Gayathri Kallukaran is a Junior Journalist with Eastern Eye. She has a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from St. Paul’s College, Bengaluru, and brings over five years of experience in content creation, including two years in digital journalism. She covers stories across culture, lifestyle, travel, health, and technology, with a creative yet fact-driven approach to reporting. Known for her sensitivity towards human interest narratives, Gayathri’s storytelling often aims to inform, inspire, and empower. Her journey began as a layout designer and reporter for her college’s daily newsletter, where she also contributed short films and editorial features. Since then, she has worked with platforms like FWD Media, Pepper Content, and Petrons.com, where several of her interviews and features have gained spotlight recognition. Fluent in English, Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi, she writes in English and Malayalam, continuing to explore inclusive, people-focused storytelling in the digital space.
A widely sold kitchen appliance has been urgently recalled due to safety concerns. The Haden 11L Stackable Air Fryer, available at Wilko and The Range, has been flagged as a serious fire hazard by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS).
The UK’s product safety watchdog said the air fryer fails to meet essential safety requirements. Tests found that the appliance’s heating element can exceed the temperature limit of 150°C, causing the outer plastic and metal parts to melt or warp. This poses a significant risk of fire and potential burn injuries.
In a product alert, the OPSS urged customers to stop using the air fryer immediately and return it to any branch of Wilko or The Range for a full refund or store credit.
A joint statement from both retailers, initially issued in February, confirmed that the recall was a precautionary measure after reports of the appliance’s casing melting during extended use at high temperatures. They warned that touching the affected areas could result in burns, and emphasised the potential fire danger.
UK’s product safety watchdog warned it could melt, warp, or catch fireHaden
The product in question is the Haden 11L Stackable Air Fryer with two trays, popular among consumers for its compact design and high-capacity cooking.
No injuries or incidents have been officially reported, but the recall is being treated with urgency. Customers who own the fryer are being strongly advised to act immediately.
For more details, users can visit the official websites of Wilko, The Range, or check the OPSS’s product safety recall list.
TATA STEEL has appointed engineering firm ABB to provide electrification and process technologies for its Port Talbot site in South Wales. The project is part of Tata Steel’s £1.25 billion plan to transition to low CO₂ steel production.
The investment includes the construction of a 320-tonne capacity Electric Arc Furnace (EAF), expected to be commissioned in 2027/8. The UK Government is supporting the project with £500 million. Tata Steel said the transformation would reduce CO₂ emissions from the site by almost 90 per cent, equivalent to 1.5 per cent of the UK’s total direct emissions.
Under the contract, ABB will supply high- and low-voltage switchgear, power and distribution transformers, digital control systems, and its ArcSave® electro-magnetic stirring system, also known as Consteerrer®. The system will be delivered under a wider agreement with technology partner Tenova.
Rajesh Nair, CEO of Tata Steel, said: “We’re looking forward to ABB helping us to positively impact the transformation at Port Talbot Steelworks, a site undergoing critical change for the future of UK steelmaking. Their proven technologies and expertise will support our evolving production processes on site, enabling resource and cost efficiencies for the long-term. We’re looking forward to driving this project forward.”
Frederik Esterhuizen, Global Business Line Manager for Metals at ABB Process Industries, said: “Our team has an established relationship with Tata Steel and Tenova and we know that together we can shape operations to benefit how low CO₂ steel is made, safely and sustainably. Our aim is to work with our customer and the various suppliers involved in the project to ensure the timelines for commissioning are met and that the region can continue its rich heritage in steelmaking into the future.”
The commissioning of ABB’s technologies is scheduled to align with the EAF’s startup in 2028.
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Concerns raised by businesses and news outlets over declining referral traffic
Google rolls out optional AI search tool in the UK using Gemini platform
‘AI Mode’ replaces link-heavy results with conversational summaries
Concerns raised by businesses and news outlets over declining referral traffic
AI Mode already live in the US and India; rollout in the UK underway
Google has yet to finalise how ads and revenue will work under the new model
AI Mode arrives in the UK: A shift in search experience
Google is rolling out a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered search feature in the UK, offering users conversational-style responses instead of traditional lists of links. The optional tool, named “AI Mode”, is powered by Google’s Gemini platform and has already launched in the US and India.
