National Business

VICTORIA — British Columbia Premier John Horgan says he's proud that a national sick leave program has been announced as part of $19 billion in federal funding to support the provinces and territories during the COVID-19 pandemic.

WASHINGTON — Federal health officials are extending the U.S. ban on cruise ships through the end of September as coronavirus infections rise in most U.S. states, including Florida.

A U.S. company has terminated its merger agreement with Canada's Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Ltd. that could have created a publicly traded company valued at nearly $1.5 billion. Leisure Acquisition Corp.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson issued an order Thursday requiring people to wear face masks in public throughout the state, which has had a surge in coronavirus cases over the past several weeks.

NEW YORK — Netflix added a flood of new subscribers amid the coronavirus pandemic and also offered clues to a possible successor for founding CEO Reed Hastings, who on Thursday named the company's chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, as co-CEO.

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Thursday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (16,024.50, down 38.83 points.) Air Canada (TSX:AC). Industrials. Down 72 cents, or 3.96 per cent, to $17.48 on 6.9 million shares.

OAKLAND, Calif.

TORONTO — North American stock markets dropped Thursday after several days of gains amid uncertainty about the economic recovery despite strong U.S. retail sales.

MONTREAL — Cogeco Inc. expects to see overall growth in revenue, adjusted earnings and cash flow in its next quarter, which ends Aug. 31, but its executives said Thursday they can't predict over a longer term.

TORONTO — The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed women's participation in the labour force down to its lowest level in three decades and rebounding won't be easy, says a new study from the Royal Bank of Canada. The report Thursday shows 1.