this is bbc news — i'm samantha simmonds — with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. russian—occupied regions in ukraine hold referendums on whether to join the russian federation — ukraine says it's a sham which is doomed to fail. the kremlin organises rallies to support its policy of calling up reserves to fight in ukraine — our correspondent samples the mood in moscow. this is not a spontaneous display of love for vladimir putin and his policies. it is a highly choreographed affair designed to give the impression that the whole country is behind the president. here in the uk — a dramatic change in economic direction —

the biggest tax cuts in half a century — in a bid to kickstart growth. more than seventy people die — after a migrant boat sinks off the coast of syria. a new type of cancer therapy shows promising results in early human trials. we hear from the study leader. and — the first woman to win the booker prize twice — the celebrated author dame hilary mantel — dies at the age of seventy. officials in four russian—occupied regions of ukraine have been holding self—declared referendums — on whether to become part of the russian federation. the kremlin supports the votes — just as it did after the annexation of crimea — the ukrainian territory which was invaded in 2014. but the government in kyiv and western countries have condemned the referendums — saying they are just a sham, and that they will

never be recognised. these are the four areas where voting is being held. they include occupied parts of luhansk and donetsk in the east, and zaporizhzhia and kherson, in the south — and cover around fifteen percent of ukraine's territory. votes are are expected to run until tuesday, and the result seems almost certain to go in moscow's favour. the international community does not recognise the validity of the process. as you can see, these pictures, filmed in russian—occupied donetsk, show how polling cards are being taken to people in their own homes — with a yes or no answer on the ballot paper — and this form, at least, was not filled in in secret. meanwhile russia is continuing to mobilise its reserve troops — which isn't going entirely smoothly. with the latest, here's our russia editor, steve rosenberg. it was the moment the kremlin tried to show the people still back their president and what he's doing in ukraine. within days, vladimir putin is expected to annex a huge swathe of ukrainian territory.

there's international condemnation, but at home, the official picture is they trust putin. many of the people here, though, didn't trust us. when we asked the simple question, "why have you come to this rally?", there was a certain reluctance to answer. but they had something to say on the subject of mobilisation. "the call—up is worrying everyone with relatives of fighting age," natalia says. not viera. "i'd be much happier if my son got wounded fighting in ukraine than die of alcoholism here," she says. "fighting is a proper man'sjob." this is not a spontaneous display of love for vladimir putin and his policies. it is a highly choreographed affair, designed to give the impression that the whole country is behind the president. a lot of the people we've spoken to here today have been brought in specially from schools, from factories

and other state organisations. in ukraine today, in those areas occupied by russian troops, self—styled referendums began onjoining russia. the west has denounced the votes as a sham, a smoke screen for annexation by moscow. back in russia, more goodbyes, more men called up to fight in ukraine. there's growing concern here that the scale of mobilisation is far greater than the kremlin have let on. emotions are running high. "why have you taken our sons?", a mother is heard asking this officer. when he tells the audience that his own son isn't eligible for the call—up, listen to the reaction. groans, shouts for the president, this could become a problem.

vladimir putin once promised russians stability. now, he's sending them to the front line. persuading russians to keep faith in him won't be easy. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. earlier i spoke to ustyn danchuk, founder of the first kherson film school — he spent three months under russian occupation and then managed to escape to odesa. here he is talking about what his friends are saying about the �*so—called voting' back in kherson: three orfour of three or four of these sites for the referendum takes place were empty and no people were there. some were single people who go over there, there were pensioners were nostalgic of the soviet union and the total minority in the town and most of the people just hide minority in the town and most of the peoplejust hide in

their houses and this absurd event will end because people feel constantly in danger and there are sightings of people who are so—called commissions of the referendum who walk around apartment buildings and accompanied by russian soldiers with automatic weapons. so, can you think of true independent voting when a person with an automatic weapon is standing along with the case where you should put your ballot. it is absurd. ~ ., ., should put your ballot. it is absurd. . ., , absurd. what are people saying but the think— absurd. what are people saying but the think is _ absurd. what are people saying but the think is going _ absurd. what are people saying but the think is going to - but the think is going to happen the voting finishes?

