BBC News with Zoe Diamond

The former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has been sentenced to seven years in jail after a judge found her guilty of exceeding her powers when she agreed a gas deal with Russia in 2009. David Stern reports from Kiev.

Mrs Tymoshenko repeatedly interrupted the presiding judge Rodion Kireyev as he read out the sentence, shouting "Glory to Ukraine". In addition to the seven-year jail term, she was fined close to $200m. She was accused of exceeding her authority in signing a gas agreement in 2009 with the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, which ended a so-called "gas war" between the two countries. Mrs Tymoshenko called the proceedings a political show trial and said it was revenge for her opposing President Viktor Yanukovych. The case has been closely watched in the United States and in European capitals, where diplomats have privately echoed her claims.The European Union and Russia have criticised the sentencing of Mrs Tymoshenko.

State media in Burma have announced an amnesty for more than 6,300 prisoners. State television said the releases would begin on Wednesday. Burma is thought to be holding more than 2,000 political prisoners. Our South East Asia correspondent Rachel Harvey reports from neighbouring Thailand.

First, Burma's own newly established human rights body urged the president to free what it called "prisoners of conscience"; a few hours later, a statement read out on official media said a total of 6,359 detainees would be granted amnesty on what it called humanitarian grounds, though it didn't make clear how many of those would be political prisoners. The announcement will be welcomed in Western capitals and may lead to calls for some kind of reciprocal measure to encourage further reform.