The Daily: October 17

John Whaite wows the judges to win the Great British Bake Off

John was lucky to reach the final and was not considered a serious contender for the winning title of the show but after presenting judges with a 'perfect slice' of chocolate cake, his fortunes were transformed and John was crowned the winner. The banker beat favourites James Morton and Brendan Lynch with his recipe that runs for three A4 pages, involving 27 steps and including 18 eggs, a kilo of sugar, 600 grams of dark chocolate and five sheets of gold leaf. However, his win was later overshadowed by the passing away of his grandfather, dying just a day after he won in the prerecorded programme that was filmed last summer.

Hilary Mantel becomes the first woman to win the Booker Prize twice

Hilary Mantel has become the first woman to win the Booker Prize twice, being awarded the £50,000 literary prize last night for her Bring Up The Bodies thriller. The title of the book comes from the order given at the Tower of London when prisoners we being brought to trial. She is the first woman to win the prize for two novels written in succession. The thriller which tells of the dark world of Thomas Cromwell and the story of Anne Boleyn's downfall through his eyes is the sequel to Wolf Hall, which won the prize in 2009. Chairman of the judging panel, Peter Stothard, has described the book as extraordinary, insisting it won on merit.

The weatherman warns of 60mph winds and high tides in coastal areas

The west and south coast of Wales and the coasts of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset are likely to experience winds of up to 60mph with the possibility of flooding in low-lying coastal roads, farmland and isolated houses. There are 28 flood warnings in place and 76 less severe flood alerts along with thundery showers expected to hit Britain this afternoon. The Met Office has stated that winds are expected to increase to gale or severe gale force on parts of the coast which could lead to transport disruption The Environment Agency are warning people to be careful driving or walking along the coast.

Voluntary work could become part of A-Levels

Future A Level students could be required to participate in large-scale projects along with conventional subjects under new plans aimed to prepare students for the demands of university. Teenagers may have to complete dissertation-style essays and voluntary work as part of a major overhaul of the system. A study published this year stated that many universities have had to provide booster lessons in the three Rs for first-year students because they were badly prepared for the demands of higher education. The Department of Education has stated that A-levels will not be replaced but there are public consultations about reforming them. The Government has insisted that the plans are under consideration and no final decisions have been made.

Painting masterpieces stolen in Rotterdam

Seven masterpieces were stolen in Rotterdam yesterday, including invaluable paintings by Picasso and Monet. The paintings were taken at 3am from the Kunsthal museum which was thought to have had an impenetrable security system. Originals by Matisse, Gauguin and Lucien Freud were also taken, with experts saying it is impossible to value their work accurately but they are thought to be worth tens of millions of pounds. The thieves triggered the alarm system but by the time the police had arrived, they had gone. Experts believe the burglars to have had inside information and the heist is being ranked up there with the stealing of Edvard Munch's The Scream in 2004.