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Europe
BBC Business

'Cool in 90 seconds' - the fake portable air conditioners sweeping the internet

Image source, Proper DIYByLaura CressTechnology reporterPublished10 July 2026, 02:33 BSTAs parts of the UK brace for another hot weekend, online adverts have been appearing for portable air conditioners claiming to be "designed by former Nasa engineers" and able to "cool a room in 90 seconds". The adverts have emerged on platforms including Facebook and YouTube, but the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has now warned the products are often "too good to be true". YouTuber Stuart Matthews, who bought several devices to test on his Proper DIY channel, told the BBC that despite paying £70 for one machine, it turned out to be "a small, simple fan worth only a few pounds". The ASA told the BBC that some of the adverts it had seen online in recent weeks made exaggerated claims, including that a small device could cool an entire home within minutes or used very little electricity. It also said the adverts frequently featured fake customer reviews describing dramatic temperature drops or exceptional performance. The adverts direct shoppers to websites selling the devices, typically for between £70 and £120. Many of the adverts also appeared to be AI-generated, using visuals such as copper coils and metallic boxes to make the products seem more sophisticated. The ASA said there were several ways for customers to tell if an advert for a portable air conditioner was likely to be misleading. The watchdog advised consumers who were unsure to research the retailer and check it provided genuine contact details and a business address. Customers should also look for independent reviews rather than relying solely on testimonials on the seller's website. It added that anyone concerned about an air conditioner advert could report it via their website, external. Matthews said he bought several of the devices to see whether they performed as advertised.

'Cool in 90 seconds' - the fake portable air conditioners sweeping the internet
North America
CNBC Finance

Levi Strauss beats quarterly expectations, raises guidance and dividend

Levi Strauss beat Wall Street's quarterly expectations on the top and bottom lines on Wednesday, leading the retailer to increase its guidance and its dividend. The denim maker is now expecting full-year adjusted earnings per share to be between $1.46 and $1.52, up from a prior range of between $1.42 and $1.48. At the high end, that's ahead of expectations of $1.50 per share, according to LSEG. Levi also raised its top-line outlook and is now expecting full-year sales to rise between 7% and 7.5%, compared with a prior range of between 5.5% and 6.5%. That's ahead of expectations of 6.6%, according to LSEG. About half of that growth is expected to come from higher prices and the other half is expected to come from unit sales, said finance chief Harmit Singh. The company's reported net income for the three-month period that ended May 31 was $87.3 million, or 22 cents per share, compared with $67 million, or 17 cents per share, a year earlier. In an interview with CNBC, CEO Michelle Gass said the company's core consumer is proving to be resilient — even in the face of higher gas prices. She said about two-thirds of the quarter's sales growth came from units — not just higher prices — giving the company the confidence to raise guidance and its dividend. "Our demand remains healthy," Gass said. "We're seeing strength across our key segments of consumers, so we have our core Levi's, but we're also seeing strength in signature, as well as our new premium blue tab." Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis.

Levi Strauss beats quarterly expectations, raises guidance and dividend
Europe
BBC Business

Jackdaw boss warns of winter fuel shortages if gas field not approved

The owners of the Jackdaw gas platform in the North Sea say it is "hyper critical" that the UK government approves production to avoid the risk of domestic supply shortages this winter. Speaking to BBC News at the field 150 miles east of Aberdeen, Adura chief executive Neil McCulloch said the project was in its final stages and could meet 6% of the UK's gas needs from 1 October. The industry regulator is considering revised applications for production at Jackdaw, and Adura's Rosebank oil field west of Shetland, after a court ruled that both had been unlawfully approved. Environmental campaigners say this summer's deadly and record-breaking heatwaves demonstrate the need to tackle climate change by rejecting both projects. But McCulloch said with only about eight days of gas storage, the UK would have limited options in the event of "a gas supply emergency." He said this could come in the form of a prolonged period of still, cloudy weather which impeded the generation of wind and solar power, or hostility from "foreign threat actors". BBC News has been given exclusive access to Jackdaw which is undergoing final checks and tests to be ready for production in the event of government approval being granted. The "business-as-usual" atmosphere is somewhat surreal given the uncertainty hanging over the project, which has so far cost around £1.5bn according to Aberdeen-based Adura, a joint venture between Shell and the Norwegian state energy firm Equinor. McCulloch said: "If I were the secretary of state for energy security and net zero, I'd be looking closely at where's my next source of energy security, and you're standing on it. "The wells are drilled, they're hooked up. We're just readying the systems. It will be ready for the 1st of October. "Jackdaw will play a vital part of this winter's gas supply," he added, providing energy security, employment and taxation to the UK. Environmentalists say Jackdaw will only produce 2% of the country's annual gas demand during the lifetime of the field.

