National Business

BARCELONA, Spain — Protesters backing Catalonia's secession from Spain clashed with police and blocked roads across the northeastern region Thursday during a student and worker strike over the trial of a dozen separatist leaders.

CALGARY — A 40 per cent decline in revenue in the fourth quarter due to a steep downturn in drilling activity in Western Canada resulted in 160 lost jobs at Calgary-based Trican Well Service Ltd. The well completion company posted $5.

TORONTO — Ontario issued a directive Thursday to Hydro One, ordering it to pay its CEO no more than $1.5 million per year — substantially less than the partially privatized utility had proposed.

OSHAWA, Ont. — General Motors Canada and Unifor are squaring off before the Ontario Labour Relations Board about whether union workers have engaged in illegal strikes as part of a campaign to stop the closure of GM's assembly plant in Oshawa, Ont.

Canada's largest grocer reported sluggish same-store sales in its food business during its latest quarter, but touted growth in its online offerings after the company spent the past year prioritizing its digital business. Loblaw Companies Ltd.

MILAN — Fendi paid understated tribute Thursday to Karl Lagerfeld, who died this week and was the Rome-based fashion house's creative director for 54 years.

TORONTO — The registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) is one of the best-known tax shelters available to Canadians, particularly in the weeks before the annual contribution deadline, which is March 1 this year.

WASHINGTON — U.S. home sales fell 1.2 per cent in January to their worst pace in more than three years, as persistent affordability problems have put a harsh chill in the real estate market.

A group of Toronto scientists will soon attempt to develop a less-expensive way to grow lab-made meat after securing a grant from an American non-profit aiming to boost advances in cultured protein.

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says wholesale sales rose 0.3 per cent to $63.1 billion in December, led higher by gains in the motor vehicle and parts and the miscellaneous subsectors. The increase for the final month of 2018 followed a decline of 1.