'Church Has Harmed Gay People' Says Welby

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

The Anglican Church has caused "great harm" to homosexuals and is wrestling with the issue of gay marriage, according to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Most Rev Justin Welby warned Christians in some parts of the world find the subject "almost impossible" to deal with and said it may even have led to mass killings.

Same sex marriage became legal in England and Wales last month but is not supported by the Church.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, the Archbishop said: "There are different groups around the place that the Church can do - or has done - great harm to.

"You look at some of the gay, lesbian, LGBT groups in this country and around the world - Africa included, actually - and their experience of abuse, hatred, all kinds of things.

"We must both respond to what we've done in the past and listen to those voices extremely carefully.

"Listen with love and compassion and sorrow. And do what is possible to be done, which is not always a huge amount."

He added: "At the same time, there are other groups in many parts of the world who are the victims of oppression and poverty, who we also have to listen to, and who find that issue an almost impossible one to deal with.

Gay marriage became legal last month after MPs approved a change in the law

"How do you hold those two things (in balance) and do what is right and just by all?"

Earlier this month, Archbishop Welby said he had visited the grave of 369 people during a recent visit to Africa, where he said people believe that if they leave a Christian community they "will all be made to become homosexual and ... will kill all the Christians".

He also told of religious figures in South Sudan pleading with him not to change the Church's policy on same-sex marriage because it would mean they could no longer accept help from England.

However, he insisted in the Telegraph interview this did not mean the Church should stop discussing the topic of gay marriage following the recent UK law change.

"What I said is that I have been in places where that has been the reason given for attacking people," the Archbishop said.

"Now, as I said then, that doesn't mean that you don't do certain things. That would just be giving in to that kind of terror.

"You can't say, 'We're not going to do X, which we think is right, because it will cause trouble'. That's ridiculous."

Although the Church is legally exempt from carrying out same-sex weddings, it is due to hold a consultation on whether to introduce informal blessing-like services.

Gay ordained priests have been barred from being wed.

However, this was defied when Canon Jeremy Pemberton married his long-term partner Laurence Cunnington last Saturday.

The move means Canon Pemberton may now face a disciplinary process for his defiance of Church rules.

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Kate And William: Duchess Tries Out Fighter Jet

The Duchess of Cambridge turned down a chivalrous offer from her husband as the Royal couple continue their tour of Australia.

William was left watching as Kate - despite wearing heels - deftly climbed into the cockpit of a Super Hornet during a visit to the Royal Australian Air Force base Amberley, near Brisbane.

The Duke had asked: "Do you fancy jumping in the back?"

But the Duchess, dressed in a white LK Bennett dress with blue poppies on, wanted to have a go at the controls of the multimillion-pound plane herself from the pilot's seat.

Kate accepts some flowers from a little girl in Brisbane

Stephen Chappell, commanding officer of Number 1 Squadron, said there was some "bi-play between the two as to who was sitting in what seat".

During their visit, the Duke and Duchess met with relatives of four Australian servicemen killed in recent conflicts.

Kate was also presented with a boomerang by twins Ellijah and Tobee Dyer, three, for Prince George.

It comes after the Duchess poked fun at her husband's bald patch and started races on Sydney's Manly Beach as the Royal couple watched life-saving demonstrations.

Kate wore wedges to run in despite the sand before they were presented with a surfboard for their son.

The Duke and Duchess are on a nearly three-week tour of New Zealand and Australia.

They will complete their tour on April 25 in Canberra.

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British Gas Bonus Claims To Be Investigated

Claims that British Gas workers have been paid large bonuses to inflate customer bills are to be investigated by the energy regulator, Ofgem.

It comes after a former employee claimed the energy company encouraged its sales staff to sign up charities, churches and small businesses to its highest-priced tariffs in order to boost their own earnings.

British Gas has strongly denied the allegations.

The whistleblower, who worked for the company between 2010 and 2013, told the Daily Mail the firm's policies were designed "to rip off" customers.