Unlike Google’s standard search layout, AI Mode delivers summarised answers directly within the results page, with significantly fewer external links.
Conversational responses, fewer clicks
The tool is not intended to replace Google’s main search engine, which handles billions of queries daily. However, experts say the growing integration of AI into search is raising concerns, particularly among organisations that rely heavily on referral traffic from search results—such as retailers, advertisers, and news publishers.
According to the Daily Mail, traffic from Google to its website has reportedly dropped by around 50% across both desktop and mobile platforms since the AI Overview feature was introduced.
Google’s Hema Budaraju, product lead for search, acknowledged the uncertainty around how advertising and business visibility will function in AI Mode but suggested that the tool allows users to express more complex queries naturally.
“These kinds of questions didn’t happen before,” she said. “Now you made it really possible for people to express anything a lot more naturally.”
How AI Mode works
AI Mode appears as both a tab and an option within the search bar. Users who enable it will see AI-generated summaries based on their queries, with links appearing further down the results page. During a demonstration, Google used the example of someone looking for strawberry picking spots for a young family. The AI-generated response included a broad geographical range and only a few links, which were placed lower in the display compared to standard search results.
Though the BBC was unable to test the feature directly due to the UK rollout still being phased in, the tool is part of Google’s broader response to changes in how users phrase and interact with search queries.
Ms Budaraju cited a shift in search behaviour:
“About two years ago, if you spilled coffee on your carpet, you would have searched for ‘clean carpet stain’. Now, it’s more like, ‘I spilled coffee on my Berber carpet, I’m looking for a cleaner that is pet friendly’.”
Concerns from publishers and campaigners
The shift has prompted concern from publishers and advocacy groups. A study commissioned by Foxglove, a campaign organisation, found that users only clicked a link in one out of every 100 searches when an AI-generated summary appeared. Google disputes the study’s methodology.
Rosa Curling, director of Foxglove, argued the feature negatively impacts journalism:
“What the AI summary now does is makes sure that the readers' eyes stay on the Google web page. And the advertising revenue of those news outlets is being massively impacted.”
AI summaries are often derived from existing reporting, but critics say readers no longer click through to original articles—further undermining revenue streams.
Environmental and regulatory context
Google generates more than two billion AI Overview summaries daily in over 40 languages. However, the feature is not currently available in the European Union, where digital regulation restricts its deployment.
There are also concerns about the environmental cost of AI. Large-scale AI systems require significant energy and water resources to run vast data centres.
In response, Google reiterated its commitment to sustainability.
“We are constantly, as Google and as Search, evolving sustainable ways to serve technology,” Ms Budaraju said.
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Barclays' trading results followed those of Wall Street banks such as Goldman Sachs, which also reported strong earnings from volatile markets.
BARCLAYS reported a 23 per cent rise in first-half profit, exceeding expectations, as increased trading activity driven by US president Donald Trump's trade tariffs boosted its markets business.
The bank said on Tuesday that pretax profit for January to June reached 5.2 billion pounds, above the analysts' forecast of 4.96 billion pounds.
Barclays announced a share buyback of 1 billion pounds and a half-year dividend of 3 pence per share, amounting to 1.4 billion pounds in total capital distributions to shareholders. This marks a 21 per cent increase from the previous year.
The bank’s investment unit supported the results despite a shift in spending towards its domestic retail and corporate banking business. "We remain on track to achieve the objectives of our three-year plan, delivering structurally higher and more stable returns for our investors," CEO CS Venkatakrishnan said.
Jonathan Pierce, an analyst at Jefferies, noted that the results were ahead of expectations and indicated Barclays' 2026 target for a return on tangible equity of more than 12 per cent appears achievable.
The bank said the financial impact of Britain's investigation into banks' disclosure of motor finance commissions could differ significantly from the 90 million pounds it has already set aside. Lenders are awaiting the Supreme Court’s ruling on the case, expected on Friday.
Barclays' trading results followed those of Wall Street banks such as Goldman Sachs, which also reported strong earnings from volatile markets. The British bank’s equities income rose 25 per cent, compared with an average 18 per cent rise among the top five US banks, according to Reuters calculations based on company statements.
