Madagascar’s military ruler Col Michael Randrianirina has dissolved the government unexpectedly, dismissing the prime minister and the entire cabinet, according to a statement from his spokesperson.

“The government has ceased its functions” it said, adding that Randrianirina will appoint a new prime minister “in line with the provisions stipulated by the constitution”.

No reason was given for the move.

Randrianirina seized power last October from Andry Rajoelina, following weeks of youth-led protests on the Indian Ocean Island. Rajoelina had been elected president for a third term in a disputed poll in 2023.

The demonstrations were over persistent power and water shortages, culminating in the army siding with the demonstrators.

Randrianirina has pledged to call new elections within two years. Last December, the regional bloc, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), directed Madagascar’s military authorities to submit a roadmap for restoring democracy including plans for fresh elections by the end of February.

But in a surprise on Monday, Randrianirina sacked his entire government and assigned permanent secretaries to run ministries’ day-to-day operations until a new cabinet is formed.

Randrianirina has not explained the motivation for the mass sackings, but leaders of the Gen Z movement, whose grassroots mobilisation helped bring the military leader to power, have called for more inclusiveness in the transition process and greater representation in decision-making structures.

Activist groups, calling themselves Gen Z and Gen Y movements, had recently issued a 72-hour ultimatum for Randrianirina’s resignation, citing frustration with his performance, local media reported.

Businessman Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo had been appointed prime minister in October in an effort to bridge the divide between military leadership and civilian government.

The the Gen Z movement leaders rejected his appointment at the time, saying it was made in a “non-transparent” manner and “without consultation”.

The group demanded to know how Rajaonarivelo was selected given what it said were his connection to the previous government.

They then said that the decision “runs contrary to the desired structural change” the movement was seeking.

Monday’s dissolution of the government could mark a significant shift in the country’s political landscape with the military leader seeking to establish a new administration.

Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new Supreme Leader following the killing of his father, Ali Khamenei, according to state media reports cited by Al Jazeera.

The decision was announced on Sunday by the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible under Iran’s constitution for selecting the country’s supreme leader.

In a statement circulated by state media, the Assembly said Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen after what it described as a “decisive vote.

The statement urged Iranians, “especially the elites and intellectuals of the seminaries and universities,” to pledge allegiance to the leadership and help preserve national unity.

The appointment comes days after the death of Ali Khamenei, who had served as Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989.

He was reportedly killed on February 28 during a joint military operation by the United States and Israel targeting leadership sites in Tehran amid escalating regional tensions.

His death sparked intense speculation over who would succeed him, with Mojtaba widely seen as one of the leading contenders despite concerns within parts of Iran’s political and religious establishment about the possibility of a hereditary succession.

A mid-ranking cleric, Mojtaba Khamenei is believed to maintain strong ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and has long been regarded as an influential figure behind the scenes in the Islamic Republic’s political structure.

Before the announcement, Donald Trump publicly opposed the prospect of Mojtaba becoming Iran’s leader, reportedly describing him as a “lightweight” and suggesting he should not play a role in determining the country’s leadership.

Under Iran’s constitution, the Assembly of Experts holds the authority to appoint the Supreme Leader, the highest political and religious authority in the country, with ultimate control over state policy, the military and the judiciary.

Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment marks one of the most significant political transitions in Iran in decades and comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East following the killing of his father.

China has cut its annual economic growth target to a range of 4.5 per cent-5 per cent, the lowest expansion goal since 1991 as it grapples with challenges both at home and abroad.

It is the first time the target has been lowered since it was cut to “around 5 per cent” in 2023.

The details were released during China’s biggest political gathering, known as the “two sessions”, alongside the release of some details of the 15th Five Year Plan for the world’s second largest economy.

Beijing aims to reshape its economy as it faces issues like weak consumption, a shrinking population, an ongoing property crisis, global trade tensions and an energy crunch due to the Iran war.

The lower target gives China “more room to manage the economy” without being forced into making huge financial commitments just to hit a precise goal.

“China has used flexible targets before, particularly during the pandemic, but it’s not the norm,” Jason Bedford from the East Asian Institute research group added.

The two sessions event, which began on Wednesday and usually runs for at least a week, brings the country’s leaders together for back-to-back meetings.

Details of China’s gross domestic growth (GDP) target and its objectives under its latest Five Year Plan were included in a 46-page report published.

The full text of the plan, which will outline China’s economic development objectives to 2030, will be voted on during the closing day of the gathering.

It is expected to be released by state media one or two days later.

Li told delegates that the Five Year Plan will include investments in innovation, high-tech industries, scientific research and more efforts to boost household consumption.

His comments underline Beijing’s concerns that weak domestic consumption makes the country too reliant on exports, as well as highlighting its ambitions to upgrade the country’s manufacturing industries.

The report outlines plans for more than 100 major projects over the next five years to expand China’s industrial capacity, with a focus on science and technology, transportation and energy.

Beijing also made clear its ambitions to be a global technological powerhouse, with plans to roll out artificial intelligence (AI) tools across key industries.

China aims to lead a green energy push, reducing carbon emissions and improving environmental protection, Li wrote.

The country will also build a “childbirth-friendly society” as it addresses concerns over employment, education and healthcare, the report said.

China faces an ageing population and falling birth rates, complicating Beijing’s plans to boost its economy.

In January, official figures showed that China hit its 5 per cent economic growth target for 2025 as a whole. But Beijing also said economic expansion had slowed to 4.5 per cent in the last three months of the year, weighed down by weak domestic spending and a long-running property crisis.

More than two-thirds of China’s provinces have scaled back their growth ambitions, either lowering targets or shifting language from aiming higher than a certain rate to targeting “around” that level.

Zhou Zheng, a policy analyst at China Macro Group, said Beijing’s new growth target reflects that it is “being realistic” as it deals with complex domestic challenges and a difficult global trade environment.

China’s economic growth still marks a “great achievement” given it has been simultaneously tackling major issues that are deeply interlinked and will take time to solve, Zhou said.

But Georgetown University researcher Ning Leng said China’s growth figures should be taken with “a grain of salt”, as other data suggests a weaker economic picture.

The crisis in China’s property sector has hit the country hard and is a key reason for its domestic consumption being weak, she added.

The real estate market once accounted for nearly a third of the Chinese economy and was a key source of income for local governments – many of which now have huge debts.

The industry’s problems have also led to layoffs and pay cuts across the country.

Manufacturing and exports have helped support China’s economy, recording the world’s biggest-ever trade surplus last year – the value of goods and services sold abroad compared to its imports – of $1.19tn (£890bn).

But it means China has become particularly reliant on exports to plug the gaps, which is a weakness the US can sense, Ning said.

US President Donald Trump’s tariffs have put further pressure on China’s export-reliant economy.

The country has responded by pouring huge resources into redirecting trade to other countries to ensure its products can be sold, sustaining its manufacturing sector, said Ning.

Trump is expected to visit China in April and meet President Xi Jinping for their first face-to-face talks this year.

Meanwhile, the US-Israel war with Iran means Beijing has now lost two key sources of cheap oil this year.

It also can no longer access Venezuelan oil after the US seized President Nicolás Maduro in January.

But Beijing has highlighted that it is far less dependent on fossil fuels as it has for several years been transitioning to renewable energy.