The R&A agreement comes as Royal Birkdale hosts the 154th Open this week

Merseyside will host one of golf’s biggest tournaments another three times in the next 25 years, alongside other prestigious championships. A deal has been struck for The Open to return to the Liverpool City Region on multiple occasions between now and 2050.

Royal Birkdale has welcomed the world’s top golfers as it hosts The 154th Open this week. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) alongside Sefton and Wirral Councils has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the sport’s governing body The R&A that would ensure future events would take place in the region.

Hosting The Open drives up visitor numbers during the championship and beyond, with an economic forecast estimating a £200 million boost for businesses and communities from The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale. The new agreement replaces an existing partnership with which was expected to end after this year’s event.

The City Region is no stranger to hosting The Open. Alongside this week’s event, which will feature Southport’s Tommy Fleetwood among the contenders, Royal Liverpool staged the tournament in Hoylake three years ago.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “The Open is one of the biggest prizes in world sport, so securing it for the Liverpool City Region at least three more times is fantastic news. It’s a huge vote of confidence in everything our region has to offer – from our world-class courses and spectacular coastline to the warm welcome visitors receive wherever they go.

“With some of the best golf courses in the country on our doorstep, we are undoubtedly the UK’s golf coast and this agreement cements that reputation for decades to come. Every time The Open comes here, it puts our region on the global stage, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors and delivers a major boost for local businesses, jobs and our visitor economy.

“This is about building a long-term partnership that will inspire the next generation, showcase our communities to millions of people around the world and create opportunities that last long after the final putt. We can’t wait to welcome golf’s biggest stars – and fans from across the globe – back to the Liverpool City Region again and again.”

The new agreement lays the groundwork for a detailed, formal partnership to be finalised later this year, ensuring all parties are aligned to maximise the opportunity. Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Chief Championships Officer at The R&A, said: “The Open is one of the world’s great sporting events and has a unique ability to showcase a destination to a global audience while delivering significant long-term economic and community benefits.

“We are pleased to strengthen our partnership with the Liverpool City Region, whose outstanding links courses, passion for golf and commitment to hosting world-class events make it an exceptional home for our championships well into the future.”

Cllr Marion Atkinson, leader of Sefton Council, said: “This is fantastic news for Sefton and for the wider Liverpool City Region. The Open is one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events, and this landmark agreement secures our position at the heart of championship golf for decades to come.

“Hosting The Open at Royal Birkdale and our other world-class links courses brings significant benefits to our communities, attracting visitors from across the globe, supporting local businesses, creating jobs and showcasing everything that makes our area such a great place to visit, live and invest. Just as importantly, this partnership gives us the opportunity to build a lasting legacy, inspiring more people to get involved in golf and ensuring future generations can benefit from the economic and social opportunities these major events create.

“We are proud to be working alongside the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Wirral Council and The R&A to secure a golden future for golf in our region and to welcome the world’s best players and spectators back to Sefton for many years to come.”

Cllr Paula Basnett, leader of Wirral Council, added: “The Royal Liverpool Golf Club is one of the most iconic venues in history of golf and has a strong record of hosting memorable Opens which attract visitors and audiences from across the globe. Wirral Council is proud to play a central role in this landmark agreement which secures the future of world-class golf in our city region for decades to come and which recognises our ability to deliver major international events.”

The pact came into force on July 15.

The India-UK CETA was celebrated at the High Commission of India in London with a display of some of the key products already reaping the benefits of the low or no-tariff regime under the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA).

“A few consignments have already arrived under the CETA, which basically covers about 99 per cent of all the tariff lines under which India exports to the UK, and therefore we expect that the benefits will be significant,” said P Kumaran, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK.

Nysa Creations, a London-based importer of jewellery, and Odisha’s Kruti Coffee, which is set to launch its first UK cafe soon, were among the businesses proudly displaying their products that are set to benefit from CETA.

