Japan 'war slavery' pay overruled

A judge in Japan has overturned a lower court ruling that a Japanese company must pay compensation to a group of Chinese men used as forced labour during World War II.

The high court judge at Fukuoda accepted that the Japanese government and the Mitsui Mining Company had conspired to bring the Chinese nationals to Japan and forced them to work in the mines.

But he said too much time had elapsed before the 15 men filed their claims.

The lower court had ordered that they receive nearly $1.5m between them.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service