National Business

HALIFAX — Highlights of the Nova Scotia government's provincial budget presented Thursday: — The province is bringing in a $16.5-billion budget, with a projected deficit of $467.4 million. --- — Health-care spending is expected to reach $7.

NEW YORK (AP) — Best Buy's shares rose on Thursday as the nation's largest consumer electronics chain posted a smaller-than-expected sales decline for the fiscal fourth quarter, signaling that the bottom of spending on gadgets may be in sight.

TORONTO — First Quantum Minerals Ltd. has completed two key financing deals to raise a total of more than US$2 billion that it plans to use to repay other debt and for general corporate purposes.

GATINEAU, Que. — The Competition Bureau says it's obtained a court order in an ongoing investigation into Google's advertising practices in Canada. The order requires Google to produce records and written information relevant to the investigation.

OTTAWA — Canada's public broadcaster is getting an increase in funding, despite executives' claims that they were asked to cut its budget for the next fiscal year. Documents from the Heritage Department show CBC will get a $1.

LONDON (AP) — You were walking next to a swimming pool when you slipped and dropped your phone into the water. Or it slipped out of your hand when you were next to a filled bathtub or toilet. However your smartphone got wet, you now need to dry it.

Electronic Arts is cutting about 5% of its workforce, or approximately 670 employees, as layoffs in the technology and gaming sector continue after a surge of hiring in recent years.

Two years ago, Ihor Weryha finally felt ready to retire. The Mississauga, Ont., resident had spent 40 years working in the petrochemical industry, most of which had been evenly split between two companies.

MONTREAL — Laurentian Bank of Canada reported a first-quarter profit of $37.3 million, down from $51.9 million a year earlier. The Montreal-based bank says the profit amounted to 75 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Jan.

Vancouver tech lawyer Ryan Black's work with video game companies put him in a position to watch the rise of artificial intelligence in the industry. Now he finds himself on the front lines again as his own profession grapples with the technology.