The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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Abe hints at Japan's possible military role in Taiwan contingency

TOKYO - Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that an attack on a U.S. military vessel in any contingency concerning Taiwan could become a situation allowing Japan to exercise the right of collective self-defense.

During a virtual appearance at a Taiwan think-tank event on Dec. 1, Abe said that any Taiwan contingency would also be an emergency for Japan and for the Japan-U.S. security alliance, stressing the need to keep pushing for clarity on the issue with Chinese leadership.

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G-7 finance chiefs vow vigilance over COVID variants, supply issues

TOKYO - Finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of Seven nations have pledged to keep their guard up against new coronavirus variants and work together on global supply chain issues amid growing concerns over the Omicron variant, according to the British government.

The finance chiefs agreed during their videoconference Monday to cooperate in tackling supply-chain disruptions, which have been accelerating inflation worldwide and could stifle economic recovery from the impact of the pandemic, according to a press release issued by Britain, which holds this year's rotating G-7 presidency.

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Tokyo city committee OKs plan for foreigners to vote in referendums

TOKYO - A committee of the Musashino city assembly in western Tokyo has approved a proposed ordinance that would allow foreign residents to vote in local referendums, with the measure set to be put to a plenary vote on Dec. 21.

If the ordinance is passed, Musashino will become the third city in Japan to grant voting rights to foreigners without setting special conditions, along with Zushi in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, and Toyonaka in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan.

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U.S. vows to bolster Indo-Pacific security to ensure peace in region

WASHINGTON - The United States will bolster security in the Indo-Pacific to ensure peace in the region amid China's growing assertiveness, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a speech on Tuesday in Indonesia.

The secretary also pointed to concerns about Beijing's "aggressive actions," which he said included claiming open seas as its own and engaging in unfair trade practices. "Countries across the region want this behavior to change. We do, too," he said.

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Kishida sidesteps criticism of cash handout policy change

TOKYO - Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday sidestepped criticism of his government's decision to allow municipalities to allocate 100,000 yen ($880) in benefits to child-rearing households entirely in cash despite his original plan to give half in redeemable vouchers.

"Based on various opinions, we have made the program more flexible," Kishida said in parliament in response to questioning from Seiji Osaka, acting leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

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M7.3 quake hits off eastern Indonesia, causes small tsunami waves

JAKARTA - A 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia on Tuesday, causing tsunami waves as high as 7 centimeters on nearby shores.

The quake occurred at 11:20 a.m. in waters off Flores Island, or 112 kilometers north of the town of Maumere on the island, at a depth of 18.4 km, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

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Protest held in Okinawa 3 yrs after start of landfill for U.S. base

NAHA, Japan - Anti-base protesters took to canoes and boats Tuesday in waters off Okinawa to show their opposition to the planned relocation of a U.S. air base, exactly three years after full-blown offshore landfill work for the transfer began.

Holding signs that read "Stop landfilling operation" and "Protect our beautiful sea," protesters in around 30 canoes paddled out to the site, calling for the halt of work for the transfer of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the Henoko district, both in the southern island prefecture.

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U.S., Lithuania to beef up defense ties amid Russia, China pressure

WASHINGTON - The United States and Lithuania on Monday agreed to beef up their defense ties by facilitating arms acquisitions, as the European country faces growing pressure from what it views as the authoritarian governments of Russia and China.

Calling Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping "dictators," Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas told his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin in Washington, "We shall not shy away from answering these threats with strength."

==Kyodo

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