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S. Korea acting president open to meet parties individually

​Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said Thursday he is open to meeting all political parties individually in response to the opposition bloc's recent offer of talks on state affairs.

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S.Korean president passes the ball in parliamentary court ahead of impeachment vote

South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday passed the ball of decision on her fate in parliamentary court ahead of an expected impeachment vote as early as Friday, saying she will follow the National Assembly's decision including a shortened presidency.

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Indian opposition parties call for nationwide protests over demonetization

India's opposition parties Monday called for nationwide protests over the government's demonetization move.

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Turkey PM says withdrawing controversial child sex conviction bill

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday a controversial bill which could overturn men's convictions for child-sex assault if they married their victim would be withdrawn after a public backlash.

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New presidential chief of staff meets Saenuri, parliamentary speaker

​President Park Geun-hye's new chief of staff held talks with the head of the ruling Saenuri Party and the parliamentary speaker Monday but failed to meet opposition leaders, as the embattled chief executive is calling for a meeting of political leaders to resolve the burgeoning scandal surrounding her confidante.

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Japan's Abe not ruling out snap election early next year amid speculation

​Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not rule out the possibility of dissolving the lower house of Japan's parliament and calling a snap election as early as next January.

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Iraq's Shiite cleric calls for complete cabinet reshuffle

The influential Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Friday called for a complete cabinet reshuffle, and expressed his discontent with the latest partial reshuffle after months of political row.

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Chinese official to visit Africa for South Sudan talks

Zhong Jianhua, the Chinese government's Special Representative on African Affairs, will visit Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya from Wednesday to discuss the situation in South Sudan, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

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Philippines vows to engage "concerned parties" over South China Sea issue: FM

​Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay said Friday the Philippines will continue to engage "concerned parties" as he raised the South China Sea issue at the meeting of the leaders from Asia and Europe in Mongolia.

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Irish observer says only talks can solve South China Sea issue

The South China Sea issue can only be resolved through direct bilateral talks by the parties concerned, according to an Irish observer.

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What is Oscar Season without parties? We may soon find out

​New Academy regulations forbid the parties and luncheons that have defined the awards circuit—but the open bar may not be quite dead yet.

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Australian election result remains unclear as major parties enter talks with independents

Australia's incumbent Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Labor leader Bill Shorten have entered talks with independent MPs in an attempt to form a minority government, as it looks increasingly unlikely either major party will win enough seats to secure a majority.

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South China Sea issue should be resolved via negotiations by parties concerned: Cambodian defense minister

​Cambodian Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh said on Wednesday that South China Sea dispute should be resolved peacefully through negotiations by parties concerned and outsiders should not meddle in the issue.

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Madhes-based parties boycott crucial all-party meeting called by PM

​Nepal's Madhes-based parties, who have been agitating nearly for a year demanding better representation in the parliament and the administrative divisions envisaged in the new constitution, boycotted an all-party meeting called by Prime Minister K.P Sharma Oli on Tuesday.

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10 Maoist Parties announce merger in Nepal

​Ten Maoist parties including the UCPN (Maoist) have announced their merger in a bid to regain their strength in the national politics, leaders said. The new party has been named CPN-Maoist-Centre in a function held in the Nepalese Capital Kathmandu on Thursday.

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Nepal's CPN-UML, UCPN decide to continue current alliance

The CPN-UML and the UCPN (Maoist), the two major allies of the K.P Sharma Oli-led government in Nepal, have decided to keep intact their current coalition, party leaders said.

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Dialogue, negotiations key to settling Korean Peninsula nuclear issue

​The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a set of tougher sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which is seen as a necessary price Pyongyang has to pay for its recent nuclear test and satellite launch.