Bloomberg The International Monetary Fund said its board may be able to approve a $12 billion accord with Egypt by early November, as the country seeks alternative sources of financing to complement the IMF loans. Egypt is making “very good progress” on obtaining about $5 billion to $6 billion of additional funds, and is discussing the issue with Saudi …

  Bloomberg Oil fell below $50 a barrel after Russia cast doubt over a deal any time soon with OPEC, following the group’s pledge to reduce production. Futures slipped 1.3 percent in New York after closing above $50 for the first time since June on Thursday. OPEC agreed in Algiers last week to cut output in a bid to shrink …

  Bloomberg A liquefied natural gas tanker plying the waters of the Mediterranean has created a guessing game for energy traders. The Maran Gas Delphi has taken a meandering course after loading up on U.S. shale gas a month ago at Cheniere Energy Inc.’s Sabine Pass export terminal in Louisiana. The ship anchored off the coast of Greece for several …

  Bloomberg Facebook on Thursday worked to ramp up enthusiasm for its virtual reality line, unveiling new gear including a lower-end wireless headset prototype. The company’s Oculus virtual reality division is set to release in coming months a new “Touch” controller and a more affordable computer for powering virtual experiences using Rift headsets. “We are here to make virtual reality …

Bloomberg Talk of a Twitter Inc. buyout has been rampant in recent days, with companies including Salesforce.com Inc., Walt Disney Co., and Google all reported to be considering bids. While the search giant hasn’t officially confirmed its interest, analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. say Google’s the best of the likely buyers. Calling Google parent Alphabet Inc. “the one acquirer …

  Bloomberg Does your home really need a “smart speaker” that can answer questions, call you an Uber, turn off the lights or play music when you ask? You may be about to find out. Two years ago, Amazon introduced the Amazon Echo, an unassuming, $180 cylinder that sits atop a kitchen counter or bookshelf, acting as a personal assistant …

  DUBAI / AFP A vintage carnival in Australia provided the inspiration for Emirati designer Lamya Abedin’s show at Arab Fashion Week in Dubai that combined frills and sequins with Muslim modesty. Abedin said she followed every detail of the century-old fair, which she visited while travelling with her husband and children, for her collection “Voyage of the Carnival” — …

Relaxnews The Spring/Summer 2017 ready-to-wear shows have finally wrapped up, and it’s time to examine the key trends for the upcoming season. When it comes to tailoring, the next season will be all about playing with proportion. There were tops all over the SS17 catwalks, but the real star piece was its more wearable cousin, the crop top. Nicholas K …

  DUBAI / AFP Canadian-Jordanian designer Rad Hourani creates avant-garde designs with a vision: To break all boundaries, starting with gender. His revolutionary unisex garments were showcased in the Middle East for the first time ever during a show late Friday at Arab Fashion Week in Dubai. In thick pieces of material tied up in different styles, male and female …

Angers / AFP Dusty and somewhat faded, as befits its onetime use as insulation for horse stables, a priceless piece of medieval artistic heritage, France’s Apocalypse Tapestry, is getting a welcome clean-up. As the French culture ministry says, it’s high time “to see what state this old lady of upwards of 600 years of age is in.” In truth, she …