Revenue from trading fixed income, currencies and commodities increased 26 per cent for Barclays, compared to an average 14 per cent rise at its US rivals Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.
Investment banking fee income from advising on deals fell 16 per cent for Barclays, while its Wall Street peers recorded an average gain of 13 per cent.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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TCS said that it would provide benefits, outplacement, counselling, and support to the employees affected by the move. (Photo: Reuters)
INDIA's largest IT services firm, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), will lay off about 2 per cent, or 12,261 employees, of its global workforce this year. The majority of those affected will be from middle and senior levels.
As of 30 June 2025, TCS's total workforce was 6,13,069. The company added 5,000 employees during the April–June quarter.
The layoffs are part of TCS's strategy to transform into a "future-ready organisation", focusing on technology investments, AI deployment, market expansion, and workforce realignment, the company said in a statement.
"TCS is on a journey to become a Future-Ready organisation. This includes strategic initiatives on multiple fronts, including investing in new-tech areas, entering new markets, deploying AI at scale for our clients and ourselves, deepening our partnerships, creating next-gen infrastructure, and realigning our workforce model.
"Towards this, a number of reskilling and redeployment initiatives have been underway. As part of this journey, we will also be releasing associates from the organisation whose deployment may not be feasible. This will impact about 2 per cent of our global workforce, primarily in the middle and the senior grades, over the course of the year," it said.
The company added that it would provide benefits, outplacement, counselling, and support to the employees affected by the move.
The announcement comes as Indian IT services firms reported single-digit revenue growth in Q1FY26, with the June quarter affected by macroeconomic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, which slowed global tech demand and client decision-making.
TCS reported revenue of ₹63,437 crore (approximately £5.47 billion) in Q1FY26, up 1.3 per cent year-on-year, while net profit rose 5.9 per cent to ₹12,760 crore (approximately £1.1 billion).
TCS MD and Chief Executive K Krithivasan said the company continues to face "demand contraction" due to ongoing uncertainties and does not expect double-digit revenue growth in FY26. He said delays in client decision-making have "intensified" and expressed hope that discretionary spending, a key driver of revenue for IT firms, would pick up once uncertainties ease.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has laid off over 15,000 employees in 2025, representing 7 per cent of its global workforce. In a memo to employees, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the job cuts have been "weighing heavily" on him.
"This is the enigma of success in an industry that has no franchise value," Nadella said. He added: "Progress isn't linear. It's dynamic, sometimes dissonant, and always demanding. But it's also a new opportunity for us to shape, lead through, and have greater impact than ever before."
According to Layoffs.fyi, over 80,000 tech workers have been laid off by 169 tech companies in 2025 so far. In 2024, 1.5 lakh (150,000) tech workers lost their jobs across 551 companies, a trend driven by global economic challenges and debates on AI's impact on jobs and employability.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Reynolds said an effective wealth tax 'doesn’t exist anywhere in the world' and criticised it as a populist measure.
BUSINESS SECRETARY Jonathan Reynolds has ruled out introducing a wealth tax, describing it as a “daft” idea that would not work.
His comments came as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that Britain will need to raise other taxes or cut spending to meet fiscal targets, The Times reported.
Lord Kinnock has called for a 2 per cent annual levy on assets over £10 million, a proposal backed by several Labour MPs. However, Reynolds dismissed the suggestion, telling Labour backbenchers to “get serious”.
He told GB News: “The idea you can just levy everyone … What if your wealth was not in your bank account, what if it was in fine wine or art? How would we tax that? This is why this doesn’t exist.”
Reynolds said an effective wealth tax “doesn’t exist anywhere in the world” and criticised it as a populist measure. He added that the Labour government has already increased taxes on wealth, citing private jets, private schools, inheritance tax and capital gains tax.
Labour MP Richard Burgon argued that refusing to tax wealth while cutting benefits has harmed the government’s support.
Meanwhile, the IMF said chancellor Rachel Reeves would need to consider tax rises on middle earners, scrapping the pensions triple lock and introducing NHS charges to balance the budget.
The IMF praised Reeves for “growth-friendly” policies but warned that high debt and an ageing population mean tax rises or spending cuts are unavoidable.
Reeves said the report confirmed that her policies are supporting Britain’s economic recovery.