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“We expect to double India-UK trade in goods and services, which is currently about 65 billion dollars, up to 100 billion dollars in the next four years by 2030; and CETA is expected to play a huge role in promoting greater awareness of the opportunities and also to help our businesses compete more effectively in each other’s markets.
“We think that this will help promote the strength of industries, manufacturing ecosystems on both sides, the ability for both to generate more employment and therefore provide larger benefits to societies in both countries,” he said. The agreement’s entry into force (EIF) was marked with a special “CETA EIF” cake-cutting ceremony alongside officials from the UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT).

It also witnessed the formal launch of a new Indian High Commission LinkedIn social media facilitation forum, which will serve as a dedicated platform to help businesses, exporters, importers and investors leverage its full benefits.

“It is a milestone moment for Kruti Retail Ventures as our coffee consignment is the first Indian coffee consignment to the UK under CETA, despatched from Kolkata for the opening of our first international cafe in London on August 1,” said co-founder Jeeta Mona, who presented a symbolic Kruti Coffee tin to officials at India House.

According to DBT estimates, CETA is forecast to increase bilateral trade by 25.5 billion pounds annually in the long run, while boosting India’s GDP by 5.1 billion pounds and the UK’s GDP by 4.8 billion pounds by strengthening supply chains, supporting jobs and opening new opportunities for businesses across both countries.

The event also spotlighted a toolkit collated by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) as a guide for Indian businesses navigating the post-CETA trading regime in the UK.

‘India-UK CETA: A Guide to UK Import Requirements for Indian Exporters’ consolidates information on key UK standards and regulatory requirements to support India’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with their expansion plans in Britain.

ATLANTA — Argentina’s dramatic comeback victory over England in Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal produced a celebration that has drawn attention well beyond the scoreline, after players unfurled a banner referencing the disputed Falkland Islands, a move that could expose the team to sanctions from FIFA ahead of Sunday’s championship match against Spain.

Argentina defeated England 2-1 in a match that saw Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez score in the final minutes to complete a comeback, both assisted by Lionel Messi. The result sends Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup final, where it will face Spain in pursuit of its fourth championship and its first back-to-back title in more than six decades.

The postgame celebration, however, has become a story of its own. Fans in the stands at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium held a banner reading “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas,” using the Spanish-language name Argentina uses for the islands. The phrase translates to “The Malvinas are Argentine,” a reference to Argentina’s longstanding territorial claim over the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic. According to reporting from The Athletic, midfielder Giovani Lo Celso appeared to be the first player to take hold of the banner, unfurling it alongside defender Nicolás Otamendi. By the time the celebration moved toward the section of the stadium occupied by Argentine supporters, nearly the entire Argentina squad had gathered behind the banner as players danced and celebrated with fans.

The islands at the center of the banner’s message have been the subject of a centuries-old territorial dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom, a conflict that escalated into open warfare in 1982. The 74-day Falklands War resulted in the deaths of 649 Argentine service members and 255 British soldiers, along with three civilian deaths among the islands’ residents. The conflict ended with British forces retaining control of the territory, and the islands remain a British overseas territory today, though Argentina continues to assert its historical claim to the area.

Ahead of Wednesday’s match, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni had sought to separate the historical rivalry between the two nations from the football contest itself. Speaking to reporters before kickoff, Scaloni dismissed any connection between the match and the broader geopolitical history, saying, “mixing the two would be crazy.” Once Argentina completed its comeback win, however, the Falklands reference became a central part of the team’s on-field celebration.

The display has raised questions about potential disciplinary action from football’s governing bodies. Both FIFA and the International Football Association Board, which oversees the sport’s rules, prohibit players and teams from displaying political messaging during matches. FIFA’s stadium code of conduct bars materials “of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature,” including banners, flags, apparel and other items containing wording or symbols aimed at discrimination based on national origin or a range of other categories. Separately, IFAB’s rulebook states that playing equipment “must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images,” and specifies that “for any offence the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organiser, national football association or by FIFA.”

