The sky is going to become a busier place if Facebook and Google get their way.

The tech firms are investing in rival efforts to beam the internet down to the ground from flying objects in the stratosphere - twice as high as aeroplanes normally fly.
Facebook aims to build a network of laser-beaming drones that will tightly circle known black-spots.
Google also has a drone project about which it's tight-lipped.
But the company is more open about an attempt to send "strings" of giant balloons circumnavigating the globe to provide persistent data links to the parts of the planet they pass.
The schemes may both seem far-fetched.
But the brains behind both companies' efforts told the BBC they are convinced they have a real shot at connecting the 57% of the world's population still offline.
Of the two projects, Facebook's plan is arguably at an earlier stage.
"It has not flown yet, that's the next milestone," the social network's engineering chief Jay Parikh acknowledges.
But he says he hopes the first drone will be airborne before the year's end.
"Don't tell Mark I said that," he hurriedly adds, referring to Facebook's chief executive.
"I'm trying to manage Mark's expectations."
The aircraft is called Aquila 1 and was recently built in Somerset, England before being shipped to a secret test site.
The drone is wider than a Boeing 737 jet but looks quite different, since there's no need to carry passengers or a pilot.
The sleek giant structure is made of a thin layer of foam covered in carbon fibre, with four propellers attached.
"The whole structure is 142ft (43m) wide but weighs less than a Toyota Prius," Mr Parikh explains.
"The structure and stiffness of the plane is all in the carbon fibre of the wing and that supports everything, the [internet-providing] payload, the batteries, and the solar panels on top."
The aim is to build a fleet of the drones with radio transmitters fitted underneath to beam  data across a 100 mile (160km) diameter zone below.
Terminals on the ground would use the signals to provide the internet to people's computers.
Facebook wants the drones to stay aloft for three months at a time.
That alone would be an impressive feat - the current record is about a fortnight.
But the really tricky bit involves creating a sky-high network with several drones acting as intermediary connection points, so that a fast connection sent from a city can be distributed outwards to the final aircraft in the chain as far as 300km (186 miles) away.
To help keep data speeds high, Facebook aims to beam lasers between the aircraft across significant distances.
"The analogy that we have come up with is this: If I took a US dime [18mm in diameter] and I walked 11 miles away from you, and then you had a laser in your hand, you would have to hit that dime," says Mr Parikh.
"And by the way, these are not stationary targets - these are moving.
"So, we have to do this and keep this pointed and connected while the one point and the other point are moving.
"It's pretty freaking hard."
The firm has already trialled the tech in its California labs, but making it work 27km above ground will not be easy.
Project Loon's balloons have been taking to the skies since June 2013.
"We've flown almost 1,000 balloons at this point," Mike Cassidy, vice-president of Project Loon, tells the BBC.
"We've flown almost 20 million kilometres around the world.
"One of our balloons went around the world 19 times."
The balloons travel with the winds, usually along an easterly or westerly latitude.
Google keeps each one on course by pumping helium in and out of a bag fastened inside the balloon's outer plastic envelope. This causes it to rise or fall, letting it find winds that will take it in the desired direction.
Rather than try to keep each balloon over one spot, Google's goal is to create a circular sequence. So, as one goes out of range of antennas on the ground, another takes its place, providing a continuous internet connection.
Initially, the firm struggled to keep its balloons aloft for much more than a week. But it now regularly keeps them aloft for 150 days.
"Even a millimetre-sized hole in a balloon will bring it down in a few days," explains Mr Cassidy.
"So, you need to study every phase of the process from manufacturing to packaging to shipping to launch.
"We just slowly found the holes by failure analysis."
Rather than use lasers, Google relies solely on radio frequencies to transmit its data.
Equipment hanging below each aircraft connects to a base station in range below and then sends out the resulting data link to other antennas it can reach, which in turn link up to people's individual computing devices.
At present, Loon balloons can cover a circular area spanning 80km (50 miles) in diameter.
The balloons can also transmit signals to each other to extend the internet when there is no base station nearby.
The firm says it has already linked up two balloons more than 100km apart and transferred data at about 500 megabits per second.
But that's a fraction of the tens or even hundreds of gigabits per second rates Facebook believes its lasers are capable of.
"Radio technology is generally a more developed technology than freespace optical communication," Google's Mr Cassidy said, explaining his approach.
"It's been around longer, the components are typically less expensive.
"But we'll definitely look at all technologies that provide good performance."
As both schemes advance and more equipment takes to the skies, the risk of an accident increases.
Even if Aquila weighs less than a car you still wouldn't want one hurtling towards you or a passenger jet at speed.
Mr Parikh, however, is quick to stress there is no imminent risk.
"This thing is not yet certified to fly over people's heads," he says.
"We will have to do thousands or tens of thousands of fight hours, induce failures, see how these things manage the stress, the [cold] temperature, all of that."
But Google's balloons are already active.
Indeed, the firm hopes to start providing connections to early adopters in Indonesia and Sri Lanka soon.
"We put transponders on all our balloons, which is not required," says Mr Cassidy, "so, just like an aeroplane, air traffic control can always see where the balloons are."
But he acknowledges, things do not always go according to plan.
"We have had some balloons come down at a time earlier than we expected," he discloses.
"But in all those cases we did steer them to an area that was safer to land [and] contact air traffic control to co-ordinate the descent."
Assuming life-threatening collisions can be avoided, one expert agreed both projects had  potential, not least because they should prove much cheaper than sending up more satellites or other existing alternatives.
"They are talking about co-operating with existing communications service providers, which convinces me they won't be Wild West kinds of projects," says William Hahn from the tech consultancy Gartner.
"We are seeing more options in a number of different areas as well: we have lower Earth-orbit satellites than we used to have and the cost of optical fibre is coming down.
"But there are still some very large populations that are hard to reach and hard to serve, and at least in the mid-term I think these new schemes could be part of the solution."
That just leaves the problem - how do you work out where best to deploy all this gear?
No-one is suggesting the drones or balloons could provide blanket access.
But at present, even the best internet coverage maps break down when you zoom in close enough.
Facebook believes its artificial intelligence division could have the solution.
"The team has just developed deep expertise at image recognition," reveals Facebook's Mr Parikh.
"We've adapted that technology to be able to take in high-resolution satellite imagery and then be able to process it understanding what human dwellings look like.
"So, here's a building, here's a home, here's a teepee, here's a train, here's a car - whatever it is, we are now able to come up with a way of better understanding where these people are."
The social network has not made its data public yet.
And like much else involved with the two connectivity projects, a lot has to be taken on trust at this point.
But both Google and Facebook have a big financial incentive to get more people online and a willingness to keep spending until they achieve it.
"Our philosophy is to do lots and lots of testing," concludes Google's Mr Cassidy.
"If your choice is to sit around for a year or two planning and design and then do one big test, then the test may or may not work.
"We like rapidly iterating, and I think from an engineering perspective that's the fastest way to get to a working system."
Mr Parikh will provide more details about Facebook's drone at a meeting later this Wednesday, and will feature on Friday's edition of Tech Tent on BBC World Service


Thousands of people have attended a march organised by the Apprentice Boys of Derry through the centre of Lurgan, County Armagh.

It is the first time in about 20 years that the loyalist organisation has held such a large parade in the town.
The Parades Commission judged it to be "sensitive" and placed conditions on the march.
The organisers said they expected about 3,600 people, including 61 bands, to participate in the parade.
The Apprentice Boys of Derry is an organisation set up to commemorate the Siege of Derry in August 1689.
It is named in memory of 13 young apprentices - supporters of the Protestant King William III - who closed the gates of the walled city to stop the advancing army of the Catholic King James II.


Remember the Six Million Dollar Man, the 1970s TV series in which an injured astronaut was equipped with super-strong mechanical limbs and ultra-acute senses?

I've often wondered if its tag line, "we can rebuild him, better than before, stronger...." was the inspiration for a number of projects on the Labour benches of the Commons in the last Parliament, where teams of MPs toiled to retrofit potential leadership challengers with such qualities as people skills, a sense of humour, policy grasp, or a political cutting edge.
With Jeremy Corbyn now secure in the Leader of the Opposition's office, their dreams have come to nothing....but over on the Tory benches I suspect a number of like-minded political engineers are seeking a suitable case for treatment.
The Conservative troops expect a Boris vs Amber leadership battle, when the moment comes for Theresa May to make way for the leader who will take them into the next election, but there might well be a wild card....a Macron, if you like.
To be sure, the British political system stacks the deck against a Macron-style pop-up political party, but the sight of a leader coming from nowhere to score a stunning electoral triumph attracts political romantics, and fascinates hard boiled professionals.
And fresh from their duffing-up in June, the Tory search is on for a middle-ranking minister with perfect teeth, a floppy fringe and a photogenic spouse, who can be moulded into a cyborg warrior capable of doing battle with Jezza.
After all, it's not as if this most protean of political parties has not pulled the trick before - John Major was virtually unknown outside Westminster a year before he became prime minister; David Cameron leapt to the Tory leadership on the basis of a good conference speech and a couple of femtoseconds as shadow education secretary after the 2005 election...
As Steve Richards writes in his new book, The Rise of the Outsiders: How Mainstream Politics Lost its Way, political outsiders can be a potent force in politics, as Jeremy Corbyn has demonstrated; the Conservative Party does not easily produce such figures, but the manoeuvre pulled off by President Macron to run as an outsider, despite being a quintessential product of the French political establishment, suggests that a gleaming new figure, untainted by years of infighting, can cut through - especially if they are not over-encumbered by ideology and faction.
Another key design requirement for the new Tory Terminator will be emotional intelligence - an ability to connect and empathise as effectively as Jeremy Corbyn did, and Theresa May didn't.
In the process, some traditional requirements may be watered down; beyond a minimal level of competence, ability as a Commons performer probably matters less these days - and the public may find mastery of its traditional debating style rather suspect and inauthentic. If there is a lesson to take from the last couple of years in politics, it is that what pleases the troops on the green benches of the Chamber seems to leave the country cold.
Maverick or mainstream?
So who might be in the frame? There are few obvious challengers within the Cabinet, although Priti Patel has her fans. Beyond that there are several middle-ranking figures who might emerge like (and this is all my speculation) Graham Brady, the formidable chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, or slightly maverick ministers like Rory Stewart, or Jesse Norman.
Then, there are current "outs" like Grant Shapps or the former chief whip Mark Harper, and a little further down the pecking order there are figures like Tom Tugendhat or Johnny Mercer, who have a sparkle of stardust about them.
But they need to be fairly non-factional figures and, I suspect, the winner will be the one who hits upon a position on Brexit that both fits the circumstances as they will be in 2019, or whenever (and who knows what those circumstance will be, it may be more a matter of luck than judgement) and does not alienate a critical mass of MPs.
The early symptoms of an embryonic Tory Macron are an interest in refining the party's "offer" for the next election, and an attempt to find ways of reaching parts of the electorate who have succumbed to the blandishments of Jeremy Corbyn.
They will strike up conversations in the Tea Room or the coffee queue at the Portcullis House. They will be found in earnest conversations with colleagues and be remarkably receptive to invitations to speak on any subject, anytime, anywhere.  Of course, they will be available for media appearances at the drop of a hat.
And they're in no hurry. The Tory succession race is going to be a marathon, not a sprint, allowing candidates to hone their offer to MPs and demonstrate their political skills in Commons speeches and questions, in the select committees, at party conference in the TV studios and (but, of course) on social media.
And as they pound through the course ahead, factional credentials and Brexit positions will count for a lot, but above all, a bruised and traumatised Conservative Party wants a winner.
If you are an MP nursing a fragile majority, nothing matters more than that.
BOOKtalk with Steve Richards will be on BBC Parliament on Saturday 8 July at 20:45 BST.


