National Business

BERLIN — The head of Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, Armin Laschet, on Monday rallied his party's leadership behind his bid to become the centre -right candidate to be Germany's next leader.

MILAN — A year after being postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Venice Biennale for architecture will open on May 22 for a six-month run under strict virus protocols, officials said Monday.

Lockdowns enacted by Canadian provinces to quell the spread of COVID-19 hampered Aphria Inc.'s third quarter. The Leamington, Ont.

TORONTO — Porter Airlines is once more pushing back its tentative date for resuming flights. The airline, which has delayed its restart date several times during the pandemic, now plans to resume flying on June 21.

MONTREAL — MTY Food Group Inc. says Stanley Ma, the company's founder, president and chairman, is selling up to 880,000 of his shares in company. The restaurant franchisor and operator says the sale represents a 3.56 per cent stake in the company.

HONG KONG — Chinese telecommunications equipment firm Huawei said Monday that it has reached an agreement with HSBC in Hong Kong to obtain documents that its chief financial office Meng Wanzhou hopes will help prevent her extradition to the U.S.

LONDON — People across Britain flocked to shed shaggy locks and browse for clothes, books and other “non-essential” items as shops, gyms, hairdressers, restaurant patios and beer gardens reopened Monday after months of lockdown.

BEIJING — China’s top disease control official, in a rare acknowledgement, said current vaccines offer low protection against the coronavirus and mixing them is among strategies being considered to boost their effectiveness.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran on Sunday described a blackout at its underground Natanz atomic facility an act of “nuclear terrorism,” raising regional tensions as world powers and Tehran continue to negotiate over its tattered nuclear deal.

TORONTO — Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week: Outlook survey The Bank of Canada will release its business outlook survey and Canadian survey of consumer expectations on Monday.