Briefly

BANGLADESH

President quits as Hasina plans return

Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin, a former ally of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina, resigned on Friday halfway through his term, days after Hasina said she was returning from exile to surrender following a court conviction. The resignation of Shahabuddin, the head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces, would leave Hasina with no allies in high office five months before her planned return.

GERMANY

Merz announces cabinet reshuffle

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday announced a major reshuffle of his cabinet and appointed the new Chancellery head and health minister. The reset follows the abrupt resignation of Jens Spahn as the parliamentary head of Merz's Christian Democratic Union, in a row over his decision to have a surrogate baby despite his party's staunch opposition to surrogacy.

AGENCIES-XINHUA