Jackdaw boss warns of winter fuel shortages if gas field not approved
Europe
BBC Business

How can I get air conditioning in my home and how much does it cost?

Image source, Getty ImagesByMichael RaceBusiness reporterPublished1 hour agoAs the UK experiences hotter summers and more regular heatwaves, households have been grappling with how to keep sweltering homes as cool as possible. Air conditioning has been in hot demand, with retailers seeing their stock fly off the shelves and units online sell out. The technology already features in many modern cars, hotels and other public places, yet historically homes have been designed to cope with cold weather and keeping heat in them. The main function of air conditioning is to cool the temperature inside a building. Portable air conditioners: The clue is in the name. They are portable, standalone units, which can be used to cool individual rooms. They are simply plugged into the nearest socket and work by drawing in warm air, cooling it, and venting heat outside through a window via a pipe or ducting. Split systems: These involve two units, one inside and one outside, that are fixed to a wall and linked by a pipe. The one outside acts as a condenser, which expels the unwanted heat into the air outside. You can buy one for just one room or you can get multiple indoor units to work with a single outdoor condenser, according to LG, the household appliance and white goods retailer. British Gas says, external such "ductless systems" are one of the most common options for UK homes. Ducted air con: These systems are designed to serve the entire home, with a central unit pushing cooled air through a network of ducting, with vents in each room. Unlike the other options, this would require invasive renovation work to an existing property. Portable units are the cheapest form of air con, ranging from £350 to £650 on average, depending on the brand and performance, according to Checkatrade., external However, as demand has soared in recent weeks some retailers began selling the cooling machines for £149, as Lidl did in its infamous middle aisles. Wall mounted or split air con units can cost between £750 and £1,100 each, Checkatrade says - but that is just the unit, and does not include the labour and other installation costs, such as hooking it up to the property's electricity fuse board. Installation company Heatable suggests, external a full cost is typically £2,000 to £3,500, but can go up to £6,000 if you want to have it in more than one room. Ducted air con systems cost the most, between £990 and £1,750 without installation costs, according to Checkatrade. Fitting the ducting or remedial work to hide it inside properties means it is likely to be more expensive than any of the other systems given the level of work involved. Heatable estimates it to be between £5,000 and £10,000, depending on the property size, layout and how complex the ductwork needs to be. The size of both split and ducted units are determined by what is known as the BTU (British Thermal Unit), Checkatrade says, to ensure it will cool the space it's required to. The larger the BTU number, the bigger the room to cool, and therefore the more expensive the unit.

How can I get air conditioning in my home and how much does it cost?
Europe
BBC Business

Package holidays to Dubai and Egypt cheaper as European prices creep up

Image source, Getty ImagesByColletta Smith, BBC Your Voice correspondent and Elaine Doran, BBC Your Voice producerPublished4 hours agoFamily package holidays to destinations like Dubai and Egypt are cheaper this summer than last as tour operators cut prices to tempt people back. The war in Iran has put many UK holidaymakers off travelling to countries near to the conflict or through Middle Eastern airspace - opting instead to stay in Europe. Prices for an average all-inclusive seven-night family stay in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have dropped by 25% this August compared with last. And the same holiday to Egypt is 8% cheaper, according to TravelSupermarket data compiled for the BBC. At the same time, the cost of package deals to Spain, Portugal and Greece are up between 3-5%, the data suggests. Tim and Natalie Harris from Swansea had booked a holiday to Dubai with their two teenage daughters this summer, but when the Iran war broke out they cancelled and lost their deposit. "We did manage to find a package for £6,400 for all-inclusive in Mexico which we've booked," says Tim. Last month, the Foreign Office dropped its advice against travelling to Dubai, after the US and Iran reached an agreement to stop the war, but warned British citizens that "the situation remains unpredictable" in the region. Tour operators have cut prices to other destinations - an average holiday to Morocco is down 6.5%, Tunisia down 2.5% and Turkey 1.6% cheaper than last summer. Mollie Hitchen, assistant manager of Marple Travel Hyde, says customers were more nervous this year about going anywhere near the Middle East, or getting stuck somewhere further afield because of fuel shortages. "People will ask questions, but we just reassure people that there is absolutely no problems with those destinations," she says. 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.

