so much forjoining us in | thank you so much forjoining us in the programme with your thoughts. you can get much more on ukraine on our website. we have a constantly updating live page. just log on to bbc.com/news — or download the bbc app a court in myanmar has sentenced aung san suu kyi, the country's deposed civilian leader, to five years injailfor corruption. a court in myanmar has sentenced aung san suu kyi, the country's deposed civilian leader, to five years injailfor corruption. she was accused of accepting bribes in cash and gold. ms suu kyi has described the allegations as absurd. the case was one of several brought against her, after she was forced from power by a military coup early last year. our reporter in singapore, suran—jana tewari has this update. thejudge at the the judge at the core it in thejudge at the core it in me the judge at the core it in me and my�*s capital handed down the sentencing of five years within five minutes of convening the core it. it has been closed the and lawyers have told the bbc that they were unable told the bbc that they were unable to meet her at the trial today as well. now, this isjust one corruption case against her. it relates to allegations that she took money and gold from the chief minister of me and my�*s largest city and region to the amount of $600,000. she calls the claim is absurd and says they are completely baseless. now, it is not yet clear where she will serve this sentence. she has already been sentenced to ii she has already been sentenced to 11 years in prison related to other charges which include incitement to violence and even breaking covid rules and there are still many more cases left to be tried. if you want to get in touch with me i'm on twitter — @bbckarishma turning now to the high court in london — which has ruled that government policies, on discharging patients from hospitals to care homes, at the start of the covid, were unlawful. the ruling was made, after two women took legal action against public health england, and the health secretary at the time. they said covid patients were discharged from hospitals, back to care homes, without testing, causing what was called a �*shocking death toll�* alison holt has the story. two women determined to hold the government to account for what they believed was a failure to protect their fathers. today the court said the policies were unlawful. she is relieved by today's ruling. you may hope this will make a difference by ensuring it will never happen again. also that the people responsible really understand that they are being held to account that they are being held to account that the decisions they made were wrong, that they not only put peoples lives that they not only put peoples lives that left but i will certainly cost lives. they harass his father also died with covid soon after hospital patients were moved into his care home sees this case is the last thing she was able to do for him. the left and they're healthy, fit, happv _ the left and they're healthy, fit, happy. the last photo i have of him in his_ happy. the last photo i have of him in his chair. — happy. the last photo i have of him in his chair, smiling because we were _ in his chair, smiling because we were watching the tv. and he just disappeared. this were watching the tv. and he 'ust disappeared.fi were watching the tv. and he 'ust disaueared. , ., , disappeared. this was a complicated case examining _ disappeared. this was a complicated case examining a _ disappeared. this was a complicated case examining a number _ disappeared. this was a complicated case examining a number of - disappeared. this was a complicated case examining a number of laws . disappeared. this was a complicated | case examining a number of laws and policies but in the end, the judgment was very clear about the decision to discharge hospital patients into care homes at the start of the pandemic. it concludes it was unlawful and irrational. today's judgments as early in the pandemic there was a growing awareness that people could spread the virus without showing symptoms. it sets out what was known about covid—i9 at the time as well as very early discussions by government advisers. i might donate 2020 the health minister told parliament: official guidance was published a few days later. the aim was to free up few days later. the aim was to free up beds for the wave of covid patience. you make the thing that we did not know particular, mr speaker, was that kevin could be transmitted a symptomatically on the way that it was and that was something that we had known more about at the time. the government says every death is a tragedy that has put billions of pounds into providing care services with protective equipment and support for infection control. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: three american presidents gather in washington to lead the tributes at the funeral of madeline albright — the first female us secretary of state. nothing, it seems, was too big to withstand the force of the tornado. the extent of the devastation will lead to renewed calls for government help to build better housing. internationally there have already been protests, sweden says it received no warning of the accident. indeed, the russians had first denied anything had gone wrong. only when radioactivity levels began to outside russia were they forced to admit the accident. the outside russia were they forced to admit the accident.