DUNDEE, Canada: The Canada-US border has been closed since the start of the pandemic more than a year ago, but not for Paul-Maurice Patenaude who operates a parcel handoff service from his house, which straddles the international boundary. 

SAN FRANCISCO: Uber on Wednesday added valet delivery of rental cars as part of a suite of offerings as it aims to be “one-stop-shop” for post-pandemic venturing out or dining in. As COVID-19 vaccines make it safer for people to move about, Uber aims to be a hub for summoning rides, running errands, or renting vehicles.

WASHINGTON: Temporary price jumps will not spook the Federal Reserve into pulling back on the stimulus it has pumped into the US economy during the COVID-19 pandemic, the central bank’s chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday. 

PARIS: It’s an idea championed by US President Joe Biden, leading economists and even the International Monetary Fund – make the rich pay more taxes to replenish public coffers and narrow huge wealth gaps. 

SEOUL: The heirs to South Korea’s Samsung group announced their plans to pay more than $10 billion in death duties yesterday – one of the world’s biggest-ever inheritance tax settlements – and donate an art trove including works by Monet and Picasso. 

NEW YORK: Anna Codrea-Rado built a name for herself as a freelance journalist, building an audience of 2,500 for her email newsletter, “Lance”, aimed at helping other independent writers. 

BRUSSELS: The European Parliament yesterday overwhelmingly ratified the EU’s post-Brexit trade deal with Britain, but promised to keep a close eye on London with cross-channel hostility still high. 

GOCHANG, South Korea: Resource-poor South Korea wants to spend billions on wind power to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, but its plans are being delayed by fishermen who say the fight against climate change threatens their catches. 

TOKYO: The collapse of US hedge fund Archegos dealt new blows to global banking giants yesterday as Japan’s Nomura reported a bigger financial impact than expected and Switzerland’s UBS disclosed a surprise hit.