Wales Retain Six Nations With Record Victory

Wales have successfully defended the Six Nations title, beating England by a record 30-3 at the Millennium Stadium.

The victory over England denied the long-time tournament leaders a Grand Slam.

Winger Alex Cuthbert grabbed two second-half tries for the Welsh, after fullback Leigh Halfpenny had kicked them to a 12-3 lead by the 52nd minute.

It was Wales' fourth title in the past nine years and their 26th overall in the tournament - equalling England's haul.

Wales had won their last four matches after opening with a 30-22 loss to Ireland, their eighth straight defeat.

Dejected England players in the hard-fought match in Cardiff

England would have won the title with a loss by six points but had no answer to the Welsh power, with a first-half penalty by Owen Farrell their only points.

The visitors' error count was high and it was the eighth time in the past 24 years that England had thrown away a Grand Slam chance on the final weekend.

It continued the team's downward spiral after they only edged to an 18-11 win over Italy last weekend. They have scored just one try in their last four games.

It was a step too far for Stuart Lancaster's young side, who were much more inexperienced than their opponents at the Cardiff ground.

Wales celebrates the historic win against England

Wales boasted 647 caps and included 12 players who started last season's Grand Slam-clinching victory over France in the same stadium.

The victory margin topped Wales' 25-0 win of 1905.

The roof of the Millennium Stadium had been closed at the request of both coaches - which added to the intense atmosphere.

With the British and Irish Lions tour less than three months away, there were also squad places up for grabs as coach Warren Gatland looked on in the stands.

Pundits had agreed throughout the week that it was too close to call - but they were proved wrong despite a fiercely-fought first half that was breathless, intense and crammed full of ferocious hits.

Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones said: "I'd like to heartily congratulate the whole squad and the coaching staff on winning the Six Nations Championship.

"The team deserves a huge pat on the back on their performance; they did what they had to do to defend their title and keep the Six Nations trophy here in Wales.

"We have seen them fight back from a disappointing opening match to reach this triumph. That took character, determination and team spirit, qualities that they have demonstrated in ample measure.

"Rob Howley and his coaching team deserve huge credit for this. To win the Championship on the back of the difficult run of results that preceded it is a marvellous achievement.

"I'm sure I speak for Welsh people everywhere when I say - well done boys, you've done the whole country proud yet again!"

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Missing Prisoner John Anslow Arrested In Cyprus

A prisoner who had been missing since he escaped from a police escort van in January 2012 has been arrested in Northern Cyprus.

John Anslow, 32, had been wanted by police since he absconded near HMP Hewell in Worcestershire while on his way to court.

He is accused of the murder of 27-year-old businessman Richard Deakin in Chasetown, Staffordshire, in July 2010.

Anslow, from Tipton, West Midlands, was arrested on Wednesday in Alancak in Northern Cyprus for immigration offences and deported by the Turkish Cypriot authorities.

He was then arrested at Heathrow Airport on Saturday morning and has been transferred to a high-security prison.

He will appear via video link at Stafford Crown Court on Monday for failing to appear at court in January 2012.

In the past three weeks, nine men have been arrested and charged by West Mercia Police in connection with Anslow's escape.

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Uncovered: The Public Bodies Snooping On You

The Department for Transport is among a range of public organisations that has paid private firms to spy on its behalf, while it has been claimed some 14 bodies, including 10 councils, may have commissioned potentially illegal surveillance.

The findings, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by civil liberties and privacy campaigners Big Brother Watch (BBW), showed that £3.9m has been spent by public bodies in the last two years on paying private investigators for surveillance work -including snooping on their own staff.

A total of  29 organisations - 27 councils, one public authority and one government department, the DfT - paid private firms to undertake surveillance using powers under Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa) in the years 2010/11 and 2011/12.

But some 14 organisations - 10 councils and four public authorities - paid private firms to undertake surveillance that was not covered by Ripa - meaning they commissioned potentially illegal activity.

Two public authorities and two councils paid other public bodies to spy on their behalf at a cost of £7,600, while four councils - Caerphilly, Dudley, Leicestershire and York - used private investigators to monitor their own staff.

BBW director Nick Pickles said: "This research has uncovered cases where it looks like the law has not been followed and it's essential they are urgently investigated.

"Unlike the US, British law isn't strong enough to stop evidence obtained by illegal surveillance being used in court and the punishments for people deliberately flouting the law are trivial.

