Somewhere between England’s third goal against Mexico on Sunday night and my second glass of something cold enough to hurt, my phone lit up with the news that FIFA had suspended Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban.

Not overturned, you understand. Suspended. Parked for a “probationary period” of one year, like a sixth-former caught smoking behind the bike sheds who has promised, hand on heart, never to do it again.

The ban existed for the most boring reason imaginable: the rules. Balogun was sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina for a nasty stamp on Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle, VAR had a look, and out came the red card. Under FIFA’s regulations a straight red brings an automatic one-match suspension. No appeal, no haggling. That is the entire point of the word automatic.

Except, it turns out, when the president of the host nation picks up the telephone. Donald Trump confirmed, quite cheerfully, that he had called Gianni Infantino to ask for a review of the card, on the expert basis that, in his own words, “I didn’t know what the hell a red card was.” Days later FIFA’s disciplinary committee reached for Article 27 of its own code, suspended the ban, fined US Soccer $40,000 for form’s sake, and Balogun trotted out against Belgium in Seattle on Monday night.

And all I could think of, watching this unfold, was Biff Tannen.

You remember Biff. Back to the Future Part II. The school bully who gets hold of a sports almanac from the future, bets on results he already knows, and builds a casino empire with his name in lights on the front. Screenwriter Bob Gale confirmed years ago that the older, richer, gold-lift-and-terrible-tie version of Biff was modelled on a certain New York property developer. It was a joke in 1989. The joke has now climbed out of the screen, taken the host nation’s armband and started ringing the referee.

Because the almanac was never really about the winnings. The almanac was about certainty, the delicious knowledge that the rules binding everyone else do not bind you. Biff didn’t out-gamble anybody. He simply operated in a market where he alone knew the outcome was negotiable. And Hill Valley in the rewritten 1985 wasn’t richer for it; it was a smoking ruin with one very shiny tower in the middle.

Business readers will recognise this pattern instantly, because it is precisely why the rule of law, rather than oil or talent or sunshine, is the most valuable economic asset any jurisdiction can own. Nobody invests where the courts take phone calls. Nobody signs a contract worth having if enforcement depends on who the counterparty knows. FIFA’s own statutes prohibit political interference, and Infantino insists his judicial bodies acted entirely independently, which would be considerably more soothing had the beneficiary not been the co-host’s star striker, days after a presidential phone call. UEFA said FIFA had “crossed a red line”. Wayne Rooney called it a disgrace. Belgium appealed and was told it had no standing, which is a bold thing to say to the actual opponents in the actual match.

The floodgates duly opened. Within a day the French federation was asking FIFA to look again at a yellow card shown to Michael Olise, and Thomas Tuchel was being asked, with a straight face, whether England ought to start appealing its red cards too.

Sponsors pay billions for this tournament on the understanding that the product is sport rather than scripted television, and analysts are already asking what political capture does to that valuation. I wrote only last week about air-conditioned stadiums and whether this World Cup is really a level playing field; I confess I did not expect the pitch to tilt quite this quickly.

It is the same disease I diagnosed when CBS cancelled Stephen Colbert to keep the White House sweet: institutions discovering, under pressure, that their rules were only ever suggestions. And with the promised World Cup boost already failing to show up in the US jobs numbers, the tournament’s real dividend, trust, is the one asset the hosts can least afford to burn.

Here is the delicious bit, though. Balogun played. And the United States lost 4-1 to Belgium and tumbled out of their own World Cup. Even Biff, clutching his almanac, eventually discovered that rigging the odds is not the same thing as being any good. You can lean on the referee, suspend the suspension and declare a great injustice reversed on your own social network. The scoreboard, bless it, remains one of the last institutions that doesn’t take calls.

Richard Alvin

Richard Alvin is a serial entrepreneur, a former advisor to the UK Government about small business and an Honorary Teaching Fellow on Business at Lancaster University.

A winner of the London Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the year and Freeman of the City of London for his services to business and charity. Richard is also Group MD of Capital Business Media and SME business research company Trends Research, regarded as one of the UK’s leading experts in the SME sector and an active angel investor and advisor to new start companies.

Richard is also the host of Save Our Business the U.S. based business advice television show.

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Microsoft Teams users reported problems accessing the workplace communication platform Tuesday morning, with the social media account Status Is Down flagging the issue shortly before 11 a.m. Eastern time, though independent outage-tracking services showed a mixed picture of the scope and severity of any disruption.

The account, which regularly monitors and posts about potential service outages across major technology platforms, asked followers whether they were experiencing problems with Teams, using the hashtags #MicrosoftTeamsDown, #MSTeamsDown and #MicrosoftDown as reports began circulating online. The post had generated more than 140 views shortly after being published.

