National Business

TORONTO — The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board says home sales were down 69 per cent in the first 17 days of April compared with a year ago as the COVID-19 outbreak put a chill on market activity.

OTTAWA — The annual pace of inflation in Canada posted its biggest one-month decline in more than a decade, dropping below one per cent in March as the price of oil collapsed and the economy was first gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of Canada's largest grocery store chains has seen sales level off after the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic sent shoppers flocking to grocery stores, but Metro Inc.

NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez, once again, wants to be like Derek Jeter. A-Rod and Jennifer Lopez, who are engaged, have retained J.P. Morgan to represent them in raising capital for a possible bid for the New York Mets.

OTTAWA — Canada's national annual inflation rate was 0.9 per cent in March, Statistics Canada reports.

OTTAWA — Canada's national annual inflation rate was 0.9 per cent in March, Statistics Canada says. Here's what happened in the provinces (previous month in brackets): — Newfoundland and Labrador: 0.1 per cent (1.7) — Prince Edward Island: 0.4 (2.

WASHINGTON — A $483 billion coronavirus aid package flew through the Senate on Tuesday after Congress and the White House reached a deal to replenish a small-business payroll fund and provided new money for hospitals and testing.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — While most countries are working on ways to contain the coronavirus, New Zealand has set itself a much more ambitious goal: eliminating it altogether. And experts believe the country could pull it off.

AUSTIN, Texas — A live-music venue in Texas where college student Janis Joplin launched her singing career will not be reopening after the coronavirus pandemic lifts.

Netflix picked up subscribers in Canada to add nearly 16 million global customers during the first three months of the year, helping cement its status as one of the world's most essential services in times of isolation or crisis.