Eric Pickles says councils which have flouted the law should face justice

"We need a proper licensing system for private investigators, reformed laws to stop unauthorised surveillance being used in court and most importantly to replace the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act with legislation that is fit for purpose."

City of York Council denied using private investigators and said it had used an external fraud team.

BBW has recommended urgent reform of Ripa to protect against unauthorised surveillance by third parties.

The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 should be strengthened to stop unauthorised surveillance by raising the bar about what evidence can be used in legal proceedings, BBW recommended.

The group also wants private investigator licensing to be strengthened and a duty to regulate contracted investigators to be introduced.

Communities secretary Eric Pickles said: "This Government has clamped down on the overuse and abuse of surveillance powers by town halls.

"Such powers can only be used for serious crimes, and require a magistrates' warrant. It is totally unacceptable if councils are trying to sidestep these important new checks and they should be held to account for acting outside the law."

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Budget: Osborne To Tackle Youth Jobs Crisis?

Osborne: 'More Tough Choices Ahead'

Updated: 12:14pm UK, Sunday 17 March 2013

Chancellor George Osborne is bringing forward the introduction of a new, simple state pensions system and a cap on the cost of social care.

Ahead of his Budget on Wednesday, Mr Osborne announced that the single-tier pension would be introduced in 2016 - a year earlier than previously planned.

The cap on social care costs, originally set for £75,000 and due for introduction in 2017, will now start in 2016 as well but at £72,000.

Mr Osborne said the changes would be a "huge boost" for people trying to save for their retirement.

The announcement came as he warned there are no "miracle cures" for the UK economy and raised the spectre of Britain following Cyprus if he changes tack.

The Chancellor is under mounting pressure to ditch his economic "Plan A" and to find some way of kickstarting growth.

A new opinion poll suggests most voters - including more than a quarter of Conservative supporters - think his policies are failing.

But Mr Osborne said the UK could end up facing an economic disaster like Cyprus if he does not stick to his austerity plans.

He dismissed calls for extra borrowing to cut taxes or finance a "spending spree" and warned changing now would be a "disaster".

The Chancellor said the crisis in Cyprus was an example of "what happens if you don't show the world you can pay your way".

He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "That is why in Britain we have got to retain the confidence of world markets."

Mr Osborne acknowledged his austerity measures were "difficult" and the effort to rebalance and repair the economy was "painstaking work".

But he said that "unless we in Britain front up to our own problems ... then the difficult economic situation in Britain will get very much worse".

"There is no easy answer to Britain's problems, there is no miracle cure because if there was a miracle cure it would have been deployed," he said.

"It's just a lot of hard work of dealing with Britain's debts, helping businesses create jobs, helping families who want to work hard and get on."

Writing in The Sun on Sunday, Mr Osborne hinted he would also do more to help homebuyers, business start-ups and apprentices in his Budget on Wednesday.

Helping create jobs would mean "cutting tax rates and red tape, backing scientific advance, building new roads and broadband" and making the UK an attractive investment option, he said.

However he warned of "more tough choices" to be made on further slashing public spending from 2015 - with the scale of the squeeze to be unveiled in his statement.

"It won't be easy," he warned, amid rows between ministers over where the axe should fall.

His comments came as a report revealed families have cut back on spending by more than £3,000 a year since the start of the credit crunch.

Consumer watchdog Which? found the cut in discretionary spending's opening up a £136bn black hole in the economy over the last five years.

Former cabinet minister Liam Fox is leading Tory calls for a change of course on the economy, suggesting Corporation Tax be reduced to zero and far bigger cuts to public spending.

Other prominent backbench demands include cancelling a fuel duty rise due in the autumn and scrapping the beer duty escalator that automatically ups the price of a pint.

Mr Osborne is tipped to announce extra investment in housebuilding and road projects - called for by leading business groups - and help for people to buy homes.

But he will not abandon "Plan A" by increasing borrowing to fund it - a move being mooted within the coalition by Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said he would welcome extra borrowing to fund a cut in the basic rate of income tax to put more money into people's pockets.

But Mr Osborne hit back: "I think the British people know there are no easy answers in today's world. They aren't fooled by the miracle cures peddled by the same snake oil politicians who got us into this mess.

"Labour's answer to Britain's borrowing problems is to borrow even more - that simply doesn't make sense. If there were easy options and miracle cures then of course I would take them, but sadly there aren't."