Package holidays to Dubai and Egypt cheaper as European prices creep up
Europe
The Guardian

‘Why take those jobs away?’: the unionized workers decrying Trump’s war on wind

Cows stand in a field near a wind farm along Route 66 in Groom, Texas. Photograph: Al Drago/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenCows stand in a field near a wind farm along Route 66 in Groom, Texas. Photograph: Al Drago/Getty ImagesWind power‘Why take those jobs away?’: the unionized workers decrying Trump’s war on windWorkers proud of their efforts to grow renewable energy say US president pursuing ‘personal vendetta’ at their expense Donald Trump has blamed everything – from “national security” issues, the deaths of birds and whales, and cancer – in his decades-long campaign against windfarms. But as the Trump administration continues to undermine the industry, what worries workers most are their jobs. Since taking office for a second term, Trump has issued an executive order aiming to halt all wind-energy leases and permits, attempted to issue stop-work orders on wind projects under construction, and paid more than $2.6bn in settlements to buy out wind energy leases. And hundreds of workers have been affected. Thomas Kilday, a furnace electrician with IBEW local 99 in Providence, Rhode Island, was in the midst of a four-week shift onboard a vessel off the Atlantic coast working on the Revolution Wind Project in August last year when the Trump administration issued a stop-work order on the project. “No one really knew what was going on. We didn’t know what it meant for us. We just knew that everything was up in the air,” said Kilday. “You plan your whole life around being gone for 28 days, and to come out here and have it thrown up in the air, worrying what does this mean for me, for my pay for the next four weeks, what’s going to happen? There’s a lot of uncertainty.” Construction on the project is done on shifts of 28 days on and 28 days off, with workers residing on a vessel on the ocean and taking helicopters to work on the turbines. A federal court granted an injunction to block the stop-work order in September last year. In December, the Trump administration issued another 90-day stop-work order, citing national security, before a second judge issued an injunction in January. When the second stop-work order was issued, Kilday was celebrating Christmas with his family and preparing for another four-week shift. “That was really difficult,” he said. “I just spent a bunch of money on Christmas gifts for my family, and it was not what I wanted to be thinking about. Six months out of the year we’re away from home, and for what little time we do have at home, not to be able to just focus all of that time and energy on our families, it’s tough. It’s not a great feeling to be worried about your job when you’re supposed to be home.” “We’re proud of the work that we do out here, and we want to be able to continue to do it. We think it’s important work,” added Kilday. “When I’m at home, and I drive down my street, I look up at those power lines. I helped create the power that’s running through those power lines, and I’m proud of that.” Revolution Wind announced in March that it began delivering power to New England, citing the work of more than 1,000 local union workers, and is expected to power more than 350,000 homes and businesses. The project’s construction is over 90% complete. In June, the Trump administration abandoned an effort to try to halt all wind projects and leases across the US, giving up a challenge in court to a judge tossing Trump’s executive order to freeze all permitting and leasing for wind projects.

‘Why take those jobs away?’: the unionized workers decrying Trump’s war on wind
North America
CNBC Finance

