TGI Friday’s UK future in doubt as owner reveals plan to enter administration

The company behind the UK arm of the TGI Fridays restaurant chain has said it plans to appoint administrators, putting the future of its 87 outlets and 4,500 employees in doubt.The American diner brand could disappear from UK high streets after Hostmore, which is listed on the London stock market, said administrators from advisory firm Teneo would be appointed and its restaurants sold off to rivals. The restaurants will continue to operate as normal in the interim.Hostmore said the sale – which will complete by the end of October – would generate less than its debts and it was suspending trading of its shares, whose value has fallen to almost zero. The company has debts of £35m

Stuart Rose gets hands-on at Asda. This can’t have been plan A | Nils Pratley

“We need a full-time fully experienced retail executive to come in,” said Stuart Rose, the chair of Asda, a month ago as he confessed to being “embarrassed” about the supermarket chain’s loss of market share. Now he has found someone who fits the bill temporarily: one Lord Rose of Monewden. He will “assume” day-to-day executive responsibilities from Mohsin Issa, one of the co-owners and leaders of the £6.8bn leveraged buyout of Asda in 2021.Rose definitely counts as fully experienced since he’s led Burton, Argos, Arcadia, Marks & Spencer and more in his time

Users of ‘throuples’ dating app Feeld may have had intimate photos accessed

Users of Feeld, a dating app aimed at alternative relationships, could have had sensitive data including messages, private photos and details of their sexuality accessed or even edited, it has emerged, after cybersecurity experts exposed a string of security “vulnerabilities”.Feeld, registered in the UK, reported soaring revenues and profits this month, thanks to millions of downloads from non-monogamous, queer and kinky users across the world.But while the app has gone from strength to strength financially – and attracted plaudits for its approach to sexuality – a British cybersecurity company claims to have uncovered serious failings in Feeld’s systems earlier this year.Feeld said it had dealt with the concerns “as a matter of urgency”, resolved them within two months and that it had not seen any evidence that user data had been breached.It did not know how long the vulnerabilities had existed before it was told about them in March by the London-based cybersecurity firm Fortbridge

OpenAI says the latest ChatGPT can ‘think’ – and I have thoughts

We are fast approaching two years of the generative AI revolution, sparked by the November 2022 release of ChatGPT by OpenAI. So far it’s been a mixed bag.OpenAI recently announced it had crossed 200 million weekly active users – nothing to be sniffed at, but it got its first 100 million within two months of release. A recent YouGov study found that the inclusion of AI in a product is as likely to turn off a potential purchaser as much as it is to get them to hand over their cash.Nevertheless, money keeps flowing into the sector, and advances keep coming

One final Woj bomb: ESPN scoop master Adrian Wojnarowski announces shock retirement

Adrian Wojnarowski, who made a name for himself breaking NBA news stories, has announced he is stepping away from journalism to become the general manager of the men’s basketball program at his alma mater, St Bonaventure.-30- pic.twitter.com/bFeFL61s1cWojnarowski, whose tweets announcing NBA trades and deals became known as ‘“Woj bombs”, made the announcement on Wednesday.His talent for breaking news made him one of the most prominent sports journalists in the US and attracted 6

Wallabies face up to annual All Blacks examination with new reason for hope | Angus Fontaine

Bledisloe Cup week: New Zealanders still relish it, Australians have come to dread it. For Wallabies fans, it’s an annual examination akin to a dentist or doctors consult, a mostly shameful ordeal in which they’re painfully probed and sent away to do better. “Tsk, tsk,” they seem to say year after year. “Might be time to make some changes.”After achieving the ignominy of 21 consecutive Bledisloe Cup series losses last season, Australia have made changes