Brazil Holds Selic Rate at 15% as Inflation Expectations Stay Elevated 
Microsoft Unveils Massive Global AI Investments, Prioritizing India’s Rapidly Growing Digital Market 
Japan Weighs New Tax Breaks to Boost Corporate Investment Amid Spending Debate 
Wildfires ignite infection risks, by weakening the body’s immune defences and spreading bugs in smoke 
Trump’s Approval of AI Chip Sales to China Triggers Bipartisan National Security Concerns 
We combed through old botanical surveys to track how plants on Australia’s islands are changing 
S&P 500 Slides as AI Chip Stocks Tumble, Cooling Tech Rally 
Ireland Limits Planned Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements to Goods Only 
JD.com Pledges 22 Billion Yuan Housing Support for Couriers as China’s Instant Retail Competition Heats Up 
US Signals Openness to New Trade Deal as Brazil Shows Willingness, Says USTR Greer 
Air Transat Reaches Tentative Agreement With Pilots, Avoids Strike and Restores Normal Operations 
Gold Prices Dip as Markets Absorb Dovish Fed Outlook; Silver Eases After Record High 
Wall Street Futures Dip as Broadcom Slides, Tech Weighed Down Despite Dovish Fed Signals 
Fungi are among the planet’s most important organisms — yet they continue to be overlooked in conservation strategies 
The number of South Korean patent applications in biodegradable plastic almost doubled from 97 filed in 2016 to 190 in 2020, as plastic waste emerged as a major social issue in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number of such patent applications registered an annual growth rate of 18 percent over the past five years, according to the Korea Intellectual Property Office.
South Korean patent applications increased from 78 in 2016 to 158 in 2020, whereas international patent applications fluctuated within the same period.
Businesses filed the most patents, accounting for 68 percent of all applications, followed by individuals (14%), universities (12%), and research institutes (5%).
LG Chem Ltd. took first place with 24 patent applications, followed by Samyang Group (15), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (14), Lotte Chemical Corp. (14), KingFa Science & Technology Co. (12), and BASF S.E. with nine.
During the four years from 2016 to 2019, the ester group accounted for 60.3 percent of patent applications (47), followed by the carbonate group (20.5 percent or 16 applications), the ester-carbonate compound group (6.4 percent or 5 applications), and others (12.8 percent or 10 applications).