As of Wednesday evening, FIFA had not issued any public response to the banner’s display, and it remains unclear what, if any, disciplinary action the governing body might pursue. Given that Argentina is next scheduled to face Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final, any sanction significant enough to affect the team’s participation in the championship match would represent an unusually drastic step by FIFA. A financial penalty is considered the more likely outcome, based on past precedent. FIFA fined the Argentine Football Association £20,000 in 2014 after players displayed a similar banner referencing the islands ahead of a friendly match against Slovenia that same year.

The banner controversy adds another layer to what was already one of the most emotionally charged matches of this year’s tournament. Wednesday’s semifinal itself carried significant tension between the two footballing nations well before the final whistle, with supporters from both sides exchanging boos during pregame national anthems and players engaging in a physical, foul-heavy contest that saw no shots on goal from either side for the first 30 minutes of play, a stretch not seen at a World Cup since 1966.

England’s exit marks the second consecutive World Cup in which the team has reached the semifinals only to fall short of a place in the final, following a similar result in 2018. England has not appeared in a World Cup final since it won the tournament in 1966. England manager Thomas Tuchel addressed the loss afterward, saying he had no regrets about his team’s approach following Anthony Gordon’s first-half goal, even as England ultimately surrendered its lead in the match’s closing minutes.

For Argentina, Sunday’s final against Spain represents a chance to make history as the first team to win consecutive World Cup titles since Brazil accomplished the feat in 1958 and 1962. The match is scheduled for 3 p.m. Eastern time and will be broadcast on Fox and Telemundo. Spain enters the final unbeaten through the tournament and is seeking its second World Cup championship, having first won the title in 2010.

Whether Wednesday’s celebration results in any formal action from FIFA is expected to become clearer in the coming days as the sport’s governing body reviews the incident. In the meantime, the banner has added a geopolitical subplot to a tournament already defined by dramatic late-game comebacks, generational storylines involving Messi and Spain’s 19-year-old star Lamine Yamal, and a championship match that organizers expect to draw one of the largest global television audiences in World Cup history.

Group also plans to grow staffing in North West and Northern Ireland

A telecommunications infrastructure firm is planning to grow across the UK after securing a funding package from HSBC UK.

Jet Infrastructure, from Leigh, designs and builds telecoms equipment such as masts and towers, and works with mobile network operators, wireless ISPs and public sector organisations. It will use the funding package, whose value has not been disclosed, to roll out infrastructure in locations including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Cambridgeshire and Scotland over the next three years.

The company also plans to grow its acquisition, planning and estate management teams across the North West of England and Northern Ireland as its national development pipeline continues to grow.

Hugh Morgan, managing director at Jet Infrastructure, said: “Demand for mobile connectivity continues to grow, but there are still many areas where infrastructure hasn’t kept pace. This funding gives us the platform to accelerate delivery, expand our portfolio and support operators in bringing better coverage and capacity to communities across the UK. It’s another important step in our growth and we’re excited about what’s ahead.”

Nicola Loat, relationship manager at HSBC UK, said: “Jet Infrastructure has built a strong platform in a rapidly growing sector and has a clear vision for the future. We’re delighted to support the business as it continues to invest in critical digital infrastructure that will benefit communities and businesses across the UK.”

The funding deal was supported by HSBC’s Equipment Finance and Global Trade Solutions team: Kayley Towle, Working Capital Specialist, and Holly Knight, Corporate Account Manager, at HSBC UK. It was brokered by Craig Cheetham, of Fellwood Advisory.

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Apple is reportedly preparing to launch an OLED display upgrade for the iPad Mini as soon as October, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, marking what would be the most significant redesign for the compact tablet since it was last overhauled in 2021. The upgrade, however, is expected to arrive alongside another price increase for the popular device, continuing a trend that has affected much of Apple’s product lineup this year.

The OLED iPad Mini has been the subject of rumors for months, with Gurman previously reporting that the upgraded display would come paired with a higher price tag. That expectation has only strengthened in recent weeks. Apple raised prices across its Mac and iPad lineup last month, pushing the cost of the current iPad Mini up by $100. Given that context, any new OLED version of the tablet is expected to carry an even steeper price than its predecessor once it launches. Earlier reporting had suggested a starting price increase of roughly $100 for the OLED model specifically, which would put the tablet’s starting cost in the range of $599, though final pricing has not been confirmed.