He claimed sales agent typically earned between £4 and £37 in commission per deal if they persuaded existing customers to renew contracts.

But by moving a customer to a more expensive deal they could earn more than £400 a time, he alleged.

"People were desperate to make the salaries they had been promised, so everyone inflated the prices," he told the paper.

"Scout clubs was a favourite one; churches, charities, small businesses, where people would just go for the maximum 5p notch-up," he added.

Ofgem will investigate whether the sales activities were 'honest and fair'

A British Gas spokeswoman said: "British Gas strongly refutes any suggestion that employees are paid commission on any prices charged to residential customers."

British Gas Business managing director Stephen Beynon said his sales agents are paid commission, but he denied any suggestion that contracts were negotiated inappropriately.

"This is a highly regulated market, and every part of the sales negotiation process is closely monitored," he said.

"Sales agents in British Gas Business do receive commission, but we are reducing its importance.

"We're leading the way in addressing the variability in price that customers face in this market, and we'll continue to do so."

Ofgem said in a statement: "There are strict rules in place which require suppliers to take all reasonable steps to ensure information provided is accurate and not misleading, and that sales activities are conducted in a fair, honest, transparent and professional manner.

"Ofgem is an evidenced-based regulator and we would encourage anyone with information that an energy company is not complying with Ofgem rules to provide us with this."

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said: "This is a very serious and deeply disturbing allegation that comes as we are doing all we can to make the energy markets work better for all consumers - whether domestic or businesses.

"The Government fully supports Ofgem's recommendation for a full market investigation.

"In the meantime, we'll continue to help people pay less for the energy they use, driving the competition that has seen the number of energy suppliers triple since 2010 and people switching supplier in record numbers."

The allegations come days after Ofgem fined British Gas Business for a series of failures including blocking firms from switching to other suppliers.

Ofgem said British Gas Business would pay a total penalty of £5.6m of which £800,000 would be in fines, on top of £1.3m already paid to 1,200 customers who paid higher bills because they were not notified when their contracts were due to expire.

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Teachers' Strike Possible If Talks Break Down

By Emma Birchley, Sky News Correspondent

Teachers are considering a fresh walkout just weeks after strike action forced schools across England and Wales to close.

Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) meeting for their annual conference today will debate the possibility of industrial action next term unless "significant progress" is made in talks with the Government.

NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: "We have a motion that's going to be put to delegates which envisages industrial action in late June if we don't make progress in the talks with the Government in May.

"But the first priority is for a minister to actually come to those talks and we'd like to make progress on a list of things."

That list includes performance-related pay due to be introduced from September, heavy workloads and pensions.

The national walkout on March 26 saw 12% of schools shutting their doors, according to the Government, but thousands more were disrupted.

Any further strike action would be held in the week starting Monday, June 23 after the majority of GCSEs and A Level exams are over. However, some exam boards have papers scheduled for that week.

Teachers gathering for the conference called on Education Secretary Michael Gove to listen to their concerns.

"Certainly I will be thinking about voting to strike," said one. "Where I work people are concerned about the work loads, targets and the pressure Government puts on teachers."

Last month's national walkout organised by the NUT

Another told Sky News: "If Mr Gove would just listen to us and negotiate with us then strike action wouldn't go forward but he has to listen to us."

A poll commissioned by the NUT shows that two thirds of parents support teachers' right to strike.

But for the Lamberti family it smacks of double standards.

Mother-of-two Clare Lamberti said: "We applied for a day's holiday to take the girls away for the weekend and they turned it down.

"They said it would disrupt their education but obviously a day here and a day there for strikes, that's going to disrupt their education.

"One rule for them ... one rule for us obviously."

The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) is also holding its conference this weekend.

Both unions will be discussing concerns over the growing number of unqualified teachers taking classes.

Of 7,000 teachers surveyed, 53% told the NASUWT they worked alongside unqualified staff. That rose to 61% in academies.

But in a separate poll by the NUT, 82% of parents said schools should only employ qualified teachers.