— outside russia were they forced to admit the accident. the mood here is of ureat admit the accident. the mood here is of great celebration. _ admit the accident. the mood here is of great celebration. this _ admit the accident. the mood here is of great celebration. this is - admit the accident. the mood here is of great celebration. this is the - of great celebration. this is the end of— of great celebration. this is the end of a — of great celebration. this is the end of a 12 _ of great celebration. this is the end of a 12 year war for them. they've — end of a 12 year war for them. they've taken a cab to which they have _ they've taken a cab to which they have been— they've taken a cab to which they have been fighting for for so long. we make — have been fighting for for so long. we make it — have been fighting for for so long. we make it was seven o'clock in the morning. _ we make it was seven o'clock in the morning. the — we make it was seven o'clock in the morning, the day when power began to pass from _ morning, the day when power began to pass from the minority to the majoritx _ pass from the minority to the majority. africa, after 300 years, reclaimed — majority. africa, after 300 years, reclaimed its last white colony. africa, after 300 years, reclaimed its last white colony. this is newsday on the bbc. our headlines: president putin cuts gas supplies and declares that russia will respond immediately — to any country attempting to interfere in ukraine. we've been following this story for you this week on newsday — of nagaenthran dharmalingam, a malaysian man who was executed on wednesday in singapore on drug smuggling charges. now the singapore government has called his mother's last minute legal appeal to stop the execution of her son — reprehensible and improper. officials said they might even take action against those involved in preparing the application. his lawyers had argued that the execution of a mentally ill person is prohibited under international human rights law. i'm joined now from london by amnesty international researcher for south east asia, rachel chhoa—howard. wonderful to get you on the programme. just to say... just to say... just to say we did try to get the singapore govt on to discuss this, but we didn't get a response to our invitation to send a representative to appear on the programme, to discuss this specific case — nor have they given us a statement yet — but what they have said previously — is that nagaenthran knew what he was doing, and they had evidence from four different psychiatric and psychological experts about his intellectual ability. as you know, singapore is quite clear about its zero tolerant attitude to drugs. i do think this case has generated so much debate? thank you. well, first of all, may i start by saying that the execution was a shameful act by the singapore government. it was with this they carried out despite protests, extensive protest in singapore, malaysia and around the world. you have brought up the intellectual disability and it is true that medical experts in 2013,16,17, over the years actually diagnosed with borderline intellectual functioning, low iq, and they have said this might contribute to him committing his drug—related offence but this was rejected by the court of appeal. they said that actually while these alleged deficits may have actually contributed they said this would not diminish culpability. that finding is deeply troubling and the factors from amnesty international�*s perspective, from many organisations around the world the intellectual disability may have impacted his right to a fair trial from the very beginning. find impacted his right to a fair trial from the very beginning. and 'ust to sa , from the very beginning. and 'ust to say. though. — from the very beginning. and 'ust to say, though, singapore has _ say, though, singapore has previously seen support for the death penalty in the country, statistics i have seen from 2019 show that 70% of those surveyed in singapore, think it was about 2000 people, agreed that execution was more of a deterrent against serious crime than a life sentence. there is support within the country for the death penalty, whatever the rights and wrongs of the specific case, has generated more debate about that? yes, certainly, this case generates debate about that. the reliance on public opinion polls, there is evidence of public support for the death penalty long has been challenged and the reality is that public support for the death penalty in singapore is much more nuanced than the government portrays it. i mean, we have surveys in 2016 if we're going to look at surveys, that show that when people are asked about specific circumstances and specific crimes, support for the death penalty does actually decrease when there is less support for the death penalty for drug trafficking, for instance. this support will be morose to think about whether that life imprisonment is as much of a deterrent is execution. there is also less support for the death penalty when it has shown that people might be innocent might be executed. i people might be innocent might be executed. ., ,., people might be innocent might be executed. ., , ., , executed. i am so sorry. really sor to executed. i am so sorry. really sorry to cut— executed. i am so sorry. really sorry to cut you _ executed. i am so sorry. really sorry to cut you off _ executed. i am so sorry. really sorry to cut you off there - executed. i am so sorry. really sorry to cut you off there but i executed. i am so sorry. really. sorry to cut you off there but i'm afraid that is all the time that we have the segment on the programme. it was wonderful to get you on newsday with your thoughts. a study published in the science journal nature today — says 21%, over a fifth — of all reptile species face extinction. hundreds of scientists from all over the world have spent the past 15 years cataloguing reptiles according to the criteria for the international red list of endangered species. the species under threat include: crocodiles which are often killed for their meat, and to remove them from areas where humans have settled. also at risk, are turtles which are targeted by the pet trade and used for traditional medicine. nearing extinction is the the fearsome king cobra, the world's largest venomous snake. that's due to loss of forest habitat across a huge area from india to southeast asia. here's