Author: Mario Spencer

Warner Bros. reopening takeover talks with Paramount, but Netflix deal still favoured

a white water tower with the mountain range logo and type that says "paramount" on it loom over the low treed hills where the Hollywood sign sits, visible in the background

Netflix, the preferred bidder to buy Warner Bros.’ studio and streaming businesses, has given Warner a seven-day waiver to reopen talks with Paramount. The companies now have until Monday of next week to work out a possible deal, which Netflix would be allowed to match.

Canada’s annual inflation rate edged down to 2.3% in January

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Canada’s annual inflation rate edged down to 2.3 per cent in January, Statistics Canada said on Tuesday.

Car dealers seek reimbursement for EVs sold under old rebate program as new one launches today

Men in suits walk around a car in a auto parts plant.

The reborn federal electric vehicle rebate program launches today, but some auto dealers in Canada say they’re still out tens of thousands of dollars from the last one.

Canadians are ready for Chinese-made autos, but experts note there are security risks

A steering wheel pictured from inside an electric car.

Weeks after Ottawa announced that it would allow a limited number of Chinese-made vehicles into the Canadian market, some have warned that the move puts data privacy at risk. But that might not be a significant turn-off for consumers who are in the market for a new car.

Tourism was once an ‘economic locomotive’ in Cuba. Now, the train is coming off the tracks

Tourists walk by buildings on a street.

For decades, Cuba’s tourism sector has enjoyed a reputation as an “economic locomotive” among authorities who saw it as the lifeblood of the Caribbean island country’s economy. But the industry has been in decline since its 2018 peak, and the U.S. government squeezing Cuba’s oil supply has pushed the nation’s most crucial industry closer to its breaking point.

Amid ‘Buy Canadian’ fervour, Canada’s top pension funds still heavily invested in U.S.

Canadian and American flags fly near the Ambassador Bridge at the Canada-USA border crossing in Windsor, Ont.

Despite the U.S. trade war and President Donald Trump’s threats to Canadian sovereignty, this country’s biggest pension funds remain heavily invested in the U.S. The Canada Pension Plan announced this week that it has grown to a record $780.7 billion in assets, with 47 per cent invested in the U.S., compared to only 13 per cent in Canada.

Diageo, Ontario government reach agreement to keep Crown Royal on LCBO shelves — but plant closure remains

A logo on a bottling plant.

Ontario will keep Crown Royal on the shelves in the province’s liquor stores, it says, after parent company Diageo agreed to almost $23 million in spending in the alcohol and agriculture sectors. 

Ottawa needs more data to probe claims of unpaid work at airlines: minister

A woman in a black blazer gestures with her hands as she speaks in a legislature chamber.

Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu says her department needs more information from air carriers and unions to settle recent allegations of unpaid work in the airline sector.

Canadian restaurants struggling to turn a profit, new report says

a woman with glasses and her hair in a low bun delivers a plate heaping with french fries and other food to a table

A survey of Restaurants Canada members found that 44 per cent of respondents were either operating at a loss or just breaking even — up from 2019 when only 12 per cent of respondents were in that same financial position. Restaurateurs and experts say less traffic at restaurants and rising costs are making it hard to do business.

Kraft Heinz halts plans to split company

A sign with the Kraft Heinz logo on it, with a snow-covered parking lot in the background

Kraft Heinz has halted efforts to split the company, in a surprise move that new CEO Steve Cahillane said was necessary due to deteriorating conditions in the food industry, though ‌he called the challenges “fixable and within our control.”