people just afraid because where they are hoping there would be a movement and some --eole would be a movement and some peeple were _ would be a movement and some people were optimistic - would be a movement and some people were optimistic about. people were optimistic about the region would be next to be liberated and now, for this move by putin has frightened most of the people and they do not want to be mobilised to go and fight their brothers, ukrainians, they do not want to be a part of russia, theyjust want to survive and hide and wait until our city is liberated. so, more fear, more terror, only fearand liberated. so, more fear, more terror, only fear and terror, this is all that's going in kherson now. well as the war in ukraine has caused a rise in energy prices and impacted the cost of living

in many parts of the world — here in the uk, the finance minister kwasi kwarteng has announced the biggest tax cuts for half a century. this is the first unveiling of economic plans under the new uk government led by liz truss. among the measures, the higher rate of income tax of 45% is to be abolished. a planned rise in corporation tax from 19% to 25% has been cancelled — that's the tax businesses pay on their profits. and the rules which cap bankers' bonuses to twice their annual salary have been scrapped. but the markets have not reacted well and the pound fell to a 37—year low against the dollar. it fell more than 3% against the dollar, dropping below1 point 09 dollar. the opposition labour party has called the government �*desperate gamblers in a casino — chasing a losing run�*. well earlier, kwasi kwarteng told mps it would make britain more globally competitive. now we have to focus not just on how we tax and spend, will not apologise for the way we increase prosperity and living

standards. our entire focus is making grid more globally competitive and not losing out to our competitors abroad. in the prime minister said will be a tax—cutting government and we have cut some media have allowed businesses to keep more of their own money to invest and innovate and grow in your cut income tax national insurance for many workers. we are securing our place in a fiercely competitive economy with lower rates of compilation tax and personal tax. we have prioritised growth with the promise of a new approach for a new era and we've promised to release the enormous potential of this country. our growth and has delivered on all his promises and more, this country. our growth and has delivered on all his promises and more common is to speak of. and for an assessment of the budget i spoke to our political correspondent rob watson. it's almost like having a completely different government. you've highlighted the main bits and essentially,

this is the package of massive tax cuts that's going to amount to about $50 billion of tax cuts in about five years' time. there's also a programme of the regulation in the big picture idea is that if you cut taxes on corporations and you cut taxes on the wealthiest, that will lead to more growth and that will attract people into the country and attract people to start new businesses. but it is massively controversial and why it is notjust a political british story locally. it's an outlier, the other rich nations and the other g7 countries are not doing this and i doing unfunded tax cuts and it will be watched immensely closely, not just be watched immensely closely, notjust by people living here in the uk, but everyone around the world. in the uk, but everyone around the world-— the world. we've already seen the world. we've already seen the pound _ the world. we've already seen the pound fall _ the world. we've already seen the pound fall in _ the world. we've already seen the pound fall in value - the world. we've already seen the pound fall in value againstj the pound fall in value against the pound fall in value against the dollarfor 37 year the pound fall in value against the dollar for 37 year low. how much of a gamble this is. they're saying it's a massive gamble in the governments

argument and it's described as trickle—down economics by people who do not like it very much as a reminder of the people said ronald reagan did in the 1980s in the united states that it unshackled businesses of the lower taxes, the pie, the overall pie will get bigger and that's more important than how you redistributed. it is a massive gamble for the following reason for most economists, they don't think it's going to work and in a flood of business is a rather sceptical in the real risk is that if it doesn't work and you don't get this growth, you could all these taxes and that within antigovernment debt and borrowing has become more expensive and can fuel inflation which is already high here than in other g7 countries and another which is being shared with the united states is there's a danger that it will further fuel inequality in the uk which like the us, it's very high compared to other wealthy nations. the bodies of 71 people have been found after the boat they were travelling in sank off syria's coast. twenty survivors

