Self-styled referendums in four occupied regions of Ukraine

Denounced as illegitimate and a sham by Ukraine and the West, these so-called votes are taking place over five days. An annexation could lead to a claim by Russia that its territory is coming under attack from Western weapons supplied to Ukraine.

Also in the programme: as protests spread across Iran, over the death of a young woman in police custody, an academic in Teheran tells us that the unrest is being whipped up by the country's enemies; and we talk to Bill Hamilton, agent and friend of British writer Hilary Mantel, who has died at the age of 70.

(Photo: A doctor attends a referendum at a polling station in Luhansk, Ukraine, 23 September 2022. Credit: EPA).