+ MONSANTO CLAIMS DROUGHT TOLERANT MAIZE COMING 2010-2012
Monsanto has claimed it's made a "significant step" in creating a drought-tolerant maize which could the company claims be available as early as 2010, or in some reports 2012. The claims were dismissed as "hype and misinformation," by Bill Freese, a science analyst at the Centre for Food Safety in Washington DC. Pioneer has a non-GM drought-tolerant corn that it says should be available 2010-2011. It also has a GM version that is said to be 5-7 years away.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090111/BUSINESS/901110324/1029/BUSINESS
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/7817684.stm
http://greenbio.checkbiotech.org/news/monsanto_seeks_fda_approval_drought_tolerant_corn
There has been lots of progress with non-GM drought resistance.
http://www.bangmfood.org/feed-the-world/17-feeding-the-world/14-non-gm-breakthroughs
The recent GM edition of The Ecologist had an article by Prof Jack Heinemann on drought resistance - only part published online.
http://www.theecologist.org/pages/archive_detail.asp?content_id=1995
 
+ NON-GM PURPLE POTATOES DEVELOPED
Recently there was a lot of hype about GM purple tomatoes which were said to have the same kind of health giving properties as fruits like raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. Less hype is expected about non-GM purple potatoes with the same properties, even though potatoes are even more popular in the British diet than tomatoes.
http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/uk/Purple-spud-will-put-you.4841710.jp

+ JAPAN TO SELL CLONED BEEF AND PORK THIS YEAR?
The (often unreliable!) biotech lobby group Truth About Trade claim "the Japanese government will announce cloned beef and pork made from cloned eggs or body cells are safe, allowing their commercial sale this year."
http://www.truthabouttrade.org/content/view/13117/54/

+ GM GOAT MILK TO GET FDA APPROVAL
http://www.medindia.net/news/Transgenic-Goat-Milk-for-Rare-Clotting-Disorder-to-Receive-FDA-Approval-46207-1.htm

+ GARAGE BIOTECH UNSTITCHING THE FABRIC OF LIFE
Biohackers are doing DIY genetic engineering in their hobbyist garages.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article5400645.ece

+ MST - 25 YEARS OF RESISTANCE
The MST, Brazil's landless people's movement, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The MST has been at the heart of anti-GM protests, including seizing the farm in the state of Parana where Syngenta illegally planted GM corn and soy in the buffer zone of the Iguacu National Park.
http://alainet.org/active/28342
http://carmeloruiz.blogspot.com/search/label/MST

+ SETTLEMENT IN BAYER POLLUTION CASE
In 2006 hundreds of illnesses were reported after residents of two US counties breathed an onion-like smell of chemical odorant propyl mercaptan and organophosphate pesticide Mocap. Two related deaths are reported. The Mocap wash water came from a Bayer Cropscience plant in Alabama. Now a $4 million settlement has been reached.
http://www.cbgnetwork.de/4.html

+ A MISUNDERESTIMATED PRESIDENT
Ralph Miller, GMWatch's wonderful Brazilian translator, drew our attention to this great BBC collection of Bushisms from one of Monsanto's bestest of friends: "I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7809160.stm