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Giant Easter Egg Poached From City Centre

Police have joined the hunt for a giant decorated Easter egg that has been stolen while on display in Glasgow city centre.

Organisers of a charity egg hunt are appealing for the eye-catching 2ft-high fibreglass egg to be returned.

Action for Children have placed 101 giant eggs, many of which feature designs from leading artists, around Glasgow's streets and shops as part of its Big Egg Hunt.

Strathclyde Police are now searching for an egg called A Thousand Forests, which is painted with red and yellow trees by graphic designer Matthew Dent.

It was taken from Buchanan Street and is reported to be worth up to £10,000.

Andrew Harris, Director of Fundraising at Action for Children, said: "The hunt is a really fun way for families, locals and tourists alike to enjoy the age-old Easter egg hunt tradition - on a huge scale and as a giant exhibition of modern art - whilst raising vital funds for some of the most vulnerable children across Scotland and the UK.

"We appeal to whoever poached our egg to return it to us soon."

The eggs, which feature popular characters such as Humpty Dumpty and Peter Rabbit, are touring the country as the charity aims to raise urgent funds by putting them up for auction.

They were displayed in London in February and were then taken to Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

They will be back in London for the Easter weekend.

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Archbishop Of Canterbury: I Don't Drink Alone

The new Archbishop of Canterbury has revealed he never drinks alone for fear of becoming an alcoholic like his father.

The Most Rev Justin Welby said while he does enjoy a tipple, his wife keeps an eye on his drinking to make sure he does not have one too many.

Asked if he was teetotal in an interview with The Sunday Times Magazine, he replied: "No, absolutely not. I very much enjoy a drink.

"I remember reading that the children of alcoholics have a much better chance themselves of having a dependency problem.

"So Caroline and I have an agreement that she keeps an eye on me, so she'll say if I am going over ... but I have rules myself. I don't drink alone, things like that."

He described his father, Gavin Welby, who died in 1977, as "charming, volatile, unpredictable".

"You never knew what was going to happen," he said.

"It took me a long time after he died to ... think back over my time with him with any equanimity. It had just been all so painful."

Asked if this was because his behaviour was conditioned by his drink problem, he continued: "Yes, very erratic behaviour, very irrational, dishonesty, shouting ... then, of course, one worries how much of this is how one's going to behave oneself."

The Most Rev Welby was named as Dr Rowan Williams' successor in November and is due to be enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury in a service at Canterbury Cathedral on Thursday.

The father-of-five resigned as an oil executive in 1987 after 11 years in the industry to train for the Anglican priesthood.

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Osborne Fast-Tracks Pension And Care Reforms

Chancellor George Osborne is bringing forward the introduction of a new, simple state pensions system and a cap on the cost of social care.

Ahead of his Budget on Wednesday, Mr Osborne announced that the single-tier pension would be introduced in 2016 - a year earlier than previously planned.

The cap on social care costs, originally set for £75,000 and due for introduction in 2017, will now start in 2016 as well but at £72,000.

Mr Osborne said the changes would be a "huge boost" for people trying to save for their retirement.

The announcement came as he warned there are no "miracle cures" for the UK economy and raised the spectre of Britain following Cyprus if he changes tack.

The Chancellor is under mounting pressure to ditch his economic "Plan A" and to find some way of kickstarting growth.

A new opinion poll suggests most voters - including more than a quarter of Conservative supporters - think his policies are failing.

But Mr Osborne said the UK could end up facing an economic disaster like Cyprus if he does not stick to his austerity plans.

He dismissed calls for extra borrowing to cut taxes or finance a "spending spree" and warned changing now would be a "disaster".

The Chancellor will deliver his Budget on Wednesday

The Chancellor said the crisis in Cyprus was an example of "what happens if you don't show the world you can pay your way".

He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "That is why in Britain we have got to retain the confidence of world markets."

Mr Osborne acknowledged his austerity measures were "difficult" and the effort to rebalance and repair the economy was "painstaking work".

But he said that "unless we in Britain front up to our own problems ... then the difficult economic situation in Britain will get very much worse".

"There is no easy answer to Britain's problems, there is no miracle cure because if there was a miracle cure it would have been deployed," he said.

"It's just a lot of hard work of dealing with Britain's debts, helping businesses create jobs, helping families who want to work hard and get on."

Writing in The Sun on Sunday, Mr Osborne hinted he would also do more to help homebuyers, business start-ups and apprentices in his Budget on Wednesday.

