11.   Masatoshi Uchia, a Japanese lawyer who is familiar with post-World War II compensation issues, said the ruling could benefit other lawsuits by former forced laborers.

12.   More than one million former laborers are expected to be eligible for payments from the fund, mostly central and eastern Europeans.

13.   More than one million former laborers worldwide, most of them central and eastern Europeans, are expected to be eligible for payments.

14.   Now the Japan Red Cross wants to build an apartment-dormitory in South Korea for returning former laborers.

15.   Several other compensation cases by former forced laborers are pending in Japanese courts.

16.   The Friday ceremony in Moscow marked the start of payouts to former forced laborers in Russia.

17.   The government faces lawsuits filed by the former laborers, but so far has staved off paying any compensation.

18.   The settlement was also the first involving former Chinese laborers.

19.   The former laborer and truck driver won on promises to help working people and cut spending for tourism before touching any social programs.