Today's News..

1. The government plans to shorten the length of mandatory military service, ultimately reducing it by up to six months by 2014..

2. The Bank of Korea yesterday heightened its forecast for the country's annual economic growth for this year upward to 4.5 percent..

3. Workers at hospitals, railways and airports should keep up core sevices even during strikes from next year..

4. Korea is expected to post the highest aging index in the world by 2050..

5. Pakistani troops stormed the Red Mosque where the pro-taleban rebels had been taking hostages, leaving up to 50 militants and eight soldiers killed including the Pakistani rerbel cleric, Abdul Rashid Ghazi..

Ex Chief of China's food and drug administration executed

Zheng Xiaoy, former chief of China's food and drug watchdog, was executed yesterday. The administration headed by Zheng had become emblematic of China's problems and reputaion with product safety. He was sentenced to death in May for accepting bribes to approve an antibiotic that at least 10 deaths have been attributed to, as well as a number of other drugs that were below standards. Even for China, the punishment is being considered heavy, and is regarded as a sign of China's determination to tackle its grim product safety record. Officials have said that fears are growing over civil unrest and a poor international image because of its food and medicine track record. In addition to antibiotics, recent health scares have also been sparked by Chinese-produced pet foods and toothpastes.


Games company CEO blasts his own industry

John Riccitiello, the recently-appointed CEO of a major games manufacturer, has warned that the industry is "boring people to death and making games that are harder and harder to play." He referred to the industry's game production statagy as "rinse-and-repeat," saying that instead of making original games, the industry is simply rehashing annual titles and franchises. He stressed that the industry needs to find a new, more casual group to make games for outside of the typical hardcore gamer niche market. Riccitiello also offered praise to a handful of games that have been groundbreaking in the past few years. His comments precede the annual E3 games conference in Santa Monica, California this weekend, which is the biggest meeting for the games industry.


From Morning Special..