Brussels - The European Union should re-open talks within days on a strategic deal with Russia which it froze following Russia's invasion of Georgia, the bloc's executive said Wednesday.

"It is the view of the (European) Commission that the next negotiating sessions should be scheduled now," a report on the EU's relationship with Russia from the Brussels-based body said.

Chicago (US), Nov. 5 : U. S. President-elect Barack Obama promised Tuesday that "change is coming to America" as he gave a victory speech after becoming the first African-American to be elected to the White House.

"It''s been a long time coming. But tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change is coming to America," he said in front of a crowd of 65,000 people.

Obama called on Americans to back a spirit of unity to attack the country''s pressing challenges.

Shanghai - France's Gilles Simon will get a test of fire in his opening group match at the Masters Cup starting on Sunday when he faces holder Roger Federer.

Simon only squeezed into the field on Monday when world number one Rafael Nadal withdrew with a knee injury, now diagnosed as tendinitis.

Federer has won the last two editions in Shanghai and hopes to end the four-year run in China for the year-end event with a trophy hat-trick.

The Swiss who quit the Paris Masters last week with back pains, has won five Masters trophies and is top seed at the 4.45 million-dollar showcase.

Andy Murray and Andy Roddick make up the remaining members of Federer's Red group.

Kathmandu - The Maoist-led Nepalese government Wednesday hailed the victory of Barack Obama in the US presidential election, describing it as a positive change that hopefully will lead to improved bilateral ties.

In a message, Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias Prachanda, said he hoped the change in US leadership would lead to improved bilateral relations between the two countries.

Ankara - The mayor of the south-eastern Turkish town of Batman on

Tel Aviv, Ramallah, Gaza  - While Israelis reacted with a mixture of excitement and trepidation to the election of Barack Obama as US president Wednesday, enthusiasm was noticeably lacking among Palestinians.

"American policy is very clear and will not change. It is totally biased toward Israel," said Mohammed Midyeh, a mathematics lecturer in the West Bank city of Ramallah, expressing a common opinion.