Bloomberg Belgium’s government averted a political crisis by relegating plans to cut the tax rate on corporate profits and calls for a capital gains levy to further review as the conflict threatened to derail a last-minute budget deal. “You can’t let things like this depend on the outcome of a deal struck in early hours,” said Deputy Prime Minister …

  Bloomberg France’s lowest water reservoir levels in a decade are helping to bolster power prices that are 50 percent above last year’s levels even as a reduction in nuclear supply is expected to ease. Hydropower generation is forecast to be the lowest for 10 years this month, according to consultants Pira Energy Group. It’s already 1.4 gigawatts below last …

  Bloomberg Self-driving technology promises to pretty much transform the auto industry as we know it. It may also change the business of selling motorcycles—but in a very different way. It all comes down to safety, according to Karl Viktor Schaller, head of development at BMW Motorrad. When robots are at the wheel, far fewer bikers will die on the …

  Bloomberg Plunging battery costs will drive the auto industry’s biggest change in more than a century, enabling a boom by 2030 in technologies from self-driving electric cars to ride-sharing applications. The price of lithium-ion battery packs for electric cars has fallen 65 percent since 2010 and is likely to keep declining, according to a report by Bloomberg New Energy …

  Relaxnews Microsoft has launched its HoloLens mixed-reality goggles in a further six markets, following the device’s initial debut across the US and Canada. Pre-orders for the goggles, described by Microsoft as “the world’s first self-contained holographic computer,” will begin from Wednesday for consumers in Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, with the product to be …

  AFP Cloud computing rivals VMware and Amazon Web Services on Thursday announced an alliance that will let them play off each other’s strengths. The powerful cloud computing arm of online retail giant Amazon will be able to handle VMware software and tools popular with businesses, according to the companies. The move was described as being tailored to integrate the …

  DUBAI / AFP French-Lebanese designer Ingie Chalhoub closed a busy Arab Fashion Week with a collection inspired by American pop art icon Andy Warhol. Her models strutted down the catwalk in pleated skirts and blouses and disco-style dresses and jackets, all in a mix of bright red, fuchsia, blue and black. “My design is all about the Parisian chic …

  Relaxnews American luxury fashion company Coach has joined forces with eclectic Parisian retailer Colette for a multifaceted partnership that will soon see the duo launch a kid’s capsule collection. The Coach 1941 x colette collection — a collaborative effort between Coach creative director Stuart Vevers and Colette cofounder Sarah Andelman — will launch at the Colette concept store in …

  Relaxnews They may not be sufficiently traditional for some, but the trend for colorful wedding dresses is still ongoing and even gaining ground. More and more brides-to-be are choosing touches of color or a colored total look in their bid to bring creativity and originality to their big day. When taking the plunge and choosing a dress that is …

  Relaxnews Salvatore Ferragamo has launched ready-to-wear online in the US for the first time, marking an expansion in its e-commerce offering from accessories to apparel. The Florence-based brand already sells accessories online worldwide but has never before sold clothing online, until now. According to executives, the US will serve as a test market, before any further markets are explored. …