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

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Germany to observe nuke ban talks in policy shift under new gov't+

BERLIN/VIENNA, Nov. 25 Kyodo - Germany's incoming three-party government is set to join as an observer the first meeting of signatories to a U.N. treaty banning nuclear weapons, a coalition agreement showed Wednesday, signaling a policy shift for the influential European nation.

Coming at the end of the longstanding German administration led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, the shift would make the country the only Group of Seven member to attend the conference set to be held in Vienna next March, and potentially put pressure on Japan, which relies on the U.S. nuclear umbrella for protection, to do the same.

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Japan envoy holds talks with Taliban officials in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD - Japan's ambassador to Afghanistan held talks with senior Taliban officials in the capital Kabul on Tuesday and Wednesday, a deputy spokesman of the Taliban's interim government said.

It is the first time that talks between Ambassador Takashi Okada and Taliban officials in Kabul have come to light since the Taliban took control of the war-torn country in August ahead of the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops at the end of that month.

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Japan mulls oil reserves release with U.S. to stabilize prices

TOKYO - Japan is considering releasing oil from its reserves along with the United States and other countries to help curb rising crude oil prices, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Saturday.

If decided on, it will be the first time Japan has tapped its oil reserves to lower prices, with government officials mainly looking to utilize excess stockpiles instead of revising the relevant law.

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Gov't to nix Shinsei Bank's defensive steps against SBI takeover bid

TOKYO - The Japanese government is considering using its stake in Shinsei Bank to vote against the launch of a defense against a hostile takeover by online financial group SBI Holdings Inc., sources familiar with the matter said Monday.

As the combined stakes held by SBI and the government amount to around 40 percent, it appears unlikely that Shinsei Bank would secure approval for the steps with majority backing at an extraordinary shareholders meeting on Thursday, the sources said.

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Baseball star Ohtani turns down top Japan government award

TOKYO - Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani has turned down the Japanese government's offer to award him one of its top honors, saying it is "still too soon" for him to receive the decoration, the government's top spokesman said Monday.

Ohtani rejected the People's Honor Award after last week being unanimously voted the American League's Most Valuable Player for his performances this season with the Los Angeles Angels both as a pitcher and batter.

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14-year-old who stabbed schoolmate held "grudge" against victim

NAGOYA - A 14-year-old boy who stabbed to death a fellow student at a junior high school in central Japan on Wednesday said he had troubles with the victim and held a grudge against him, according to investigative sources.

The alleged attacker, whose name has been withheld as he is a minor, also told investigators he bought a 20-centimeter-long kitchen knife online in advance, the sources said Thursday. He is believed to have used it to stab Yuzuki Ito, also 14, in the stomach.

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NASA launches test mission for defending Earth against asteroids

WASHINGTON - NASA launched a spacecraft early Wednesday to test technology to alter the course of an asteroid by slamming into it, the world's first full-scale mission of its kind to better prepare for defending Earth against hazardous space objects.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test spacecraft is on a one-way trip to the Didymos asteroid system, aiming to intentionally collide with moonlet Dimorphos, which is approximately 160 meters in diameter, between Sept. 26 and Oct. 1 next year.

==Kyodo

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