World Scene

JAPAN

Leader apologizes for forced prostitution

TOKYO — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, under criticism for denying that Japan forced women to work as sex slaves during World War II, offered a fresh apology yesterday but stopped short of clearly acknowledging the government’s responsibility for the brothels.

“I express my sympathy toward the ‘comfort women’ and apologize for the situation they found themselves in,” Mr. Abe told a parliamentary debate, using the euphemism preferred by Japanese politicians.

His remarks fell short of demands made by victims that Mr. Abe clearly acknowledge that the wartime military forced the women into prostitution.

Historians say that as many as 200,000 Asian women, mostly from Korea and China, worked in military-run brothels. Victims say they were forced into the brothels by the Japanese military and were held against their will.

EGYPT

Turnout is low in referendum

CAIRO — Turnout was low yesterday in a rushed referendum on amending the Egyptian Constitution, changes the government has touted as democratic reforms but critics dismiss as attempts to curtail rights and consolidate the regime’s power.

The amendments would abolish emergency laws, allow election supervision by an independent commission and ban political parties based on religion in this key U.S. ally.

The opposition, led by the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood, boycotted the vote, saying the amendments would only cement control by President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled unquestioned for a quarter century.

IRAQ

Suspected leaders of car-bomb ring held

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