National Business

BERLIN (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree Thursday demanding payment for natural gas in rubles but appeared to temper the order by allowing dollar and euro payments through a designated bank, the latest twist over energy supplies

TORONTO — A group representing 150 of Canada's fastest growing and most promising technology companies wants the federal government to pilot a new visa stream allowing high-skilled tech workers to enter the country without a job offer.

OTTAWA — The Canadian economy lowered its shoulder through a surge in COVID-19 cases and plunge of 200,000 jobs in January to eke out a 0.2 per cent monthly gain, Statistics Canada said Thursday.

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Financing has been secured for Ottawa's third loan guarantee propping up a delay-plagued hydro project in Newfoundland and Labrador.

LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian troops were leaving the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and heading towards Ukraine's border with Belarus, the Ukrainian nuclear operator company said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge that is closely monitored by the Federal Reserve jumped 6.4% in February compared with a year ago, with sharply higher prices for food, gasoline and other necessities squeezing Americans' finances.

WASHINGTON (AP) — More Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, but layoffs remain at historic lows. Jobless claims rose by 14,000 to 202,000 for the week ending March 26, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

LONDON (AP) — OPEC and allied oil producers including Russia decided Thursday to stick to a modest increase in the amount of crude they pump to the world, a step that supports higher prices even as the Biden administration plans to try to lower them

VANCOUVER — Canfor Corp. is cutting production at its sawmills in Western Canada due to what it says are the cumulative effects of the global supply chain crisis that has been ongoing for several months.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is preparing to order the release of up to 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve, according to two people familiar with the decision, in a bid to control energy prices tha