National Business

TORONTO — Diamonds may be forever, but most know all it takes is an errant slip or a forgetful wearer for wedding and engagement rings to end up lost for good. Before walking down the aisle, many Canadian couples look into insuring their new rock.

OAKVILLE, Ont. — Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp. slashed its dividend by 40 per cent and said it will look to sell an additional $1 billion in assets as part of a plan to strengthen its financial position.

TORONTO — Organigram Holdings Inc. reported a profit in its latest quarter compared with a loss a year earlier as its revenue and margins improved. The cannabis company says it earned net income of $5.3 million for the quarter ended Nov.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level in 15 weeks as the job market continues to show resiliency in the face of attempts by the Federal Reserve to cool the economy.

NEW YORK (AP) — Two New York City hospitals have reached a tentative contract agreement with thousands of striking nurses that ends this week's walkout that disrupted patient care, officials announced Thursday.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates on Thursday named a veteran technocrat who both leads Abu Dhabi's state-run oil company and oversees its renewable energy efforts to be the president of the upcoming United Nations climate n

BEIJING (AP) — China’s auto sales rose 9.5% last year as electric vehicle purchases nearly doubled, but demand in the global industry’s biggest market slumped in December, foreshadowing weaker growth this year, a trade group reported Thursday.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed Thursday ahead of a closely watched report on U.S. inflation viewed as a good indicator of whether Wall Street’s recent rising optimism is warranted or overdone.

BURNABY, B.C. — Interfor Corp. says it will reduce lumber production by at least eight per cent of capacity in the first quarter as market uncertainty affects demand. The Burnaby, B.C.

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of flights across the U.S. were canceled or delayed Wednesday after a government system that offers safety and other information to pilots broke down, stranding some planes on the ground for hours.