Paris / AFP EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici on Monday hailed a new batch of Greek austerity measures as “key” to unlocking bailout funds. “A key step has been taken… towards the conclusion of the first stage of the Greek programme,” Moscovici said in Paris, a day after Greek lawmakers voted in favour of spending cuts and tax …

  Bloomberg Bayer AG made an unsolicited $62 billion all-cash offer to acquire Monsanto Co. and create the world’s biggest supplier of farm chemicals and genetically modified seeds, disclosing the terms of its bid amid investors’ growing concern that it might overpay. Bayer offered $122 per share in an all-cash bid in its May 10 written proposal, the Leverkusen-based company …

  BLOOMBERG Growth in France’s private-sector economy accelerated more than analysts anticipated in May, despite a continued contraction in manufacturing, as services expanded at the fastest rate in seven months. A Purchasing Managers Index for both industries rose to 51.1 from 50.2 in April, London-based Markit Economics said on Monday. That compares with a median forecast of 50.4 in a …