The logo for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games has been scrapped after allegations that it was plagiarised.

The Games organising committee said there were too many doubts over the emblem for it to be used. A Belgian artist had complained that his design was stolen.
Logo designer Kenjiro Sano had admitted copying online material for a previous project, Japanese media reported.
In July, a new Olympic stadium design was scrapped amid a row over its cost.
The logo was unveiled only last month, based around the letter T and a red circle representing a beating heart - which critics said resembled the Japanese flag.
Its withdrawal is a highly unusual move.
"We're certain the two logos are different," Toshio Muto, director general of the Tokyo organising committee, told a news conference.
"But we became aware of new things this weekend and there was a sense of crisis that we thought could not be ignored.
"We have reached a conclusion that it would be only appropriate for us to drop the logo and develop a new emblem. At this point, we have decided that the logo cannot gain public support."
Belgian designer Olivier Debie claimed that the design was similar to his 2013 logo for the Theatre de Liege. He and the theatre had filed a lawsuit to prevent it being used.
Mr Debie expressed surprise at the organisers' decision on Tuesday as they had publicly backed the design only days earlier.
He told BBC Radio 5 live: "I thought the Olympic committee was a big machine and I didn't dare to take action against them."
But the director of the Theatre de Liege had told him they had to "do something" and they sought the help of good copyright lawyers.
He said the logo, devised in 2011, had been official for two years and would have been available on sites like Pinterest around the world.
While Kenjiro Sano has denied plagiarising the logo, he has admitted his team did copy other work for a beer promotion and faces several other accusations of plagiarism.
"I want Mr Sano to provide an explanation. I feel like we have been betrayed," said Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe.
Japan was seen as a safe pair of hands to host the Olympics, but Tuesday's developments cap an awkward month for the organisers.
The stadium delay means it will not be ready for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. A promise to keep most venues within eight kilometres (five miles) of the Olympic Village has also not been kept.
There may also be repercussions for lucrative sponsorship deals as Japan Airlines and other sponsors have already started using the logo.
Organisers say there will be another competition to decide a new logo "as soon as possible".


Snacks giant Mondelez International is abandoning its takeover bid for American confectioner Hershey after its $23bn (£18bn) offer was rejected.

The deal would have created the world's biggest maker of confectionery, but Hershey turned down the cash and stock offer in June.
Hershey shares tumbled by as much as 12% in late US trading on the news. Mondelez shares rose by almost 4%.
Mondelez brands include Cadbury chocolate and Trident chewing gum.
Its chief executive Irene Rosenfeld said the board was "disappointed with the outcome" but had decided there was "no actionable path forward toward an agreement".
"Our proposal to acquire Hershey reflected our conviction that combining our two iconic American companies would create an industry leader with global scale in snacking and confectionery and a strong portfolio of complementary brands," she said in a statement.
Hershey raked in nearly 90% of its revenue from North America last year, mostly from chocolate sales.
The Pennsylvania-based company had reportedly looked for at least $125 per share before agreeing to any takeover talks. Mondelez had initially offered $107 per share.
Complicating matters further is Hershey's company structure.
The maker of Reese's peanut butter cups is majority-controlled by the Hershey Trust, a charity which has prevented previous sales of the company.
The Hershey Trust is revamping its board and management rules after coming under scrutiny for its spending practices.
The changes at Hershey don't come into effect until next year and its shareholders are said to have been averse to any transactions before then.


A syndicate of supermarket bakery workers have won £1m on the lottery.

The group of 12 colleagues from Tesco in Chester will each receive £83,333.33 from the 7 May Lotto raffle draw.
They only discovered they had won a month after the draw was made - when syndicate leader Cath Batten went out to buy another ticket.
Ms Batten said: "The machine made a funny noise and the shop assistant said to me you need to call Camelot, you must have won more than £500."
She added: "This amount of money is just life changing for all of us.
"Telling my friends and colleagues we had won £1m was almost as special as winning the money."
The syndicate, which has been running for six years, plan to continue playing despite their success.
"It still doesn't seem real for any of us," Ms Batten said.
"We are all still trying to take it in and thinking about how we will spend our new-found fortune.
"We just feel that if ordinary people like us can win, there is no reason we cannot win again."


US President Donald Trump has said he would never have appointed Jeff Sessions if he had known the attorney general was going to recuse himself from leading a Russia investigation.

Mr Trump told the New York Times the actions of Mr Sessions had been "very unfair to the president".
Mr Sessions recused himself after admitting meeting Russia's ambassador.
He said on Thursday he would not resign and he would continue running the Justice Department effectively.
"I plan to continue to do so as long as that is appropriate," he said.
The president also accused Mr Sessions  of giving "some bad answers" at his confirmation hearing performance.
With Donald Trump, loyalty will only get you so far.
Mr Sessions was the earliest and most enthusiastic of Mr Trump's top-tier political supporters, and he was rewarded with a plum Cabinet appointment. Now, however, that position of power appears not quite as golden a prize.
While the former Alabama senator has toiled to implement the president's agenda as attorney general, Mr Trump personally blames him for the ongoing independent counsel investigation that has bedevilled his presidency.
The irony is that while Mr Trump views Mr Sessions's recusal from the Russia probe as a betrayal, the attorney general made clear during his confirmation hearings that he would likely do just that if he were implicated in an investigation that had not yet begun in earnest.
It was only later that then-FBI Director James Comey - himself a target of the president's scorn - revealed the Trump campaign itself was under the microscope.
Now the president has made clear that Mr Sessions lacks his full confidence. While the attorney general says he loves his job and plans to keep it, how secure can his position be when his boss lobs bomb after bomb his way from the White House?
Mr Sessions would have headed the justice department's investigation into alleged Russian interference in the US presidential election. Congress is also conducting inquiries.
His recusal ultimately led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller to lead the investigation.
The Times interview reflects the anger the president feels at this development.
He said: "A special counsel should never have been appointed in this case... Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else."
Mr Trump said Mr Sessions had given him "zero" notice of the recusal.
"How do you take a job and then recuse yourself? If he would have recused himself before the job, I would have said, 'Thanks, Jeff, but I can't, you know, I'm not going to take you.' It's extremely unfair, and that's a mild word, to the president."
Mr Trump then reflected on the performance of Mr Sessions at his Senate confirmation hearing in January at which he denied meeting any Russians. He later revealed he had met Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
Mr Trump said: "Jeff Sessions gave some bad answers... He gave some answers that were simple questions and should have been simple answers, but they weren't."
The president suggested the justice department's Russia investigation was rife with conflicts of interest, not least that Mr Mueller had wanted to replace James Comey, who Mr Trump had sacked as FBI director.
"There were many other conflicts that I haven't said, but I will at some point," Mr Trump said.
Mr Trump warned Mr Mueller about straying too far from his remit but again said he did not think he was personally being investigated.
"I don't think we're under investigation," Mr Trump said. "I'm not under investigation. For what? I didn't do anything wrong."
US media have reported that Mr Mueller is investigating Mr Trump for possible obstruction of justice, both in the firing of Mr Comey and over whether Mr Trump tried to end an inquiry into sacked national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Associated Press news agency quoted a Trump adviser as saying that the president's comments did not mean he was going to sack the attorney general, but the adviser questioned whether such a public dressing-down might prompt him to quit.


A 97-year-old woman has been robbed in her home in Cardiff.

Police said the woman was asleep when the suspect entered her home on Pantmawr Road, Rhiwbina, and tried to forcibly remove rings from her fingers at about 01:00 GMT on Saturday.
He then waited for her to use her chair lift to get downstairs where he demanded money.
He disconnected her telephone, meaning she had to go outside and flag down a passer-by for help.
The suspect has been described as a young white male wearing a black scarf, dark anorak and jeans.
Det Sgt Chris Grey of Cardiff CID said: "This was a shocking incident against an elderly lady in her own home.
"I would urge anyone who knows the suspect to give them up for the sake of this elderly victim who has been subjected to a terrifying ordeal."
Police have asked anyone with information to call 101.


