National Business

TORONTO — Three promising COVID-19 vaccine candidates may have spurred optimism from investors, but Royal Bank of Canada's chief executive is warning the country is not rid of its pandemic troubles yet.

TORONTO — Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. has agreed to sell its interests in the RiverStone Europe insurance business to a fund managed by CVC Capital Partners.

MONTREAL — Garda World Security Corp. has raised its hostile takeover offer for British security firm G4S to 3.68 billion pounds or about C$6.3 billion.

NASHVILLE — From skateboarding to Fleetwood Mac to learning Cardi B's rump-shaking choreography, TikTok users got creative in a pandemic year with new songs, dances and memes in 60 seconds or less.

MONTREAL — National Bank of Canada topped expectations as it reported a fourth-quarter profit of $492 million. The Montreal-based bank says its profit for the quarter ended Oct. 31 amounted to $1.

BEIJING — A Chinese spacecraft sent to return lunar rocks to Earth collected its first samples Wednesday after landing on the moon, the government announced, adding to a string of successes for Beijing's increasingly ambitious space program.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is threatening to veto a defence policy bill unless it ends protections for internet companies that shield them from being held liable for material posted by their users.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed dined at a posh Napa Valley restaurant the day after California's governor was there. San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo went to his parents' house for Thanksgiving.

CHICAGO — A federal judge on Tuesday struck down two Trump administration rules designed to drastically curtail the number of visas issued each year to skilled foreign workers.

VANCOUVER — BC Hydro's residential customers will get a one-time credit of $4 on average early next year on their bills to reflect a change to its rates.