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Runaway Rhea Outpaces Keepers In Hertfordshire

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

An ostrich-like animal with razor-sharp claws and a strong kick is still on the run in Hertfordshire after breaking free from its enclosure.

The runaway rhea, a female called Chris, has been roaming the countryside for the last month since escaping from her owner.

The 6ft bird has spent the past fortnight holed up in the lush surroundings of Barkway Park Golf Club, near Royston.

Alice Clements poses for a selfie, with the runaway bird in the background

Chris, who comes from South America, cannot take flight but her spindly legs can still reach speeds of 40mph.

Video footage shot by local green keeper Antony Lake of the rhea darting across a field at blistering speed shows why the dangerous animal has yet to be caught.

"I've seen her regularly and filmed her a few times," Mr Lake said.

At 6ft tall, the runaway rhea - similar to this one - is not inconspicuous

"This video shows just how fast she is. I was running fast and got nowhere near, although a few of us have got quite close over the last couple of weeks."

Gina Skutela, who also works at the golf course, said the bird seems perfectly happy.

"It's an impressive animal - the biggest bird I've ever seen and also very pretty," she said.

"She looks very relaxed, just grazing and looking around.

"A few golfers have even seen her sat down, chilling out near the fairway."

A spokesman for the RSPCA said the charity was aware of the runaway.

He advised members of the public not to corner the bird because of its powerful kick and ability to deliver a nasty scratch with a swipe of its six-inch claws.

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Man Held Over Killing Of Continuity IRA Leader

A 26-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of former dissident republican leader Tommy Crossan.

The 43-year-old was shot dead at a fuel depot in an industrial complex near the Peter Pan centre in West Belfast on Friday - the sixteenth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) tweeted: "Serious Crime Branch detectives investigating the murder of a 43-year-old man in West Belfast yesterday have arrested a 26-year-old man."

Detective Superintendent John Roberts appealed for information about a red BMW spotted near the murder scene.

Politicians have condemned the killing

He said: "It was a brutal and barbaric attack. He sustained several gunshots to the upper body and I'm appealing for any information from anybody who knows who was involved in this terrible murder to contact police."

Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson condemned the shooting.

He said: "The small minority of people who want to continue terrorising the community need to understand that they will not be allowed to drag Northern Ireland back to the dark days of the past.

"They must be hunted down and brought to justice."

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness added: "The people behind this killing are criminals and will further no cause through this shooting.

"Whoever carried out this act has nothing to offer the community and have no role to play in our future."

Mr Crossan was the Continuity IRA's former leader and was believed to have been the subject of a death threat from his former allies.

He had been expelled from the group some years ago and was jailed for conspiracy to murder Royal Ulster Constabulary officers following a shooting at a police station in West Belfast in 1998.

The organisation has opposed the peace process which largely ended three decades of violence and transformed the region.

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Car Catches Fire In Longleat's Lion Enclosure

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Reporter

A family have been rescued by safari park rangers after their car caught fire in the middle of the lion enclosure.

The drama unfolded at Longleat, Wiltshire, which was packed with visitors enjoying the long Easter weekend at the time.

George Lear, 16, from Bristol, was just a few cars away when the blaze broke out.

"We saw all the lions were staring at something and we turned around to see a smoking car," he said.

"Once the rangers had realised, they quickly escorted people from the smoking car to their own, blocked off the roads and moved the other cars away.

Lions are able to wander close to cars as they pass through their enclosure

"The car then slowly caught fire before the whole thing went up, leaving the place filled with black smoke."

Mr Lear said the lions were about 150 metres away from the car at the time.

"They kept their distance but didn't take their eyes off the fire and smoke," he said.

"The rangers were pushing them back but they were reluctant on moving away and looked interested."

No-one at Longleat Safari Park was available for comment when contacted by Sky News.

However, it is thought the fire was put out quickly, with no reports of injuries to any people or animals.