are being treated in a hospital in the syrian city of tartus. officials said lebanese, syrian and palestinian nationals — including women and children — were believed to be among as many of 150 people who were on board when the boat sank on thursday. it is not clear what caused the accident. a rescue attempt is ongoing. 0ur correspondent lina sinjab is in lebanon, a few kilometres south from where the boat carrying the migrants sank. she told me about the rescue operation: we are now at the syrian lebanese border where some of the bodies have just arrived and using ambulances of the lebanese rescue cars. a boat that was carrying around 120 or a little bit more migrants sank off the coast of the shore of the syrian city of tartus in

the syrian city of tartus in the search is still ongoing. and we can see now that some of the bodies are still arriving and it's a devastating scene here at the lebanese border and families are waiting anxiously for news about the beloved ones and some have already received bodies of their relatives. some are still waiting and some are among the fortunate that are waiting for the rescue. but this is a devastating situation in their pushed not only by linda's needs but also palestinians who live in lebanon, syrians live in lebanon, syrians live in lebanon but talking to the families in the people, one person told me that the dead ones are the lucky ones because they have escaped this horrible life we are living here and said that we are not living up we are already dead. we have reached a level below zero this is an unbearable life and even today after this catastrophic event, that happened between yesterday and today with the

big number of deaths, people will still take to the streets and still risk their lives because they've got nothing to lose. they're already living in miserable conditions. stay with us on bbc news — still to come. the world of literature has been remembering the author — dame hilary mantel — who's died at the age of seventy. ben johnson, the fastest man on earth is flying home to canada in disgrace. all athletes should be clean going into the game. i'm just happy that justice is served. it is a simple fact that this morning these people - were in their homes, _ tonight those homes have been burnt down by serbian soldiers and police. i all the taliban positions along here have been strengthened presumably in case americans invaded. it's no use having a secret

service which cannot preserve its own secrets against the world. and so the british government has no option but to continue this action even after any adverse judgment in australia. the concorde would cross the atlantic faster than any plane than ever before, breaking the record by six minutes. this is bbc news — the latest headlines. russian—occupied regions in ukraine hold referendums on whether to join the russian federation — ukraine says it's a sham which is doomed to fail. the kremlin organises rallies in moscow to support its policy of calling up thousands of reservists to fight in ukraine. italy's general election on sunday could make history, potentially giving the country its first female prime minister. giorgia meloni of the far—right

brothers of italy party is seen as the frontrunner of a right—wing alliance that's predicted to win the vote. whoever takes power, they'll have to deal with soaring energy costs, a large public debt, and how to respond to the war in ukraine. 0ur europe editor, katya adler, reports. italy's political earthquake travels in style these days. are you the first person to govern italy, giorgia? i had to ask. giorgia meloni, self—appointed defender of the italian people, poised to become italy's next premier, comes from the neofascist hard—right, though her tone is now consciously more mainstream. cheering and applause. italy is changing, says giorgia meloni. while her critics worry about her roots in the far—right, she's carefully concentrating on economics. this crowd is worried about the cost of bread and the price of gas.

they really want to give her go. translation: we need i to change the future of our country, for our children. we believe in giorgia meloni. political rivals are sounding the alarm about far—right government, but many here think they're exaggerating. right is trying to scare us and to design enemies for us, and instead of that, left is building and trying to give tries for people. they are talking about the past and we want to go to the future. giorgia meloni insists there are no nostalgic fascists in her party. but what about this? it looks like a fascist salute. just surfaced on social media, we see a city councillor from meloni's party making the gesture with others at a family funeral. prosecutors are investigating.

