National Business

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment aid fell last week to 547,000, the lowest point since the pandemic struck and an encouraging sign that layoffs are slowing on the strength of an improving job market.

LONDON — British music's leading prize night next month will feature an audience of 4,000 people, in what will be the first major indoor music event in the country to welcome back a live audience since the coronavirus pandemic erupted more than a yea

NEW DELHI — India reported a global record of more than 314,000 new infections Thursday as a grim coronavirus surge in the world's second-most populous country sends more and more sick people into a fragile health care system critically short of hosp

VANCOUVER — Discount U.S. airline JetBlue is expanding its operations with its first flights to Canada.

MONTREAL — SNC-Lavalin's chief executive received a big pay raise in his first full year at the helm of the engineering firm as his total compensation surpassed $8 million, according to a regulatory filing.

CALGARY — The CEO of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. says a rival bid for Kansas City Southern by Canadian National Railway Co. carries a bigger price tag but can't win U.S. regulatory approval because of its negative affects on competition.

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Wednesday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (19,143.25, up 102.47 points.) Zenabis Global Inc. (TSX:ZENA). Health care. Up one cent, or 10.53 per cent, to 10.

TORONTO — The federal budget's new digital services tax on large corporations is a step forward as the government works toward a multilateral agreement it hopes to reach with other countries, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Wednesday.

TORONTO — The loonie had its best performance in about five weeks after the Bank of Canada was the first global central bank to take action because of a stronger economic rebound. The Canadian dollar reached a high of 80.

CALGARY — The Alberta Energy Regulator says troubled oil and gas producer SanLing Energy Ltd. has warned it will cease operations as of April 30.