Joseph Hartropp

• Free lunches and Fresher's Week: How UK Christian Unions are stepping out to share Jesus

  It's 'Fresher's Week' for those embarking upon university for the first time. Whatever university may have in store, in Britain there's often one constant – the Christian Union (CU). Fresher's Week offers a slew of opportunities, one of them being a chance to hear – for many, for the first time – what Christianity is all about.

• Star Trek Discovery: Falling short of the stars in a godless space

  This week saw the genesis of a historic rebirth: the return of Star Trek to TV screens.' Star Trek: Discovery' chronicles once again humanity's optimistic pursuit of the stars in a godless universe, but like previous Trek entries before it, can't help reaching for spiritual themes on its way.

• Prayer warrior and prophet for the poor: 5 things you didn't know about Christian missionary George Müller

  Today is the birthday of 19th-century missionary George Müller, a passionate prophet against poverty, an advocate for orphans and an enduring emblem of radical trust in God. Here are five things you might not know about his remarkable life.

• Otto Warmbier was 'systematically tortured' by North Korea, say parents

  The parents of US student Otto Warmbier have described North Korea as 'terrorists' who had 'systematically tortured' their son while he was detained by the pariah state.

• Modern-day monasticism: Why the Kingdom of God is closer than you think

  The Kingdom of God is closer than you think, says Chris Webb, a Benedictine Anglican priest whose new book invites people into a 'God-soaked Life' of intimate awareness of the divine amid the everyday.

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  Most Americans think sex ed should promote abstinence, study says

  Most Americans think sex education should support abstinence, encouraging youths to wait for sex rather than just encouraging use of contraception.

• Lidl apologises for removing church crosses from food packaging

  The supermarket chain Lidl has apologised after it was found to have airbrushed Christian crosses from images on some of its food packaging. They said the 'mistake' would be rectified 'as soon as possible'.

• Most Brits and Canadians accept evolution – but 1 in 5 atheists struggle with it

  Most Brits and Canadians accept an evolutionary account of human origins, according to a new study, with less than 10 per cent of Brits backing creationism instead. However, a significant portion among the non-religious population of both nations struggle with evolutionary science, saying it can't explain the origin of human consciousness.

• Hillary Clinton's pastor seeks forgiveness as book is pulled after further plagiarism found

  Hillary Clinton's pastor Bill Shillady has apologised and sought forgiveness after further evidence of plagiarism in his new book led to the book being pulled and published copies being destroyed.

• Home-schooling and segregation foster Islamist extremism, warns counter-terrorism expert

  Home-schooling and social segregation in the UK is fostering the rise of extremist Islam, the national police counterterrorism co-ordinator has warned.

• 'The mirror deceives!' Pope Francis implores youth to fight the 'illness' of narcissism

  Pope Francis yesterday implored a youthful audience to turn away from the 'illness' of narcissism that produces only sadness. He encouraged young people to laugh at themselves and look outward to the needs of others.

• Descendant of Robert E Lee resigns as pastor after backlash for calling racism 'America's original sin'

  The Rev Robert Lee IV, a descendant of the famed Confederate general of the same name, has resigned as the leader of his church after receiving a backlash for his condemnation of racism as 'America's original sin'.