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Aberdeen: Boy Found On Fire After 'Petrol Game'

A seven-year-old boy who suffered serious burns while playing in an Aberdeen street may have been set on fire in a game that went tragically wrong.

Preston Flores, who is believed to have suffered 80% burns, was reportedly playing with friends in Bedford Avenue when he was engulfed in flames.

The children are believed to have taken a petrol can from the back of a van shortly before the fire started, local newspaper The Press and Journal reported.

A police spokesman confirmed petrol was involved but said there was no evidence to suggest the "tragic incident" was a deliberate act.

Witnesses described hearing screams and said the youngster's clothes stuck to his body as neighbours tried to douse the flames.

One relative told the Daily Record that Preston had been "mucking about" with mates before his clothes caught fire.

The boy suffered serious burns as he played in this street. Pic: Google

"I've never seen anything so horrible in my life," the family member said.

"The flames were covering his whole body."

Preston was initially taken to the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital but was moved to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh overnight.

He is being treated in a specialist unit, where his condition is described as critical.

Chief Inspector Nick Topping, the local Police Scotland area commander, said: "We're grateful for the continued assistance we've received from the local community to help us piece together the events leading up to this incident.

"We've spoken to a number of residents about what they saw or heard which has been very helpful and important to our inquiry."

He added: "Our investigation into this tragic incident will continue and I'd reiterate that so far there's been no evidence of any deliberate act."

Anyone who saw what happened or has information that may assist the police inquiry is asked to contact officers on the 101 non-emergency number.

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Man Held For 'Drink Driving' After Cop Car Crash

A man has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving after a car crashed into a police patrol vehicle in Dudley in the West Midlands.

The 44-year-old was held at around 2.40am on Saturday after a Volkswagen Golf mounted the pavement and hit the car, injuring two officers.

The driver of the police car arrested the man on suspicion of drink-driving.

A second police officer had to be removed from the patrol car by fire crews and was taken to hospital.

His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Chief Inspector Jack Hadley, of West Midlands Police, said: "Both officers were extremely lucky not to suffer more serious injuries.

"The driver of the other car had lost control of his vehicle and the end result could have been far worse."

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Marathon Runner's Second Half 'Faster Than Mo's'

Organisers of the London Marathon are looking into how one of the competitors ran the second half of his race faster than Mo Farah.

Jason Scotland-Williams is recorded on the event's official website as running the marathon in 3hrs and 8mins.

The first half of his race took 2hrs 7mins, according to the Virgin Money London Marathon results list.

During his second 13.1 miles, he was able to accelerate so much that he crossed the finish line after another 1hr 1mins.

His second half was completed four minutes quicker than Britain's double Olympic champion, who took 1hr 5mins to cover the same distance.

The amount of time it took Mr Scotland-Williams to complete every 5km was also listed up to the halfway stage, but several of the later 5km 'splits' are missing.

The listing on the website gives the estimated times, but is unable to provide accurate figures.

The Sun newspaper claimed there are allegations the runner jumped the barrier just after the half-way point and rejoined the race at a later stage.

The suggestion is that by missing out a portion of the race, Mr Scotland-Williams was able to post an unusually fast time.

Split times of Jason Scotland-Williams and Mo Farah compared.

A spokeswoman for the marathon confirmed to Sky News that an investigation into Mr Scotland-Williams' times was underway.

She said: "We are aware that unfortunately a few runners who take part in the marathon ... decide to take short cuts.

"We have a number of anti-cheating measures in place during the event itself to remove such runners, and then post event when we analyse split times from our extensive timing points around the course.

"This process is one of many that take place post event and usually takes between 10-15 working days to conclude.

"Runners who are found to have cheated are removed from the results and banned from future London Marathon events."

The Sun approached Mr Scotland-Williams to ask him to explain the discrepancy but he swore at them and refused to comment further.

In 2011, runner Rob Sloan was spotted catching a bus ride at about the 20-mile (32km) mark of the Kielder Marathon in Northumberland.

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