Britain's finance minister is cutting the top income tax rate from 50 per cent to 45 per cent effective next year but has imposed additional taxes to raise more money from the wealthiest one per cent.

Canada's unemployment rate rose to 7.6 per cent in January according to Statistics Canada, a 0.1 per cent increase, as 23,700 more people searched for work.

Statistics Canada says wholesale sales slipped one per cent in January to $49 billion, largely because of lower sales of motor vehicles and parts

Bombardier missed expectations Thursday as its profit dropped nearly 14 per cent to $190 million US in the first quarter on a 25 per cent decrease in aerospace and transportation revenues.