Helping create jobs would mean "cutting tax rates and red tape, backing scientific advance, building new roads and broadband" and making the UK an attractive investment option, he said.

However he warned of "more tough choices" to be made on further slashing public spending from 2015 - with the scale of the squeeze to be unveiled in his statement.

"It won't be easy," he warned, amid rows between ministers over where the axe should fall.

His comments came as a report revealed families have cut back on spending by more than £3,000 a year since the start of the credit crunch.

Consumer watchdog Which? found the cut in discretionary spending's opening up a £136bn black hole in the economy over the last five years.

Former cabinet minister Liam Fox is leading Tory calls for a change of course on the economy, suggesting Corporation Tax be reduced to zero and far bigger cuts to public spending.

Other prominent backbench demands include cancelling a fuel duty rise due in the autumn and scrapping the beer duty escalator that automatically ups the price of a pint.

Mr Osborne is tipped to announce extra investment in housebuilding and road projects - called for by leading business groups - and help for people to buy homes.

But he will not abandon "Plan A" by increasing borrowing to fund it - a move being mooted within the coalition by Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said he would welcome extra borrowing to fund a cut in the basic rate of income tax to put more money into people's pockets.

But Mr Osborne hit back: "I think the British people know there are no easy answers in today's world. They aren't fooled by the miracle cures peddled by the same snake oil politicians who got us into this mess.

"Labour's answer to Britain's borrowing problems is to borrow even more - that simply doesn't make sense. If there were easy options and miracle cures then of course I would take them, but sadly there aren't."

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Police Release 87 After Town Centre Fracas

More than 80 people arrested in the build-up to a football match have been released on bail.

Warwickshire Police Inspector Darren Webster said 87 people had now been released on police bail while enquiries continue.

The arrests were in connection with alleged "violent disorder" ahead of a non-league fixture between home side Nuneaton Town and Lincoln City on Saturday afternoon.

Insp Webster said: "Everyone has now been bailed in connection with the incident. The senior investigating officer will now evaluate what action needs to be taken."

Riot police from three forces and the British Transport Police were called to deal with reports of trouble at several pubs in Nuneaton shortly before 10.30am.

Officers from Warwickshire, West Mercia and West Midlands Police forces then began arresting dozens of people on suspicion of violent disorder at The Granby pub in the town centre from 3.20pm.

Chief Inspector Adrian Knight, in charge of the policing operation, said it had been "a particularly challenging day".

"Police officers responded to reports of disorder at a number of public houses in the town and were deployed in full protective equipment for their own safety," he said.

Nuneaton Town chief executive Ian Neale said the trouble was nothing to do with the football club or its supporters.

Mr Neale said police went to The Granby pub to organise an escort to town for Nuneaton fans but only three people said they were interested in going to the match.

Police from several forces took part in the Nuneaton operation

He said: "They were allowed to leave the pub to take a taxi to the ground, which is two miles away from where the arrests were made.

The Granby had opened in December after the former venue was redecorated and had promoted Saturday lunchtime as "family time".

After the incident staff thanked its normal patrons on its Facebook page.

"Just time to say a massive thank you for all your words of support and thank you to everyone who came down to show that we will continue and become better from it," it said.

Supporters responded with their own messages of support.

Jackie King wrote: "Hey, these so called 'footie fans' may have done u a favour - people'll be flocking in to show support."

After Saturday's incident in the town centre, Nuneaton went on to win the Blue Square Bet Premier League fixture 1-0.

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Leveson: Grant And Rowling Attack Cameron

Hugh Grant has urged MPs to back the Liberal Democrat and Labour plan for press regulation as he accused David Cameron of "sucking up" to press barons.

The Notting Hill actor, who is leading the Hacked Off campaign for stringent press controls in the wake of the hacking scandal, claimed on Sky News that the Prime Minister was turning his back on the victims.

Mr Cameron suddenly pulled out of cross-party talks about implementing Lord Justice Leveson's recommendations last week, declaring that the three main party leaders were too far apart.

The Tories are firmly opposed to any statutory regulation of the press and want a system backed by a Royal Charter.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats also want a Royal Charter but crucially their plan would be underpinned in legislation - raising fears about creeping restrictions on the freedom of the press.

MPs will now vote on the Tories' plans on Monday in what could turn into a major defeat for Mr Cameron as Labour and the Lib Dems look certain to unite against him, with Tory rebels also crossing the floor.

