The Central African Republic’s President, Michel Djotodia, resigned today, after receiving pressure form regional and international leaders to step down, after failing to halt months of inter-religious violence that has left 1 million people internally displaced.

The resignation was announced in a statement by the regional  Economic Community of Central African States (Eccas), who held discussions with Djodia and CAR’s ruling National Transitional Council (CNT).

The Israeli government has announced it is planning to build 1,400 new homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The move is likely to impede progress towards negotiations led by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

The United States is expected to proscribe two Libyan organisations as terrorist groups later this week, in the aftermath of an attack on the US embassy in Benghazi.

Four Americans, including  Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, were killed in the September 2012 attack by suspected Libyan militants.

The Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade has had her plea to delay proceedings against her for visa denied by a federal judge in New York.

Khobragade was detained last month on charges of visa fraud and underpaying her maid, causing outrage in Delhi. The Indian government is demanding an apology from the US for “humiliating” their diplomat.

The president of the Central African Republic, Michel Djotodia, is facing strong pressure to step down from the French government, after weeks of fighting have left roughly 1 million people displaced.

France have already sent 1600 troops to aid the deteriorating situation in the CAR, with the EU last week announcing that it would hold discussions on Friday with regards to sending a further 1000 troops to stabilise the situation.

Human Rights Watch has condemned the killing of 2 Palestinian schoolchildren by Israeli troops, concluding that the young boys 'posed no apparent threat', in a press release earlier this week.

Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said,

“Twice this year, Israeli soldiers hiding near schools, apparently to make arrests, have killed children who posed no apparent threat”.

A former Nazi guard has been charged with participation in a massacre in Nazi-occupied France, the Guardian reports.

The 88-year-old former SS guard faces possible war crimes charges for the murder of 25 people and complicity in the killing of hundreds more in the village of Oradour-sur-Glane in 1944.

China plans to create five new private banks in an effort to crack down on shadow banks, by opening up the financial sector and increasing competition.

The new banks will be overseen by China's banking authorities during an initial trial phase. 

China's state news agency, Xinhua, quotes the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) as saying,

"Strict procedures and standards will be set for the pilots, with demanding set-up criteria, limited licenses, enhanced supervision and a risk handling system."

The ruling Awami League has secured victory in the Bangladeshi parliamentary elections on Monday, in a poll that was marred by violence, a low voter turnout and boycotted by the opposition.

Led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Awami League won 232 of the 300 seats available, about half winning unopposed, with a voter turnout of just over 20%. Election related violence flared across the country, leaving at least 20 dead in 2 days and some 70 polling stations set alight.

Western governments, who refused to send election monitors, are reported to be considering withdrawing trade benefits from Bangladesh over the tumultuous election. The US State Department commented on Hasina’s victory, noting that they were “disappointed”, and went on to say,

“With more than half of the seats uncontested and most of the remainder offering only token opposition, the results of the just-concluded elections do not appear to credibly express the will of the Bangladeshi people”.

The Bangladeshi elections were also a point of discussion in a New York Times editorial entitled “Democracy in Peril in Asia” and a Bloomberg editorial entitled “Bangladesh Needs Real Elections”.

When questioned on the threat of economic sanctions from the West, Hasina responded,

“Why? What has Bangladesh done? I don’t understand why they will impose sanctions. Bangladesh hasn’t done anything. It’s our opposition that has done terrorist activities.”

Iran has warned that imposing new sanctions against the nation will sabotage nuclear talks.

Responding to a sanctions bill being pushed by American senators to place new embargos on Iran's oil exports, Marzieh Afkham, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said:

"Approval of any new sanctions will be tantamount to terminating the ongoing nuclear talks,"

See report by Xinhua.