then there are meloni's chosen coalition partners, both traditionally close to vladimir putin — silvio berlusconi — remember him — and far—right matteo salvini. italy's allies in the eu and nato worry about a meloni government — should they? let's judge the future governor by facts. she voted in favour of the sanctions. there's no reason that she'll do different things in government than she's done in the opposition. most italians just want some stability. these ceramic workers' jobs are at risk because of spiralling energy costs. translation: we start work - before dawn now because energy prices are cheaper then. 0ur bills have gone up 1000%. ijust hope the next government

has a stable majority so they can do something fast to help us and other struggling workers. which ever political bandwagon voters jump on this sunday, italy's next government will have their hands full, but their policy choices limited by eu law and the italian constitution — cold comfort perhaps for those fearing the far—right. katya adler, bbc news, rome. hurricane fiona — the weather system which has already caused widespread damage in several carribean nations — has caused power cuts in bermuda. these pictures were filmed by an unmanned ship at sea as it swept past the island. the storm brought gusts in excess of 103 miles per hour — that's around 165 kilometres per hour — and heavy rain. the hurricane is set to gather more strength as it moves towards eastern canada. early human trials of a new type of cancer therapy are showing promising results. that's according to the institute of cancer research and the royal marsden nhs foundation trust. the treatment uses

a common virus to infect and destroy harmful cells. lead researcher professor kevin harrington who's been involved in the trials says results are �*encouraging'. we took this and we change the genetics of a virus, we took out the genes that allow the virus to cause disease, the disease of cold sores and we replaced those genetic sequences from the virus with things that could be used as treatment for cancers and so, we put in genes that would stimulate the bodies immune system to fight cancer and we also put in the ability of that virus to manufacture and immunotherapy truck inside the cancer itself and rather than having to give the drug is an injection, the virus makes for us with an tumour. so, we treat patients with direct injections into the tumour and then laterally with the virus plus a standard immunotherapy. and in the first phase, we such a

medic responses in three of nine patients and subsequently in the combination study with immunotherapy, we saw the patients who had previously had progressive disease and receiving the same sorts of immunotherapies, a number of those patients had substantial responses of their disease. this is encouraging data which points the way to further trials. �* ., , ,., , ., trials. and at this point, you know who — trials. and at this point, you know who it _ trials. and at this point, you know who it could _ trials. and at this point, you know who it could help, - trials. and at this point, you | know who it could help, what kind of patients. the know who it could help, what kind of patients.— kind of patients. the initial tar: ets kind of patients. the initial targets for _ kind of patients. the initial targets for patients - kind of patients. the initial targets for patients are - targets for patients are various types of skin cancers, but also patients with head and neck cancers, this is an interesting test in patients with lung and breast cancers. within the trial that we did, we so responses really and very, very difficult to treat humans like the slavery glands and also, a patient with a soft goal disease. you see a big opportunity and potential

patients with rare forms of melanoma that affect the eye and we have also seen with his sister virus from this, really the next version of this virus beginnings activities against a rare, assertive, soft tissue tumour and we have seen responses there which we really did not anticipate. these are very interesting and intriguing data. ., ., data. how long could it take for more — data. how long could it take for more trials _ data. how long could it take for more trials and - data. how long could it take for more trials and possible | for more trials and possible wider use of this. trials are ongoing and what we call expansion cohorts, for the groups of patients that are already being invited to take part in the studies that already being invited to take part in the studies— part in the studies that we discussed _ part in the studies that we discussed today, - part in the studies that we discussed today, there - part in the studies that we - discussed today, there ongoing trials with two other versions of this piracy in the united kingdom and there are lots of opportunities to develop this as a platform technology and to treat a diverse range of different diseases. the celebrated author dame hilary mantel, widely regarded as one of the greatest british