zoologist bruce young, one of the report authors. we found that over 1800 species of reptiles are at risk. you can find that in reptiles around the world. reptiles include snakes, lizards, legless lizards, turtles, crocodiles, all of those. they make up crocodiles, all of those. they make up the group of reptiles so in the world that is over 10,000 species. be assessed every single one and unfortunately found out that such a large number of species are threatened. we knew that reptiles are probably threatened but they didn't know exactly how much. the main thing that came out that was of great to others the same kinds of things that threaten reptiles also threaten other species, birds, mammals, amphibians. so you don't need rocket science to figure out how to protect reptiles. it is the same things we know we can do. we have those solutions. just have to go about and actually implement them. america's political elite— have been paying tribute to former secretary of state madeleine albright, at her funeral service in washington. ms albright died last month, aged 84, having become the first woman ever to hold that office. among those in attendance at the national cathedral — bill and hillary clinton, and president biden. her name is still synonymous with america as a force for good in the world. madeline never minced words are wasted time when she saw something needed fixing. 0r someone who needed helping. shejust got to work. let's just pick out a few of the highlights of madeleine albright�*s career. she was born in prague in what was then czechoslovakia — living through the second world war — before leaving with her family for the us after the communists took control in 19118. she was a talented student, served on america's national security council under president carter and advised democratic politicians on foreign policy — before president bill clinton made her america's ambassador to the united nations — and then his secretary of state. also among those paying tribute — hillary clinton, the second woman to serve as us secretary of state. she talked about their friendship. she didn'tjust she didn't just help she didn'tjust help other women, she spent her entire life counselling and cajoling, inspiring and lifting up so many of us who are here today. so the angels better be wearing their best pins. and putting on their dancing shoes because if, as madeline believed, there is a special place in hell for women who don't support other women, they haven't seen anyone like her yet. you have been watching newsday. coming up for viewers in the uk — a review of the newspapers. and i'll be back for some viewers on world news with asia business report — looking at how facebook�*s parent company meta has been having a rollercoaster ride on the stock markets — as its advertising revenue slows down. that's all for now — stay with bbc world news. hello again. many parts of scotland, northern ireland, western england and wales had some decent spells of sunshine, but across central across central and eastern england we had some cloud yesterday. this is called strata cumulus. through the afternoon in hastings that cloud began to break up. because it's a thin cloud, it's only two to 300 metres thick, you got sunny blue skies and once it starts to go it can go very, very quickly. it was lovely end to the day here. i'm telling you about that because that's what this type of cloud is running in off the north sea affecting parts of eastern england and the midlands at the moment. that is going to be prone to thinning and breaking up a bit more as we go through thursday. with clearer skies out towards the west as cold at the moment we've got frost to watch out for heading into the first part of the morning. now, across southern england a better chance of seeing some sunshine, should have sunshine as well across much of the northwest of the uk. i suspect this cloud will tend to erode. the areas most likely to keep it into the afternoon will probably be east midlands, norfolk and suffolk but otherwise i think most of you will see some sunshine. dry for many, an odd showerfor northern scotland and southwest england but in the rest of the century were looking at highs up to 16 degrees. it's a similar kind of day on friday. again, we start off with some of that patchy cloud coming in off the north sea but many of us it's a dry day, again with spells of sunshine and starting to turn a little bit warmer, 17 the top temperature in cardiff and glascow. after this lengthy spell of dry weather caused by this high—pressure we're going to see changes into the weekend. it starts to weaken to allow this weather front to move in from the north and west. saturday, although england and wales looking at a another fine day with further spells of sunshine, much thicker cloud than we've seen all week heading into scotland and northern ireland with outbreaks of rain especially through the afternoon. the rain turning heavier and steadierfor time. temperatures out of the rain around 15 or 16 degrees which will feel pleasant given the light winds. through saturday nights and a sunday the rain was southward across england and wales as it does it will weekend so it will turn lighter and patchier. temperatures on sunday it should reach a high of around 1a or 15 degrees with the best of the dryer and brighter weather in scotland and northern ireland. this is bbc news, the headlines. the way the government discharged patients from hospital to care homes at the start of the pandemic is ruled unlawful. an investigation is under way into claims a conservative mp watched pornography on his mobile phone in the house of commons. a man is charged with the murder of missing mother katie kenyon who went missing in burnley last friday. the eu warns countries not to give in to russia's demands to pay for its energy in roubles — after moscow cut gas supplies to poland and bulgaria. and hundreds of people have gathered to remember