National Business

TORONTO — North American stock markets were flat Thursday on new fears of a global economic slowdown even as the current bull market became the longest and strongest in history.

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Thursday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (16,972.18, up 14.19 points.) Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX:ACB). Health care. Down 31 cents, or 6.61 per cent, to $4.38 on 8.

SMITHS FALLS, Ont. — The Ontario government’s inability to develop sufficient retail capacity for cannabis products is forcing Canopy Growth Corp.

FREDERICTON — New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs says the closure of the Brunswick Lead Smelter in Belledune and the loss of 420 jobs will have a huge impact on the community. Higgs, who met with officials of Glencore Canada Corp.

VANCOUVER — A conference hosted by University of British Columbia students is facing criticism for having a speaker from a Chinese company that has been blacklisted by the United States over links to the repression of China's Muslim minority.

SASKATOON — The Saskatchewan government says it will open trade offices in Japan, India and Singapore and is enlisting the help of former prime minister Stephen Harper.

Cineplex Inc. shares rose about five per cent after the company reported record high revenue for its third quarter and outperformed analyst expectations, helped by a strong film slate including "The Lion King" and "Spider-Man: Far From Home.

BERLIN — German automaker Daimler says it plans to slash costs 1.4 billion euros ($1.54 billion) by cutting every tenth managerial position and other austerity measures.

NEW YORK — Walmart is offering some holiday cheer heading into the crucial Christmas shopping season even as many of its traditional peers struggle.

Freshii Inc. continued to see traffic to its health-food eateries fall during its most recent quarter, but believes upcoming initiatives including a loyalty program can win over consumers. Same-store sales, a key retail metric, fell 3.