LATEST NEWS:

Business

Austerity plan doubted

ATHENS — Not long after Greece made the politically unpopular decision to slash government spending to ease its debt crisis, Germany’s finance minister questioned whether the deal goes far enough to earn approval of a crucial C130 billion bailout.

Greece’s new austerity plan would make deep cuts to jobs and wages and it ignited fresh criticism from unions and the country’s labour minister, who resigned in protest. Finance ministers from the 17 countries that use the euro are meeting in Brussels to scrutinize the plan. READ

Pilots talking strike as labour dispute escalates

Air Canada headed closer to another possible labour disruption Thursday after its pilots began a strike vote in response to what they said was a “rigid” company position that appeared aimed at escalating their contract dispute. READ

Internet service providers not broadcasters: top court

Internet service providers should not be treated as broadcasters under the law, the Supreme Court of Canada agreed Thursday. READ

Agreements prompt talk of free trade

BEIJING — A raft of agreements between Canada and China may see the two countries ready to set sail on free trade talks. READ

Red Deer region's prospects optimistic

Red Deer’s economic development officer delivered an upbeat assessment of the region’s prospects during a presentation on Wednesday. READ

Red Deer building off to slow start in ’12

Residential construction in Red Deer is off to a sluggish start this year, at least based on statistics issued by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. on Wednesday. READ

Investment protection deal with China a historic step forward: PM

The conclusion of 18 years of talks with the Chinese for an investment protection deal marks a historic step forward in Canada-China relations, the prime minister said Wednesday. READ

Canada, China take historic trade steps

BEIJING — The conclusion of 18 years of talks with the Chinese for an investment protection deal marks a historic step forward in Canada-China relations, the prime minister said Wednesday. READ

Profits, higher salaries at heart of price gap with U.S.: manufacturers

There are many reasons why retailers charge consumers more in Canada than they do in the United States, but one is simply that they can, witnesses told a Senate committee Tuesday. READ

Volatility to keep producers on edge: speaker

On the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens, a prominent business journalist deferred to the famed English novelist when summing up the current state of Canadian agriculture. READ

Agriculture ministers expects industry to reclaim economic throne

Agriculture was king in Alberta until energy supplanted it as the No. 1 source of exports. READ

Agriculture ministers expects industry to reclaim economic throne

Agriculture was king in Alberta until energy supplanted it as the No. 1 source of exports. Evan Berger, the province’s ag minister, thinks the agriculture will one day reclaim its economic throne. READ

Apartment block helps to lift January building permit tally

So far, so good. Red Deer’s Inspections and Licensing Department approved $19.1 million worth of construction in January — a 75 per cent improvement over the $11 million in building permits it issued during the same month in 2011. READ

Volatility to keep producers on edge: speaker

On the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens, a prominent business journalist deferred to the famed English novelist when summing up the current state of Canadian agriculture. READ

Canada no longer leading the G7 in economic growth and job creation

It’s going to get harder for Prime Minister Harper and his ministers to keep boasting that Canada is No. 1 among economic rivals. READ

Producers should plan for delayed growth: analyst

February might be too early to fret about spring soil moisture levels. But as each day of warm, dry winter weather passes, farmers could be forgiven for becoming increasingly uneasy. READ

Mines for shares swap completed

Red Deer-based Blue Horizon Industries Inc. (CNSX:BH) has struck a conditional deal to swap its subsidiary Blue Horizon Mining Inc. with Cayenne Gold Mines Ltd. (CNSX:CYN) for shares in Cayenne. READ

Schlumberger keeps quiet about plans for property

One of the world’s biggest oilfield services companies has laid claim to a big chunk of land just south of Red Deer. But Schlumberger Ltd. is keeping quiet about its plans for the 44-acre parcel in McKenzie Industrial Business Park. READ

Greece to hand out pink slips to thousands of civil servants

Greece’s coalition government on Monday caved in to demands to cut civil service jobs, announcing 15,000 positions would go this year, amid mounting international pressure to agree on austerity measures needed to secure major new debt agreements. READ

NEXT PAGE
follow us on twitter

Featured partners