National Business

WASHINGTON — U.S. home sales increased 2.5% in July, a sign that lower mortgage rates have produced a spurt of home-buying. The National Association of Realtors said Wednesday homes sold last month at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 5.

BEIJING — China says a staffer at the British consulate in Hong Kong has been given 15 days of administrative detention in the Chinese city of Shenzhen.

NEW YORK — "America's Got Talent" wasn't content with just the top spot in the Nielsen company's rankings of the most popular television programs last week. This time it took the top two.

BISMARCK, N.D.

LOS ANGELES — With great success comes great re-negotiation.

QUEBEC — Unifor says Jerry Dias has been acclaimed as national president of the union for a third and final three-year term.

MONTREAL — SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.'s stock fell again after Standard & Poor's downgraded its credit rating to junk status. Shares in the engineering giant closed down 24 cents or 1.4 per cent to $16.

LOS ANGELES — Keanu Reeves and Lana Wachowski are returning to the world of "The Matrix." Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich says Tuesday that a fourth "Matrix" is in the works.

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index snapped a two-day recovery on Tuesday as market volatility continued ahead of interest rate news this week from the U.S. Federal Reserve.

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Tuesday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (16,213.31, down 90.74 points ). Barrick Gold Corp. (TSX:ABX). Materials. Up 76 cents, or 3.15 per cent, to $24.88 on 5.7 million shares.