National Business

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky city has come up with an out-of-this-world campaign to promote tourism. The Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau used an infrared laser to beam a message into space to invite extraterrestrial travelers.

TORONTO — Thursday will mark the deadline for Canadian businesses to repay pandemic loans and receive partial forgiveness, a move that business groupssay will spell closure for thousands of struggling companies.

TORONTO — Two members of the Rogers family have settled their differences with their brother Edward and announced their retirement from the Rogers Communications Inc. board of directors after a bruising fight over who should lead the company.

TORONTO — A battle of the sandwich brands is materializing as a pair of U.S. sub companies announce big plans for Canada. Inspire Brands announced Wednesday that its Jimmy John’s banner would use a franchise model to make its way outside the U.S.

TORONTO — Tech’s biggest names spent last year in layoff mode and if the last few weeks are any indication, that pattern is continuing into this year.

OKOTOKS, Alta. — Mullen Group Ltd. says it has signed a letter of intent to buy logistics company ContainerWorld Forwarding Services Inc. Financial terms of the agreement were not immediately available.

HONG KONG (AP) — China’s economy for the October-December quarter grew at a quicker rate, allowing the Chinese government to hit its target of about 5% annual growth for 2023 even though trade data and the economic recovery remain uneven.

MONTREAL — Gildan Activewear Inc.

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Shell said Tuesday it agreed to sell its onshore business in Nigeria’s Niger Delta to a consortium of companies in a deal worth $2.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Federal Reserve official said Tuesday that he is increasingly confident that inflation will continue falling this year back to the Fed's 2% target level, after two years of accelerating price spikes that hurt millions of Ameri