National Business

EAST GARAFRAXA, Ontario (AP) — Julie Thurgood-Burnett had no idea that her COVID-19 lockdown whim of starting a lavender patch on her husband's family farm outside Toronto would turn into a small business.

TORONTO — The Bank of Nova Scotia saw third-quarter profits fall compared with a year ago as it boosted its provisions for bad loans, even as the bank says it's seeing some levelling out of the financial stress on Canadian consumers.

American consumers felt more confident in August as their outlook for the future improved. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 103.3 in August from 101.9 in July.

MONTREAL — Air Canada is offering passengers who have booked flights around the date of a possible pilot strike next month some increased flexibility in rebooking their travel.

BEIJING (AP) — China on Tuesday accused Canada of protectionism after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government imposed a 100% tariff on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles , matching U.S. duties on Chinese EVs.

American consumers felt more confident in August as their outlook for the future improved. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 103.3 in August from 101.9 in July.

Whether it's to travel the world or just take a breather before moving on to the next chapter, students sometimes pause their educational pursuits for a so-called gap year.

GABORONE, Botswana (AP) — The largest diamond found in more than a century has been unearthed at a mine in Botswana, and the country's president showed off the fist-sized stone to the world at a viewing ceremony Thursday.

NEW YORK (AP) — The merger between entertainment giant Paramount and media company Skydance is set to go ahead after Edgar Bronfman Jr. withdrew a competing offer.

In a new survey from TD Bank, nearly half of Canadian students say they are unable to adequately cover basic needs such as food and housing. The online poll found 45 per cent of those surveyed say the cannot cover their basic needs.