Delta launches 'basic business' fares without lounge access, seat selection

Delta Air Lines is dividing up the front of the plane into even smaller groups, offering a new "basic" fare for business and first classes that comes without perks like free seat selection and airport lounge access. The carrier is following United Airlines, which made a similar change earlier this year to its Polaris long-haul business class and other higher-tier cabins. Carriers are seeking to maximize what they can get out of high-spending customers, whose resilient travel demand has helped bolster the industry. Basic tickets in the Delta One lie-flat, long-haul cabin will go by the new name Basic Business, the airline said Wednesday. There's a similar basic product for first class, which is more common on shorter-haul routes and in premium economy. That means customers on those tickets will get seats assigned at check-in, earn fewer miles than more expensive options, only be allowed to make changes or cancellations for a fee, and do not have the option for same-day standby or confirmed flight changes. The seats go on sale Wednesday for flights starting in September and are only available in select markets. Delta didn't immediately say which ones would have the basic offering. Delta, the country's most profitable airline, has been working on these changes for more than a year. Delta's former president, Glen Hauenstein said on an earnings call last July that the "segmentation that we've done in main cabin is kind of the template that we're going to bring to all of our premium cabins over time because different people have different needs." The Atlanta-based carrier is scheduled to report second-quarter results on Friday. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis.

Delta launches 'basic business' fares without lounge access, seat selection
Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

TCS Q1 Results LIVE: TCS Q1 net profit rises 4.61% to ₹13,349 cr; revenues jump 14%; stock ends flat

TCS Q1 Results today LIVE: Stay tuned for live updates as Tata Consultancy Services announces its Q1 FY27 earnings. Follow the latest earnings announcements from Anand Rathi Wealth, GM Breweries, Eimco Elecon (India), Supreme Infrastructure India, Cupid Breweries and Distilleries, Asian Hotels (East), Arunjyoti Bio Ventures, Gujarat Hotels, and Mono Pharmacare, along with expert commentary and market reaction. Sony Pictures Networks India reports FY26 profit rise of 15.6% to ₹556 crore, driven by increased revenue and advertising growth. TCS reported a 14% rise in Q1 revenue to ₹72,275 crore, beating estimates as higher technology spending by banking clients supported growth. Q1FY27E should be understandably soft, with average Brent at $97/bbl and supply tightness across multiple sectors. The good news is that demand remained strong, with revenue growth across staples/discretionary at 10 per cent/51 per cent yoy, showing little signs of fatigue. We see little risk to the FY27E Nifty EPSg forecast of 15 per cent, with demand remaining strong and some margin tailwinds kicking in from 2QFY27E onwards. The two-year time correction has taken Nifty PE to 18.9x, 3.5 per cent below 5Y LTA, and we remain constructive on Indian equities. We maintain our Mar-27 Nifty forecast at 29,000, implying a 1YF PE at 20.9x, close to LTA. We prefer discretionary (including autos), industrials, and are UW on BFSI. Eimco Elecon (India) Limited on Thursday reported a sharp jump in net profit for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, even as its stock fell sharply on the NSE during intraday trade. The company posted a net profit of ₹15.38 crore for Q1 FY27, up 141.8 per cent from ₹6.36 crore in the immediately preceding quarter ended March 31, 2026, and up 6.2 per cent compared to ₹14.48 crore in the same quarter last year. Revenue from operations rose to ₹77.52 crore from ₹67.57 crore in Q1 FY26, a year-on-year increase of about 14.7 per cent. Total income for the quarter stood at ₹85.28 crore against ₹75.66 crore in the year-ago period. Profit before tax came in at ₹19.62 crore, compared to ₹18.41 crore in Q1 FY26. Basic and diluted earnings per share for the quarter were ₹26.66, against ₹25.11 in the corresponding period last year. The company operates a single reportable business segment — Machinery and Spares — and has no subsidiaries, associates, or joint ventures. Despite the earnings beat, the stock traded under pressure on the NSE. As of 2.54 pm, shares were down ₹70 or 3.76 per cent at ₹1,792, after touching an intraday high of ₹2,018. The stock has lost 35.56 per cent over the past year but has delivered 261.82 per cent returns over five years. Total market capitalisation stood at approximately ₹1,023 crore. G.M. Breweries Limited on Thursday reported a 45.9 per cent year-on-year rise in consolidated net profit to ₹37.74 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, compared with ₹25.86 crore in the same period last year, according to unaudited financial results submitted to stock exchanges. Total revenue from operations for the quarter stood at ₹80,290 lakhs, up from ₹63,801 lakhs in the year-ago period. The company’s total income, including other income of ₹555 lakhs, came in at ₹80,845 lakhs. Excise duty, VAT and TCS — a pass-through cost that forms the largest expense for liquor companies — accounted for ₹60,332 lakhs of total expenses of ₹75,802 lakhs. Profit before tax was ₹5,043 lakhs, against ₹3,456 lakhs a year earlier, a rise of about 46 per cent. Tax expenses for the quarter were ₹1,269 lakhs.

