In the coming weeks, Colombians will be asked to cast a vote like none other in the country’s history. The sole question on the ballot will be whether Latin America’s third most populous nation should ratify a historic peace agreement to end the longest-running guerrilla insurgency in the Western Hemisphere. It seems like a silly question: After a conflict …

  Reuters China and Japan, Saudi Arabia’s biggest oil buyers in Asia, are preparing for a visit by the kingdom’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, an opportunity to deepen energy ties as the world’s largest crude exporter prepares what’s expected to be the biggest IPO ever. Selling about 5 percent of the state-run oil producer Saudi Arabian Oil Co., …

  Bloomberg Iraq’s resumption last week of oil shipments through a Kurdish-controlled pipeline bumped up its export capacity by five percent almost overnight. Now OPEC’s second-biggest producer is seeking a formal deal with the self-ruling Kurds to ensure it can maintain the increased flows. The central government in Baghdad has been locked in a dispute with the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional …

  Emirates Business Crystal Lagoons, the multinational innovation company and developer of the world’s top amenity patented technology that makes giant crystal-clear lagoons a reality, has announced two new project wins in Egypt, bringing its total portfolio of active and under development projects in the Middle East and India to 15. Showcasing a range of projects at this year’s Cityscape …

  AFP Facebook said it is further automating its “trending” stories feature, a move that will scale back human input to prevent personal bias from influencing which stories get highlighted. The social media giant will rely more heavily on an algorithm to operate the feature — which lists what news or events are hot topics — no longer requiring people …

  Bloomberg An escalating battle between Apple Inc. and Spotify Ltd. is leaving some musicians caught in the crossfire. Spotify has been retaliating against musicians who introduce new material exclusively on rival Apple Music by making their songs harder to find, according to people familiar with the strategy. Artists who have given Apple exclusive access to new music have been …

  Bloomberg Best Buy Co. Chief Executive Officer Hubert Joly was sold on virtual reality after he was almost eaten by a shark in an experience he called “mind- boggling.” Now he’s betting the masses will be enthralled with the technology too. In what’s seen as the first mainstream test of VR products, Best Buy began rolling out demonstrations for …

  Emirates Business A star-studded show marked Lakmé Fashion Week in Mumbai, with Etihad Airways presenting the celebrated Indian designer Manish Malhotra at the unveiling of his winter festive collection. Famed for his lavish Bollywood costume designs, Malhotra’s stunning show featuring 75 models was attended by more than 400 guests who experienced an innovative adaptation of a traditional opening, ‘Etihad …

  Relaxnews Sonia Rykiel, the Parisian fashion designer who shook up the French style scene, has passed away at the age of 86. We look back at some of her most visionary catwalk moments. Rykiel burst onto the scene in the late 1960s, and remained the darling of the Parisian fashion world even after Parkinson’s disease forced her to take …

  Relaxnews As technology advances inexorably, the domination of wearables seems increasingly inevitable. And it seems that the mainstream fashion industry is gradually waking up to the necessity to embrace the trend, teaming up with tech brands to ensuring that their trackers, smart devices and other connected items acquiesce with the rules of stylish design. With tech brands such as …