A powerful storm that battered the central Philippines has killed 38 people and left millions without power.

Ten more people were injured by Typhoon Rammasun and another eight remain missing, according to authorities.
The typhoon swept through the country on Tuesday night before making a shift away from Manila on Wednesday.
More than 530,000 people took refuge in evacuation centres. Many of those who died were killed while outdoors by falling trees and flying debris.
Millions living in provinces southeast of the capital still have no power, according to news agencies.
Officials have managed to restore power to only half of Luzon, which has 17 million people.
Much of the eastern region of Bicol, which was hit first by the storm and is home to five million, is also without electricity.
Manila was hit by widespread blackouts as well, but most of the city's power has since been restored.
Officials said more than one million people were affected by the storm. Most of them were from Bicol.
The storm is now heading westwards towards China's Hainan island. The Tropical Storm Risk website is predicting it will gain in strength to Category 2  - one grade below its strength in the Philippines - within 24 hours.
The country's stock exchange and government offices reopened on Thursday but many schools remained closed because of power shortages.
Alexander Pama, the executive director of the National Disaster Agency, told agencies that the storm destroyed about 7,000 houses and damaged another 19,000.
About $1m (Â£580,000) in infrastructure was destroyed and at least $14m in crops and livestock in Bicol were lost, he said.
At its peak, Rammasun - which is a Thai word for "thunder god" - brought winds of up to 150km per hour.
The Philippines is hit by around 20 major storms a year. Typhoon Rammasun was the first to make landfall this year after the rainy season began in June.
Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated the country last year, killed more than 6,000 people and was said to be one of the worst storms on record.


A British woman who used an illegal route to return to the UK while on parole in Peru says five other women have followed the same method.

Lillian Allen had been jailed for eight years in 2011 for trying to smuggle 7kg of cocaine out of Peru.
"It's common knowledge among women in the prison that the best way out of the country is to pay corrupt airport police," she said.
Allen had been due to remain on parole in Peru until 2018.
Allen, originally from Belfast but currently based in Worcestershire, said she had been advised to plead guilty by her legal team in order to get a shorter sentence and maintains that she is innocent.
After she was released on parole in 2014, halfway through her sentence, she was supposed to sign in with the police each month. She worked in a spa and was paid 750 Sol (Â£147) a month, 150 Sol (Â£29) going automatically towards her fine.
But Allen was aware of an illegal route used by other prisoners to get back to the UK as quickly as possible.
"There were a lot of people who had gone straight back home as soon as they got out on parole. One of the girls passed me a number and I called it as soon as I got out," she told the Victoria Derbyshire programme.
"I asked for help to get back to England and the man said it would be $600 for the police and $500 for the flight.
"On the morning of the flight I went to the airport and met with the airport police. They took my photo, told me to memorise their faces and told me what desk to go up to."
When she was called forward to the desk they pretended to stamp her passport and let her through.
Allen flew from Lima to Colombia and then onto London Heathrow where she almost got stopped at customs, but got through after saying she was going to miss her bus connection.
She claims this illegal way of getting back to the UK is well established within the prison, and a growing number of women are using it to get back.
"I would say four or five women have taken that route back to the UK since I was inside," she said.
Allen says she had been let down by the British Embassy in Lima and that is one of the reasons why prisoners like her are using alternative routes.
"They came to the prison once every three months to give us some money but that wasn't enough," she said.
"Once you got out of prison that was them finished with you."
Lillian Allen spoke to the BBC from inside Ancon Dos Prison in August 2013 after two women who became known as the 'Peru Two' were jailed alongside her.
Michaella McCollum, of Dungannon, County Tyrone, and Melissa Reid, of Lenzie, near Glasgow, pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle 11kg (24lb) of cocaine in 2013.
"I'd sit on the wall with them and have a cigarette. I told them to keep themselves to themselves and not to mix with anyone".
Allen has been back in the UK for almost a year. She is homeless and still living with the fear that she is technically on the run.
"I still feel like I'm constantly looking over my shoulder," she said.  "It's ruined my life. It took four years away from my children and my grandchildren"
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We work hard to make sure the welfare of all British nationals imprisoned overseas is protected. We carry out regular visits, at least every three months for prisoners in Peru, and are available for telephone contact."
In a statement, Peru's Chief of Immigration, Boris Potozen, from the Superintentedencia Nacional de Migraciones, said that new procedures were in place to try to tackle the problem.
"The Superintentedencia even has an 'Office of Ethics and Anti-Corruption' that is devoted to preventing, fighting and investigating cases of corruption," he said.
"In that respect, we take all allegations of corruption seriously."
The Victoria Derbyshire programme is broadcast on weekdays between 09:15 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.


Fifty thousand tickets have now been allocated for Radio 1's Big Weekend in Norwich.

Taylor Swift, Florence and the Machine, Years & Years and Catfish and the Bottlemen are the only acts to have been announced so far.
The event will be held at Earlham Park in Norwich on 23-24 May.
Tickets to Europe's biggest free ticketed music event were available on a first come first served basis but were all gone within 40 minutes.
You'll need to have registered in advance to be in with a chance of getting them.
Twenty-five thousand tickets were made available for each day of the event.
The remaining acts on the bill will be announced on Radio 1 on Monday 20 April.
Neil Wyatt, head of live music and events for BBC Popular Music, said: "It is brilliant to see the tickets go so quickly.
"One of the main reasons we are bringing Radio 1's Big Weekend to Norwich is because we know that there is a real appetite for new music and it's great to see the excitement in the city.
"If you weren't able to secure a ticket for the event, we will be revealing information about Radio 1's Academy including the sessions that will be available very soon, so keep listening to Radio 1 if you want to be involved."
Big Weekend this year will feature three stages including the Main Stage, In New Music We Trust Stage and the BBC Introducing Stage.
The majority of tickets (55%) were reserved for people living within the area covered by Norwich City Council.
Another 20% were reserved for residents with a Norwich (NR) postcode, but outside the area covered by the City Council.
Then another 20% were reserved for residents in the surrounding East Anglia region with Ipswich (IP), Colchester (CO), Cambridge (CB) and Peterborough (PE) postcodes with the remaining 5% for other audiences across the UK.
In the lead up to Big Weekend, for the fourth year running, Radio 1 and BBC Learning will also open the doors to Radio 1's Academy.
The station hopes to inspire local 16 to 19-year-olds to take the next step in their careers by inviting them to attend a series of radio shows, master classes and Q&As.
Radio 1's Big Weekend will also host a number of acts who've come through BBC Introducing.
Big Weekend, which will be will be produced in partnership with Norwich City Council, will be broadcast live on Radio 1, 1Xtra and streamed on the Radio 1 website.
Highlights will also be broadcast live on BBC Three.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube


Ambulance handover times of more than an hour tripled in the East Midlands in two years, according to new figures.

It made East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) the worst performing trust of its kind in England.
A Labour Party FOI request showed the number of patients who waited more than an hour to be admitted to hospital rose from 6,000 to almost 19,000.
EMAS said it was working closely with hospitals to reduce the delays.
A Department of Health spokesperson said: "We expect patient handovers from ambulance to A&E to happen within 30 minutes.
"Accident and emergency departments are busy, but with nine out of ten people seen within four hours, hospitals are performing well."
The Leicester City Clinical Commissioning Group said high demand was putting pressure on the system but staff did their best to make any wait "as comfortable as possible".
Nationally, the figures showed hour-plus waits rose from 28,000 in 2013-14 to 76,000 in 2015-16.
Shadow health secretary, Jon Ashworth, said the jump showed the NHS was facing a serious crisis,
"Accident and emergency departments are under huge pressures and social care budgets have been cut deeply and all these things have come together as a perfect storm.
"Not enough investment by government to support the NHS is really coming home to roost."


Oxford United manager Michael Appleton has said he understands some supporters choosing to boycott the EFL Trophy final at Wembley on Sunday.

Appleton's side will face Coventry with a crowd of more than 70,000 expected.
But this season's revamped competition format featuring Premier League and Championship Under-21 teams has drawn heavy criticism and protests from fans.
"I get the frustrations and I shared them at the start of the competition," Appleton told BBC Radio Oxford.
He added: "I was quite open about what I thought regarding the under-21 sides.
"I'm not for getting into too much political waffle with people, but if they feel they want to stay away, then I'll respect their decision. It's not a problem at all."
EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey has assured BBC Sport the competition does have a future in its current form.
His defence comes despite a season which has seen record low attendances and a number of clubs fined for picking weakened sides.
But Wembley will host an all-League One final after all 16 of the under-21 sides were eliminated by the quarter-finals.
Oxford are making their second Wembley appearance in as many seasons - they were beaten 3-2 by Barnsley in last year's Johnstone's Paint Trophy final.
"All I can say is we're getting outnumbered a bit by the fans from Coventry," said Appleton, referring to the fact that around 42,500 Sky Blues supporters are expected to attend.
"The more support we can get on the day, the better. All we can promise as a club and as a team is that we'll be going all out to try and win the game and bring a bit of silverware back."


Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes have "felt the need to be extra warm" to team-mate Nico Rosberg since the Briton won his third World Championship.

