Iraq The threat of a delay to Iraq's landmark January polls demanded by several top parties receded after the electoral commission, the government, the United States and Shiite clerics favoured sticking to the schedule. Ukraine Ukraine's opposition won a symbolic victory in its battle over a disputed presidential election after parliament declared results from the vote invalid in a non-binding resolution. Ukraine The European Union urged Ukraine to hold new presidential elections by the year's to end its current electoral crisis, in a new sign of a standoff between the bloc and Moscow. Iran Iran said differences remained between Tehran and European nations over its nuclear programme, but that a swift agreement could still avoid the issue being hauled before the UN Security Council. SriLanka Tamil Tiger guerrillas declared they will renew armed struggle unless Sri Lanka's government immediately agrees to revive peace talks based on a controversial rebel blueprint for self-rule. ASEAN South Korea said it was high time North Korea decided whether to return to six-nation nuclear talks as it was joined by China and Japan in hoping for a resumption of the dialogue by year-end. France Unknown assailants shot at and almost killed an imam overnight on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica then fled after daubing racist graffiti on a building where he was staying, a prosecutor said. Switzerland Rescue services in Switzerland were battling through layers of reinforced concrete to save six firefighters who were trapped when the ceiling of an underground car park collapsed during a fire. Kenya A Kenyan high court has ordered retired president Daniel arap Moi to testify before a judicial committee probing a financial scam that robbed taxpayers of huge amounts of money, according to a ruling seen by AFP. France A political crisis in French Polynesia moved closer to solution with the agreement of both sides to hold new elections throughout the sprawling Pacific territory.