National Business

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Thursday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (21,176.33, down 207.31 points.) Kinross Gold Corp. (TSX:K). Materials. Down seven cents, or 0.9 per cent, to $7.38 on 14.

TORONTO — Renewed fears about an impending invasion of Ukraine by Russia sent North American stock markets lower, but rising gold prices partially offset the pain on Canada's main stock index even as it lost all gains so far in 2022.

Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. is ordering spring and summer products early and chartering its own cargo ships to import goods as it doubles down on an inventory strategy that's buoyed the retailer through the pandemic.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia is signaling it isn't willing to pump more oil and won't push for changes to an agreement with Russia and other producers that has kept a lid on oil production levels.

The head of Chorus Aviation Inc. says he expects flying activity will move closer to pre-pandemic levels in the second quarter, despite being thrown off course by the Omicron variant over the past two months.

MONTREAL — MTY Food Group Inc. swung to a profit last year as fourth-quarter earnings jumped 24 per cent despite government-mandated restaurant closures.

VANCOUVER — Canfor Pulp Products Inc. is curtailing production at its Taylor Pulp mill in B.C. for a minimum of six weeks due to transportation problems that have hurt its ability to ship product.

WASHINGTON (AP) — More Americans applied for employment benefits last week following three straight weeks of declines. Jobless claims rose by 23,000 to 248,000 last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

TORONTO — When Wattpad Corp.’s co-founder thinks about the future of his tech company, he envisions using machine learning and data to tweak stories that will be streamed on car entertainment systems or through voice assistants like Alexa and Siri.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan announced Thursday it will ease its tough COVID-19 border controls by increasing the number of people allowed to enter each day and reduce quarantine requirements following criticism that its current policy is unscientific and xeno