Independent monitoring services offered varying assessments of the platform’s status around the same time. Uptime tracking service UptimeRobot reported that an automated check run at 10:36 a.m. GMT detected unusual response times or error codes when attempting to reach Teams, and said its monitoring had confirmed the issue from multiple global locations, indicating the disruption was not isolated to individual users. According to UptimeRobot’s methodology, the service repeats failed checks from additional randomly selected global locations before confirming an outage, a process intended to rule out false positives tied to localized network issues.

Other monitoring platforms showed a more limited picture of the disruption. StatusGator, which tracks outage reports across thousands of cloud services, indicated that Microsoft Teams was operational as of its most recent check around 11:11 a.m. UTC, while noting that six user-submitted reports of problems had been logged over the preceding 24-hour period, a relatively modest number compared to the volume typically associated with widespread, confirmed outages. Similarly, outage tracker IsDown reported that Microsoft Teams remained operational as of its most recent check, with the service’s dashboard showing no active incidents at the time.

The discrepancy between different monitoring services reflects a common challenge in assessing real-time service disruptions, particularly for large platforms like Teams that serve millions of users across a wide range of network conditions, devices and account configurations. Outage-tracking services generally rely on a combination of automated checks against a company’s servers and self-reported issues from users, meaning the picture presented by any single tracker can vary depending on its specific monitoring methodology, the geographic distribution of its check locations, and the threshold it uses to distinguish between routine, isolated hiccups and a broader, confirmed service disruption.

As of Tuesday morning, Microsoft had not issued a public acknowledgment of a Teams outage through its official Microsoft 365 Status account, a channel the company has used in the past to confirm and provide updates on confirmed service disruptions. In previous incidents, Microsoft has typically directed affected users to check the Microsoft 365 Admin Center for specific incident identifiers and ongoing updates once a problem has been formally confirmed and is under investigation by the company’s engineering teams.

Tuesday’s reports come against the backdrop of a broader history of periodic disruptions affecting Microsoft’s suite of workplace collaboration tools. According to StatusGator, Microsoft Teams has experienced more than 124 recorded outages since the tracking service began monitoring the platform in August 2023, reflecting the recurring nature of service disruptions for a platform used daily by millions of businesses, schools, government agencies and other organizations worldwide. Microsoft 365 services, which include Teams alongside Exchange Online, Outlook and SharePoint, have experienced several notable multi-hour disruptions in recent years, including incidents traced to internal routing configuration errors that affected users across multiple continents.

Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure more broadly has also faced scrutiny following a series of Azure service disruptions earlier this year. According to Microsoft’s own published status history, the company experienced a significant incident in late May involving widespread virtual machine and storage service disruptions tied to a thermal event and subsequent retry amplification issues that cascaded across multiple regions. Microsoft has said it continues working to improve diagnostic tooling, retry policy design and overload prevention controls across its infrastructure, with several remediation efforts targeted for completion by July 2026, as the company works to reduce the frequency and severity of similar incidents going forward.

For users currently experiencing difficulty accessing Microsoft Teams, standard troubleshooting guidance from monitoring services typically recommends first confirming whether the issue is isolated to a single device or network by attempting to access the platform from an alternate browser, device or internet connection, such as a mobile hotspot. Additional steps commonly suggested include disabling any active virtual private network connections, clearing the device’s DNS cache, or restarting a home or office router. If Teams remains inaccessible across multiple devices and networks, that pattern would generally suggest a broader service-side issue rather than a problem isolated to an individual user’s setup.

Given the conflicting signals from different outage-tracking services Tuesday morning, with UptimeRobot flagging unusual response times while StatusGator and IsDown continued to list the service as operational, the scope of any disruption affecting Microsoft Teams users remained somewhat unclear as of this report. Users seeking the most authoritative and up-to-date information are generally advised to consult Microsoft’s official Service Health Dashboard directly, along with the Microsoft 365 Status account on social media, which the company has historically used to confirm and provide ongoing updates for verified service disruptions once its own internal monitoring systems detect and validate an issue.

As of Tuesday afternoon, no formal statement had been issued by Microsoft addressing the reports collected by Status Is Down or the unusual response times flagged by UptimeRobot’s automated monitoring. Given the platform’s history of periodic, often short-lived service disruptions, any issue affecting Teams on Tuesday, if ultimately confirmed by Microsoft, would likely follow a similar pattern to previous incidents, with resolution typically occurring within a period ranging from under an hour to several hours depending on the underlying cause. Users are encouraged to check official channels for updates as the situation, whatever its ultimate scope, continues to develop.

