National Business

NEW YORK (AP) — The “miners” who chisel bitcoins out of complex mathematics are taking a 50% pay cut — effectively reducing new production of the world’s largest cryptocurrency, again. Bitcoin's latest “halving" appeared to occur Friday night.

VANCOUVER — Lululemon Athletica Inc. says it is cutting more than 100 jobs as it plans to close a distribution centre in Washington state. It says some employees at the Sumner, Wash.

CALGARY — More than three dozen major water users in southern Alberta have agreed to voluntarily curb their consumption if there's a severe drought this spring or summer, but critics warn the deals won't do enough to address the issue.

CALGARY — TC Energy Corp. says it has reduced the pressure on a segment of its NGTL pipeline system in Alberta while an investigation continues into the cause of a rupture that occurred earlier this week.

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Friday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (21,807.37, up 98.93 points): Royal Bank of Canada. (TSX:RY). Finance. Up $1.05, or 0.79 per cent, to $134.57 on 13.5 million shares.

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index closed up nearly 100 points Friday, helped by strength in energy and financial stocks, while U.S. markets were mixed.

OTTAWA — Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says central banks will make monetary policy decisions geared toward their own economies, which means some countries may begin cutting interest rates before others.

NEW YORK (AP) — The worst week for big technology stocks since the COVID crash in 2020 dragged Wall Street on Friday across the finish line of another losing week. The S&P 500 dropped 0.9% to close out its third straight losing week.

TORONTO — TikTok is testing an app that rivals Instagram in Canada. The social media company says TikTok Notes became available for download and "limited testing" in Canada and Australia this week. TikTok Notes allows users to share photos and text.

OTTAWA — Excluding front-line supervisors at a Montreal casino from organizing under the Quebec labour-relations regime does not infringe their constitutional rights, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled.