The main gate at The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, on Sept. 25, 2023. Mario Anzuoni | Reuters The Federal Communications Commission has alerted the Walt Disney Company and its ABC unit that it will begin an investigation into the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the media giant. The FCC, the agency that regulates…

Thames Water’s chief financial officer has quit his £1.3m-a-year job, the cash-strapped water company has announced. Alastair Cochran, who had also recently served as interim chief executive at Thames, will leave his role within days. His departure comes at a critical time for the UK’s largest water company amid close scrutiny of its fragile finances.…

The fashion group Boohoo is to forge ahead with a plan to change its name to Debenhams, despite Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group voting to block formalisation of the move amid a stinging battle between the two retailers. Boohoo said earlier this month it wanted to rename itself Debenhams, the department store brand it bought out…

One of the UK’s largest mortgage lenders has relaxed its rules and will offer some borrowers up to £35,000 more to fund their home purchases. Santander said it had adjusted the way it calculated affordability, meaning many customers applying for a mortgage would be able to borrow between £10,000 and £35,000 more from Friday. The…

Introduction: China’s Xi urges global CEOs to protect trade as Trump tariffs loom Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy. Anxiety over Donald Trump’s plan to announce a barrage of tariffs on trading partners next week is gripping the global economy, and the markets. China’s…

Chelsea FC owner and chair Todd Boehly is considering making a bid for the owner of the Scotsman and Yorkshire Post, in a move seen as a precursor to making a potential offer for The Telegraph. National World, the London-listed owner of more than 100 regional titles, said it had received confirmation that Boehly-controlled Eldridge…

Retail sales in Great Britain rose last month amid a sharp increase in consumers spending at department stores, hardware shops and clothes outlets. Reflecting a stronger economic backdrop than feared, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed sales volumes rose by 1% on the month, although spending at supermarkets fell after a bumper…

WH Smith is to sell its 480 retail stores to the Hobbycraft owner, Modella Capital, in a deal worth £76m, and has confirmed that the 233-year-old brand will disappear from the high street after a “short transitional period”. Under the terms of the deal, the high street business, which employs 5,000 staff, will be rebranded…

Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire This Grade II-listed, 18th-century cottage is just 245 metres from the middle of town and a vast array of places to eat. The charming property has a tiled hallway and a country-style kitchen. It is currently being used as a holiday let. Popular pubs and restaurants are on the doorstep, such as the…

Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, has said the era of deep ties with the US ‘is over’, as governments — from Tokyo to Berlin and Paris — sharply criticise Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on car imports. ‘We will respond forcefully,’ Carney said. ‘Nothing is off the table to defend our workers and our country.’ End of an…