National Business

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices fell in March, a sign that inflationary pressures in the economy are easing more than a year after the Federal Reserve began aggressively raising interest rates.

TORONTO — Hudbay Minerals Inc. says it has struck a deal to buy Copper Mountain Mining Corp. in an all-stock deal it valued at US$439 million.

TORONTO — Corus Entertainment Inc., the parent company of Global Television, reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year ago, as its revenue fell five per cent.

MADRID (AP) — Drought now affects 60% of the Spanish countryside, with crops like wheat and barely in four regions likely to fail entirely, the main Spanish farmers association said on Thursday.

MONTREAL — The Montreal airport has an illegal taxi problem, says its regulatory authority, which is calling for a crackdown.

TORONTO — A report from a coalition of environmental groups shows that Royal Bank of Canada was the biggest fossil fuel financier in the world last year after providing over US$42 billion in funding.

CALGARY — WestJet Airlines is asking the federal government to allow airlines to recover passenger compensation costs from other aviation industry partners, if it believes those partners played a role in causing flight delays or disruptions.

WASHINGTON — Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland warned a U.S. audience Wednesday about the potential dangers of a global subsidy "race to the bottom" as government largesse fuels the growth of the new green economy. Freeland, in the U.S.

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Wednesday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (20,454.32, up 32.47): Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSX:TD). Financials. Down 81 cents, or one per cent, to $80.50 on 8.9 million shares.

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index eked out a gain Wednesday, while U.S. markets slumped later in the day to post small losses on the heels of fresh inflation data. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 32.47 points at 20,454.32.