WASHINGTON - Congressional debate over a vast rewrite of Wall Street regulations kicks off in a charged partisan atmosphere and under pressure from big bank and business lobbies determined to change it.
BOISE, Idaho - A Canadian mining company won initial federal approval for a plan to mine cobalt used in hybrid car batteries and jet engines from deep beneath the central Idaho mountains.
TOKYO - Japan's core machinery orders, a closely watched indicator of corporate capital spending, tumbled 4.5 per cent in October from a month earlier, the government said Thursday.
SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea's central bank left its key interest rate at a record low for a 10th straight month Thursday amid increasing signs of recovery in Asia's fourth-largest economy.
DETROIT - General Motors has replaced its Chevrolet brand manager after just five months as it continues to shake up top management ranks.
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration has extended the US$700-billion financial bailout program until October, setting up a struggle between Democrats who favour using some of the leftover money to help generate jobs and Republicans who say it should be used to shrink soaring budget deficits.
TORONTO - The Toronto Stock Exchange was evacuated for a couple of hours Wednesday due to a bomb threat.
SUDBURY, Ont. - The Ministry of Natural Resources has been fined $300,000 for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act following the death of a worker.
TORONTO - The Toronto Star says 166 employees will take severance packages at the country's largest circulation daily newspaper as part of broad cost cuts.
Lululemon Athletica Inc. (TSX:LLL) is at peace with its optimistic outlook for the holiday shopping season, following a 30 per cent revenue spike this fall as cash-strapped consumers continued to scoop up its pricey yoga wear.
MONTREAL - Laurentian Bank (TSX:LB) became the first of Canada's big banks to increase its dividend in more than a year Wednesday as it attempted to assure shareholders that its record profits will continue in 2010.
TORONTO - The political drama surrounding Ontario merging its sales tax with the federal GST culminated Wednesday with the Liberal government passing the harmonized sales tax into law.
EDMONTON - Canadian Western Bank (TSX:CWB) said Wednesday it has signed a deal to acquire National Leasing Group Inc., a privately held commercial leasing company, that valued the company at $130 million.
TORONTO - The temporary shutdown of its diamond mine pushed Harry Winston Diamond Corp. (TSX:HW) to a small third-quarter loss, but the company expressed optimism that Asian demand for the luxury stone will help turn its fortunes around.
MONTREAL - Forestry products company Domtar (TSX:UFS) says it will continue to eye new growth in markets such as diapers as it looks for opportunities to offset lower demand for its core products.
OTTAWA - The HST appears to be a done deal for Ontario - and a big step closer to reality for British Columbia.
TORONTO - The head of Astral Media (TSX:ACM.A) says advertisers are starting to return to the market and that's giving him optimism that ad revenues will recover in the new year.
MONTREAL - Traffic jams on wireless networks due to iPhone and other smartphone users surfing the Internet and downloading video are an opportunity for DragonWave CEO Peter Allen.
TORONTO - Cameco Corp. (TSX:CCO) plans to use proceeds from the $872-million sale of its stake in Centerra Gold Inc. (TSX:CG) to finish developing its troubled Cigar Lake project, as well as to pounce on any acquisition opportunities that come along.
TORONTO - The Toronto stock market closed little changed Wednesday, weighed down by financials amid growing caution about the threat posed by high government debt levels.
TORONTO - Dundee REIT (TSX:D.UN) said Wednesday it has signed a deal to buy a downtown Toronto office complex for $211.5 million.
Bank of America Corp. said Wednesday it has repaid the entire US$45 billion it owed U.S. taxpayers as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
MONTREAL - Canadian cheese giant Saputo (TSX:SAP) said it continues to eye expansion, but wouldn't comment if it was the "mystery bidder" for Australia's fourth-largest dairy processor.
NEW YORK - Oil prices hit two-month lows Wednesday as U.S. government data showed that energy demand continues to slump.
WINNIPEG - The Manitoba government has awarded a $22.5 million dollar contract to design and implement an electronic health records system.
CALGARY - Nexen Inc. (TSX:NXY) aims to shed about $1 billion in assets that are not central to its business over the next year or two, directing that extra cash toward growing its oilsands, shale gas and international operations.
VANCOUVER, B.C. - Westport Innovations Inc. stock (TSX:WPT) was down nearly 10 per cent Wednesday after the maker of low-emission, alternative-fuel engines announced it has arranged a major equity offering to raise funds that could significantly contribute to the dilution of its earnings per share.
SASKATOON - Gold explorer Golden Band Resources Inc. (TSXV:GBN) announced a shakeup in its executive offices Wednesday, with Rodney Orr stepping down as president and CEO and Gary Leland resigning from his post as vice-president finance.