Bayer AG is set to win U.S. antitrust approval for its $66 billion takeover of Monsanto Co. by next week, according to a person familiar with the matter, removing the last major regulatory hurdle to forming the world’s biggest seed and agricultural-chemicals company.The companies and the Justice Department have negotiated a complex agreement that would resolve the government’s concerns that the merger as initially structured would harm competition, said the person, who asked not to be named because the matter is private. The deal could be announced as soon as Tuesday following months of negotiations.The German company’s agreement to buy Monsanto, announced two years ago, is one of several deals involving seed and crop-chemical firms around the world. Last year, U.S. and EU regulators approved Dow Chemical Co.’s merger with DuPont Co. and China National Chemical Corp.’s takeover of Syngenta AG. The wave of transactions is set to create three industry … [Read more...] about Bayer to Win U.S. Antitrust Nod for Monsanto Deal Next Week
Creating s corp
Azerbaijan invites U.S. companies to invest in non-oil sector [PHOTO]
By Rashid Shirinov Azerbaijan invites U.S. companies to invest in the non-oil sector of the economy, Azerbaijan's Deputy Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies Elmir Valizade said. He made the remarks at the panel discussion on investment and trade, held within the Trans-Caspian Forum in Washington on May 17-18. “Azerbaijan has improved its position in the leading international business ratings, and new opportunities for cooperation in the non-oil sector have been created for U.S. companies, including in transport and logistics, high technology, infrastructure, industry and other fields,” said Valizade. The deputy minister further spoke about the state policy in trade, transport and transit spheres in Azerbaijan, and informed in detail about the reforms recently carried out in the country under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev and the results achieved. Brian McFeeters, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Bureau of Economic and … [Read more...] about Azerbaijan invites U.S. companies to invest in non-oil sector [PHOTO]
Paddy Power in Talks to Combine U.S. Unit With FanDuel
Paddy Power Betfair Plc is in talks to merge its U.S. unit with closely held website FanDuel as the Irish bookmaker positions itself for expanded sports betting in the U.S. following a Supreme Court ruling this week.“Discussions are ongoing and there is no certainty as to whether agreement will be reached, or as to the terms or timing of any transaction,” Dublin-based Paddy Power Betfair said in a statement Wednesday. The deal would “create a combined business to target the prospective U.S. sports betting market.”The talks may be the start of a wave of deals involving betting companies in the U.S. The nation’s highest court on Monday struck down the federal law that had barred single-game gambling in most of the country, saying it unconstitutionally forced states to maintain their prohibitions. Nevada has been the only state with legal single-game wagering. Shares of U.S. casino companies and bookmakers such as William Hill Plc rallied on the court … [Read more...] about Paddy Power in Talks to Combine U.S. Unit With FanDuel
U.S. lawmakers push back on Trump talk of helping China’s ZTE
U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday rejected any plan by President Donald Trump to ease restrictions on China’s ZTE Corp, calling the telecommunications firm a security threat and vowing not to abandon legislation clamping down on the company, Reuters reports. Trump on Monday had defended his decision to revisit penalties on ZTE for flouting U.S. sanctions on trade with Iran, in part by saying it was reflective of the larger trade deal the United States is negotiating with China. “I hope the administration does not move forward on this supposed deal I keep reading about,” Republican Senator Marco Rubio said. Bilateral talks between the world’s two biggest economies resume in Washington this week. The Trump administration is considering an arrangement under which the ban on ZTE would be eased in exchange for elimination of new Chinese tariffs on certain U.S. farm products, including pork, fruits, nuts and ginseng, two people familiar with the proposal said. The potential … [Read more...] about U.S. lawmakers push back on Trump talk of helping China’s ZTE
U.S. Supreme Court paves way for states to legalise sports betting
The court upheld the legality of a 2014 state law permitting sports betting at New Jersey casinos and horse racetracks and voided the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. Some states see sports betting, like lotteries, as a potentially important source of tax revenue. The ruling, which sent shares in gaming companies and casinos higher in brisk trading, takes the United States a step closer to legal sports betting in numerous states, perhaps nationwide, rather than just in select places such as Nevada, home to the gambling capital Las Vegas. The current illegal sports betting market is worth billions of dollars annually. "New Jersey has long been the lead advocate in fighting this inherently unequal law, and today's ruling will finally allow for authorized facilities in New Jersey to take the same bets that are legal in other states in our country," New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said in a statement. The federal law at issue had effectively … [Read more...] about U.S. Supreme Court paves way for states to legalise sports betting