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

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Scandal-hit reconstruction minister dismissed in blow to Kishida

TOKYO - Scandal-hit reconstruction minister Kenya Akiba handed in his resignation and was effectively dismissed by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday, in a fresh blow to his Cabinet that has seen four of its members leave their ministerial posts within around two months.

Kishida has tapped Hiromichi Watanabe, who served as reconstruction minister between 2018 and 2019, as Akiba's successor, the incoming minister said.

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Apple Japan slapped with 14 bil. yen in back tax over duty-free sales

TOKYO - Apple Inc.'s Japan branch was slapped with 14 billion yen ($105 million) in additional taxes after authorities found bulk sales of iPhones and other items to foreign visitors were incorrectly exempted from consumption tax, a source close to the matter said Tuesday.

The Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau found Apple Japan's approximately 140 billion yen tax-exempt sales over two years through September 2021 were the result of fraudulent duty-free purchases to be resold for commercial purposes, the source said.

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China to reopen borders on Jan. 8, exit from "zero-COVID" policy

BEIJING - China said Monday it will reopen borders and abandon quarantine measures that have been in place to stem the spread of coronavirus infections on Jan. 8, in a full departure from its strict "zero-COVID" policy that involved lockdowns and isolation measures at designated facilities.

China's National Health Commission said inbound travelers -- both foreigners and Chinese nationals -- will be able to enter the country after testing negative for COVID-19 within 48 hours before departure, and that a PCR test and quarantine at a designated facility will no longer be required.

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China revises upward 2021 GDP growth rate by 0.3 point to 8.4%

BEIJING - China on Tuesday revised upward its inflation-adjusted economic growth rate for 2021 by 0.3 percentage point to 8.4 percent following data revisions.

The pace of expansion in industries such as manufacturing, transportation and the hotel and restaurant sector was faster than initially estimated, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics.

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N. Korea holds key party meeting, Kim touts boost in national power

BEIJING - North Korea's ruling party convened Monday a key meeting to review its policies in 2022 and discuss a draft budget for next year, with leader Kim Jong Un saying his country's power has "remarkably increased," the official Korean Central News Agency said.

Kim, who presided over the enlarged plenary meeting of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee, said national power has increased in all the fields of politics, the military, the economy and culture through "unprecedentedly arduous and fierce struggle," while also calling for "more exciting and confident struggle policies," KCNA said Tuesday.

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Japan, Saudi Arabia to cooperate in carbon recycle, hydrogen energy

TOKYO - Japan and Saudi Arabia have signed a memorandum of cooperation in the energy sector, including carbon recycling technology and the use of hydrogen and ammonia as a clean fuel source, to achieve a carbon neutral society, the Japanese industry ministry said Tuesday.

Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman agreed in their talks in Riyadh over the weekend to cooperate in cutting emissions through the promotion of the circular carbon economy and other relevant technologies.

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Man sent to prosecutors after 3 found dead near Tokyo

SAITAMA, Japan - Police sent a 40-year-old man to prosecutors on a murder charge Tuesday after three people were found dead with blunt trauma injuries in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

Jun Saito is suspected of killing William Bishop Jr., a 69-year-old U.S. national, by hitting him with a blunt object and damaging his cervical cord on the premises of a residence in Hanno around 7 a.m. Sunday.

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Japan's Nov. jobless rate falls to 2.5%, 1st fall in 3 months

TOKYO - Japan's unemployment rate fell to 2.5 percent in November from 2.6 percent in October, the first improvement in three months, amid an increase in employment in the hospitality sector, government data showed Tuesday.

The job availability ratio was unchanged at 1.35 in November, meaning there were 135 job openings for every 100 job seekers, ending 10 straight months of improvement, according to separate government data.

==Kyodo

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