Bayer-Roundup judge questions future claims settlement plan

Under attack: An employee inspects a beaker of weedkiller at the Bayer CropScience AG research and development facility in Frankfurt. The litigation over both Roundup and PCBs remains a lingering obstacle for Bayer from its purchase of Monsanto Co. ─ Bloomberg

SAN FRANCISCO: Bayer AG faced probing questions from a judge over its plan to pay as much as US$2bil (RM8.29bil) to resolve future lawsuits over claims that its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer.

Bayer and lawyers representing consumers presented the deal Wednesday to United States district judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco, who last year rejected a US$1.25bil (RM5.18bil) proposal.