Flora Badger is taking three teenage girls on their first holiday abroad this summer.

She contacted BBC Your Voice to share her frustrations in watching holiday prices fluctuate.

Flora first considered booking in April to avoid the expensive summer months, but says she held off over situation in the Middle East and fears of getting stuck abroad.

She ended up booking to go to the Spanish island of Lanzarote in September.

“Price was a huge, huge issue,” she says. “It’s very frustrating how much it increases in the school holidays.

“At the end of the day they need a treat, we’ve been saving up for it, they’ve been looking forward to it, so we’re planning on going.”

The steep price rises for European holidays may have slowed but they’re still creeping up, TravelSupermarket data suggests.

The cost of an average all-inclusive seven-night family stay this August to Spain is up by 4% to £155 per person. For Portugal prices are up 3%, and Greece has seen prices increase by 5%.

It depends which day of the week you travel, but for seven nights a family of four could be paying up to £160 extra to go to Spain this year compared to last year, bringing the total to as much as £4,340.

The figures are based on online searches, made on TravelSupermarket from 18 April to 17 June, for all-inclusive, seven-night family holidays in August 2025 and 2026.

While this snapshot of data reveals a general trend, costs will vary depending on exactly where a family goes and when they book.

One thing Flora has been able to take advantage of though is the fact that the cost of hiring a car has dropped across all of the most searched-for destinations compared to last year.

‘The business has delivered a resilient performance during a period of evolving market conditions’

Directors at Northumberland housebuilder Cussins have toasted resilient trading which they say has been boosted by “robust” demand. The Alnwick-based company, which was first established in 1922, is known for creating homes to suit all budgets and styles across the North East, particularly in Newcastle and Northumberland.

The company is also working with South Tyneside Council on the construction of contemporary riverside apartments in South Shields. Now Cussins, which is led by CEO Jabin Cussins and his father Peter, has issued accounts covering the six months ended September 2025.

Cussins Homes Ltd was established in April with its formation marking an exit for the Duke of Northumberland’s business Northumberland Estates, which took a minority stake in the family firm in 2016. The accounts show the business totted up £18.86m in the six months, while operating profit came in at £1.34m. Profit for the financial period was £679,662.

Within the accounts directors thanked Northumberland Estates for their “significant contribution to the group’s growth during their time as shareholders”, having taken a minority stake in the family firm in 2016. They also highlight strong demand, although they also noted some delays, which impacted figures.

In the report, Jabin Cussins said: “The partnership has proven to be mutually successful and highly beneficial. We have enjoyed working with the team at Northumberland Estates and look forward to seeing their continued success.

“The business has delivered a resilient performance during a period of evolving market conditions. For the period ended 30 September 2025 the group successfully operated across six development sites, achieving 56 new home completions and generating a turnover of £18,862,058 and a profit after taxation of £679,662.

“While these figures were slightly below our initial projections, due to external timing delays within sales chains, the underlying demand for our product remains robust. These delayed completions concluded in the early part of the current financial year, strengthening our pipeline for 2026.”

During the period, the business, which has 61 employees, secured its first legal completions at Debdon Falls, Rothbury, Northumberland and at Eccleston Park, Backworth, North Tyneside. It also started development at Sycamore Place, Barrasford, Northumberland.

Meanwhile, it said initial sales at Holborn Riverside, South Shields, have been “exceptionally strong”, with all homes in the first phase sold well in advance of expectations.

Mr Cussins added: “As we prepare for the 100-home second phase in early 2026, the project continues to serve as a flagship for our team’s creative, technical and delivery capabilities. In close collaboration with South Tyneside Council, this key regional regeneration project harmonises contemporary residential design with South Shields’ rich maritime heritage.

“Our key strategic focus on promoting and acquiring high-quality development sites has proven effective during the period, and the advances made will positively impact future growth. Our adaptability and track record for delivering first-class developments remain instrumental to our land acquisition strategy.”

Sony’s PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for July 2026 are now available to claim, with “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III,” “For the King II” and “CrossCode” rolling out to subscribers Tuesday, according to the official PlayStation Blog. The three titles will remain claimable through Monday, August 3, giving PS Plus members nearly a month to add them to their libraries.

The lineup is available across all PlayStation Plus tiers, Essential, Extra and Premium, with the games rolling out first in the UK and Europe before becoming available in the United States later in the day, according to Push Square. Once a subscriber adds a game to their PlayStation Network account during the claim window and maintains an active membership, the title remains permanently accessible and tied to their profile, even after the monthly rotation ends.