TCS Q1 Results LIVE: TCS Q1 net profit rises 4.61% to ₹13,349 cr; revenues jump 14%; stock ends flat
Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

TCS Q1 results: Net profit rises 4.7% to ₹13,420 crore, AI revenue tops $2.6 billion

TCS reported an annualised AI revenue run-rate of $2.6 billion, secured $9.5 billion in order bookings, including a marquee AI deal with SKF, and declared an interim dividend of ₹12 per share. | Photo Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) net profit grew 4.7 per cent to ₹13,420 crore for the first quarter of the financial year 2026-27, led by positive annual growth across most verticals and AI-transformation-focused deals. Net profit declined 2.6 per cent on a sequential basis, owing to exceptional costs like the settlement of a legal claim. Excluding exceptional items, profit came in at ₹13,849 crore with an annual growth of 8.5 per cent. “Q1 FY27 reflects continued growth momentum and the strength of our strategic positioning, despite geopolitical and macro-economic headwinds. We delivered a strong order book of $9.5 billion, including a marquee AI-led transformation deal with SKF, while continuing to add clients across key revenue bands and scaling our AI business to a $2.6 billion annualized revenue run rate. As customers accelerate investments in AI, modernization, cybersecurity, sovereign cloud and platform simplification, our strong deal conversion, improving client mining and expanding ecosystem partnerships position TCS well to translate opportunity into sustained growth,” said K Krithivasan, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director. Revenue grew 14 per cent to ₹72,275 crore annually, and 2.2 per cent on a quarterly basis, led by growth across most segments. Annualised AI revenue run-rate stood at $2.6 billion, a sequential increase of 13.6 per cent. The Board of Directors also declared an interim dividend of ₹12 per Equity Share of ₹1 each of TCS. Total contract value (TCV) fell by 20 per cent to 9.5 billion, winning three mega-deals in Q1. Operating margin declined to 24 per cent. “Q1 was characterised by strong growth across several services. We won multiple AI-led transformation deals with our dual commitment to AI-led optimisation as well as innovation-led outcomes. These wins validate our approach to AI-led efficient ITOps, accelerated Software Engineering and Modernisation, AI-first process redesign and implementation of SaaS solutions and Autonomous GBS. We signed strategic partnerships with Anthropic and Mistral expanding our AI ecosystem,” Aarthi Subramanian, Executive Director - President and Chief Operating Officer. Overall TCS results performed marginally better than expectations, as per Sandeep Shah, Director Equity Research at Equirus Securities. The workforce grew by 9,729 employees to 593,798, a sequential growth rate of 1.58 per cent, after muted additions in the last financial year. The sequential growth is also the highest addition in the last 15 quarters, said Shah.The company reported a ‘Voluntary’ LTM attrition of 13.6 per cent. “This quarter, we completed annual salary increments for all associates globally and aligned salary structures with the new India Labour Code requirements. We continue to invest in AI infrastructure, next-generation skill development platforms, to enable our people to be futureready, while fostering a workplace where every associate feels safe, valued, trusted and empowered to grow,” said Sudeep Kunnumal, Chief HR Officer. In Q1, regional markets fell by 0.6 per cent on-year and grew 1.2 per cent sequentially. The Indian market reported 22.9 per cent annual growth and 7.6 per cent sequential growth. Latin America dropped 2.1 per cent annually, and grew 0.6 per cent sequentially. Meanwhile, the UK market fell 0.6 per cent annually and grew 0.3 per cent sequentially. West Asia and Africa grew 7.6 per cent annually but declined 1.8 per cent sequentially. All verticals, aside from the consumer business, showed positive annual growth. Regional markets led the growth, including energy, resources, utilities, and life sciences, on an annual basis. However, on a sequential basis, the energy, life sciences, and manufacturing verticals declined by 0.5-4 per cent.

TCS Q1 results: Net profit rises 4.7% to ₹13,420 crore, AI revenue tops $2.6 billion