Generate an appropriate single-sentence summary for the given text such that it includes the main topic of the text.

It also promised to return cultural relics "in the near future", including records taken by Japan of an ancient Korean royal dynasty. The apology, though not the first, is part of Japanese efforts to forge closer ties with South Korea. Conservative politicians in Japan have resisted admitting Japanese atrocities throughout World War II. In a statement, the Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan expressed "deep remorse" for the annexation, 100 years ago this month. Imperial aggression Mr Kan expressed his "feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology for the tremendous damage and suffering brought by the colonial rule". "Through the colonial rule that was against their will... the people of Korea were deprived of their nation and culture and their ethnic pride was deeply hurt," Mr Kan said. He said Japan wants to further improve relations with South Korea, which have often been overshadowed by the countries' shared history. The statement was issued to coincide with the centenary of Japan's annexation of the Korean peninsular, and 15 August, when South Koreans will mark their liberation in 1945. The BBC's Roland Buerk in Tokyo says that during Japan's rule, Koreans were forced to fight on the frontline, or work as slaves or in brothels set up by the military. Successive Japanese prime ministers since 1995 have apologised for the country's imperial aggression. But some conservative politicians in Japan have refused to acknowledge atrocities took place, our correspondent says. 'Unfortunate past' In a separate gesture, Japan's Defence Minister Toshimi Kitazawa has announced that he will not be going to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine on the anniversary of Japan's World War II defeat on Sunday. Visits by prominent politicians have angered Japan's neighbours in the past because convicted war criminals are among the dead symbolically enshrined there. South Korea's news agency Yonhap said Seoul "positively assessed" the Tokyo statement, and "paid attention" to the pledge to return the relics. A foreign ministry spokesman, Kim Yong-sam, said: "We expect all Japanese people to share this view". "We recognize Prime Minister Kan's statement as his and the Japanese government's willingness to overcome the unfortunate past between Korea and Japan and to develop bright bilateral relations in the future. "We hope that through proper recognition and reflection of the unfortunate past, the close South Korea-Japan bilateral relations can further develop into a partnership for the future," Mr Kim said.
Japan has offered another apology to South Korea for its war-time colonisation of the Korean peninsula.

The Toronto Film Festival pulled the premiere of London Fields after Matthew Cullen claimed producers had added "incendiary imagery" without approval. Producers Christopher Hanley and Jordan Gertner hit back, stating Cullen "does not control the final cut". Early reviews of the film - based on a Martin Amis novel - were mixed. The Guardian called it "novelistic, rich and awfully silly", while Screen Daily described it as "lushly ambitious". Toronto organisers took the decision to withdraw the film from the line-up after becoming aware of Cullen's legal action in Los Angeles, first reported on Tuesday. "With uncertainty surrounding the creative vision of the version of the film scheduled to be screened on September 18th, we feel it is only appropriate that we remove this film," TIFF said in a statement. The producers of the film called the decision "ill-considered". "We have always loved launching our films here, but feel that in this particular case there has been an ill-considered decision made against our rights," their statement read. The thriller centres on a clairvoyant, played by Amber Heard, who is aware of the time and place of her death, but does not know the perpetrator - one of two strikingly different suitors. It is narrated by Billy Bob Thornton's character - an author who has moved to London to try to overcome his writer's block - who is determined to intercept the killer. Depp has a cameo role in the film. Cullen - who wants his name removed from the film - claims producers "in creating their own version of the film... have interjected scenes and footage that are highly offensive and neither appear in the script nor are a part of the film that [he] was asked to direct,'' according to legal papers. The 17-page filing from Cullen and his Motion Theory company cites "9/11 jumpers edited against pornography, as well as juxtaposing the holiest city in Islam against mind-control" among the offensive imagery added by producers. Along with the allegations about content, the legal action states producers failed to properly finance the film and haven't properly paid Cullen for his work and expenses, which total more than $1m (£640,000). 'Director's Cut' "Sadly, Mathew can't deal with the fact that he does not control the final cut of the movie,'' said the statement released by publicist Maxine Leonard, on behalf of the producers. "He was given two deadlines to deliver a 'director's cut' and missed both deadlines. His guild has rules for withdrawing his name from the picture, and he missed those deadlines.'' Cullen argues that he was prevented from completing the director's cut. Best known as a director of music videos, London Fields marks his debut feature film. Hanley, whose wife Roberta wrote the screenplay to London Fields, has produced films including Spring Breakers and the critically acclaimed American Psycho. London Fields was given a press screening at Toronto before the decision to remove it from the line-up. The Independent gave the film a one-star review calling it "car-crash film-making". Variety said Cullen "genuinely deserves credit", but added "sometimes you have to try to adapt a seemingly unadaptable book just to learn how truly unadaptable it is".
The world premiere of a film featuring Billy Bob Thornton and Johnny Depp has been cancelled after the director sued the producers for "fraud".

Former Doctor Who actor Christopher Ecclestone broke the news to the team behind the city's year-long series of events and to "blue coat" volunteers on Wednesday. Hull City Council previously said more than £1bn of investment had flowed into the city. Mr Ecclestone said the City of Culture had been "an overwhelming success". The National Lottery said the city's programme attracted 5.3m people to more than 2,800 events, cultural activities, installations and exhibitions. The programme began with Made in Hull, which saw light installations added to many of the city's best known buildings, and ended with the Turner Prize being awarded in the city. Mr Ecclestone, who has spoken about the importance of northern England in the arts, talked to some of those behind the year-long cultural festival, which had £10m of National Lottery funding. He said the year had put Hull in the national spotlight. "It set the bar as high as it could go," he said. "I think Hull used the City of Culture exactly as it should be used, to express what was original and vital about this wonderful city." Katy Fuller, creative director and CEO of Hull 2017 legacy organisation Absolutely Cultured, said: "This news is incredible, not only for us here at Absolutely Cultured but for the entire city and everyone who was involved in making Hull's year as UK City of Culture such a tremendous success. "This National Lottery Award is for the city of Hull and we would like to say a huge thank you."

Hull's year as UK City of Culture has been voted Best Arts Project in the National Lottery awards.

