German President resigns

German President Horst Koehler announced tonight that he was resigning with immediate effect due to widespread criticism of comments he made about the country's military action and commercial interests. The shock resignation came after Koehler, elected to a second term last year, said a country like Germany which was heavily reliant on foreign trade must know that military interventions were needed to uphold German interests.

"I regret that my comments could lead to a misunderstanding about an important and difficult question for our nation," Koehler told reporters. The German President is responsible for signing bills into law but the role is largely ceremonial.