National Business

JASPER, ALTA. — The Insurance Bureau of Canada says last year's wildfire in Jasper, Alta., which destroyed one-third of the town's homes and buildings, is the second costliest fire disaster in the country's history.

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — A small plane chartered by a Chinese oil company crashed Wednesday in a remote part of South Sudan, killing 20 people, authorities said. One passenger survived. The flight chartered by Greater Pioneer Operating Co.

LONDON (AP) — Advanced artificial intelligence systems have the potential to create extreme new risks, such as fueling widespread job losses, enabling terrorism or running amok, experts said in a first-of-its-kind international report Wednesday catal

HALIFAX — A climate change think tank has released a guide encouraging municipalities to assign specific dollar values to natural assets ranging from wetlands to coastal dunes.

TORONTO — Ontario voters are set to head to the polls in a rare winter election.

OTTAWA — The Bank of Canada cut its key policy rate by 25 basis points on Wednesday, bringing it to three per cent.

TORONTO — BMO, Porter Airlines and Mastercard are launching a new credit card option for travellers looking to earn points for the airline's reward program VIPorter.

MONTREAL — CGI Inc. reported a first-quarter profit of $438.6 million, up from $389.8 million a year ago, and announced a deal to buy BJSS, a technology and engineering consultancy based in the United Kingdom.

Frontier Airlines is attempting for a second time to merge with the now bankrupt Spirit Airlines, which declared bankruptcy late last year as budget airlines struggle. Frontier Group Holdings Inc.

LONDON (AP) — The U.K.