Hamilton secured the title in Austin on 25 October but Rosberg accused him of being "very aggressive" in that race.
Rosberg won in Mexico on Sunday with Hamilton a frustrated second after a dispute over team strategy.
Asked if the team had orchestrated the result, Hamilton said: "I never think those kind of things."
He added: "But I know the team has felt the need to be extra warm [to Rosberg]."
Pushed to elaborate, the 30-year-old said: "I do know what I mean but I'm not going to say what I mean. You should ask Toto Wolff [Mercedes team boss] and Niki Lauda [Mercedes non-executive chairman].
"You should put those questions to them about how they feel about it, and what they have to do behind the scenes to keep him happy."
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Hamilton questioned a request to pit after Rosberg had stopped for a second time during Sunday's race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Hamilton was reluctant to pit because staying out would have meant he retained the lead he inherited after Rosberg's stop.
Hamilton's race engineer, Peter Bonnington, insisted the stop was needed on safety grounds and the Briton eventually came in, albeit one lap later than planned.
The relationship between Hamilton and Rosberg - already cool - has become increasingly frosty in recent weeks with the German throwing a hat back at his team-mate post-race in Austin.
Hamilton has since claimed Rosberg has not congratulated him on winning his third world title, while there was a frosty handshake between the pair after Sunday's race in Mexico.
Even when discussing Rosberg's Mexico win Hamilton managed to get in a barbed reference to the German's mistake in Austin that cost him victory in that race, saying: "Nico drove well. No mistakes. No gust of wind."


A 24-year-old man has been remanded in custody charged with the murder of a man who died after a fight at a Leeds city centre block of flats.

Police found Adam Rider, 22, stabbed in the stomach at the Citispace building on Regent Street at about 03:00 BST on Thursday. He died later in hospital.
Ashley Twist, of Acre Road, Middleton, appeared at Leeds Crown Court earlier.
He was remanded to appear at the same court for a preliminary hearing on 10 June.


Rangers' much improved Old Firm performance might be of little long-term relevance but it does boost their belief that they can end Celtic's treble dream.

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Rob Maclean continues his series assessing the main talking points from the weekend's Scottish football action.
Under the watchful eye of incoming manager Pedro Caixinha, the Ibrox team went back to basics, played within their limitations and became only the second Scottish side this season to deprive the Premiership leaders of maximum points.
That gives them hope that they can repeat the exercise in next month's Scottish Cup semi-final meeting, maybe even go a step further and give themselves a chance of ending the season with silverware.
What their resolute Celtic Park showing doesn't disguise is the player-to-player quality they lack when compared to the champions-in-waiting.
Rangers need to start bridging that gap and that's more about cash than Caixinha.
The biggest tribute to how Rangers played was the performance of Craig Gordon - one of his best in a Celtic goalkeeper's jersey.
His use of the ball is vastly improved but it was his reading of the game and shot-stopping which gave his team every chance of extending their 22-match winning run in the Premiership.
Twice, Rangers striker Martyn Waghorn must have thought he was scoring, only to be denied by the quick thinking and razor-sharp reactions of Gordon.
And the Scotland goalie deserved better back-up than he got at the Rangers equaliser when his flying save from Emerson Hyndman was rendered redundant when Clint Hill pounced on the rebound quicker than the Celtic defence.
Gordon's comeback from what seemed a career-ending injury was already a remarkable story.
There are a few chapters still to be written.
Never-say-die skipper Gary Warren epitomises the fighting qualities of Inverness Caley Thistle which might yet be enough to keep them in the Premiership.
So it was appropriate that it was the 32-year-old defender's stoppage-time header against Partick Thistle at Firhill on Saturday, immediately followed by the full time whistle, which rescued a precious point.
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Warren is your classic 100% who's played a big part over the last five years in the continuing success story at Inverness.
This season's been difficult for him in a Caley Thistle defence that's been constantly changing in both personnel and formation but you won't find him making excuses.
Next up for Warren and his team is the Highland derby and the chance to climb out of bottom spot and, at the same time, drag local rivals Ross County deeper into the relegation battle.
Dundee United blew their big chance to keep alive the prospect of automatic promotion from the Championship.
Losing at home to Hibs on Friday night was bad enough but what they have to be really hurting about is the manner of the defeat.
United couldn't have had a bigger incentive. A win would have taken them to within four points of the leaders with a game in hand.
But Hibs keeper Ofir Marciano didn't have a direct shot to save all night long. A weekend to forget ended with United slipping to fourth place.
They did have two avenues back to the big league. Now winning the play-offs is their only hope.
Efe Ambrose has been a figure of fun for much of his time in Scottish football and the on-loan Celtic defender certainly made the Hibs supporters smile at Tannadice.
Noticeable by their absence were his trademark lapses of concentration which have led in recent seasons to a series of high-profile howlers.
What he delivered instead against Dundee United was an almost cigar-smoking performance in central defence which rightly won him the man of the match award.
You would have to factor in the number of serious questions he was asked by United's punchless attack but it was still an Efe impressive showing.
In the absence of the likes of Liam Fontaine and Paul Hanlon, Ambrose is lending a helpful hand to get title favourites Hibs over the finishing line.


A 5,000-year-old figurine found in Orkney in the 1860s but feared lost has been rediscovered in a box.

The Neolithic whalebone figurine - which can be viewed online in 3D - was originally found at Skara Brae.
Dr David Clarke rediscovered it in the collections of Stromness Museum while undertaking research.
He said: "Amazingly, we found it in the last box of the day. I've always thought this figurine to be lost forever."
Dr Clarke added: "Seeing it staring back at me from its bed of tissue paper was completely unexpected and very exciting."
'Jewel in collection'
Kathleen Ireland, chair of Stromness Museum said: "Stromness Museum has a superb collection of artefacts from Skara Brae, but this figurine has instantly become the new jewel in our collections.
"We are always pleased to welcome researchers and this rediscovery highlights what can found through painstaking research in museum stores."
The figurine measures 9.5cm high by 7.5cm wide.
It is nicknamed Skara Brae Buddo.
Skara Brae is a stone-built late Neolithic settlement on the Bay of Skaill.


Canadian opposition leader Jack Layton has died after a second bout of cancer, aged 61.

Layton passed away at his home in Toronto early on Monday surrounded by his wife and children, his family said in a statement.
His left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP) surged to become the official opposition for the first time in May's federal elections.
He stepped down only last month as party leader to fight his illness.
In a letter released by the NDP after his death was announced, Mr Layton said he remained optimistic about Canada's future and its political system.
"Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped," he said. "So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue."
Layton urged readers to "to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer".
He described Canada as "a great country, one of the hopes of the world".
"We can be a better one," he added, "a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity."
Layton called on members of his party to remain committed to their "proud history of social justice", universal healthcare and public pensions.
To young Canadians, he spoke of his "belief in your power to change this country and this world".
Prime Minister Stephen Harper saluted his late adversary's "contribution to public life, a contribution that will be sorely missed".
At Parliament Hill in Ottawa, the Canadian capital, the flag was lowered to half-mast on Monday.
Layton announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in February 2010.
He campaigned in spring this year, leaning on a cane after surgery for a broken hip, leading his party to a second-place finish in May's federal elections.
On 25 July, the former Toronto city councillor said he was quitting temporarily as NDP leader to fight a newly diagnosed "non-prostate cancer".
He was elected in 2003 as leader of the left-leaning New Democrats, long the third-place federal party in the Canadian parliament.
Before that, the Quebec native was an activist and community organiser in Toronto, campaigning on issues such as Aids, poverty, violence against women and homelessness.
He was elected MP in 2004 from a constituency in Toronto.
His popularity helped the NDP to overtake the Liberals in May's elections and become the country's official opposition party, when it took 103 seats, up from 37.
He is survived by his Hong Kong-born wife Olivia Chow, also an NDP MP, and his two children from a previous marriage, Michael and Sarah.
Layton is to be buried in a state funeral on Saturday, the NDP said. The ceremony, which was offered by Mr Harper, will be open to the public.


Around 13,000 people in California have been told to leave their homes as firefighters struggle to put out over 20 wildfires.

On Monday 9,000 firefighters worked on steep ground and difficult conditions, officials said.
The biggest blaze, which has been named "Rocky" fire, has already burnt through more than 90 square miles of land.
Officials described its rate of growth as unprecedented because it tripled in size over the weekend.
At least 24 homes were destroyed as the blaze was made bigger by winds that fuelled the flames.
"I've never seen a fire act like this one," said Vicki Estrella who escaped a blaze.
"It's amazing the way that thing spread. There was smoke 300ft (91m) in the air."
Four years of drought in the western US have left the landscape very dry.
What California's done to try to stop drought
There has also been very humid weather, lightning strikes and strong winds.
This has given firefighters and water-dropping aircraft a huge challenge.
Although fire crews have had some success in tackling the blazes, there is no rain forecast, which will make it even harder to get the fires under control.


Saudi Arabia has lifted a four-year ban on US beef imports, that followed a scare over mad cow disease.

Under a new agreement, US exporters will initially be able to sell beef from cattle under 30-months of age.
Prior to the ban the US exported $31m (Â£23.4m) of beef and beef products to Saudi Arabia.
The US ambassador to Saudi Arabia said the deal would "ensure food security and a healthy agricultural sector for both of our countries".
Ambassador Joseph Westphal said the countries had agreed to meet common high food safety standards.
The US Department of Agriculture is developing a system for certifying US beef meets Saudi requirements.
Saudi Arabia imposed the ban in 2011 after a case of mad cow disease was discovered.
Concerns about mad cow disease, which has the official name of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, emerged in the 1990s.
In the UK, at the height of the epidemic, in 1992/1993, there were about 3,500 actual or suspected cases every month.
The brain-infecting disease can be transferred to humans who eat beef products from infected cattle.


It is a "black irony" that Kim Wall - the journalist whose remains have been found off Denmark - should have met her end while working in such a familiar and seemingly safe area, say friends and family.

