Iraq Iraq's election commission was expected to consider a call by top political parties to delay January's vote because of violence gripping the country, as US forces led an offensive against lawless towns. Ukraine Ukraine's parliament was due to meet after talks between the nation's two presidential rivals failed to defuse a standoff over a disputed election and mass opposition rallies protesting the vote entered their sixth day. Iran Iran is still unable to accept some positions of European countries in crucial talks on its nuclear programme at the UN atomic agency, but an agreement remains possible, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi said. Afghanistan-Germany Three German peacekeepers were injured when a bomb planted by suspected Taliban militants exploded close to their vehicle in northern Afghanistan, officials said. China Prominent Chinese dissident Liu Jingsheng was released from prison after more than a decade behind bars, while dozens in Beijing were detained or placed under house arrest ahead of another activist's trial. China A total of 25 people were confirmed dead and another 24 were missing after a bus plunged into a river in northwest China's Shaanxi province, state media reported. US-Japan-NKorea The US Army freed deserter Charles Jenkins, who defected to North Korea in 1965 but was given a lenient sentence so he could be reunited with his Japanese wife who he met in the Stalinist state. Myanmar Myanmar has completed its mass release of more than 9,000 prisoners, a prison department source said, amid opposition claims the move would be meaningless without the freeing of more dissidents.