Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto on Wednesday sought to clarify his remarks on a system to recruit women into sexual servitude for Japan's soldiers during World War II, saying he personally does not condone the scheme. Two days after he made controversial remarks that the so-called comfort women were "necessary to maintain discipline" in the Japanese military, Hashimoto told reporters he simply stated a fact that people at the time had that kind of view.

Three luxury cruise ships - Costa Deliziosa, Seabourn Pride and Serenade of the Seas - visited Port Sultan Qaboos recently with a total of 4,566 passengers on board. A press release stated that Costa Deliziosa belongs to Costa Crociere, the largest Italian travel group and Europe's number one cruise company which owns 26 large vessels, while the Bahamian-flagged Seabourn Pride belongs to Seabourn Cruise Line and Serenade of the Seas belongs to the Royal Caribbean Line. Further, the release added that the tourists on board the vessels visited Oman’s tourist spots and experienced

Two dock workers were thrown into the water in a new mishap Wednesday involving a Carnival cruise ship, which broke free from moorings in a US port, the company said. One worker was reported missing after high winds caused the Carnival Triumph to break free in the Gulf Coast port of Mobile, Alabama, where it was docked after a hellish four-day ordeal last month. Television pictures showed a large hole on the stern of the ship, apparently on a passenger deck half way up the side of the vessel.

A Greek court began proceedings Tuesday against 13 people accused of being responsible for the sinking of a cruise ship that claimed the lives of two French tourists six years ago. Those on trial include seven crew members, five staff from Cyprus-based Louis Hellenic Cruises (LHC) that owned the vessel and an employee of risk assessment organisation DNV that had deemed it seaworthy. The trial is expected to last over a month as over 60 witnesses are to testify, state news agency ANA said.