National Business

OTTAWA — Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the annual pace of housing starts in February rose eight per cent compared with January.

BEIJING (AP) — China's new COVID-19 cases Tuesday more than doubled from the previous day as the country faces by far its biggest outbreak since the early days of the pandemic.

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Monday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (21,180.78, down 281.05 points.) Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ). Energy. Down $3.42, or 4.4 per cent, to $74.21 on 18.

TORONTO — A day after Unifor president Jerry Dias announced his sudden retirement, the union revealed it has been investigating the now former president since late January.

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index suffered its worst day in nearly two months on worrying COVID-19 cases in China, weaker commodities prices and bond yields reaching their highest levels in several years in anticipation of the Fed hiking interest r

CALGARY — Customers of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. are growing increasingly concerned about a labour dispute that the union has said could result in a potential rail strike as early as this week.

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s top court on Monday refused WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange permission to appeal against a decision to extradite him to the U.S. to face spying charges.

BRAMPTON, Ont. — Loblaw Companies Ltd. announced a deal Monday to buy Lifemark Health Group for $845 million in cash.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, said Monday that he opposes the nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin to a key position on the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors, endangering her prospects of winning Senate confirmation.

TORONTO — Anthony Lacavera says Globalive is interested in buying Shaw Communications Inc.'s Freedom Mobile wireless assets.