National Business

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index moved higher for a third-straight day as the energy sector got a lift from crude oil prices hitting their highest level in a year. The March crude oil contract was up 93 cents at US$55.

Even after stepping aside as CEO, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will likely keep identifying new frontiers for the world's dominant e-commerce company. His successor, meanwhile, gets to deal with escalating efforts to curtail Amazon's power.

TORONTO — Telus Corp.'s digital consulting subsidiary is striking out on its own, hoping to gain recognition from investors as the realm of customer service is increasingly dominated by chat bots and social media management.

TORONTO — When former communications agency director Erin Bury considers ads she's seen from governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, a villainous character with an active social life is the first thing that pops into her mind. Mr.

FREDERICTON — Compliance officers are still catching businesses in New Brunswick with inadequate COVID-19 operational plans — or no plan at all, nearly a year after companies were required to create them.

CALGARY — Pan American Silver Corp. says veteran geologist and company founder Ross Beaty intends to retire as chair and a director at its annual general meeting in May.

WASHINGTON — The services sector, where most Americans work, operated in January at the highest level in almost two years. Activity climbed to a reading of 58.

TORONTO — Consultants estimate that car and truck sales last month fell 17.4 per cent compared with January 2020, after COVID-19 lockdowns and inventory shortages hampered sales.

LONDON — Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline said Wednesday it will work with a German biopharmaceutical company to develop new vaccines targeting emerging variants of COVID-19 amid concerns that some mutations are making the virus harder to combat.

BERLIN — Germany's economy minister says the country beat its target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 40% last year compared to 1990 levels.