Bloomberg China National Chemical Corp. sought European Union approval for its $43 billion takeover of Syngenta AG, one of a trio of mega-deals reshaping the global agrichemicals industry already described as “quite concentrated” by the bloc’s antitrust chief.The European Commission set an initial Oct. 28 deadline to rule on the deal, according to a website filing on Monday. ChemChina …

  Manila / AFP Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday he would seek closer economic ties with China and Russia, as the local currency and stock market extended declines following Western criticism of his deadly war on crime. The peso hit a seven-year low to the dollar on Monday and foreign investors pulled out from local shares for a …

  Singapore / AFP A Singapore firm headed by a scion of one of Asia’s richest families has bought a 49 percent stake in Rolling Stone, with plans to diversify the iconic magazine into new business including live events and merchandising. BandLab Technologies, a music and technology start-up headed by 28-year-old Kuok Meng Ru, bought the stake for an undisclosed …