Before Mr Cameron's decision on Thursday, Grant had been personally speaking to members of the shadow cabinet to urge them not to reach an agreement "much too early".

David Cameron is battling to avoid any statutory regulation

But he dismissed the idea that Hacked off was a "smooth sinister operation", downplaying it as a "few dandruffy professors in a cheap office with a slightly insane, chess champion ex-Lib Dem MP and a couple of threadbare lawyers and me".

The actor said ordinary victims of press abuse had reacted with "horror and astonishment" to Mr Cameron's behaviour and accused him of breaking his word.

On Sky's Murnaghan show, he claimed: "For him, politically, it was more important to suck up to the newspapers than to fulfil the promise that he made under oath.

"(He said) that what mattered as an outcome to all this was that those victims should never be subject to those kind of abuses again."

He described the vote as "incredibly important" and said politicians would have to "ask their consciences" whether they were going to side with press barons or back the victims.

Grant added that his acting career, which sees him star in the upcoming film Cloud Atlas, is now less important than his campaigning to curb the excesses of the press.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling also spoke out on Sunday, saying in a statement that Mr Cameron's actions had left her feeling "hung out to dry".

"Monday's vote will make history one way or another - I am merely one among many turning their eyes towards Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg and hoping that they have the courage to do what Cameron promised, but which he failed to deliver," she said.

The Prime Minister has said he will abide by the will of Parliament

Author JK Rowling giving evidence to the Leveson inquiry in 2011

Without an overall Commons majority, his allies accept he is unlikely to win sufficient support for using the threat of punitive damages against non-participants to persuade papers to sign up.

Despite efforts to shore up the vote - including bringing a minister back from Japan - a number of Tories are expected to back the Lib/Lab proposals.

Earlier on Murnaghan, Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes suggested as many as 60 Conservatives could side with Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband.

Chancellor George Osborne expressed hope of a last-minute deal, warning that any regulatory system that did not have cross-party support would not last.

"We want to make sure we have a system of press regulation that prevents the abuses we saw in the past happening again, but also makes sure we have a free press in this country," he told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show.

"That is such a precious thing: people fought - and literally died - to give us a free press."

Mr Miliband wrote in the The Observer that Monday was "the day that politics has got to do the duty by the victims and has got to stand up for the victims".

Shadow culture secretary Harriet Harman told Murnaghan: "I think it is absolutely a straightforward issue - across the House of Commons the feeling is it is not right for the press not be accountable to a proper code of conduct.

"It is time for a proper tough regulator and that we don't slip back to what it was like before. We don't want ministers to tamper with the royal charter and change it afterwards - it can't be weakened down or toughened up later. And it must have teeth."

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Pregnant Kate Attends St Patrick's Day Parade

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have braved wet weather to attend a St Patrick's Day parade at a military barracks.

Kate, who is five months pregnant, wore the same green dress coat she wore to the event last year to meet soldiers from the Ist Battalion Irish Guards at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire.

Prince William wore ceremonial dress as the pair stood on a podium sheltered from the rain and listened to the National Anthem.

The Duchess presented traditional sprigs of shamrock to the officers and guardsmen, and also to her husband.

Afterwards, the royal couple chatted to soldiers in the Guardsmens' cookhouse.

At one point the Duchess had to free her heel from a drain

Guardsman Lee Wheeler, 29, said: "I was talking to her about the baby, of course. I asked her 'do you know if it's a girl or boy', and she said 'not yet'.

"She said 'I'd like to have a boy and William would like a girl'. That's always the way.

"I asked her if she had any names yet and she said no. I said I suppose you've got to stick to traditional names."

The presentation of shamrocks by a senior female member of the royal family is a century-old tradition which was started by Queen Alexandra, the wife of Edward VII, in 1901.

The role was famously carried out by the Queen Mother.

Kate, who wore a black hat with her hair up, finished off her outfit with black tights and heels.

Ahead of watching the parade the Duchess suffered an embarrassing mishap when the heel of one of her shoes became stuck in a drain.

Kate had to lean on William while she pulled it out with her hand.

The last sprig of shamrock was given to the regiment's new mascot, seven-month-old Irish wolfhound Domhnall, who was carrying out his first public engagement.

The royals looked on from the podium as about 200 soldiers paraded through the puddle-strewn square, bringing a splash of colour to the occasion in their full ceremonial uniform of scarlet tunics and bearskins.

They were led by the Band of the Irish Guards.

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