National Business

TORONTO — A Canadian investment firm attempting to purchase Torstar Corp. has upped its bid in response to a rival offer for the media conglomerate.

DALLAS — The coronavirus pandemic has taken away another summertime tradition in the U.S.: There will be no free Slurpees at 7-Elevens on Saturday — July 11 — to hail a date that doubles as an abbreviation of the convenience store chain's name.

DALLAS — An unopened copy of a vintage Super Mario Bros. video game has been sold for $114,000 in an auction that underscored the enduring popularity of entertainment created decades ago.

TORONTO — A plan to operate NHL game hubs in Edmonton and Toronto could draw hundreds of hockey players and staff to both Canadian cities, but business experts say their presence won't give a huge boost to local economies.

CALGARY — Shaw Communications Inc.'s third-quarter revenue and profit were down from the same time last year due to COVID-19's impact, but the cable and wireless company still beat expectations Friday.

MONTREAL — The Cirque du Soleil's creditors are finalizing an agreement that could replace the one put forward by the insolvent entertainment company's shareholders. The turn of events was disclosed Friday at the Quebec Superior Court.

DALLAS — American Airlines is warning Boeing that it could cancel some overdue orders for the grounded 737 Max unless the plane maker helps line up new financing for the jets, according to people familiar with the discussions.

VICTORIA — Statistics Canada's labour force survey for June shows 118,000 people in B.C. found jobs and the unemployment rate fell slightly to 13 per cent.

VANCOUVER — Shareholders in SSR Mining Inc. and Alacer Gold Corp. have endorsed a no-premium deal to merge operations. The Toronto-listed companies say 99.9 per cent of the votes cast by Alacer shareholders and 96.

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Friday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (15,713.82, up 145.18 points.) Baytex Energy Corp. (TSX:BTE). Energy. Up three cents, or 4.48 per cent, to 70 cents on 8.8 million shares.