Drudgereport

The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg ruled on Thursday that the authorization of genetically modified soy produced by former agrochemical corporation Monsanto was legal. An appeal is not possible. The ruling follows appeals made by three German non-governmental organizations to a decision made by the EU Commission in 2012. The Commission said the genetically modified soybean has the same effect on human and animal health as non-genetically modified soy products. This allowed Monsanto to continue selling products containing genetically modified soybeans. The beans were modified to make them more resistant to insects and pests and also more resistant to the herbicide glyphosate. 'Toxicological risks' The NGOs challenged the Commission's decision saying that not enough research had been carried out into potentially unknown side-effects of the GMO soybeans. The NGOs, TestBioTech, European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility and … [Read more...] about German groups lose GMO soybean battle to Monsanto at top European court

Korean and Chinese business leaders and politicians gather at a meeting hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in central Seoul on Thursday. Participants included: Park Yong-maan, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, front row fifth from left, former speaker of the National Assembly Chung Sye-kyun and Zeng Peiyan, chairman at China Center for International Economic Exchanges. [YONHAP]Business leaders from Korea and China called for the swift signing of a trade pact between major Asian economies, Australia and New Zealand amid growing concerns that the deal might fall through.Dubbed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the leaders of 15 Asia-Pacific countries including Korea, China, Australia, New Zealand and the 10 Asean nations agreed on a framework for an agreement last month to boost commerce among members.The partnership was initially intended to include 16 countries, but India pulled out last month due to fears for the livelihood … [Read more...] about Business heads call for RCEP to be signed

Korea successfully tested its first light civil helicopter developed with domestic technologies, the Industry Ministry said Thursday, paving the way for possible commercialization.The prototype edition of the light civil helicopter flew for around 20 minutes at the headquarters of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy.In 2014, Korea launched the project to develop both civil and military editions in cooperation with French-based Airbus Helicopters.The new chopper is equipped with around 80 domestically-produced parts and technologies, including auto flight control system, active vibration control system and main rotor blade.The technologies and parts applied on the civil helicopter will also be utilized for the light armed helicopter, according to the ministry.The prototype was developed from a local production line that meets the standards of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Korea will … [Read more...] about First Korean-made civil helicopter takes flight

Shares ended lower Thursday as investors remained cautious about the ongoing trade conflict between the United States and China. The Korean won fell against the dollar.The benchmark Kospi fell 8.15 points, or 0.39 percent, to close at 2,060.74. Trading volume was moderate at 463 million shares worth 4.5 trillion won ($3.8 billion).News that Washington and Beijing are nearing a phase-one trade deal buoyed the stock markets in early morning trade, but the main index retreated as investors took a wait-and-see attitude toward progress in a yearlong trade war between the world’s two biggest economies.Trump said Wednesday that discussions with China are going very well, giving a boost to Asian stocks. But investors remain concerned about his earlier comments that he had “no deadline” and doesn’t mind waiting another year before striking a deal with China, analysts said. While attending a NATO summit in London Tuesday, Trump suggested “the idea of waiting until … [Read more...] about Kospi inches down due to trade uncertainties

[JEON TAE-GYU] As K-pop becomes increasingly global, it’s not uncommon to see comments left in English, Japanese or Chinese on YouTube videos or articles from fans all around the world. But boy band B.I.G started to notice that they were getting love from a different set of fans when they saw comments in Arabic all over their music videos and on social media. So they decided to reach out to those fans and thank them for their support in a unique way. B.I.G made their debut in July 2014 as a five-member group, with members J-Hoon, Benji, Gunmin, Gook Min-pyo and Heedo. Their first single “Hello” attracted the attention of listeners for its addictive hook and its distinctly Korean vibe - the song’s lyrics that showed off the best of Korea, like the “fastest internet” and “kimchi, tteokgalbi, bulgogi and samgyeopsal.” But after the group failed to catch on amid the heated K-pop music scene where more and more groups make their debut every … [Read more...] about B.I.G’s dreams come true thanks to Arab fans: After covering a hit song in Arabic, the group gained a devoted following abroad