National Business

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index was relatively flat Thursday despite gains in the energy sector as crude prices partially recovered from recent weakness. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 15.48 points to 21,637.54.

CALGARY — While British Columbians in flood-affected communities continue to see lineups and sporadic outages at gas stations, experts say the province is not in any immediate danger of running out of fuel. However, in the longer-term, B.C.

TORONTO — As COVID-19 restrictions shuttered bookstores across the country last year, Dundurn Press president and publisher Scott Fraser says he feared the crisis would deliver a death blow to one of Canada's largest independent publishing houses.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two suspected Iranian computer hackers have been charged with election interference, accused of trying to intimidate American voters ahead of last year's U.S.

TORONTO — Everybody seems to be blaming massive orders of Adele’s new album for a historic backlog at vinyl manufacturers, but Nashville singer Lindsay Ell says people should go easy on the pop superstar.

TORONTO — When the COVID-19 pandemic sent droves of office workers home, it didn't take long for some to decide that their living rooms or spare bedrooms were in need of a makeover.

MONTREAL — Lion Electric Co. says Groupe Autobus Séguin has ordered 55 electric school buses to be delivered by 2025. The price to be paid for the 45 LionA and 10 LionC model buses was not immediately available.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell for the seventh straight week to a pandemic low of 268,000. U.S. jobless claims dipped by 1,000 last week from the week before, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

DETROIT (AP) — Deere & Co. workers approved a new contract Wednesday that will deliver 10% raises immediately and end a monthlong strike for more than 10,000 employees.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California's highest court rejected on Wednesday a challenge by Monsanto Co.'s to $86.2 million in damages to a couple who developed cancer after spraying the company's Roundup weed-killer in their yards for three decades.