ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday met with Iranian Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam, discussing the ongoing regional situation and peace efforts, according to the Prime Minister's Office. (Pakistan-Iran-U.S. Talks)
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KATHMANDU -- Nepal's home minister Sudan Gurung, who had landed in controversy over his financial dealings, resigned on Wednesday.
"I have resigned from the post of home minister effective from today (Wednesday) to ensure an impartial investigation into matters related to me and to avoid any conflict of interest," he wrote in a post on Facebook. (Nepal-Sudan Gurung-Resign)
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TOKYO -- More than 100 Japanese government officials and lawmakers on Wednesday worshiped the notorious Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, a symbol of Japanese militarism and wartime aggression, on the occasion of its spring festival.
The visits came a day after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent a ritual "masakaki" tree offering in her capacity as prime minister to the controversial shrine that honors 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals from World War II alongside the war dead. (Japan-Yasukuni Shrine)
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JAKARTA -- Indonesia's central bank, Bank Indonesia, maintained its benchmark interest rate at 4.75 percent following a two-day board of governors meeting.
The central bank also kept the deposit facility rate at 3.75 percent and the lending facility rate at 5.50 percent to strengthen the effectiveness of monetary policy in stabilizing the rupiah exchange rate. (Indonesia-Interest Rate) ■