The broader price pressure facing Apple’s product lineup stems from an unprecedented global memory chip shortage that has rippled across the consumer electronics industry throughout 2026. Apple raised prices on its entire Mac and iPad lineup, along with its home devices and the Vision Pro headset, in late June, citing what the company described as an extraordinary and rapid increase in component costs. In a statement at the time, Apple said, “We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly. We have shielded our customers from these increases so far, but we have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices.” The starting price of the MacBook Air rose to $1,299 from $1,099 as part of that round of increases, while Apple’s lower-cost MacBook rose to $699 from $599.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook has described the scale of the memory shortage in stark terms, characterizing the situation as a “hundred-year flood” during discussion of the company’s pricing decisions. The shortage has been driven largely by the explosive growth in demand for memory chips tied to artificial intelligence data center infrastructure, with major memory manufacturers redirecting production capacity away from consumer electronics and toward high-bandwidth memory used in AI applications. According to research firm TrendForce, DRAM prices surged 98% in the first quarter of 2026 alone, with projections for a further increase of 58% to 63% in the following quarter.

The three companies that dominate global memory chip production — Micron, SK Hynix and Samsung, which together control roughly 95% of the market — have increasingly prioritized supply agreements with AI infrastructure companies like Nvidia, which has signed long-term contracts reserving future memory production capacity. That shift has effectively pushed consumer devices like laptops and tablets toward the back of the supply queue, forcing device makers to compete for remaining memory supply at prices dictated by the broader shortage.

Apple was notably among the last major consumer hardware companies to formally pass these rising memory costs on to customers, having absorbed a portion of the increased costs for longer than many of its competitors before ultimately raising prices in June. Other major electronics makers, including manufacturers of gaming consoles and personal computers, had already begun raising prices or reducing specifications on new products earlier in the memory shortage, with Samsung’s Galaxy S26 smartphone notably launching with less storage and a higher price than its predecessor as a direct result of the constrained supply environment.

The OLED iPad Mini is not the only upcoming device expected to be affected by the shortage and Apple’s broader shift toward higher pricing. According to Gurman, Apple is also planning upgrades to both the iPad Air and the base iPad model, with those refreshes expected to arrive early next year. The base iPad is expected to receive a relatively modest update centered on a new processor, without major changes to its overall design. The iPad Air, meanwhile, is expected to eventually receive its own OLED display upgrade, though that transition is reportedly still some time away, with earlier rumors suggesting the Air’s OLED upgrade may not arrive until sometime next year, after an initial refresh expected this spring. Gurman has also indicated that updates to the iPad Pro lineup and Apple Pencil could arrive as soon as next spring, continuing Apple’s gradual rollout of OLED technology across its tablet lineup.

Apple’s decision to raise prices has already had a visible impact on its stock. Shares of the company fell more than 6% on the day the June price increases were announced, marking one of Apple’s largest single-day declines in several months, as investors weighed the potential impact of higher prices on consumer demand against the necessity of offsetting rising component costs.

Broader forecasts for the PC and tablet market have also grown more cautious as a result of the memory shortage and the price increases it has triggered across the industry. Research firm IDC has projected that the global PC market will contract by 11.3% in 2026, a decline researchers have attributed in part to the price sensitivity that rising costs are expected to accelerate among consumers weighing new device purchases.

For now, Apple has held pricing steady on its iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods lineups, even as it has signaled that further price adjustments to other products remain possible as the memory shortage continues. With the iPhone 18 expected to launch in September, industry watchers have speculated that Apple may eventually be forced to extend price increases to its flagship smartphone line as well, particularly if the memory shortage persists into next year as current forecasts suggest. In the meantime, the OLED iPad Mini’s expected October debut will offer an early test of how consumers respond to Apple’s higher post-shortage pricing on one of its most popular smaller devices.