The German economy is still failing to grow

Pope Francis is opening a global gathering of bishops and laypeople to discuss the future of the Catholic Church, including some hot-button issues that have previously been considered off-limits for discussion

Thomas Frank said Ivan Toney’s future will be at Brentford after the striker was handed an eight-month ban for gambling offences. The 27-year-old was found by the Football Association to have committed 232 breaches of its betting rules between 2017 and 2021. It means Brentford’s top scorer will now not play again until January 2024, with the suspension also prohibiting him from working with his team-mates at the club’s training ground until September. The FA indicated on Thursday it will apply to FIFA to have the ban extended worldwide, thereby ruling out the possibility of Toney being loaned abroad for the duration. He has scored 20 of Brentford’s 54 Premier League goals this season as well as having made his debut for Gareth Southgate’s England side in what has been a breakthrough year for the former Peterborough forward. Despite the suspension, Frank indicated that Toney will still have a future at the Gtech Stadium, though the club are awaiting clarification on the finer points of the punishment. “I’ve been in contact with him. He’s disappointed and sad about the situation,” said Frank. “His future is with Brentford, there’s no doubt about that. “We are waiting for the information so we know what we can do. What he’s allowed to do, especially for the first four months. “One thing is for sure, we will do everything to be there for him, support him and be aware of the mental health in it. “He’s made some mistakes, but we need to be there, and want to be there, for him and help him. We just need to know what we are allowed to do.” Toney was first charged with 262 betting offences in November and December, with the FA later withdrawing 30 of the charges. He admitted to the remaining 232 in February, but it took a further three months for the punishment to be decided upon. The charges stretch back to when he was a Newcastle player on loan at Scunthorpe and cover his time at Peterborough and his first years at Brentford. Frank was asked for his views on the link between football and the gambling industry, particularly since Brentford carry the name of an online gambling site on their shirts. He said that owing to the length of the ban, it was important that the club consider the mental health implications for the England striker. “It is a challenge, for me personally, all the advertising for gambling done by clubs (and) individuals in the game, I think that’s an issue,” he said. “I don’t know the full details of how much support or education the authorities provide. I know the Premier League and FA have a lot of initiatives in place that try to educate people out there. “Education is the key thing. Across the world, education is the number one thing if you want to change a culture and mindset. That takes a lot of hard work and patience. “We need to be aware of the mental health in this. Ivan is a footballer but he is also a human being that has family, a partner, young children, a mum and dad, siblings and friends and he has been on the front pages quite a lot. “We need to do whatever to support him in that aspect.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Michael Vaughan to return to BBC cricket coverage this summer Concerns raised over Sheikh Jassim’s bid to buy Manchester United Michael Vaughan to return to BBC cricket coverage this summer

The IRS criminal investigation division is ramping up collaboration with counterparts overseas in pursuit of sanctions evaders. The

Australian lithium producer Liontown Resources on Monday said its suitor, U.S.-based Albemarle, will not proceed with the proposed

Google, Twitter, Facebook and other tech companies fueled by social media have dodged a legal threat that could have blown a huge hole in their business models

At the time, Orca Rescues Foundation said that Lolita's mother was 93

The Cabinet has approved Ireland’s participation in a European Defence Agency (EDA) project to improve cyber-threat response and information exchange with other member countries. Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin secured Government approval for the project which aims to facilitate information exchange and improve the response to cyber threats to EU member states’ defence structures. The duration of the Military Computer Emergency Response Team Operational Network (Micnet) project is four years with the possibility of an extension. The EDA said this network of national cyber-threat response teams will enhance the level of cooperation in the cyber domain at EU level, at a time when computer networks are increasingly contested and the number of cyber-attacks against the EU continues to grow. It said cyberattacks have increased exponentially in the past few years, having serious political, financial, and economic consequences across Europe and beyond. The objective is to develop a robust and coordinated response to cyber threats affecting defence systems in the EU, including those used in military common security and defence policy missions and operations. Mr Martin also secured approval for three other European Defence Agency projects relating to the procurement of Defence Forces equipment. This includes ammunition, soldier equipment and Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) items like hazmat suits. The projects are an opportunity to secure defensive equipment and ammunition after the Russian invasion in Ukraine impacted supply for smaller nations like Ireland. The overall EDA ammunition procurement project includes fast-tracked supply for Ukraine but Ireland will not be participating in this aspect as it has “constructively abstained” from the supply of lethal equipment. Ireland may still supply non-lethal soldier equipment and CBRN items to Ukraine. Ireland has participated in the European Defence Agency, which was set up to support the EU’s defence capabilities, since it was established in 2004. Ireland’s participation in these EDA projects will now be subject to Dail approval. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Trust and ethics considerations ‘have come too late’ on AI technology Mitigating ‘extinction’ from AI should be ‘global priority’, experts say Teenager given criminal behaviour order apologises after TikTok ‘prank’

Japanese writer Haruki Murakami says walls are increasingly built and dividing people and countries as fear and skepticism flourish following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic

Pubs and bars might open earlier than usual this Sunday so fans can watch England play Spain in the Women’s World Cup final at the early kick off of 11am. According to The Athletic, while they are yet to make a decision, UK government departments are holding talks to override licensing laws which give pubs specific hours to open and prohibits the sale of alcohol before 10am on a Sunday. Rules can be temporarily relaxed by the Home Secretary for “an occasion of exceptional international, national, or local significance” without the need for pubs to apply for a temporary event licence. This has happened for royal events such as jubilees and weddings and the FIFA World Cup in 2014, which was based in Brazil meaning that many games finished late at night in the UK. So hopefully they do the same for the final this weekend. It comes as England beat hosts Australia 3-1 in Wednesday’s semi-finals to book their place in the final and in doing so marked the first time England have reached a World Cup final since the men’s team won on home soil in 1966. Meanwhile, the UK government has also said there are “no plans” for a public holiday if England win the World Cup despite even the likes of Labour leader Keir Starmer calling for one. That's a shame, but fingers crossed the government does us a solid on the pubs front. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A New Mexico family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Farmington and three Farmington police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Robert Dotson while responding to a domestic violence call at the wrong house.

Kai Cenat attempted to recreate Speed's remarkable feat from the video series '20 Women vs 1 Sidemen'