Religion This article is more than 9 years oldThis article is more than 9 years oldAlex Malarkey co-wrote a bestselling book about a near-death experience – and then last week admitted he made it up. So why wasn’t anyone listening to a quadriplegic boy and a mother who simply wanted the truth to be heard? When he wrote a blogpost in 2012, complaining about the explosively popular genre of books about near-death experiences, the evangelical writer and editor Phil Johnson did not know what he was getting into.

Donald TrumpTrump rages in court as E Jean Carroll testifies during defamation trialFormer Elle columnist says ‘I’m here to get my reputation back’ as judge warns ex-president he could be kicked out of court E Jean Carroll took the witness stand on Wednesday morning in her defamation trial against Donald Trump, marking the first time she has confronted the ex-president in a courtroom. Carroll’s testimony so incensed Trump that he had numerous outbursts, prompting the judge to warn that he could be kicked out of court.

The ObserverTV comedyThe surreal adventures of Peter Griffin and his family have taken the cartoon closer to a comedy Emmy than the Simpsons ever managed, reports Paul HarrisIt is the cartoon that came back from the dead and now its resurrection is complete. Family Guy, the irreverent TV show about a suburban family that includes a martini-drinking dog and a homicidal baby, has been nominated for an Emmy award. The nomination is the first time a cartoon series has been up for an award in the Outstanding Comedy Series category since The Flintstones received the nod in 1961.

First personLife and styleI married a strangerJust four weeks after they met, Steve Rowland and his girlfriend decided to marry. Less than an hour after the ceremony in Las Vegas they were already discussing divorce. Would their relationship survive?We had been married for less than an hour and my wife was already asking me for a divorce. "We shouldn't have done that. Got married." "You're probably right, but we don't need a divorce.

Rhik Samadder: ‘What is small talk again?’ Composite: Nick Dawe/The GuardianBeen up to much lately? After a year of isolation, I’ve forgotten how to talk to people – but help is at hand by Rhik SamadderA good friend of mine, who started a new job six months ago, is about to meet his colleagues face to face for the first time. They have been buddied up in pairs to make socialisation less daunting, he said.