National Business

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the government is working to get taxpayer value for the money it paid for medication that has yet to be approved and delivered.

HALIFAX — One year after its launch, a streamlined licensing program aimed at attracting foreign-trained pharmacists to Nova Scotia has drawn more than 100 applicants to the province.

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — The European Union reached a blockbuster free trade agreement Friday with Brazil, Argentina and the three other South American nations in the Mercosur trade alliance, capping a quarter-century of on-off negotiations even as

Telus Corp. is challenging a federal order for a CRTC review on whether Canada's Big 3 telecom providers should be able to access each other's wholesale fibre internet networks.

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index eked out a gain Friday as a rise in tech stocks helped outweigh losses in energy, while U.S. markets were mixed after employment reports on both sides of the border. The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 11.

BRP Inc. executives said the Ski-Doo maker needs to stay calm in the face of tariffs proposed by U.S. president-elect Donald Trump — tariffs that could hurt a manufacturer that depends on Mexican production.

TORONTO — Artificial intelligence firm Cohere will receive up to $240 million from the federal government to boost its computing capacity.

MONTREAL — Laurentian Bank of Canada reported fourth-quarter profits that were up from a year ago, while it reported a loss for 2024 as a whole. The Montreal-based bank said Friday its quarterly profits amounted to $40.7 million, up from $30.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation. The S&P 500 climbed 0.

TORONTO — A new report suggests the federal government's rapidly reduced immigration targets will significantly slow economic growth, but not enough to trigger a recession.