The advent of big data was supposed to usher in a more precise and rational world. Instead, it might be leading us into the swamp of “alternative facts.” Data may not lie, but they can be interpreted in ways that have the same effect. Consider President Donald Trump’s persistent claim that millions voted fraudulently in the 2016 election. In ...

  It’s time to put the Korea reunification trade back on the table, but only after ditching the German blueprint. With China suspending coal imports from North Korea, Pyongyang may have lost between a third and two-fifths of its export income. One gauge of whether investors perceive the embargo to be harsh enough to destabilize the despotic Kim Jong Un ...

  Frankfurt / DPA Afram Shamoun, who for decades practiced medicine in Damascus, is now lying on a doctor’s couch in Frankfurt pretending to be a patient with knee problems. The 59-year-old is taking part in a course that prepares doctors qualified in other countries to take the exam to be able to practise in Germany. Today they’re going over ...

  JOHANNESBURG / AP The surprise was finding that people dependent on candles, batteries, kerosene and fuel for generators in countries without a secure supply of electricity spend more on power than solar options. The founders of Dutch company Lumos knew they could do better: In Nigeria, for the cost of powering a small generator for two hours they offer ...

  Bloomberg China’s financial regulators are working together to draft sweeping new rules for the country’s rapidly-expanding asset-management products that aim to make it clear there’s no government guarantees on such investments, according to people familiar with the matter. The draft rules would apply to products issued by banks, insurers, brokerages and other financial institutions, said the people, who asked ...

  Bloomberg Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. will begin charging for its services from April 1 and extended a slew of promotional offers to users as India’s newest wireless carrier attempts to retain customers. Customers who adopt Jio before March 31 will have the option of signing up for Jio Prime at 99 rupees ($1.48), plus a monthly ...

  Bloomberg Singapore’s residential property curbs are expected to stay for some time as the city-state’s economy remains stable and demand is still “very resilient,” Nati- onal Development Minister Lawrence Wong said. Singapore home prices fell 3 percent in 2016, with prices declining for the 13th straight quarter in the last three months of the year for the longest streak ...

  Bloomberg A recent change to India’s trading rules has opened the door for fund managers to increase their holdings of derivatives in the country, loosening restrictions that had stifled trading. The Securities and Exchange Board of India last month increased the combined futures and options trading limit by removing some caps on contracts and on the market value of ...

  Reuters Rosneft PJSC signed investment and crude-purchasing agreements with Libya’s National Oil Corp. as more international companies return to the North African country to gain access to Africa’s largest reserves. Moscow-based Rosneft agreed to invest in exploration and production in Libya, the state-run NOC said Tuesday in a statement on its website, without specifying the amount or timing of ...

  Bloomberg Saudi Arabia is kicking off its $50 billion renewable-energy push as the world’s top crude exporter turns to solar and wind power to temper domestic oil use in meeting growing energy demand. Bidders seeking to qualify to build 700 megawatts of wind and solar power plants should submit documents by March 20, and those selected will be announced ...