The 30-year-old freelance journalist had travelled the world in pursuit of her stories - from Uganda to Cuba to the Marshall Islands to Kenya to New York City.
At one point she even "slipped into" North Korea.
"Kim has worked as a journalist in many dangerous places, and we have often been worried about her," her family wrote in a letter to Danish TV while their daughter was still missing.
"That something could happen to her in Copenhagen, just a few kilometres from the childhood home, we could not imagine at all."
Ms Wall's "pint-sized" physical presence and personal humility were misleading - the redhead was a formidable person and a driven journalist, say those who knew her.
She was born in 1987 and grew up in a close-knit community in the small town of Trelleborg in southern Sweden, just across the strait dividing Denmark from Sweden.
She studied international relations at London School of Economics and went on to gain a place on the rigorous masters programme of Columbia University's School of Journalism - described as the "Oxbridge of journalism".
Even within her cohort she was top of the class, winning honours in her year, her classmate and friend Anna Codrea-Rado told the BBC.
"What made her journalistic abilities so exceptional was that she looked for quirky stories but with a bigger narrative," she said.
"She reported them deeply - she never made a spectacle of the characters. Her reporting was rock-solid."
Her interest in people and stories made her a great party guest.
"She was very bubbly and warm, the kind of person who had fantastic stories about the things she was working on - you could jump straight past the small talk.
"She was intellectual, so well-travelled and had such varied interests. She was interested in quirky and eccentric stories. If you were at a party you'd end up passing hours just chatting to her."
This admiration has been echoed by numerous friends.
Ms Wall wrote "about subcultures, about a globalised world in rapid change", says Victoria Greve in Sweden's Expressen newspaper. "About life in a huge shopping centre in Kampala's Chinatown, about Cuban's underground internet providers who download and disseminate new episodes of Keeping Up with the Kardashians to people from all walks of life in Havana. We made a report together about the wealthy women in New York who voted for Donald Trump."
But she and others also highlight the effort and pluck needed to succeed at this genre of journalism in today's media.
"As news organizations grapple with shrinking budgets, they increasingly rely on freelancers, who cost less and are often willing to take on the attendant risks reporting in places they wouldn't send their staff to," writes Sruthi Gottipati in the Guardian.
"Even against this backdrop, the competition is fierce to place stories and female freelancers work hard to ensure their gender isn't calculated as a liability. So they clam up about the dangers they face and sometimes report before being commissioned to do so."
This pressure to secure good material before there is even a formal commission could explain why no news organisation has confirmed it gave Ms Wall the assignment she died carrying out.
Friends and family have urged the world not to let the nature of her death overshadow her life.
"Please don't remember her as the murdered Swedish journalist who died in a grisly horror straight out of a crime drama," Ms Codrea-Rado said on Twitter.
"Remember her work."


US First Lady Michelle Obama is joining James Corden in his hit sketch Carpool Karaoke this week.

A preview showed the pair dancing to Beyonce's Single Ladies.
The clip, posted on YouTube, shows Corden arriving at the White House for a tour before Mrs Obama gets into his car.
The footage, which was recorded last month in Washington DC, will air on the British star's Late, Late Show in the US on Wednesday.
Mrs Obama is seen telling the presenter: "I hear you're here for a 1.45 tour and I had a little time on my hands so you want to go for a spin?"
The First Lady then tells Corden she "rarely" gets to listen to music in the car and the only time she has ever sat in the front passenger seat "rocking out" was when one of her daughters was learning to drive.
Other stars who have appeared on Carpool Karaoke include Adele, Sir Elton John and Stevie Wonder.
Corden began hosting The Late, Late Show in March last year.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


A report into an RAF jets crash off the Caithness coast in July 2012 is due to be published by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Three airmen died in the incident involving two Tornado GR4s flown out of RAF Lossiemouth in Moray.
BBC Scotland understands that an agreement has been reached between the Crown Office and the MoD to permit publication of the crash investigation.
The Military Aviation Authority carried out the probe.
BBC Scotland understands the report could be published next week, which will see the second anniversary of the crash which happened on 3 July 2012.
The MoD said the report was due to be published "very soon".
A spokeswoman added that the MoD was unable to comment on the contents of the report until after it was published.
The Military Aviation Authority has provided a report on the incident to the procurator fiscal.
The Crown Office has not yet made a decision on whether a fatal accident inquiry will be held.
Moray SNP MP Angus Robertson said the report was overdue.
"Nearly two years have passed since the tragic collision of the two Tornado aircraft over the Moray Firth and there is public interest in the finding being released before any announcement about a fatal accident inquiry," he said.
Bangor-born Flt Lt Hywel Poole, 28, Sqn Ldr Samuel Bailey, 36, from Nottingham, and Flt Lt Adam Sanders, 27, who grew up in Lancashire, died.
Sqd Ldr Paul Evans, from RAF Lossiemouth, survived but was badly injured.


Former first minister Peter Robinson has said that "while the election is unstoppable the headlong rush into destruction is not".

In a statement on his Facebook page, Mr Robinson called on the parties to take care the positions they are adopting do not close off sensible options.
He advised the politicians to "step back, take a breath".
He said they should ensure there is space for an agreement "in the calmer times that follow the hustings".
Mr Robinson wrote that he had been determined not to provide a running commentary on political events since he stepped down.
However, he said his concern for the existence of the Stormont institutions has overridden his desire for a quiet retirement.
The former DUP leader acknowledged that mistakes were made over the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme.
But he argued that the executive's proper role should have been to put in place cost control measures and initiate a thorough inquiry.
Mr Robinson said the argument that it was "time for the people to have their say" was bogus.
He added that he could not help feeling that if Martin McGuinness had been in good health, the breakdown would have been avoided.
Instead, he argued, "more belligerent elements" in Sinn Féin had "seized their opportunity".
The former first minister said he believes a major negotiation of the kind Sinn Féin is seeking cannot be completed in the time legally available before a fresh election should be triggered.
"Almost inevitably, the assembly will be suspended and Northern Ireland will be back to direct rule," he said.
Mr Robinson said the election had "constitutional importance" and he called for a high unionist turnout.


A pensioner who underwent gender re-assignment surgery at the age of 69 says she lived "in the wrong body" for most of her life because she feared the reaction of her friends and family.

Jocelyn McKay is now 81 and said she feels "released" from the feelings that gripped her for so long.
"I may be old, but at least I am happy," she told BBC News NI.
"I hadn't really lived until I got the operation.
"For years I felt I was in the wrong body and it wasn't until I was 69 that I plucked up the courage to ask for help."
It was only after a trip to Manchester with some friends, during which Ms McKay lived as a woman, that she realised the surgery was something she needed.
"I was a cross-dresser, I went away dressed as a man and I came home dressed as a man, but in between times I was a woman," she said.
But cross-dressing was not good enough for her.
When Ms McKay returned from her trip, she visited her GP, who referred her to a specialist.
She said: "I had been going to the doctor for a range of ailments and he said to me: 'Thank God you've finally told me what's wrong.'"
Every week three or four people present themselves as transgender to the Regional Gender Identity and Psychosexual Service at Knockbracken in Belfast.
They typically make contact with the clinic through a GP referral or a drop-in facility every week.
200 people are currently being treated by the clinic with 50 more on the waiting list.
More than half of them are aged between 18 and 25.
The number of adults going to the clinic is doubling year on year.
The clinic provides adults with assessment, psychological support and onward referral for hormone replacement therapy and surgery where appropriate.
A gender identity panel to strategically look at the issues facing transgender people met for the first time at Stormont on Monday.
It was formed by the peer support group Focus - The Identity Trust.
It comprises politicians from Sinn FÃ©in and the Alliance party, as well as a Presbyterian minister, the Reverend Lesley Carroll, and others with a long-standing interest in human rights.
The Sinn FÃ©in minister Megan Fearon said the gathering was about "bringing marginalised people together, giving them space to discuss transgender issues and engaging with politicians in a way that had not been done before".
"Transgender people still experience discrimination in nearly every walk of life," she said.
The panel will address trans-phobic hate crime and access to health and education.


HS3, the planned fast rail link between Manchester and Leeds, needs "kick-starting" as part of a broader plan to improve transport links in northern England, a report has concluded.

The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) also called for improvements on the most congested part of the M62 to be sped up.
It said the region needed "immediate and very significant investment".
The government will commit Â£300m for transport projects later this week.
More details are expected in the Budget on Wednesday, although almost half of the money committed was announced in last year's Autumn Statement.
Chancellor George Osborne will commit Â£75m to explore plans for a new trans-Pennine road tunnel and bring forward Â£161m for upgrades to the M62 Liverpool-Hull motorway.
The former Labour transport secretary and chair of the NIC, Lord Adonis, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that transport improvements in the north of England were already being undertaken.
He said these projects - including the electrification of the railway line between Manchester and Leeds - should be "seen as the first stage on the road" towards HS3.
Lord Adonis said electrification of the Manchester-to-Leeds railway line would bring journey times down to 40 minutes, with HS3 cutting journey times to 30 minutes.
"This is going to be a phased approach. It's not going to be one big bang like HS2, which is the creation of a completely new line for nothing," he told the BBC.
"It will be a mixture of improving the current line and stretches of new line to deliver two objectives: big cuts in journey times between the big northern cities, from Liverpool in the west to Hull in the east, and also big improvements in capacity, so you can have much more regular trains as well as faster trains."
It is widely acknowledged that poor transport is holding up growth across the north of England.
The roads across the Pennines haven't been widened since 1971. There's only one fast train an hour between Manchester and Sheffield.
There have been many, many reports over the years saying that transport in the north of England is underfunded and buckling under the strain.
Line them up end to end, they might just stretch across the Pennines.
The reality is, far more is spent on transport in the South than in the North - that is, per head, not total amounts.
And any dramatic improvements to trains over the Pennines would cost billions and take more than a decade to happen. There isn't even a proper plan yet.
In its report, the NIC said: "Leeds and Manchester are just 40 miles apart, but there is no quick and easy way to travel between the two. In rush-hour, it can take more than two hours by car; by train, it can be almost an hour.
"So we should kick-start HS3 across the Pennines and slash journey times to just 30 minutes. But we must not wait decades for change - journey times should be cut to 40 minutes by 2022."
A plan should be drawn up by 2017, the report said.
Lord Adonis also said that improvements to the M62 should ensure that road journeys between Liverpool and Leeds would be cut by up to 20%.
Other recommendations include redeveloping Manchester Piccadilly train station and incorporating key parts of the north in the HS2 train network.
The NIC was set up by the government last year to advise on long-term projects to boost the economy.
A full blueprint for HS3 will be drawn up next year.


