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Benedita da Silva grew up in poverty in a favela in Rio de Janeiro with her 15 brothers and sisters. She tells Matthew Bannister how she overcame this adversity to become the country's first black female Senator and the Governor of the state of Rio.

A most unusual wedding took place earlier this year in the city of Bangalore in the south of India. The couple involved say it was the country's first multi religious transgender marriage ceremony. Three years ago the Indian government passed a law officially recognising transgender people as a "third gender". But despite this they still face a lot of discrimination and often marry in secret. Mary-Rose Abraham went to meet Vasudev V and Akkai Padmashalli.

Australian Paul Cosentino is a magician and escapologist who stages spectacular and daring stunts. He's escaped from shackles underwater and evaded razor sharp knives getting ever closer to his head. He first became famous through reality TV formats including Australia's Got Talent and Dancing with the Stars - which he won. But Cosentino, as he's known on stage, says he is driven by his childhood experience of not being able to read until he was twelve years old.

Image: Benedita da Silva
Credit: JOYCE NALTCHAYAN/AFP/Getty Images