Leading evangelical Christian celebrity Sir Cliff Richard, who is now aged 67, thinks the church should be supportive of committed gay relationships and says he is sick of intrusive speculation about his own sexuality.

People in Britain rate committed campaigners such as Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King far more highly than celebrities such as Sir Bob Geldof and Angelina Jolie, a recent YouGov poll commissioned by Christian Aid shows.

Nobel Peace Laureate and ex-Archbishop Desmond Tutu is to chair a global group of “elders” who will visit some of the world’s conflict zones to offer experience, wisdom, and advice on moving toward non-violent solutions.