Northern Ireland's Carl Frampton outpointed Spain's Kiko Martinez in Belfast's Titanic Quarter to secure the world IBF super-bantamweight title.

In front of 16,000 fiercely partisan fans in a purpose-built outdoor arena, Frampton controlled the fight throughout and floored the champion in the fifth round.
Martinez demonstrated remarkable durability to make it to the final bell but the judges scored the fight 119-108, 119-108, 118-111 - all in Frampton's favour.
The 27-year-old had knocked Martinez out last February to win the European crown, only for the Spaniard to win the IBF title six months later.
"I've got the world title!" Frampton told BBC Radio 5 live after adding the IBF belt. "I feel a bit emotional - it has been a long time coming, it has been a hard road.
"I intend to hang on to it for a very long time."
Frampton is managed and promoted by former featherweight world champion Barry McGuigan, who was such a unifying force during Northern Ireland's Troubles in the 1980s, and trained by Barry's son Shane.
McGuigan Sr said after the fight: "I love him like a son - he's a part of me and I know how talented he is.
"He showed us his bravery tonight and he certainly showed the skills he's got. He's really got a tremendous future ahead of him."
The victory for the Tiger's Bay native, which makes him his country's first world champion since fellow Belfast fighter Wayne McCullough in 1996, provided more cause for celebrations across Northern Ireland and beyond.
As well as the United Kingdom and Ireland, the fight was broadcast in the United States, South America, China, Japan and the Middle East.
As for McGuigan Sr, he will be relieved as well as elated, having pumped a huge amount of money into the event (it was the country's biggest gate for a boxing match by some distance) and brought Martinez over from Spain at considerable cost.
Martinez had defended his title twice since stopping Jhonatan Romero last August and promised to gain revenge over Frampton, the only man to knock him out in 35 previous fights as a professional.
But overlooked by the famous Harland and Wolff cranes, next to where the Titanic was built and launched a little more than 100 years ago, Frampton was not to be denied.
He won a cagey first round courtesy of a couple of snappy right crosses before the fight opened up in the second, Martinez trying his luck with some swinging right hands and Frampton having success on the counter.
Frampton, fighting on the back foot for the most part, repeatedly made Martinez look clumsy in the third, suggesting that the champion was starting to unravel.
The challenger continued to control proceedings in the fourth, keeping the stalking Martinez at bay with jabs and two-shot combinations, although Frampton did mix things up with one juddering uppercut.
Martinez was lucky not to be docked a point at the start of the fifth, having hit a prone Frampton on the back of the head. But Frampton exacted sweet revenge, flooring his rival with a short, chopping right towards the end of the round.
Martinez, bleeding from the cut over his left eye, was up almost immediately and straight back at Frampton, but was picked apart some more in the sixth.
The seventh was Martinez's best round of the fight, the Spaniard landing with a couple of those looping right hands. But Frampton was back in control in the eighth, drawing Martinez on to some hurtful left-right combinations.
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Frampton was showing a cut over the right eye at the start of the ninth, which was a difficult round to score, and the 10th round was grim stuff as both men traded toe-to-toe on the inside, although Frampton landed the cleaner shots.
A battered and bruised Martinez looked close to folding in the 11th as Frampton rained blows upon him, but the man from Alicante proved that he is as game as they come by extending the contest into the final round.
Martinez looked ready to go again midway through the 12th but was still trading blows when the final bell sounded. But the result was never in doubt.
Frampton is now one of five world champions from the United Kingdom, alongside Carl Froch, Kell Brook, Scott Quigg and Jamie McDonnell, although those last two hold lesser versions of titles.
British fight fans would now like to see Frampton fight Bury's WBA title-holder Quigg but American Chris Avalos is the IBF's mandatory challenger.
Martinez was given special dispensation to fight Frampton instead of Avalos but the 24-year-old Californian is likely to get his chance next spring, especially given that he recently teamed up with British promoter Eddie Hearn.
Quigg, 25, defends his portion of the WBA title (Cuba's Guillermo Rigondeaux is their so-called 'super' champion and regarded as the best in the division) against Belgium's Stephane Jamoye in Manchester on 13 September.
But Frampton, who emerged from his triumphant night with a badly marked face and a damaged hand, will now take a well-earned holiday with his wife Christine and daughter Carla before weighing up his options.
BBC Radio 5 live Sports Extra will be replaying commentary of the fight in full at 0900 on Sunday morning.


British tennis player Jay Clarke has revealed that he receives 15 to 20 racially abusive messages a month on social media and it is "not a surprise" when it happens.

British number nine Clarke, 18, tweeted an example which referred to him as a monkey and included monkey emojis.
"It has happened a few times. It's the first thing people go to - colour," the world number 394 told the BBC.
"The first few times it's a shock, now you're almost waiting for it."
The Derby native was speaking after losing 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 in the first round of the Nottingham Open to India's Yuki Bhambri, the world number 231.
"[It happens] when I lose to people I shouldn't lose to or lose tight matches," he added.
"It's upsetting that people think like that but it's not the first time it's happened and I'm sure it won't be the last.
"It was important for other people to see. I get a lot of messages like that throughout the year. I'm sure a lot of other people do as well."
The teenager has rapidly risen up the rankings in the last year, having been number 1,621 in the world in June 2016.
He trained with Andy Murray before the French Open and travelled with the Great Britain Davis Cup team for their recent tie against France.
Clarke said he had discussed racist abuse with other players on the tour.
"There are a few things that have happened to [Gael] Monfils and a lot of the other guys I have met on tour," he added.
"It was something I talked about a lot when a kid. Not to expect it, but there will be people who are like that.
"Dealing with it has helped a lot. It is not that big a surprise now."


The cost of an NHS prescription in England will increase by 20p to £8.60 from the start of April, the government has announced.

Health minister Philip Dunne said prescription charges were expected to rise "broadly in line with inflation".
In other parts of the UK, prescriptions are free.
The price of dental care will also increase, with the lowest-cost band one treatment rising by 90p and band three treatment increasing by £10.60.
Mr Dunne said the cost of prescription prepayment certificates (PPC), which save money for those who need to pay for regular NHS prescriptions in England, would not change.
The three-month PPC, if you need more than three prescribed items in three months, remains at £29.10 and a 12-month PPC at £104.
Mr Dunne told MPs: "Existing arrangements for prescription charge exemptions will remain in place, principally covering those with certain medical conditions like cancer, epilepsy and diabetes, pregnant women and new mothers, children under 16 and anyone over 60, and those on a low income."
The Department of Health said 90% of prescription items were free on the NHS in England.
The dental charge increases form part of a two-year settlement announced last year.
In 2017-18 a band one course of treatment and urgent treatment will increase by 90p from £19.70 to £20.60.
For band two treatment, the price will increase by £2.40 from £53.90 to £56.30 and for band three treatments, a £10.60 increase will see the price rise from £233.70 to £244.30.
"The maximum band three charge is for the approximately 5% of treatments that include items such as crowns or bridges," Mr Dunne said.
A Department of Health spokesman said: "Dental charges have always represented an important contribution to the overall cost of dental services - but we are ensuring that those who are unable to pay, including children, nursing mothers, and those on certain benefits remain totally exempt from charges."
He said those who did not qualify for these exemptions could still be eligible for full or partial help from the NHS Low Income Scheme.


Men working in the lowest-skilled occupations and women in culture and health jobs are at the highest risk of suicide, according to new research.

Figures also show construction workers killed themselves at a rate three times higher than the male average.
For women, people in culture, media and sport had a rate 69% higher than the female average.
The Samaritans said more understanding would help to target support to those most at risk.
The Office for National Statistics referred to previous studies, which found job security and low pay increased the risk of suicide.
The report was based on 13,232 deaths from suicide registered in England between 2011 and 2015 among people aged 20 to 64, where the deceased's occupation was known.
About four in five (10,688) were men.
Men working in skilled trade occupations had the second-highest risk among the major occupational groups, the ONS said. They accounted for 29% (3,059 out of 10,688) of all male suicides.
The raw numbers showed 1,047 male suicides were of people in the construction or building trade. However, this does not take account of the number of people working in the professions.
Among women, those working in culture, media and sport as well as health professionals had the highest rates.
Women in culture, media and sport occupations had a rate 69% higher than the national average for women while health professionals were 24% higher.
In raw numbers, the most suicides among women were in the caring professional services - 273 between 2011 and 2015.
The figures were compiled by the ONS, which worked with David Gunnell, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Bristol. The study was commissioned by Public Health England.
Ruth Sutherland, chief executive of Samaritans, said: "Suicide is complex.  There is never a single reason or circumstance that leads to a person taking their own life, so all additional insight into suicidal thoughts and behaviours is to be welcomed.
"The more we know, the more we can target resources and support to those most at risk."
She said the organisation was now working with the construction industry.
Duncan Selbie, chief executive of Public Health England, said: "Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50, and more women are taking their own lives each year. Death by suicide is never inevitable, but for a person who is overwhelmed by feelings and events that appear insurmountable, it can seem like the only answer.
"People who die from suicide are usually not in contact with health services, and often push through in silence as their ability to cope deteriorates. With more than two-thirds of adults in employment, the workplace offers an opportunity to reach people who need extra support.
"I urge all employers, large or small, public or private sector to treat mental health as seriously as physical health. Early action can stop any employees reaching a desperate stage. Simple actions can make a huge difference - talking with a manager or colleague can help people get the support they need, and ultimately save lives."
Nansi Ellis, assistant general secretary for policy at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers said: "It is shocking to see that female primary teachers have a suicide risk that is 42% above the average."
She said teachers were "exhausted from constant stress" and expected to "devote every minute of their lives to their work".
If you are affected by any of the topics in this article, the Samaritans can be contacted free on 116 123 or through their website.


