Shohfah-El Israel, whose birth name is Ajibola Shogbamimu, was convicted by a jury at Reading Crown Court of killing Joy Morgan after spending time alone with her – against strict church rules – in December.

The 20-year-old midwifery student’s body has never been recovered, despite extensive police searches of hundreds of acres of land in Hertfordshire.

Israel was convicted by a jury of eight women and four men on a single count of murder.

He lied to the police when he was arrested, saying he had dropped Ms Morgan off at her student accommodation in Hatfield after a celebratory dinner at the American-founded Israel United in Christ Church they attended in Ilford, east London, on December 26.

He later admitted he had in fact spent two nights alone with the University of Hertfordshire student in his Cricklewood flat, but claimed his lies were due to concerns about having broken church rules banning women from being alone with men other than their husbands.

After killing Ms Morgan he attempted to cover his tracks by removing her number from a church Telegram group chat, the court heard, and even kept up the pretence by going to her student house share under the guise of checking on her in the days after she apparently went missing.

A signal from Ms Morgan’s phone, which has never been found, was detected in Israel’s car in the Stevenage area on December 28, at which…

Iranian state media reported that their forces seized a third foreign oil tanker in the Gulf that they alleged was smuggling fuel. The seven crew members on board have been detained.

The vessel was taken on Wednesday, reportedly carrying 700,000 litres of oil bound for Arab states. The tanker is reported to be an Iraqi vessel and was seized in a northern part of the Strait of Hormuz.

Global Catholic seafarers’ charity, Apostleship of the Sea, is calling for seafarers’ rights to be respected as tensions escalate between Tehran and Washington.

John Green, Director of Development for the charity said: “We are hugely concerned for the welfare of the crew of this ship and also the crew of the Stena Impero who are still detained. The effects of this latest seizure will not only be on this crew but also on their wives and children.”

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important waterways, on which a combustible standoff has played out since early July, when a British warship intercepted an Iranian tanker off the coast of Gibraltar.

According to Iranian state media, upon capture, the vessel was taken to Bushehr Port in south-west Iran and its fuel handed over to the authorities.

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Soul Survivor has been going since 1993, growing out of the increasing teenage attendance at the family festival New Wine.

It was started by Mike Pilivachi, who is now the senior pastor at Soul Survivor Watford church, and is aimed at around 12-18 year olds.

Last summer, Pilivachi announced that Soul Survivor was going to end, saying in a video: “We know this may come as a surprise to some but we believe that God has spoken and that this is the right time for us to step aside and make space for others to rise up.

 
“This is not a decision we have taken lightly but one we make after much prayer and consideration. We continue to care passionately about young people and will look to support them in any way we can in the future, as well as longing to encourage and equip the whole church to move in the power of the Holy Spirit.

“There is a sense of sadness in making this announcement as we have seen God do some wonderful things at our events since we began in 1993 but we know that God is calling us into a new season and we look forward to seeing all that he will do as we make room for others to grow.”

The first week of the 2019 season, in Stafford, started on Saturday with the next two weeks being held in Peterborough.

The festival involves preaching from Mike Pilivachi and Andy Croft, worship music in the Big Top tent and various stalls in the exhibition hall for…

In a nearly 5,000-word message sent on the feast day of St John Vianney, patron of parish priests, the Pope acknowledged the “pain” of priests who “feel themselves attacked and blamed for crimes they did not commit”.

The pontiff said on Sunday that priests have shared with him “their outrage at what happened and their frustration that for all their hard work, they have to face the damage that was one, the suspicion and uncertainty to which it has given rise, and the doubts, fears and disheartenment felt by more than a few”.

Francis said “without denying or dismissing the harm” caused by the scandals, “it would be unfair not to express our gratitude” to priests who have fulfilled their duties “faithfully and generously”.

The Pope said the Church is “fully committed” to reforms to ensure “that the culture of abuse will have no time to develop, much less continue”.

He added that “if in the past, omission may itself have been a kind of response, today we desire conversion, transparency, sincerity and solidarity with the victims”.

Last August, Francis issued a letter to Catholics around the world condemning the “crime” of priestly sexual abuse and cover-up, and demanding accountability, in response to revelations in the US of decades of misconduct by the Catholic Church.

In the letter, the Pope also begged forgiveness for the pain suffered by the victims and said…