The headline addition this month is “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III,” available through its Cross-Gen Bundle for both PS5 and PS4. The 2023 shooter continues the rebooted Modern Warfare storyline, following Captain Price and Task Force 141 as they pursue ultranationalist leader Vladimir Makarov. The package includes remastered versions of classic multiplayer maps from the original 2009 Modern Warfare 2, along with an open-world Zombies mode that, for the first time in the series, allows multiple squads to team up and survive together across the franchise’s largest Zombies map to date, according to the PlayStation Blog.

Despite its status as the month’s marquee title, Modern Warfare III arrives with a mixed reputation among critics and players. According to Gagadget, the game’s campaign scored as low as 5 out of 10 in some reviews at launch, with at least one outlet describing it as among the weaker entries in the franchise’s history. Reviewers and forum commentators have generally credited the multiplayer component, built around the returning classic maps, as the stronger part of the package, even as the single-player campaign drew more consistent criticism.

Joining Modern Warfare III in July’s lineup is “For the King II,” a four-player co-op tactical role-playing game developed as a sequel to the well-regarded original “For the King,” which blended roguelike mechanics with tabletop-style strategy. The sequel is built on an updated engine and centers on a story involving a corrupted queen who has turned against her own subjects, tasking players with gathering a party to challenge her tyrannical rule across the land of Fahrul, either solo or in cooperative multiplayer.

The third title, “CrossCode,” is a retro-inspired 2D action role-playing game that combines 16-bit-style visuals with fast-paced, real-time combat and dungeon-style puzzle mechanics set within a science-fiction narrative. Originally released in 2021, the game was met with strong reviews at launch and has continued to draw praise from critics and players alike, with several commentators describing it as a standout addition to this month’s lineup despite its lower profile compared to the Call of Duty title.

Despite the presence of a well-regarded indie title in CrossCode, overall reaction to July’s PS Plus Essential lineup has skewed negative among the PlayStation community. According to a weekend reader poll conducted by Push Square, 49 percent of respondents described the month’s selection as a “crap selection,” while only 6 percent indicated they were even slightly satisfied with the offering. Commentary on gaming forums echoed similar sentiments, with some users on ResetEra and RedFlagDeals describing the month as one of the weaker PS Plus lineups in recent memory, even as others singled out CrossCode specifically as a game worth trying regardless of overall sentiment toward the month’s selection.

Some of the frustration surrounding July’s lineup appears tied to broader concerns within the PlayStation community following Sony’s recent announcement that it will discontinue physical game disc production for new titles starting in January 2028. Forum commentary tracked by RedFlagDeals showed members expressing worry about the company’s shift toward an all-digital ecosystem, including concerns about store pricing control, the inability to resell or trade physical copies, and reports that Sony has previously removed digital titles from user libraries after extended periods of inactivity. Some commentators drew a connection between the announcement and this month’s all-digital PS Plus offerings, though others in the same threads noted that PlayStation Plus monthly games have always been distributed digitally regardless of the broader disc discontinuation news.

Beyond the three new additions, Sony also confirmed that twelve games will exit the PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium game catalog on July 21, according to Gagadget. Notable departures include “Risk of Rain 2,” “Tropico 6” and “Clash: Artifacts of Chaos,” along with “Röki,” “Source of Madness,” “Cursed to Golf,” “Hundred Days: Winemaking Simulator,” “Onee Chanbara Origin,” “Get Even,” “Bomber Crew,” “Space Crew: Legendary Edition” and “Infinite Minigolf.” Subscribers hoping to finish any of these titles before they leave the catalog have until July 20 to do so.

July’s rotation also arrives roughly two months after Sony raised prices across its PlayStation Plus subscription tiers. According to Gagadget, the Essential tier increased from $9.99 to $10.99 per month in May 2026, while both the Extra and Premium tiers each rose by $2 per month during the same price adjustment, adding further context to some subscribers’ frustration with what many have described as a comparatively underwhelming lineup for the price increase.

Separately, Sony also announced that “Call of Duty: Black Ops” and “Black Ops II” are set to arrive on modern PlayStation consoles this month, following years in which the original titles remained largely confined to the PlayStation 3, giving Call of Duty fans an additional reason to stay engaged with the platform even amid the mixed reception to this month’s core PS Plus Essential offerings.

Subscribers looking to claim July’s Monthly Games can do so through the PlayStation Store, the official PlayStation website, or the PlayStation App, with all three titles set to remain available for claiming through the closing date of Monday, August 3, after which the lineup will rotate to a new set of Monthly Games for August.