From Washington,this is VOA News.

The White House Friday declined to confirm a report that the United States is considering imposing targeted sanctions against the government of South Sudan.  Washington, however, continues to evaluate ways it can maintain pressure on warring South Sudan parties to bring an end to fighting.  

White House spokesman Jay Carney was asked by VOA about a Reuters news report from the United Nations that the United States is weighing imposing targeted sanctions in a move to increase pressure on warring parties.  Reuters quoted what it called a source briefed on U.S. discussions.  Reuters said this was confirmed by another source, but both provided no details on precise measures being considered.

Carney said he could not respond to the Reuters report.  But Jonathan Lalley, Assistant Press Secretary for National Security, said the U.S. is "continually evaluating what more we might do to keep up the pressure on the parties to make progress on negotiations."

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on both rebels in South Sudan and the country's government to agree to an immediate cease-fire.

Speaking at a news conference Friday, the U.N. chief said he had asked President Salva Kiir to advance the negotiations by agreeing to a key rebel demand.

Kiir's government has refused to release 11 political detainees as demanded by the rebels.  The issue is believed to be holding up a proposed cessation of hostilities agreement at peace talks in Ethiopia.

The Central African Republic's president and prime minister have resigned under pressure from regional leaders, after months of deadly sectarian violence.

The resignation of President Michel Djotodia and Prime Minister Nicolas Tiengaye was announced Friday at the end of a two-day summit in Chad by leaders of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

ECCAS leaders said talks will be held in Bangui, the CAR capital, to decide the country's new leadership.

There has been no comment from Mr. Djotodia, who was in Chad's capital, N'djamena, for the summit.

Reporter Nick Long is in Bangui. He tells VOA that people were initially elated to hear word of Mr. Djotodia's resignation.

The United States has designated two militant groups in Libya as terrorist organizations, and says they were involved in the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.

The groups are both named Ansar al-Sharia - one in Benghazi and the other in the city of Darnah.  The State Department declared the leaders of each group to be global terrorists.

The September 11, 2012 attack in Benghazi killed U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other Americans.  U.S. officials say the two groups have also been involved in terrorist attacks against civilians, as well as assassinations and attempted assassinations of security officials and political figures in eastern Libya.

Syrian activists say nearly 500 people, including 85 civilians, have been killed in fighting among Syrian rebels and hardline Islamist State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL in the past week.

With less than two weeks until a planned international peace conference on Syria is to be held in Switzerland, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Friday for all parties to work toward a political solution.

Iran's deputy chief nuclear negotiator says talks with world powers on Tehran's nuclear program have been concluded with solutions on all points of disagreement.

Abbas Araqchi made the comment to Iranian state-run television Friday, after two days of talks in Geneva with envoys from the European Union and the United States. He also noted that the agreement must still be ratified by Iran and the six world powers involved in the talks -- the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany -- before becoming final.

Days after al-Qaida militants raised their flag over government buildings in Fallujah, the Iraqi ambassador to the United States says his country is turning to Russia for help.

In an interview with VOA , Lukman Faily says the recent terrorist takeover in Fallujah and other parts of Anbar province has created a new urgency within the Iraqi government.

The White House has called for aid for Iraq, but U.S. lawmakers have for months blocked approval for the delivery of Hellfire missiles, surveillance drones and Apache helicopters.

The United States says it will withdraw a diplomat from its embassy in New Delhi after India demanded the expulsion, in a growing dispute between the two countries.

A U.S. State Department spokeswoman said Friday that she hopes the move will bring closure to the situation, which involves an Indian diplomat whom the U.S. accuses of underpaying her housekeeper.