Lazio beat Juventus 3-2 in the Italian Super Cup following a thrilling finale at the Stadio Olimpico.

Simone Inzaghi's side led 2-0 thanks to Ciro Immobile's double, the first from a penalty and the second a fine header after the break.
Paulo Dybala scored twice in the last five minutes for Juve, with a free-kick and a penalty, to level the score.
But Alessandro Murgia converted Jordan Lukaku's cross in injury time as Lazio won without needing extra time.


Paula Radcliffe should be publicly backed by the World Anti-Doping Agency after she claimed she had been implicated in blood doping allegations.

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Radcliffe's husband and coach Gary Lough said Wada must "protect clean athletes" after the ex-long distance runner "categorically" denied cheating.
The 41-year-old Briton has defended three 'abnormal' blood results after her data was made public.
Lough said he wanted Wada to "come out and state there is no case to answer".
Radcliffe, who still holds the marathon world record, said she has been "almost abused" by calls for her to release her blood data, following the Sunday Times' allegations of doping in athletics.
"I am probably not happy with how Wada have handled this situation," Lough told BBC Radio 5 live. "I think this is a special circumstance and want them to come out and say this case is under review and there is no case to answer.
"That would definitely help us - that would be the only outcome of the investigation."
At a parliamentary select committee on Tuesday, Jesse Norman MP suggested London Marathon winners and medallists and "potentially British athletes" were under suspicion of blood doping.
Radcliffe was not specifically named, but issued a statement saying she had been "effectively implicated".
Asked whether Radcliffe should have come out earlier to defend herself against rumours, Lough said it was "the last thing they wanted to be associated with" and that initially, they "did not know what they were dealing with".
"It took everything to persuade her not to do it because her natural inclination is to shout from the rooftops, 'I have done nothing wrong, I have got nothing to hide'," said Lough. "She was going to take it upon herself to stand up for the sport.
"Paula probably should have been a bit more selfish. Something to do with doping goes to the heart of what she's about. You couldn't say anything worse in this world to her.
"She would do anything to defend herself and it is so hard not to do anything publicly. Now that she can, this will be cleared properly."
Radcliffe's 'abnormal' scores were 114.86, 109.86 and 109.3 in three blood test results, which were followed up and cleared by the IAAF at the time they were given.
Any score above 103 recorded by a female athlete can trigger further investigation, but Radcliffe, who set her world best time in 2003, said those three tests analysed by experts employed by the Sunday Times lacked context.
Guidelines from athletics' world governing body the IAAF say readings should not be taken within two hours of exercising.
Radcliffe said: "Two of those are invalid because they were taken immediately post-race and they would not be looked at for that reason.
"But if they are looked at by qualified experts with the full context, they would say that is totally explainable, that's not even suspicious."
Radcliffe also says all three samples were taken after periods of altitude training.
Lough added: "Paula does ask 'why is this happening to me?'
"What has been more stressful is the whispers, the finger pointing and the innuendo that she has had to deal with in the lead-up to this, when you know you have done nothing wrong but are in no position to do anything about it."
Lord Coe has backed Radcliffe - saying he "absolutely believes" she is clean.
The new president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Lord Coe has previously called the Sunday Times investigation a "declaration of war" on athletics.
But he will be called to the next parliamentary select committee meeting after Damian Collins MP said his comments were "inappropriate".
However, double Olympic gold medallist Coe maintained his robust defence of his sport on Thursday, questioning whether politicians should be "making judgements" on blood data information.
Lord Coe warned against "witch hunts" around athletes who were "doing their very best and doing it in a very clean way".
Coe told ITV: "I think everybody knows Paula is a clean athlete. She had to defend herself, which I thought she did very well the other day, but I don't think she should have been in the position of having to do that."


Apple has complained of a "flood" of counterfeit goods masquerading as its products being sold on Amazon.com.

The claim relates to items sold via Amazon's "fulfilment" scheme, whereby third parties list their goods on the retail giant's site, store their inventory in its warehouses and rely on it for deliveries.
Apple warns the alleged fakes are potentially life-threatening.
But it is suing one of the vendors rather than Amazon itself.
The defendant, New York-based Mobile Star LLC, could not be reached for comment and has yet to file its own legal paperwork.
"Mobile Star has been deceiving Apple customers and putting their safety at risk by selling counterfeit power adapters," an Apple spokesman told the BBC.
"They have ignored our repeated requests, so we are taking legal action to get them to stop."
Amazon says it takes such matters seriously.
"Amazon has zero tolerance for the sale of counterfeits on our site," a spokeswoman told the BBC.
"We work closely with manufacturers and brands and pursue wrongdoers aggressively."
Details of the case were first reported by Patently Apple.
Apple said it had bought "well over" 100 iPhone devices, own-brand power adapters and charging cables, and had found almost 90% of them were fakes.
"Unlike genuine Apple products, they are not subjected to industry-standard consumer safety testing and are poorly constructed with inferior or missing components, flawed design and inadequate electrical insulation," it said.
"These counterfeits have the potential to overheat, catch fire and deliver a deadly shock to consumers while in normal use."
It added that customers might be fooled into believing the products were safe because Amazon was perceived to be one of the US's most trustworthy companies.
"Consumers, relying on Amazon.com's reputation, have no reason to suspect the power products they purchased... are anything but genuine."
One blogger who has previously highlighted what he calls "Amazon's fraudulent seller problem" suggested Apple should be more aggressive in its effort to tackle the issue.
"I can certainly see why Apple is suing Mobile Star," wrote John Gruber.
"But why not sue Amazon too?
"This is shameful. I've known for a while never to trust anything merely 'fulfilled by Amazon', but I'm actually surprised that even the 'Apple' branded chargers... are dangerous counterfeits as well."


Thousands of people welcomed home Challenge Cup winners Hull FC back to the city after their win in Saturday's final at Wembley.

The Super League leaders came back from 10-0 down to defeat Warrington Wolves.
A victory parade started at the KCOM Stadium in Hull, before travelling through the city and greeting fans at Queens Gardens for a party.
Hull's previous Challenge Cup win was over Leeds in Cardiff in 2005, while Wembley was being rebuilt.
Fans lined the streets on Ferensway, Prospect Street, George Street and Wilberforce Drive as two open top buses carrying players and club staff passed.
Supporter Ashleigh Charles said: "I didn't think anything could top Cardiff, but for me it was watching my dad see his team win at Wembley.
"It's all I've ever wanted, to share it with him, so it was the best day of my life by far."
Stephen Brady, leader of Hull City Council, said: "After so many years of trying, Hull have finally triumphed with a gritty, determined display at Wembley.
"They're a credit to themselves, to the club and to the city, they've done a great job."
Hull-born player Kirk Yeaman said: "Obviously it means a lot to the fans, to the players, staff and everyone involved in Hull FC."
"It's the best thing I've had in my career," he added.


Almost 400 trout have died in what has been described as a "major fish kill" in a County Antrim river, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) has confirmed.

The incident at the Glenavy River was reported on Friday evening at about 17:00 BST.
The NIEA said it was due to a "high severity" water pollution incident.
They have launched an investigation into the pollution.
Environment Minister Mark H Durkan said: "I am concerned about this. I will be monitoring developments here closely along with NIEA officials."
A spokesperson for the NIEA said: "Officers initially observed a number of dead trout over a distance of approximately 500 metres in the Glenavy River.
"Further to the NIEA investigation, the polluting discharge was confirmed as an agricultural source.
"The source of the pollution was identified and samples have been taken with a view to initiating prosecution proceedings."
The incident was first reported on Friday by members of Glenavy Conservation and District Angling Club.
Club member Barbara McGeown said the incident was "very disappointing".


The US Supreme Court has challenged the consideration of a student's race in public university admissions policies.

The court heard an appeal brought by a white student denied a place at the University of Texas in 2008.
A ruling for Abigail Fisher could affect so-called affirmative action programmes elsewhere, analysts say.
The Supreme Court upheld the use of race in admissions in a 2003 ruling, but the court has become more conservative in the past nine years.
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who wrote the decision on the 2003 University of Michigan case, has since retired.
Her successor, Samuel Alito, opposes the use of racial preferences in admissions.
Justice Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts asked probing questions about details of the University of Texas admissions policy and when race could become a deciding factor between otherwise similar applicants.
The chief justice also asked the university's lawyers how judges would be able to tell when the college achieved a "critical mass" of diversity on campus.
He added later in the session: "I'm hearing a lot about what it's not. I would like to know what it is."
Justice Anthony Kennedy, often seen as a deciding vote between the court's liberal and conservative justices, has also never voted in favour of racial preference, the Associated Press reports.
"What you're saying is what counts is race above all," Justice Kennedy said on Wednesday.
Liberal justices, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Stephen Breyer asked questions that some say suggested support of affirmative action.
Correspondents say that even if the court does not uphold the Texas admissions policy, striking down broader consideration of race in university admissions appeared unlikely.
The University of Texas updated its admissions policy after the 2003 Supreme Court ruling to consider race without using quotas.
Students in Texas high schools are automatically admitted to the university if they are in the top 8% of their class in terms of academic achievement.
The threshold was previously 10% and Ms Fisher's grades did not put her in that category.
Race and other factors can be considered as factors in admissions to any remaining spots - approximately 25% of the annual student intake.
Ms Fisher, along with another woman who has since dropped out of the case, filed a complaint arguing that the university's race-conscious policy violated their civil and constitutional rights.
She was never admitted to the University of Texas and has since graduated from Louisiana State University.
"If any state action should respect racial equality, it is university admission," Ms Fisher's lawyers said in their written submission to the court.
A federal appeals court has already backed the University of Texas admissions programme, saying it was allowed under the Supreme Court's Michigan decision.
Justice Elena Kagan, previously involved in the case as US solicitor general, has recused herself from the proceedings.
That leaves eight justices to decide the case, and a 4-4 tie would uphold the decision of the lower appeals court.
Private universities, including elite institutions such as Harvard and Columbia, have filed briefs to the court arguing that their national recruitment policies make it impossible for them to assure diversity without legal backing for racial preference, Reuters reports.


