National Business

PORTO, Portugal — European Union leaders cranked up their criticism of the U.S.

BRUSSELS — The European Union cemented its support for Pfizer-BioNTech and its novel COVID-19 vaccine technology Saturday by agreeing to a massive contract extension for a potential 1.8 billion doses through 2023.

WASHINGTON — It won’t speed the manufacture of vaccines. It enraged the developers who delivered lifesaving doses in record time.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia fire chief who starred in an Oscar-nominated documentary about battling drug abuse in ground zero of the nation’s opioid epidemic took the stand in a landmark trial Friday against three large drug distributors.

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Friday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (19,472.74, up 181.76 points.) Manulife Financial Corp. (TSX:MFC). Financials. Down 42 cents, or 1.6 per cent, to $25.85 on 20.

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index rose for a 10th consecutive week to a record high as investors welcomed weak jobs numbers that reinforced the need for continued easy monetary policy.

CALGARY — TC Energy Corp. is reporting a first-quarter net loss of $1.1 billion after taking a $2.2-billion after-tax asset impairment charge on its cancelled Keystone XL export oil pipeline.

TORONTO — The Ontario Securities Commission is moving to ban deferred sales charges on mutual funds — a move that will harmonize the watchdog's policy on such fees with the rest of the country.

VANCOUVER — Telus Corp. chief executive Darren Entwistle said Friday that the telecommunications company will be able to reduce capital spending to $2.5 billion a year or less in 2023, after an accelerated investment plant announced this week.

EDMONTON — Premier Jason Kenney is urging the federal government to push hard to bring surplus COVID-19 vaccines in from the United States.