National Business

CALGARY — Soaring lumber and wood panel prices are adding thousands of dollars to the cost of building a home in Canada as strong renovation and new housing demand outstrip supply.

WASHINGTON — Americans increased their spending at retail stores and restaurants in July for a third straight month, but some evidence suggests that sales are weakening with the expiration of government rescue aid that had previously put more money i

NEW YORK — Apple and Google dropped the popular game Fortnite from their app stores after the game’s developer introduced a direct payment plan that bypasses their platforms.

VICTORIA — A payment plan has been set out for renters in British Columbia who haven't been able to pay rent during the COVID-19 pandemic as a government moratorium on evictions ends on Sept. 1. Renters in arrears between March 18 and Aug.

TORONTO — Freshii Inc.

OTTAWA — Canadian manufacturing sales climbed a record 20.7 per cent in June to $48.7 billion as production returned following widespread shutdowns earlier in the year, Statistics Canada reported Friday.

WASHINGTON — American industry continued to regain ground lost in the coronavirus recession last month, but production remains well below where it was before the pandemic struck.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — U.S. productivity rose at a 7.3% rate in the second quarter as the number of hours worked fell by nearly half, the biggest drop-off since the government started tracking the data more than 70 years ago.

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department said Thursday that it has seized millions of dollars from cryptocurrency accounts that militant groups, including al-Qaida and the Islamic State, relied on to finance their organizations and violent plots.

TORONTO — Freshii Inc. reported a roughly half-million second-quarter loss amid the COVID-19 pandemic that saw many of its restaurants temporarily close.