National Business

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dropped by 13,000 last week to 553,000, the lowest level since the pandemic hit last March and another sign the economy is recovering from the coronavirus recession.

BILLINGS, Mont. — U.S.

ROME — Pope Francis set a 40-euro ($48) gift cap for all Vatican employees Thursday and issued a new law requiring Vatican cardinals and managers to periodically report on their compliance with clean financial practices in one of his biggest efforts

L.L.Bean is opening four new stores in Canada this year as the U.S. retailer continues to grow its customer base north of the border. The Freeport, Maine, company says the new stores will be in Dartmouth, N.S., Calgary, Victoria and Burnaby, B.C. L.

TORONTO — Travel company Transat AT Inc. says reimbursement for customers who have paid for flights that were scheduled to leave on or after Feb.

BERLIN — In a ruling hailed as groundbreaking, Germany's top court said Thursday the government must set clear goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions after 2030, arguing that existing legislation risks placing too much of a burden for curbing cl

CALGARY — The Canada Energy Regulator says it has decided to grant a request by the operator of the Trans Mountain pipeline to protect the identity of its insurers in its regulatory filings.

CALGARY — The CEO of Whitecap Resources Inc.

Merck is entering a new era, with sweeping changes across its executive suite and the spinoff off its women's health and other businesses, a bid to enable both resulting companies to grow faster.

MONTREAL — Molson Coors Beverage Co. said it expects to be in a position to reinstate its dividend in the second half of this year after its first-quarter profit beat expectations even as its revenue dropped nearly 10 per cent from a year ago.