Business

TransUnion and Zenbase announced a partnership to include rental payment information as a dedicated category on TransUnion credit reports in Canada, so timely rent payments are shown without being treated as debt.

Waabi Innovation raised US$750-million to expand autonomous long-haul trucking and said it will deploy a minimum of 25,000 autonomous vehicles on Uber's ride-hailing service.

The Federal Reserve is expected to hold rates while its chair, Jerome Powell, is under a Department of Justice criminal investigation. Powell's chair term expires in May 2026 and he could remain as a Fed governor until 2028.

Grade 6 and 7 students in Toronto attended an International Holocaust Remembrance Day event where author Kathy Kacer discussed her book about the 1939 St. Louis and family members showed preserved mementos while answering students' questions.

Acting president Delcy Rodriguez said the United States has begun unblocking Venezuelan funds frozen under sanctions and that the resources will be used in part to purchase hospital equipment; she did not specify the amount, and Washington has confirmed a new charge d'affaires to Venezuela.

National home-price indicators slipped in 2025, with average prices down 0.5% and MLS benchmark prices down 4.0%, while regions diverged: Ontario and British Columbia recorded notable declines and Quebec posted price gains.

Energy Minister Tim Hodgson said Canada aims to boost energy exports to India to diversify away from the United States, and analysts noted India’s growing fuel demand, large refining sector and opportunities for products beyond crude.

The Conference Board reported its consumer confidence index fell 9.7 points to 84.5 in January, the lowest since May 2014, as concerns about job availability and prices rose.

The two governments said Canada will seek to increase crude oil and natural gas exports to India while buying refined petroleum products in return, following ministerial meetings that cited energy security and supply diversity.

Gold climbed above US$5,000 an ounce after a year-long rally, rising more than US$2,000 over 12 months, and Canadian indexes have been lifted by gains in gold and gold producers.

Several major banks have raised 2026 price forecasts for precious metals: Deutsche Bank and Societe Generale project gold near $6,000 an ounce, and Citi upgraded its near-term silver target to $150 an ounce.

Winnipeg police say a series of extortion and arson incidents last July targeted several small businesses and a warehouse; five people have been arrested and two suspects remain the subject of Canada-wide warrants.

TikTok agreed to settle a landmark lawsuit alleging its platform addicted young people, with settlement terms undisclosed. Jury selection starts this week in Los Angeles for bellwether trials that will proceed against Meta and YouTube.

Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson has provided conditional approval for Marineland to export its remaining beluga whales to the United States, and said final permits will be issued once Marineland supplies further required information.

The European Union and India announced a broad free trade agreement after nearly two decades of talks, cutting tariffs on about 97% of European goods entering India and eliminating many EU duties on Indian exports; officials said a formal signing is expected later this year and the deal could take effect by early 2027.

The federal government announced an enhanced GST credit, a one‑time top‑up and new funding for supply‑chain resilience, while Manitoba froze the retail price of milk for a year; food inflation was over 5% in December 2025.

ACEA data shows fully electric cars made up 22.6% of EU registrations in December, narrowly exceeding gasoline-only cars at 22.5%, while gasoline-electric hybrids held the largest share at 44%.

Officials said a Russian drone strike on Odesa killed three people and wounded 25, and damaged energy and residential infrastructure; Ukrainian and Russian negotiators are due to meet for U.S.-brokered talks on Sunday.

Tropic said it delivered $85 million in customer savings in 2025 and reported surpassing $18 billion in spend under management.

State Street and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) will open an Al Ain operations hub expected to create more than 300 jobs. The hub is part of ADIO's FIDA cluster, which is projected to add AED56 billion to Abu Dhabi's GDP and attract at least AED17 billion in investment by 2045.

People lined up in Calgary to sign a separatist petition; Premier Danielle Smith defended the petition as a democratic expression while former mayor Naheed Nenshi said Smith is 'playing both sides.'

Bricks & Minifigs reached more than 300 stores in 2025 and opened 150 locations since 2023, growing its franchise network through a buy-sell-trade LEGO retail model.

The federal government will boost GST rebates with a one-time top-up this year and phased 25% increases over the next five years; advocates say the measure is a useful step but may not be enough to end food insecurity.

Energy Minister Tim Hodgson said Canada wants to diversify after exporting about 98% of its energy to the United States and is exploring supplying crude oil, liquefied natural gas and uranium to India; Canada currently does not export crude or LNG to India.

Anta Sports will buy 43 million Puma shares from Artemis at €35 each, taking a 29% stake in a deal valued at about €1.51 billion ($1.79 billion) that is expected to close by year-end pending regulatory approval; the article mentions Puma reported a more than 15% sales decline in Q3 last year.

The federal government will allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles to be imported annually at a 6.1% tariff, and experts say Canada’s existing charging network and power grid can generally absorb that increase while gaps remain in remote areas and multi-unit housing.

The federal government will set up a new auto task force that will include the Ontario government, and it will examine car manufacturing, investment, jobs and electrification, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said.

Two‑way goods trade between Canada and India reached C$13.3 billion in 2024, and Canada is looking to expand energy exports to India, noting India currently accounts for about 1% of its critical minerals exports.

Saskatchewan anti-poverty groups and food bank leaders said Ottawa’s Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, which raises the GST tax credit for individuals and families and includes one-time payments, will provide extra income for low- and modest-income households but that provincial supports and broader measures are still needed.

Hanwha Ocean signed a binding memorandum of understanding to provide up to $345 million to Algoma Steel to develop a structural steel beam mill, and the agreement is contingent on South Korean firms winning Canada’s submarine contract.