Theresa May has said she is "clear-eyed" about the threat posed by Iran to the security of the Gulf and wider Middle East, in a speech in Bahrain.

The prime minister stressed the importance of the deal struck last year which "neutralised" the possibility of the country acquiring nuclear weapons.
But she added that the UK would work with Arab Gulf states to counteract Iran's "aggressive regional actions".
US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to scrap the nuclear deal.
Signed by Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers - the US, UK, France, China and Russia plus Germany - the deal lifted crippling economic sanctions, after the International Atomic Energy Agency certified that Iran had restricted its sensitive nuclear activities.
Speaking at summit of the Gulf Co-operation Council - comprising Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain - Mrs May also said the UK wanted to "make a more permanent and more enduring commitment to the long-term security of the Gulf" and would invest more than Â£3bn in defence spending in the region over the next 10 years.
"Gulf security is our security," she said.
"Extremists plotting terror attacks here, in this region, are not only targeting the Gulf but, as we have seen, targeting the streets of Europe, too.
"Whether we're confronting the terrorism of al-Qaeda, or the murderous barbarity of [so-called Islamic State], no country is a more committed partner for you in this fight than the UK."
Mrs May said she was determined to build further on the trade and investment relationship between the Gulf and the UK.
"Just as Gulf security is our security, so your prosperity is also our prosperity. Already the Gulf is a special market for the UK."
She said that last year trade between the UK and the Gulf was worth more than Â£30bn and, at the same time, Gulf investment in the UK was helping to regenerate cities from Aberdeen to Teeside and Manchester to London.
Speaking on the final day of her trip to Bahrain, she recommended ongoing vigilance towards Iran.
"As we address new threats to our security, so we must also continue to confront state actors whose influence fuels instability in the region," she said.
"So I want to assure you that I am clear-eyed about the threat that Iran poses to the Gulf and the wider Middle East; and the UK is fully committed to our strategic partnership with the Gulf and working with you to counter that threat."
She alleged that Iran's activities include:
Mrs May added: "We secured a deal which has neutralised the possibility of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons for over a decade. It has already seen Iran remove 13,000 centrifuges together with associated infrastructure and eliminate its stock of 20%-enriched uranium.
"That was vitally important for regional security. But we must also work together to push back against Iran's aggressive regional actions, whether in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Syria or in the Gulf itself."
Iran is widely believed to have deployed troops to fight alongside Syrian government forces against rebel fighters supported by the UK, US and several Gulf Arab states. But it has only acknowledged sending military advisers.
Iran has also rejected assertions by the UK-backed, Saudi-led multinational coalition fighting alongside pro-government forces in Yemen that it is has provided military support to the Houthis.
The prime minister is also leading a discussion on Iran, in a session on regional security issues following her speech.
She is only the third Western leader, and first woman, to be invited to the summit.
The nuclear deal with Iran followed 12 years of on-off negotiations. It stipulated that Iran will reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium - which can be used to make reactor fuel, but also nuclear weapons - by 98% to 300kg (660lb) for 15 years.
Iran has denied seeking to develop nuclear weapons, and insists on exercising its right to have a peaceful nuclear industry.


We've already been told by the Welsh government that comparing Wales and England will be difficult for GCSE results this year.

The reason, they say is that pupils in Wales sit exams in November or January, as well as in the summer. But we will only get the results of the summer exams on Thursday.
We will have to wait until November for all the results, which were quite a bit higher than the summer-only results last year.
For example, last year the November results for maths were 11% higher for A*to C grades than the summer cohort.
But in England, more pupils sit the exams in the summer and, as the Welsh government says "In England, where there was much lower early entry, there was far less of a change between summer outcomes and the academic year outcomes published in January.
"It is a strong possibility that this scenario will occur again this year, with the inevitable impact on the ability to make comparisons between the sets of results."
The reason for the difference is that in England pupils only have one go at sitting an exam.
It was an attempt to stop schools encouraging pupils  to take GCSEs early so they can "bank" good grades - simply entering them for retakes if they fail.
Although Welsh Education Minister Huw Lewis has said schools here should not "game the system" he has ruled out following England's lead and banning re-sits.
So on Thursday, we will just get the results from the summer exams.
Back in July in a debate about education standards in Wales, Mr Lewis also reiterated an assertion I first highlighted back in November last year, which is this:
"In 2011, the level 2 inclusive gap with England stood at 8.9 percentage points and was truly a subject for concern.
"By last year, that gap had fallen and closed to 1.4 percentage points. Now, I wonder whether, this summer, we'll see that gap close to nothing, or even, and it's quite conceivable, that Wales overtakes England in terms of attainment at GCSE."
To people who are not education policy wonks, "the level 2 inclusive" means the number of 15-year-olds getting five GCSEs A* to C, including English or Welsh and maths.
So what Mr Lewis was saying last month was that pupils in Wales might overtake England in this very important benchmark.
So why does he say that?
Well, the gap between Wales and England has been narrowing steadily year-on-year. But last year, while results in Wales jumped, in England they dropped quite a bit.
So the gap was just 1.4%.
However, it has since been suggested the results in England were a bit of a one-off due to "methodology and examination changes"  and that, in fact, England is still a fair bit ahead of Wales on GCSE results.
We will all find out on Thursday.


London Tube drivers on two underground lines have ended their 24-hour strike.

The strike caused disruption but Transport for London (TfL) said Hammersmith and City and Circle line trains were running every 20 minutes.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union called the strike amid claims industrial relations had broken down.
The drivers ended their industrial action at 21:00 BST on Friday.
TfL said a full service would be running on both lines on Saturday.
The RMT has accused TfL managers of being "heavy handed", including putting staff toilet breaks on a stopwatch and showing "flagrant disregard" for agreed policies and procedures.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "This dispute is about the basic issues of protecting working conditions of our members and defending agreements from attempts to drive a coach and horses through them."
Despite the walkout TfL said 60% of drivers on both underground lines had turned up for work.
TfL operations director Steve White said it understood that drivers needed to take a break but said "a minority are taking breaks of an hour or more and calling them toilet breaks", which had a direct impact on customers.
He said it was "absolutely not true" that toilet breaks were being timed, but said management was offering help through an occupational health team if a driver had issues requiring longer breaks.


An 80-year-old man has been assaulted and robbed in his home in Edinburgh.

The attacker forced his way into the elderly man's home in Buchanan Street at about 09:20 on Saturday.
A Police Scotland spokesman said he then assaulted his victim before stealing a sum of cash and making off.
The robber is described as a white male in his 30s, about 5ft 6in tall with a medium build and short brown hair. Police have appealed for witnesses.
Det Insp John Kavanagh said:  "This was a distressing incident for the victim. We are eager to trace this suspect as a matter of urgency.
"Anyone who saw a male matching the suspect description in the Buchanan Street area yesterday, or has any other relevant information, is asked to contact police immediately."


Promoter Frank Warren says he is keen on an "immediate rematch" between boxers Liam Smith and  Liam Williams following their controversial fight in Manchester.

Williams, 24, was withdrawn by his corner at the start of the 10th round because of a severely cut eye.
The Welshman felt the injury, which required plastic surgery, was a result of a "blatant" Smith headbutt.
Had the clash of heads been recognised, Williams was on course to win.
He was up on all three of the fight judges' scorecards.
Promoter Warren said Williams' performance exceeded his expectations and says he wants the pair to do it all again.
"I want to make the rematch, immediately," he told BBC Wales Sport.
"I am sure Gary and Liam want it, Liam Smith wants it, let's get it made."
Williams' disappointment was compounded by the fact a win would have seen him crowned as the WBO's interim world light-middleweight champion.
In the fight's aftermath, Williams told BBC Wales Sport: "I was caught with a bad headbutt and as you can see, I have two lovely cuts on my eyeballs and I get to go and have plastic surgery," Williams told BBC Wales Sport.
"I am very disappointed that the referee didn't pick it up.
"I am pretty sure if he had seen the heads going, he would have called it.
"It must have been a genuine mistake. I don't understand how he missed it because it was blatant, but there is no point whinging about it."
Former champion Smith, also promoted by Warren, says he is not against giving Williams a rematch, but says talk of the headbutt is just his opponent's camp "making excuses".
"It is what it is. I said what I would do and I did it," Smith explained.
"Would Gary Lockett have pulled him out if he thought he was winning?
"I thought the fight was turning in my favour, 100%.
"I knew Liam was coming apart, I knew it would happen and it did."
Smith said he was "easy" about the prospect of a rematch.
He added: "I don't know what caused the cut, but regardless, if it was a head clash, he was as bad, if not worse, than me, at leaving his head in.
"I was cut from round three. I don't see where the difference is.
"I think it is just an excuse. Clashes of heads happen."
Warren says he felt trainer Gary Lockett could have chosen to let the fight continue, which might have led to a different outcome.
"Gary Lockett made the call he made," he said.
"Gary Lockett had a row with the referee, but if he had just bit his tongue - and I know where he is coming from - but maybe Liam wins that fight.
"I am not criticising Gary, it is always easier with hindsight."
Williams responded: "Gary made the call, I could hardly see, my vision is still blurry now and Gary has my best interests at heart," he said.
"Going back out (to fight the 10th round) would just mean I would be out of the ring even longer than I am going to be now.
"Let's be honest, he (Smith) was saying before that it wasn't even a 50/50 fight, but most people ringside would say I was winning the fight, maybe 6-3 up.
"I was catching him well and it was unfortunate, the way it ended."
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