National Business

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Friday the U.S. will dramatically downgrade its trade status with Russia as punishment for its invasion of Ukraine and also ban imports of Russian seafood, alcohol and diamonds.

MONTREAL — CGI Inc. has announced a deal to expand its business in Europe with an agreement to buy Umanis, a French digital services company.

OTTAWA — The national unemployment rate was 5.5 per cent in February. Statistics Canada also released seasonally adjusted, three-month moving average unemployment rates for major cities.

OTTAWA — Canada's national unemployment rate was 5.5 per cent in February. Here are the jobless rates last month by province (numbers from the previous month in brackets): _ Newfoundland and Labrador 12.3 per cent (12.8) _ Prince Edward Island 9.

OTTAWA — A quick look at Canada's February employment (numbers from the previous month in brackets): Unemployment rate: 5.5 per cent (6.5) Employment rate: 61.8 per cent (60.8) Participation rate: 65.4 per cent (65.

NEW YORK (AP) — Angry, defiant and sometimes tearful, more than two dozen Americans whose lives were upended by the opioid crisis finally had their long-awaited chance Thursday to confront in court some members of the family they blame for fueling it

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Thursday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (21,581.70, up 88.47 points.) Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ). Up $$2.71, or 3.7 per cent, to $76.92 on 14.4 million shares.

TORONTO — Commodity sectors pushed Canada's main stock index higher even as U.S. markets were hurt by news of inflation soaring to a 40-year high last month and talks between Russia and Ukraine going nowhere.

CALGARY — Gasoline costs across Canada are expected to keep smashing records despite a significant mid-week dip in the price of oil. The average Canadian retail fuel price Thursday morning climbed to nearly $1.87 per litre, up from about $1.

Empire Co. Ltd. pulled off a higher profit and sales in its latest quarter despite a challenging retail environment punctuated by higher costs and supply chains bottlenecks.