United States

Canadians who have spent less than 72 hours in another country will no longer need a Covid-19 test to return to Canada, making it easier and cheaper for residents near the 5,500-mile border to make quick trips to the U.S. to pick up groceries, fill gas tanks or go holiday shopping, the Wall Street Journal reported. U.S. businesses along the Canadian border say they are anticipating a boost in cross-border shopping and tourism after nearly 20 months of suffering from Washington’s decision to ban tourists from entering the U.S. via northern land-border crossings.
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The personal luxury market of high-end accessories, leather goods and apparel has snapped back to pre-pandemic levels as U.S. shoppers outspent those in China in pursuit of the latest fashion trends, according to a study released Thursday by the Bain consultancy, the Associated Press reported. Global consumer spending on personal luxury goods, including the latest sneaker trend or design collaboration, is forecast to spike by 29% this year, to 283 billion euros ($325 billion).

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Airlines started flying thousands of Europeans and others to the U.S. after Washington reopened its borders to citizens of 33 countries who had been barred by Covid-19 restrictions for more than 18 months, the Wall Street Journal reported. As of Monday, vaccinated non-American citizens from previously restricted countries—predominantly in Europe—are allowed to travel to the U.S. if they have proof of vaccination and a negative Covid-19 test taken within the prior three days. The countries formerly on the banned list accounted for 53% of all overseas visitors to the U.S.
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Airline Avianca Holdings will move its domicile to the United Kingdom and its stock will no longer be traded on the Colombian stock exchange, the company said on Wednesday, a day after a U.S. court's approval of the company's restructuring plan, Reuters reported. Colombia's flag carrier had filed for chapter 11 protection at a U.S. court in New York in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. It now expects to exit the measure by the end 2021, after receiving around $2 billion in new financing under a debt-for-equity deal.
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Offshore driller Seadrill Ltd on Tuesday obtained court approval for its reorganization plan, clearing the way for it to emerge from bankruptcy, Reuters reported. Offshore driller Seadrill Ltd yesterday obtained court approval for its reorganization plan, clearing the way for it to emerge from bankruptcy. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Jones in Houston signed off on the plan during a virtual hearing. Under the plan, creditors will exchange $4.9 billion in debt for equity in the company. Seadrill will also raise $350 million in new financing.
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Luckin Coffee Inc. reached a $175 million settlement of shareholder class-action claims that the Chinese rival to Starbucks fraudulently inflated its share price by falsifying revenue, Reuters reported. Lawyers for the shareholders called the all-cash settlement, filed on Monday night, an “excellent result,” citing Luckin’s liquidation proceeding in the Cayman Islands and its related filing for protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
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Credit Suisse Group AG has agreed to pay nearly $475 million to American and British authorities to resolve charges in connection with Mozambican bond offerings, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said on Tuesday, Reuters reported. The charges centered on the Zurich-based bank's role in a $2 billion scandal involving government-guaranteed loans. The SEC said Credit Suisse fraudulently misled investors and violated U.S. bribery laws in a scheme involving two bond offerings and a syndicated loan that raised funds on behalf of state-owned entities in Mozambique.
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Upon learning the U.S. intends to reopen land border crossings in early November to fully vaccinated travelers from Canada and Mexico, Emily Pearce started planning a visit to the nearest Target store, located in upstate New York, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Ottawa resident said for months she has been eyeing a pair of wicker nightstands that the retailer sells. Target doesn’t ship to Canada, and she can’t find anything comparable in Canada at the same price point. Shopping trips, family reunions and vacations are back on the agenda for Canadians like Ms.
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Mexican airline Grupo Aeromexico SAB de CV has filed a reorganization plan that includes a financing proposal largely backed by a group of senior noteholders and unsecured creditors and allow the carrier to shed $1 billion from its debt stack, Reuters reported. In court papers filed late Friday, Aeromexico says it is continuing to “actively negotiate with various stakeholders regarding an exit financing package” based on the noteholders and trade creditors’ joint proposal to bring in as much creditor support for the plan as possible.
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