novelists of the century, has died at the age of 70. she was best—known for her trilogy of historical novels about the rise and fall of thomas cromwell in tudor england, which began with wolf hall. her publisher, harper collins, said she died "suddenly yet peacefully" surrounded by close family and friends. our culture editor katie razzall looks back on her life. thomas cromwell is now 50 years old, the same eyes, the same thickset, imperturbable body... cromwell, why are you such a person? thomas cromwell and hilary mantel will be forever entwined. her trilogy about the life of henry viii's fixer became a bafta—winning tv series. her vivid novels conjured a tudor world of intrigue and violence that readers could feel and taste. she won the booker prize twice, for wolf hall and bring up the bodies, the first woman to do so. mantel had been writing historical and contemporary fiction for years before she found popular acclaim. i hesitated for such a long time before beginning

to write this book — actually, for about 20 years. the young hilary mantel had wanted to be a barrister, but her lack of connections and the endometriosis she struggled with all her life saw her turn to writing instead. the law's loss was humanity's gain. anywhere she chose to write about, at any time, any character, was the best anybody could have done. she's a classic writer, in the footsteps of dickens and mrs gaskell and george eliot, but she was writing in ourtime. she really is that important. recognition of those searing talents got mantel a damehood, at the royal shakespeare company saw cromwell. cindy was a extraordinary. recognition of those searing talents got mantel a damehood, for services to literature, and she talked in recent years of her hopes for the future. there's so much i want to do,

and it'sjust a question of, "how much stamina have i got, what time have i got left?" dame hilary mantel died from a stroke in a hospital in exeter, with herfamily beside her. the author dame hilary mantel who's died at the age of 70. the swiss tennis star roger federer, playing the last game with 20 grand slam titles. he has been on court for team europe and the lava cup, playing doubles alongside his long—time rival rafael nadal. the pair when the first set against the world, he announced last week that he is retiring because of a persistent knee injury. very excited crowds there to see him play. that is it for me. you can reach me on twitter — i'm @samantha tv news.

hello. the autumn equinox happened on friday and saturday's going to be a full day of autumn. skies are politically at the moment and the weekend is looking not too bad —— skies pretty clear. skies are pretty clear at the moment and the weekend is looking not too bad. this is what it looks like out there right now. a few showers around, but generally clear across most of the uk through the early hours of saturday. the temperatures ranging from close to freezing in the scottish clans, around ten in liverpool and 12 degrees in the south. recently, it has been pretty cloudy and wet because of a stubborn weather front. the thinking is the weather front should be out of the picture in the english channel and across france. there is a possibility

it could be cloudy in the extreme southeast. elsewhere, waking up to sunny spells and i think through the course of the afternoon, showers developing. but in scotland and northern ireland, it should be a predominantly dry day. here temperatures will range from 12—16, in the south, still around 18. a lot of sunshine, but watch this cold front sweep into northern and western scotland later in the day. the winds will increase and that heralds a change into next week. we'll have a look at that in the second. i want to update you on hurricane fiona, ijust passed to the west of bermuda. it is headed towards nova scotia and the effects are likely to be very significant around the canadian maritimes. the storm will no longer be a tropical hurricane when it hits. it will turn into more of a mid—latitude weather

system, but the strength of the wind will still be blowing at hurricane force and waves around coastal areas are forecast to reach ten, even 12 metres a ferocious weather. we are expecting a holder plunge of air, following a cold front. if you look at the forecast here, 13 degrees in aberdeen and edinburgh probably as well, and cardiff, mid—teens expected and similar values there in london. have a good weekend.

this is bbc news. the headlines. officials in four russian—occupied regions of ukraine have been holding self—declared referendums on whether to become part of the russian federation. the kremlin supports the votes, but kyiv and western countries have condemned them, saying they're just a sham and they won't be recognised. britain's finance minister has defended the government's plans to boost the economy, insisting they're not a "gamble". kwasi kwarteng has said massive tax cuts aimed at boosting economic growth are fair for all despite the highest earners gaining the most. tax cuts will be paid for by extra borrowing. syria's health minister says more than 70 people have drowned after a boat carrying migrants sank near the city of tartus. about 20 survivors are being treated in hospital. survivors say the boat set off from northern lebanon on tuesday with more than 100 people on board.