Frankfurt/ AFP German chemicals giant Bayer said on Wednesday it had agreed to buy the controversial US seeds and pesticides firm Monsanto for $66 billion, in a deal that triggered immediate criticism from environmentalists. After a months-long pursuit, Bayer said its US peer had accepted an improved offer of $128 per share for Monsanto in an all-cash transaction, avoiding …

  Brasília / AFP Brazil announced a series of auctions and tenders aimed at privatizing infrastructure — part of new President Michel Temer’s plans to revive the moribund economy. Under the new program, four airports will be put on the auction block this year, along with two port terminals. Tenders in the transport and mining sectors will also be up …

  Beijing / AFP A US billionaire’s giant gift to one of China’s top universities for a programme echoing Oxford’s Rhodes Scholarships comes as the country seeks to boost its schools’ prestige while tightening ideological control in classrooms. Tsinghua University in Beijing inaugurated its new Schwarzman College at the weekend, named after the co-founder of the Blackstone hedge fund Stephen …