Investor Gordon Brothers Eyes Rescue Bid for Wilko
Specialist investor Gordon Brothers is in talks to save struggling high street favourite Wilko. The family-owned retailer is in deep trouble, with administrators set to be appointed and up to 12,000 jobs hanging by a thread.
Known for backing British brands like Laura Ashley, Gordon Brothers is considering a funding deal to help restructure Wilko. This could mean painful store closures and job cuts as the retailer battles an uphill fight.
Insiders say it’s far from certain Gordon Brothers will pull off the rescue, leaving Wilko’s future very much in the balance.
Premium Bonds Boost Odds as Competition Heats Up
Good news for Premium Bonds fans! National Savings and Investments (NS&I) has slashed the odds of winning prizes to 1 in 21,000 – the best improvement in over 15 years.
- The number of £100,000 prizes has jumped from 77 to 90.
- Monthly £1 million jackpots stay steady at two winners.
NS&I CEO Dax Harkins said these changes keep Premium Bonds attractive while balancing the interests of savers, taxpayers, and the financial sector.
Zoom Clamps Down on AI Privacy Fears
Zoom has updated its terms of service amid privacy concerns over AI data use. The video-chat giant faced backlash after users feared their calls might be used to train AI without consent.
Late on Monday, Zoom added a clear promise: “Zoom will not use audio, video, or chat customer content to train our artificial intelligence models without your consent.”
This follows the launch of AI features like meeting summarisation and pressure from privacy experts worried about vague terms. Zoom aims to reassure users their data stays safe and private for AI purposes.
